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Sorry, but I cannot agree with you. Did the thirteen other doctors examine her? My understanding is that there was a specific panel of five who did, within the past year, and that the majority of them made the findings I describe. I am gravely skeptical of any physician who will offer an opinion on a patient they have not personally examined, and reviewed the medical history of.

And much as I feel for Mrs. Schiavo's parents, it is a widely known phenomenon for people in this situation to "see" things that are not really there, because they wish so desperately for it to be true.

Finally, yes, I've seen the videos. But you cannot tell just from watching a few seconds or minutes of videotape what a patient's true status is, and anyone who tells you they can is a charlatan, even if they have "M.D." after their name.

I am not qualified to judge Terri Schiavo's medical condition, even if I had the opportunity to examine her. I doubt that very many people on this thread are -- possibly none of us are. The one thing I do know is that this situation has been going on for more than a decade. Many judges have looked into it. Physicians appointed by the court have examined her, and rendered their opinions, and now the courts have determined that Mrs. Schiavo's closest living relative is acting appropriately.

This sort of thing happens in every state in the union, every single day. We can keep a human body "alive" with its heart beating and its lungs pushing air for a very long time after the person who inhabited that body is no longer there. There comes a time when someone has to decide that everything that can be done has been done. It is always a hard decision, and it is made immensely harder when family members of the patient are in conflict, as Mr. Schiavo is obviously in conflict with his wife's parents. But he is the one with the ultimate legal right to make the decision, and this has been tested in a grueling, ten year court battle. It's over, and it's time to let this poor woman rest in peace.

"We can keep a human body "alive" with its heart beating and its lungs pushing air for a very long time after the person who inhabited that body is no longer there."

That's true, we sure can. But exactly how does this apply to Terri? All she has is a feeding tube, there are no other machines attached to her body.

" There comes a time when someone has to decide that everything that can be done has been done."

Exactly what has been done? She hasn't had any type of therapy, hell she hasn't even had her teeth brushed. Nothing has been done to truly see whether or not she can recover.

And why is it, that the husband was very supportive of his wife until he won the large malpractice suits, where he suddenly revealed that "oh, by the way, Terri told me she doesn't want to live as a vegetable." And he has been trying to end her life since.

Terri's parents have begged him to give them the guardianship rights, even to signing over all the malpractice money (which he can't touch till she's dead), yet he refuses to do so. Why, that doesn't make sense? And why is Judge Greer so adament about setting a death date? You're right, this case has been going on a long time. But what's the harm in letting her be examined by unbiased examiners, to settle the question once and for all if she's a vegetable or not?

Brandon, through all of these years it is the husband and the Judge who have been making inhumane decisions on behalf of Terri. Her husband claims Terri gave him permission to make end of life decisions, ie a "Living Will". It has been pretty well established that that's not true. One of the witnesses was afraid to come forward, afraid of Michael Schialvo. He won't allow contact with her family, or her priest, won't allow flowers, physical therapy, basic COMPASSION. You tell me who is more trustworthy, Brandon?