They are repetitious only because every 73 posts someone comes in who hasn’t bothered to read any of the previous exchanges. I, for one, am sick and tired of educating people from scratch.
We have a RIGHT!
To your LIFE!
Let’s PAAAAAAAAARTY!!!
Sorry. I just had to get that out of my system.
You actually scared me when I read that. I haven’t been paying a lot of attention to the Terri Schiavo story either, but I read a synopsis of it today, and it scared me too.
The world of Robert Heinlein’s “Job” gets closer with every passing year, it seems.
Since you brought up The Master…
“Death is every man’s right.”
-RAH
Time Enough For Love
Just make sure you don’t have any health insurance, or your health insurance runs out, and you won’t have to worry about any of that prolonged suffering Living Will or not.
If we’re all allowed to die then the terrorists win.
As Bill Hicks said (paraphrased): “If the Right-To-Lifers are so pro-life why aren’t they blocking the gates to the cemeteries?”
You forgot, “If I ever end up in a permanent vegetative state, please for the love of God, don’t show me on national TV in that state!”
Frankly, if I’m hooked up to one of those machines and maintain even the barest amount of mobility, I’ll be reaching for that cord to yank that sucker out of the wall.
I guess it was only a matter of time before this started popping up, but there was a letter to the editor in the paper today from an attorney, warning us about the negativity of living wills and the likelihood of being starved and dehydrated to death, if we don’t seek out an alternative.
Yep, the lawyer had a specific form in mind. One that I’m sure is available for the merest nominal fee (as opposed to free downloadable living wills), and which will prevent doctors, hospitals and relatives from automatically pulling your plug at the first possible moment (as of course we know they are all eager to do).
Here’s the form the Right-To-Your-Lifers apparently want us to sign:
*"I, being of sound mind, hereby declare that in the event that I am in a terminal condition and/or permanent vegetative state and unable to communicate my wishes, that I receive every possible type of medical care and intervention designed to keep some form of life going, for as long as possible. This shall apply no matter how hopeless my condition, despite whatever level of pain I appear to be in, in the face of mountainous medical bills, the anguish of my relatives and the despair of my caregivers.
Pronouncement of death shall not occur until a panel of 12 observers has reached unanimous agreement that life as we know it has ceased, said panel to include a member of the Right-To-Your-Life national organization, the G.O.P. Congressional Caucus, Sen. John (Err-On-The-Side-of-Life) Edwards, a spokesman for the Vatican and at least one protestor carrying a sign outside my room.
In the event that all parties concur as to my death having occurred, attempts at re-animation will begin immediately.
Signed and notarized this date,
*I am thinking of making this available as a downloadable form on my website. The special illuminated manuscript version will be provided for a small fee.