The Terri Schiavo case has been raging in the US media for the last 2 weeks. I have read reports that the international community has taken a limited interest into this situation. I would like to know what people think.

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This is a perfect example on why you should have a living will. You have the husband on 1 side her family on the other. He feels she would not want to live like this the family is looking at it as murder. I was completly on his side till I heard she is not in a complete vegatatative state. That she is in fact a little bit aware. I dont know. All I do know is while this debate is raging that poor woman is starving to death. If she is even partly aware how cruel.

I have very mixed feelings about this. I think that with no living will you should automatically be considered to want your life extended by law and that neither the spouse nor the family can make decisions for you in that matter. That would rule out extended bitter lawsuits like the Schiavo's and (besides this case of course) encourage people to make living wills. It should be something like when you get your drivers licence and decide whether or not to be an organ donor.

I have to agree with Charge 7. Until this case came up, how many people other than the military, police/fire/resq and other "high risk" occupations even knew what a living will was?

Originally Posted by ARMYMOM

This is a perfect example on why you should have a living will. You have the husband on 1 side her family on the other. He feels she would not want to live like this the family is looking at it as murder. I was completly on his side till I heard she is not in a complete vegatatative state. That she is in fact a little bit aware. I dont know. All I do know is while this debate is raging that poor woman is starving to death. If she is even partly aware how cruel.

I agree with this, my biggest problem is the method of death.

People would serve prison sentences if they were caught killing an animal like she is being killed. Comatose people don't have 20% of their faculties left. She responds to sound and movement so she should be kept alive unless it can be proven that she is truly comatose. I think it is murder, no matter who does it.

it's no way to live


but it's no way to die either,

I can't believe how the court can decide who lives and who dies???
The fight between husband and her immediate family is probably a normal emotional response. One wants to end her suffering or poor quality of life, the others are grasping onto the emotive side of things not wanting to let go?
Just my thoughts.

How can the court decide that starving to death is ok????
Do you have human rights laws in the USA?

Wheres Dr Nishki (spelling) when you need him. He is an Euthinasia activist in OZ.

This is a tough one, I hate to be frank but I really just wonder: who's paying for her medical bills? Her husband? Her parents? Us?

My personal view is....

Its horrible, it is cruel beyond human dignity, it is murder, it is evil in its purest form. I have seen this happend with my own eyes in my line of work. But then it was papers and the person was completly in a vegatatative state, 5 days and then dead. This women still reacts for god sake, no human that dont want to live fights 11 days without food and water. She has become in my eyes a modern sacrificant lamb. More ppl should react and solve this situation. The husband dont give a damn, he has a new girlfriend and a new life so why should he care? He just want to move forward with his new life. This is murder commited right before our eyes LIVE-2005.

*It makes me SICK*

Doc.S