[Shethink13]

What happened to Terri happens thousands of times a year. The only difference is the families are in agreement about it so no media circus develops.

You didn't read my post very carefully, did you? I said being denied food and water BY MOUTH, not by feeding tube. It is documented that Judge Greer prohibited even attempts to feed Terri by mouth. What reason do you suppose would he have to order this?

I'll give you my opinion - because if the attempt was successful the two pillars of his judgments would come tumbling down - 1)that Terri is in PVS (how can someone is this state engage in such an activity) and 2)that Terri would want to be starved to death (accepting food and water presented to her shows her desire to live).

[antiRepublicrat]

What reason do you suppose would he have to order this?

Because it's difficult for someone to starve if they're being fed? I though that was kind of obvious.

how can someone is this state engage in such an activity

Because the swallow reflex of a PVS patient remains intact. They swallow their own saliva all the time.

accepting food and water presented to her shows her desire to live

See previous. It would show nothing.

[TigersEye]

Very well put! Greer's actions bely his thinking. No judge issues an order requiring a guardian to remove life support they give permission that the guardian may exercise their proxy rights. No judge orders that natural feeding (as the legalese describes oral feeding) be prohibited (it is completely contradictory to the idea of "allowing nature to take its course.") This does not happen in thousands, hundreds or even a couple of dozen cases a year.

As you point out such rulings are unnecessary when the patient is truly PVS and the court's rulings are able to stand scrutiny.