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phenn, what is behind this crappy interview? What does king stand to gain -- or lose? -- that makes him have to back pedal? what pressure is he under to cave in on this, make it look like he didn't really mean it?

I read something in the Tampa paper back in Dec when we were reading up about the GAL about a search for the best location for a new bldg for ?elder affairs close to USF campus. King was mentioned in that article.

I can only give you a guess at an answer. Back in (ummmmm) December, Hemlock issued a press release that stated they were launching a media campaign in Florida as a response to all the events of Terri's case. If you read many of the editorial pieces that have published recently, you'll notice that a great many of them are unsigned. I think it is because they are being authored out of the Hemlock camp.

The reason this group is going to attack Florida lawmakers has nothing to do with Terri. It has to do with keeping the idea in the minds of the public that they have a 'duty to die' if they become incapacitated or limited.

Think for just a moment about the number of elderly people in Florida. Eventually, all of these citizens face aging and becoming dependent to some degree. Not all of them retire here on a shoe-string. There is money to be made in the exploitation of personal estates through the state guardian program.

Let's be honest here. A lot of judges (including Greer), attorneys (including Felos) and lawmakers (including King) sit on the board of Hospice throughout Florida. Have you ever noted one of these people volunteering time at a homeless shelter or a pediatric ward? Certainly not. There is no money in solving those challenges.

My honest and personal opinion is there is a lot of money to be made in death. So much so that these laws were passed under the radar, many people have been victims of neglect and wrongful death and we shuffle people off to their demises when we seriously could be treating and improving them.

It's abandonment and I think it's done in the name of profit. That may read as a bit paranoid, I realize, but I believe it.