Since Terri has a constitutional right to life what difference is there if she signed this or a cocktail napkin? Suicide pacts are OK if the party becomes unconscious? This paper, or Terri's verbal wishes, allows, even provokes her guardian and health care provider to be murderers?
In FL the living will provisions specifically adress the issue of assisted suicide. IF Terri had a living will which said do not feed me, do nto treat me, it is almost a certainty the court would have upheld it as they have in other situations.
What I have seen has been in cancer situations where the treatment was going no where and when the husband or wife makes a decision to let the disease run its course, the mother or father attempt to come in and overide the living will as not being made competently. BUT in those situations there is evidence with the properly executed living will before the person is too far gone.
Every medical situation is unique with unique circumstances.
I personally have very serious concerns when the only "treatment" is food and water. Today it is food and water via a tube, tommorow it may be food and water via any means because you are "unhappy". Then it becomes because you make someone else "unhappy".
There has to be an instrument which people can use to say "if I am hurt or hurting in some way and can not speak, THIS is what I want done."
One of the democrat talking points is attempting to say that terri's brain is in a liquid state, a fluid as a result of the injuries. Proper testing SHOULD have revealed something to that effect but we only hae out of date information with out of date technology. I think this point needs to be clarified via examination if this Federal Judge (sadly a clinton appointee) is going to take this case seriously on its merrits.