People speak of Teri Schiavvo as if she were the only person on earth that feeding tubes have been removed from. When in actuality if crowds were forming at every hospice and hospital where they are removed daily the people typing about Terri in here wouldnt have time , they would be standing in front of their local Nursing home. It isnt a pleasant way to die thats for sure,But its a choice of allowing euthanasia or allowing a natural death by no longer feeding people artificially. Euthanasia is illegal and starvation by taking away feeding tubes is.
Suppose tomorrow we passed a law outlawing taking away
feeding tubes.
Many would lie around for months suffering much longer than the few days it takes to starve and other would have to refuse to be hooked up so they could have a few more days. Its not an easy solution to the problem. Laws would just make it worse, The way it is now its the relatives decision and it should remain so. There arent many times the family disagrees on a decision like this , people have lost all perspective in the Schiavvo case and gone on a crusade. A crusade that will probably end with a solution even worse than the present one.
This case is a focus because the miscarriage of justice, at the cost of an innocent life, is drawn in such stark relief that even a child can see this is murder. Even though the legal case is staggeringly complex, the moral case is crystal clear.
But that's not even the point - we would be charged with a crime if we starved a dog or cat to death. Heck - I know of at least a couple of cases of major fines and charges for some horse owners that didn't feed their horses.
Right. Let the relatives decide when to get their inheritance! ha