[utahagen]

I've made many statements (off-hand and serious) that could be used as proof that I would not want to live in a near or actual persistent vegetative state. However, I've never (up until recently) made those statements with any awareness that they could eventually be used to my being starved and dehydrated to death. When the stakes are this high, intentions should be in writing, written in response to specific, end-of-life questions, if they are determinative. I don't believe Terri would want her parents to suffer this way...unless Terri was as selfish as her mercenary ghoul of a "husband".

[Tarantulas]

Good post. I agree with everything you said...except for the last sentence. The evidence from the first trial showed that Terri would rather die than live the way she's living now. If there's other evidence from later trials that says something different, I haven't seen it.

The living will is the most important thing to learn about from this case. Everyone should have one. If a person has no living will, and can't communicate their end of life choices, then it falls to the next of kin to do that communicating for them. That is the same as it has always been.