Yes, taking the feeding tube out of Terri Schiavo, a healthy woman, is murder. None of the advanced medical directives I have ever drafted, or even seen, call for "pulling the plug" except when a physician diagnoses the patient as having a terminal condition which cannot be treated, and thus, death is inevitable. Terri does not have a terminal condition. She is merely severely disabled.
>>President's Statement on Terri Schiavo
The case of Terri Schiavo raises complex issues. Yet in instances like this one, where there are serious questions and substantial doubts, our society, our laws, and our courts should have a presumption in favor of life. Those who live at the mercy of others deserve our special care and concern. It should be our goal as a nation to build a culture of life, where all Americans are valued, welcomed, and protected - and that culture of life must extend to individuals with disabilities.
whitehouse.gov
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I believe it is completely unethical to kill a person because they are disabled.
Any advanced health care directive I draft in the future will specify that the trigger event for "pulling the plug" is not only that death is inevitable, but also imminent. |
