Replies

Hearsay is unreliable.........for a reason. Say, for example, I relay at this moment a rumor that Michael Schiavo is so stressed out by all of this that he wants to die. Say his head meets a lead pipe several times, and he winds up in a 'vegetative state'........think they'll pull the plug based on my hearsay evidence? Should they?

Hearsay is unreliable.........for a reason.
Additionally: What about those in severe depression. Those people SINCERELY WANT TO DIE.
Yet....doctors have a DUTY to cause that person 1) to admit themselves, voluntarily into a hospital for evaluation; 2) cause that person, through the courts to be ARRESTED and placed in the hospital INVOLUNTARILY......
So as not to be a danger to themselves.
Now, what about 5 years later....the person is no longer DEPRESSED, but you remember that person stating, unequivocably, they WANTED TO DIE, 5 years earlier.
Does that WISH count? Or, does the STATE OF MIND count?
At the time that Terri could STATE HER WISHES, it was AGAINST THE LAW to REMOVE nutrition/hydration from ANYBODY, no matter how that nutrition/hydration was provided.
AFTER Terri could no longer STATE HER WISHES, the LAWS WERE CHANGED (through Felos's help with Senator King) to REDEFINE feeding tubes as "artificial life support" AND to ALLOW for the WITHDRAWAL of feeding tubes in someone who is certified to be in PVS.
Where does TERRI'S STATE OF MIND concerning HER wishes come into play? Before or after the law changed? The new laws were applied to Terri RETROACTIVELY.
That is wrong.

Terri never said she wanted to be DEHYDRATED TO DEATH, as that would have been a CRIMINAL OFFENSE to commit when she could STATE HER OWN WISHES.

Say, for example, I relay at this moment a rumor that Michael Schiavo is so stressed out by all of this that he wants to die. Say his head meets a lead pipe several times, and he winds up in a 'vegetative state'........think they'll pull the plug based on my hearsay evidence? Should they?

You're not his legal guardian. Nevertheless, assuming arguendo that you were, then the law would allow you to do that. "Should" is a question for the legislature. I assume you feel that this standard is too low - if so, then you should be arguing for a higher standard to be put in place by the legislature. I'm of mixed feelings about it, myself - I think that the standard may be too low also, but I'm having trouble envisioning what we might require in its place. Perhaps you can think of something. Maybe that's what the Florida leg. should be thinking about this weekend - that's why we pay them, after all.