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Thank you for taking the time to do that. This is what I had to say to her (with a separate letter to the editor):

"You can certainly call the decision to pull the tube heart-wrenching. But you cannot call it murder."

Well, you actually can if it's against someone's will. Would you not agree?

Saying that people who support Terri have an agenda is actually pretty correct. Our agenda is seeing to it that a disabled, vulnerable, abused and exploited woman is kept from any further harm. You should probably read up on the T-4 Programme of the Third Reich. Many political historians believe that the Euthanasia Programme of T-4 greatly paved the way for the Holocaust to happen. You've heard of the Holocaust, yes?

The T-4 Programme started out with infants and toddlers. Then, it was a little bit easier to justify icing older children and teenagers with disabilities or deformities. Then, it was just a wee bit easier to justify whacking off disabled adults. Then, well I assume you know the rest.

If you think this comparison is over the top, please think again. Do you even want just one case of terminating the life of a disabled person to come to pass? Please keep in mind that Terri is not terminally ill, nor suffering physical pain, nor unaware or unconscious and nor without hope of recovery. 14 medical professionals have testified or given sworn statements that she IS a candidate for therapy. If something catastrophic should happen to you, would you want a judge declaring you a "life not worth living" (that's a quote from Hitler, by the way), or would you prefer to have your loved ones see to it that you had a chance to improve? How about your parents? Your kids? Your friends?

Do you think the medical community no longer has a responsibility to people with profound disabilities? Do you think of people like Terri as "useless eaters" (another quote from the ever-charming Mr. Hitler)?

Ms. Melone, Terri is nothing more than the thin end of the wedge. If society can get comfy with the idea of taking her out because her abilities are less than yours or mine, they can most certainly embrace the idea of taking out all the people who might personally inconvenience them one day. Elderly, mentally retarded, disfigured, homeless, addicted to chemicals, blind, deaf, etc. Say! Perhaps the unsightly would be a good target!

Believe me when I tell you, this is NOT a precedent you want set in your state. Nor in your country. Physicians and blood relatives have a responsibility to an injured or ailing person. That is not to end life. Nor is it to blindly prolong life. It is to IMPROVE life. Get it? IMPROVE life. Please tell me what Mr. Schiavo has done along those lines for Terri. One thing will do.

Ms. Melone, get it together. You have an obligation to your readers to do the homework. Do it. If you think abusing, exploiting, neglecting and ultimately snuffing a defenseless woman is perfectly peachy, you are a DISGRACE to our gender.