Gunny
Gold Member
First off, the other day you made a sarcastic comment that you expected me to know was sarcastic, so I "blushed." Never again. You were new, your comments were so erratic that one could not be sure where you stood. Your acerbic comments since makes me question where you stand still.
Yurt ....
The comment regarding knowing one another was made to smarterthanyou in direct response to a comment from him. It was not directed at you. We know each other from a different board.
You miss the point with "cruel and unusual punishment." It is not that the dog has thought like you or I, it is that YOU have thought like the common man (person). The reason we use syringes on those in death row is because it is believed to be less painful. In Terri's case, she would most likely be let go in a manner like this. Trust me, she would not be hanged or shot. To suppose otherwise is stupid.
Starving your dog is given punitive action because YOU must make a conscious effort to not feed your dog. If not concious, then you are insane. You then go on to state that the dog is not capable of "consious" thought, yet starving them is cruel. I think you mean to say that how can we get punished for starving dogs and not punished for starving humans. This case is different.
Here, you have a woman in a vegatative state. In all liklihood has little, if any, cognitive awareness. She lives on tubes. Tubes. She is fed thought tubes. She is given water though tubes. Tubes. How does she take car of her other daily needs? If one pulls the feeding tube, would she know? Would she suffer?
Hard to say. But I have been in a hosptital for five days. For the first 2 I had no clue what was happening. I still have dreams of some gorgeous nurse.... JK. In all liklihood, she would not feel a thing. She may even welcome it.
I do not miss the point of cruel and unusual punishment at all. Vegetative state, cognizant or not, you are assuming that she would not feel pain the same as the rest of us. The analogy with dog is that even though it has no cognitive will, if you injure it, it will cry out in pain IF CAPABLE.
Quote:
My point is simply that those of you clamouring for this woman's death need to grow some damned stones and euthenize her since she has been deemed unworthy of life in your mind
Stones? If you have those, then you should see a doctor, quick!
LOL ... and you take issue with MY humor?
I do not deem her life unworthy. Do you? If she told you that she did not want the plug, would keep it in her because you have the "stones" man? Would you?
I do not deem her life unworthy. My only stance on this issue has been concerning the cruel manner in which she is being purposefully starved to death by a conscious effort. As in the case you relate with the dog, food is available and being withheld.
There are a whole lot of issues in play here.
One, I disagree with the judge's ruling. Her involuntary life functions are not being maintained artificially. Her receipt of nutrition is because she does not possess the ability to swallow.
Based on the rationale used here, we can just not feed infants or anyone else unable to feed themselves and it would be consistent with this ruling.
Two ....
While I disagree with the court's ruling, I also disagree with the court usurping the husband's right as legal guardian to make the decision. While I disagree with his decision personally, it is his responsibility; therefore, his right to make it. The parents have managedto drag this out for years with legal interference that I do not believe should have been entertained by the court.
Three ...
I completely disagree with the Federal legislature interfering with the judiciary in a specific case, and one that should be handled at the local level. The Supreme Court already declined to intervene.
Four ....
You may possess an over-abundance of faith your fellow man, but I do not. If this is all about principle for Mr Hubby, I'd be far more willing to accept his word that he is acting in the best interest of his wife if he were to renounce any claim to the money won on HER behalf. Just more of my cynical thinking come to the fore.