Link from moggymania

[conuly]

It's about... or not about, rather, Terri Schiavo.

Moggy has quite a few of those links up, actually, though I'm not sure if they're on public posts or not.

Comments

[leora.livejournal.com]

I meant the belief of whether or not they would want to live in that situation really. Although it is a combination.

Some disabled people are worried about that. Some aren't. Some abled people are worried about that too.

But I feel the correct thing to do is to educate people and draw a firm line. I'm tired of people arguing stupid slippery slopes. No frontal brain and no ability to communicate is in no way equivalent to cerebral palsey. I understand why you bring it up, because other people do, but educate the people. Don't make decisions based on it being the right decision in a different case and you're afraid that case will use this one as a guide.

Just as people say if we allow gay marriage we have to allow people to marry their dogs and toasters. Well, I disagree. That's a stupid slippery slope.

Just draw a firm line that doesn't include people who run a decent chance of being in there and draw a firm line that involves consenting adults capable of giving consent. Or better yet, more living wills and the government out of the marriage business, but that's trickier to do.

There are too many cases of letting people die clearly being the best thing for the people left and quite probably not mattering to the person to whom it happened. Where there accidents and mistakes? Yes, of course. But in the real world many laws kill a set number of people. It's the risk of being in the real world. And while we argue this countless people will starve or die because food and medical care aren't accessible to them. Each winter many will die of exposure. This is one life which may or may not matter any more. And if a mistake is made - so be it. If you care so much about each one life, try to deal with the people who are on death row but innocent. Look everywhere. People die. It's horrible, but this one life is probably over and if it's a mistake to hurry it up, it won't be the worst mistake made in the world that day. If it's right to, then it's time. It's really time.

And who knows, maybe there is an afterlife - and maybe this person is already there or maybe this person is being kept from it. I don't know. But a good portion of the brain is liquified and that's just not comparable to a brain injury. the brain can potentially rewire and recover from a lot. It doesn't always, but it can. But it can't rewire a liquid goo.