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First, If any of us has learned ANYTHING from this discussion ... we should all have it put in writing what our wishes are in any scenario. Rather than playing the "I'm still young ... can't/won't happen to me" game.
Secondly, In all honesty I really didn't have an opinion on Terri's case. Why? Because MOST ALL info is SECOND-HAND. Then becomes hearsay and so on.
And, in all honesty, I can SOMEWHAT "see" where W is coming from but don't fully agree.
In cases like Terri's ... onlookers (The nation, the world, the media) will tell OTHERS what is RIGHT or MORAL or JUST. While half or even 85% may not be FACTUAL. Any missing pieces to a story makes it less credible or true.
Unless it's personal and YOU are involved personally in every detail ... it's speculation, opinion and taking sides. "A lie can get halfway around the world before the truth can put its shoes on!"
People forget real fast too. Remember Dr Kervorkian? Hot news for a long time but, alas, the blood-pumping opinions and gossip have all but dissipated. Not because of his death ... as there are surely other active mercy-killers alive and kicking today.
Or Farenheit 911 ... that bruhaha has had its time in history.
Then Christopher Reeve.
We all love to put in our $.02 (or $2,000,000,000) and then it passes.
I always wonder WHAT WILL BE NEXT? :-)
Like Jim said ... it's all moral codes:
1. "Embryos, a human life? I don't know so I choose to error on the side of life.
2 Spending hundreds of thousands or more to keep 1 premature baby alive, is it worth it? Medical cost would be less if we didn't. It would have died naturally in another part of the world.
3. A person in a coma, worth the expense of keeping them alive? there is brain activity but when will they come out of the coma, if ever?
4. Giving nutrition to someone who may or may not be aware of what's happening? I don't know so I choose to error on the side of life.
Jim"
Or like Bill offerred ...
"I don't know how many of you have witnessed a "natural" death of a brain dead person, but it is most often far from peaceful. The morphine is more for those with her. The involuntary spasms can get very violent and she could bite her tongue during one and produce a lot of blood. I watched my braindead dad start spasming and had the nurse increase the morphine drip. Trust me, it's not a pretty sight. "
I (Lori) witnessed this with my grandmother. Had a huge brain hemorrage spontaneously in her kitchen and was GONE MENTALLY. We rushed to her at the hospital and, even though sedated, she was still spasming INVOLUNTARILY and VIOLENTLY. It killed me watching them die down (the spasms). But MY GRANDMOTHER (herself) WAS GONE. The tremors were involuntary from the brain damage.
I sat there telling her I loved her anyway. I THOUGHT her exorcist-like flailing about was HER trying to say something or get out of her situation. But the CT scan showed the nasty glob that was causing them.
HER BODY was there. SHE was not. Even if she'd woken up paralyzed and speech-slurred ... I KNOW, at age 84 and COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT all those yrs ... she would NOT want to exist that way. The last 6 yrs she felt like she should be with her husband of 67 yrs too. Always said that part of her was missing after his death.
I'm thankful her brain-dead self only lasted hours.
Lori | 
