When a person puts in writing their wishes to be put to death instead of being on machines, that should be respected.

Terri is not on machines. Terri cries for her mother and says - <b>mommy, help me</b> - does that sounds like she is ready to die? She knows what they are planning to do as they have done it before, for over a week, no food or water, and Gov Bush stopped it. She didn't want to die then either.

Let's pray someone can stop it now. Life in the US has become a political pawn in the courts - a lawyer's money maker and we must stop that or soon ANY disabled or unproductive person will be in Terri's bed - waiting to die.

She should have been given over to her parents years ago and not lord and mastered over by a man who is trying to get her killed without legal representation. He lives with another woman and they have two kids. What about adultery? Is it legal? Why won't he just let her go to her parent's home and live in peace and get the rehab he never allowed? Think about it!

The thing is, Terri is not in a vegetative state as her husband has alleged. Go to http://www.terrisfight.org and watch the videos of Terri interacting with her environment and her family. This is a woman who is aware of her surroundings. She has been denied the therapy and rehabilitation that would most likely (in the opinions of several doctors) allow her to swallow without assistance and very possibly even speak again.

If your wishes are in writing, you are most likely safe, Brisa... but Terri did not leave her wishes in writing. Michael Schiavo didn't mention a word of her wishes until after he received the malpractice award intended to pay for Terri's long-term care and therapy. His brother and his other brother's wife are the only other people who allege they had such a conversation with her in which she expressed a wish not to be kept alive artificially... but not her own family or any of her friends.

The fact that Michael insisted during the malpractice suit testimony that he wanted to provide all possible care to try to improve Terri's condition and to care for her for the rest of her life... and then as soon as he received the award, he denied her any further therapy and tried to get the hospital staff not to treat her for infections... Well, I'm just suspicious of his motives. Her parents want to care for her and get her medical treatment and therapy.

If she is able to speak again, she will make her own wishes known.

I think the critical issue here is to determine what Terry's desires were concerning what decisions she would make for herself if she were in her current situation. I have an agreement with my wife, in writing, that if I am in a coma due to brain hypoxia and the prognosis for meaningful recovery is very poor, that I do not wish to be kept alive artificially....that includes feeding tubes. I would hope that should this horrible fate befall me, outsiders (including my mother) would not interfere in my wife's ability to carry out my wishes.

save Terri