(snip)
"Tuesday's action also reaffirmed existing AMA policy that says it is ethical in some cases to discontinue life-sustaining treatment if it is in the patient's best interests. "
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So now, how is it that the medical community is going to make these decisions .. and how will they defend or enforce their decisions?? And also, is this now saying that, if you DON'T have an executed medical directive, your life becomes theirs with which to dispense and it's their decision what is in your best interests??
I think in their rush to take a position and marginalize the critical ethical issues raised in Terri's plight, they are opening a huge can of worms and litigation.
"So now, how is it that the medical community is going to make these decisions"
How? They, the memembers will probably vote on it. That's the way it usually works.
You might want to re-read what is stated. You seem to be a bit confused?
Wesley Smith, a leading pro-life attorney who specializes in bioethics issues, says people should make their wishes known beforehand.
"I think people need to create advanced directives in which they say, 'I don't want to be dehydrated to death and have my food taken away if I become cognitively disabled,'" Smith explained.
http://www.lifenews.com/bio1048.html
Apparently now the presumption is going towards death: if you don't have something in writing specifically spelling out that you want to live and what you want them to do, they will presume you want to die. And you don't even know who the "they" could be.