[Mephisto]

/note to self: Do I really want to step into that messy discussion? Ah, I’m already in! Argh!

First of all on the topic of “starvation”: If you feed the patient with tee or some other liquid (possibly i.v.) and apply a small does of pain-killers starvation is in fact not a painful death. Many old people die this way. They are not forced to starve but they have no appetite whatsoever. The whole procedure is one of the most human ways to let someone go if the person wants to.

This brings us to the next question: Who has to decide if Terri shall live or not. IMHO the only person that can make a decision about this is … Terri. It totally depends on her will. Does she want to live the way she does or does she not?
If I read the links correctly, Terri left no written will. In this case the only decision that would be legal over here is to keep her alive. We don’t know exactly what she wants but if we end her live we can never give it back to her. When in doubt, save a life!

I can only encourage everybody – no matter the age – to make a binding will for exactly this case: When you are helpless and cannot speak for yourself. Find people you trust and give them the right to make decisions. At least write down what the treatment should be if you come into such a situation. Fate can strike you every day…