[Sabatier]

This is a situation which is very imbalanced legally.

Our laws are such that enormous power is invested in the person who acts as guardian in a case like Terri's. In this case her husband is her guardian and he speaks for her - legally. He's speaking for her as her legal representative, saying what she would want.

From the legal point of view the decison was made long ago that she can't speak for herself.

But maybe that decision was made in too much haste. Maybe Terri can speak for herself and hasn't been given the chance.

That's the heart of the matter here, what Terri would want. It's very troubling that she hasn't been given the proper therapy that might allow her to indicate what she would want.

Since the family sees evidence of her understanding and attempting to communicate and "over a dozen
prominent doctors and therapists have stated under oath that she is not in a persistent vegetative state and with therapy could be rehabilitated", that seems like enough reason to at least make an attempt to find out what Terri wants.

Was Terri deprived of her right to speak on her own behalf? If I were the judge in a case like this I would not want to risk that possibility.

[Ethan_Allen]

The problem is Sabatier, if Terri would be helped to talk, she would be able to tell what happened that night she stopped breathing.