My Uncle Bill and my Aunt Liz were both on life support. Machines were beating their hearts and causing them to breathe.
As painful as it was, the choice was clear that they would be better off being removed from the machines. We ended life support for them.
My Aunt Wanda was in a vegetative state for 40 years. She was given food and water daily, but no machines kept her alive. To deny her food and water would have been to actively kill her.
Terri Shiavo was in the same situation as my Aunt Wanda, not in the same situation as Bill or Liz. She was not on life support. She was actively killed, not "allowed to die".
There is a huge difference and I have been up close and personal with both types of cases. One is allowing nature to take it's course, the other is killing someone by our actions.
How old was your Aunt Wanda when she fell into the VS? Do you think she would have wanted to live 40 years like that? WOULD YOU?