Turning from the law to policy, did you read Krauthammer's article on the subject? If so, what did you think?
I have not, I just returned from spending a few days in The Big Apple, and avoided any sort of news outside the weather for a week or so.
But I will tell you what I think about this case...if the nutjobs allow reason to intervene.
The laws need to be retooled BY THE LEGISLATURE, if the argument is that no one should ever be legally denied food and water lacking written instructions to that effect, then tool the law to state that.
But the government should never, ever take the ultimate responsibility for reaching the decision to end life away from the next of kin; you can't rewrite traditional law as a reaction to an unusual case such as this, and in cases where the next-of-kin can't come to an agreement, then one must ultimately have the legal last word.
More importantly, the decision should NEVER be handed over to any outside agency, it should always stay with the next of kin.
James Adams was convicted of first-degree murder and executed in Florida's electric chair in 1984. It was later determined that Mr. Adams was not guilty of committing the crime he was found guilty of at all.
The fact that an innocent man was executed does not negate the societal benefit that I believe being able to sentence people to death brings to my State.
I see the Schiavo case in the same light.
Tighten the laws, make whatever changes are needed, but don't destroy the system.