The right to die

[Ben_M_K]

I just want to say a thing or two....

I hate that the media has hyped this up so much! Do you know how many stories like this that are going on EVERY day, every month, every year? Sometime I just hate the media...

And another thing...people say she should die becasue she has no idea whats going on around here, right? Well go into any nursing home and see tons of people who talk to themselfs. They don't know who they are, or who anyone else is. They don't know ANYTHING. Why do we let them live then? Some people just don't make sense.

Terry is ALIVE, and thats all that counts!

[Rivers]

If it is the person wish one should be allowed to die, but if it

[ATI_7500]

What a wicked and evil society we live in. Where there are people slaying the unborn by the millions each day, slaughtering the elderly and hastening the sick to the grave. Survival of the fittest eh? Every beast for himself?

Modern euthanasia, Ben.
Some things are evil, but sometimes they're necessary.

[Omag 2.0]

Hmm... tough idea... I'm not quite sure... would the vegetive state mean you aren't lucide? If you are, it must be horrible if someone else decided about your life without your agreement. If you don't experience anything anymore, than what's the point of hanging around.

On the other hand, beeing lucide but trapped inside a no longer functioning body, what's the point in staying alive...

I don't know, this is one of those cases I just can't make my mind up. There's just to many uncertain variables that could tilt my decision either way...

[Woodlouse2002]

Is it known that she's off both food and water? I know she's not doing much but she's hanging round an awful long time for someone who's not got any intake of fluids.

[Craig.]

she is off both. into her 12/13th day i believe. Most people last between 1 and 2 weeks. Doctors have said its most likely too late to reinsert the tube now anyway as her organs are shutting down. Once that happens it is litterally a short time till she dies.

[jordonj]

Here's a perspective from a different angle...

Suppose a young girl (18-20) needs a set of lungs, and a spinal cord injury victim just came in.  The spinal cord victim is middle-aged (38-40) but has a good set of lungs.  The spinal cord victim was injured high enough that it's unlikely that he'll survive much longer...but you only have a few hours before the young girl will pass the point of no return (where surgery will kill her).

Or suppose you have an elderly patient on a heart regulator who wants the machine turned off.  His/her rationale: "If I get better what do I have to look ahead to?  Going back to the nursing home?  It smells bad, the food is lousy, and it's depressing...I don't wanna go back there."

My point is that ending treatment that keeps people alive artificially is a complicated issue and anyone who thinks it is simple (in my opinion) is fooling themselves.

[Craig.]

Thats why it should be treated in a case by case situation rather than a blanket law covering one final desicion. This has been the case uptill now and i dont think it should be changed.

[Scottler]

Jordon, the only flaw in your examples is that you're using terminally ill patients as illustration.  This was not the case this time.

I swear to God I'm trying to stay out of this conversation, it's just not working well.  lol

[alrot]

would the vegetive state mean you aren't lucide? If you are, it must be horrible if someone else decided about your life without your agreement. If you don't experience anything anymore, than what's the point of hanging around.

I agree with you Omag,this topic is getting little hot,come on guys. its good to disscus among us diferent point of views of anything,anyway this case is not in our hands,and it doesn't mean we have to get upset about our differents,Remember WE ARE A TEAM!
and im proud of it!!!!

[jordonj]

Not necessarily...the elderly man is not terminal (just has a weakened heart).  As for the spinal cord injured victim, who's to say that he will die even with extraordinary treatment?

You needn't stay out of the conversation, I just didn't want to divide SimV over Terry Schavio.  Several people have been arrested over this and even her parents have been telling protesters to go home.

If you're curious about my feelings about that issue feel free to PM me....

[Hagar]

[quote]I swear to God I'm trying to stay out of this conversation, it's just not working well.

[jordonj]

I doubt this case makes him happy to be a judge...

[Scottler]

BREAKING NEWS:  Reports are coming out of Florida that Terri Schiavo has passed away at age 41.

It's over, guys.

[ATI_7500]

Whew, finally.