I decided to respond to David’s comment by another blog post about Terri Schiavo.

1) A feeding tube is NOT a medical device. An IV is a medical device. A feeding tube simply makes it easier for them to give her nourishment. She swallows all the food and water herself. It’s not a medical device if they can give her food and water without the feeding tube and have her continue to live. If it wasn’t possible for her to live without the feeding tube, then why are they bothering to arrest the 47 people who try to sneak food into her?

2) Most people who recover from brain damage are not withheld treatment for 15 years. Now, if they gave her solid therapy and she still was unresponsive, then I would say that she doesn’t have hope for recovery. But they haven’t even given her the chance to have therapy.

3) According to the comment, the husband has complete rights over his wife and the government has no business getting involved. But if a husband was raping his wife, then shouldn’t the government step in? If the father was abusing his children shouldn’t the government step in? Or are you saying that when one is married then the wife completely forefeits all her legal rights, even if it means her life? They suspect Michael broke his wife’s bones (because of the bone scan) – so shouldn’t the government step in in that case? They would if she was a normal healthy person able to go to the police herself. With his two other children and mistress, isn’t it pretty obvious that he doesn’t care about Terri anymore? Does she have no rights because she can’t initiate a divorce herself?

If marriage means that my husband determines whether I live or die, then I don’t want to get married.

4) As for the last comment, “in mercy’s name let me die” I want to say if I was in a persistant vegetative state, surviving solely on life support, then yeah, let me die. If all kinds of therapy had been tried and I was not responding, then let me die. But if I was as alive and awake as Terri is, then try therapy! Give me a chance to live! And for gosh sakes, don’t starve me to death. If it’s inconvenient for my husband then divorce me and give me to my parents. Give me a chance to live at least.