Hypertweeky

Hello everyone:

I know this is very OT but I've just heard on the news that the appeal filed by Jeb Bush has been denied, I am extremely dissapointed, I have heard there are none legal avenues to take, I can't believe they are gonna starve her to death, I try to make sense out of the decission that has been made but I can't even come close to understand why she has to die.
I am sorry guys I just really needed to vent

Garfield2005

I wish they would make up thier minds

ian-mstm

Well, regardless of anything I may think about the poor woman, I'm glad that the appeal was denied. I don't think it's right that the governor even tried to supercede an action that was already denied by his state's superior court. In fact, I wish the government would stay out of it totally... including President Bush. This is a family matter - and despite the wishes of her parents, the law has already deemed - not just once, but many times - that the husband's wishes take priority! Personally, I wish her a quiet and speedy passage.

Ian

Matthew Udall

Starving someone to death is very hard to swallow (no pun intended). If you take as true, that Terri's wish was not to be kept alive in this way, it makes for a strong argument that physician-assisted suicide should be allowed in this type of situation. Even if Terri dies prematurely, if her situation sparks debate about this and causes change, she will have had an impact for good in society. Most people who live out their lives to a natural end can't claim that.

I feel very bad for everyone involved.

jeffreyhy

Ian,

I guess this is my day to both agree with you and to spar a bit with you, but - it's that the woman's own wishes (as put forth by her husband) take priority. If the courts hadn't determined that Terri's wishes were to die rather than be kept alive artificially in a situation such as this, then we wouldn't be having the current debate.

Regards, JEff

Matthew Udall

If we take as true, that Terri herself did not want to be kept alive this way (if only we could tell now if she has changed her mind about that), it's really her wishes that are taking priority.

All I know about this case is what I've heard on the news, and the husband is being demonized for his actions made in order to carry out the wishes of his wife. There was mention of some sort of $10,000,000.00 pay off he could have received to wash his hands of this whole thing (divorce her and turn her care over to the parents), and he's obviously put off marrying a women that he now loves, all to help carry out the wishes of Terri. "If" Terri really felt that way, and if he's putting aspects of his life on hold for 15 years to help her achieve what she wanted, well I have to have some respect for that.

USA & Pakistan

I agree, and I certainly hope that, at the very least, they are keeping her heavily sedated right now.

Marnee

iniaki

I TOTALLY agree with you. You basically posted exactly what I was thinking! Here's some karma!

Matthew Udall

No need to be sorry, and vent away. Seeing this play out in the news is very unsettling.

Matthew Udall

Another thing Terri's situation has caused is to spark debate (or raise the level of awareness) about living wills. I always hear living wills talked about in the context of making it clear that someone would not want to be kept alive by artificial means. Wonder if many will put in their living wills that they "do" want to be kept alive for as long as possible by any means available (that is what I would put in mine if I had one)?

[Hey Ian and JEff, if I ever find myself in this situation, would you please print out this post and mail it to my doctor].

Hypertweeky

Terri ocasionally mentioned her wish of dying VS being kept alive but she never wrote it in a piece of paper, I was discussing the "will" issue with my father in law this morning, you can't (at least not me) possibly picture yourself in a situation like Terri's so how can you make a decission?, what if you regret but you can't tell anybody because you are mentally disable?, Now that is SCARY!!.

ian-mstm

Yes, you and Matt are correct on this point... my wording was a bit clumsy on that. I meant only that, at this point in time, we do not know what Terri's true wishes were and can only go by what her husband says they were. This makes a good case for living wills!

Ian

carpdiem

well, I dont mean to be insensitive or anything... but personally i wouldn't want to be kept alive on a feeding tube if i was in the same situation.... and for YEARS that itself just doesn't sound right. and its not really starving to death, i would think that a feeding tube for so long was actually unnatural, how do you know that she hadn't been in pain for years when she was on feeding tube? just because she has been breathing doesnt mean that keeping her that way is the most natural thing.....

Sanna

ian-mstm

Yup, I've got to agree with you on this! There's no way to know for sure what she wanted. It's scary to think that in a single moment your life can change forever... and not for the better. Fortunately, Sheila and I are both clear on what we want, and we both have living wills.

Ian

Hypertweeky

I see your point but that is YOUR will. Like I said in my previous post what if you state in your will that you rather die and while being in such drastic situation you change your mind?, what then?