Bio-ethics or BS? You be the Judge!

Below is an email I sent to Dr. Caplan after reading his article regarding Terri. I had the misfortune to be stuck on hold listening to him today while waiting to talk to Joe Watkins on 1210The Big Talker am radio. While I respect his level of education, I do not respect his opinion about Terri.

Dr. Caplan,

Since marriage is a sacred trust between a husband and a wife, isn't that trust broken between Michael and Terri by his obvious infidelities? Or can he now be called a bigamist since in reality, he has a common-law wife?

Perhaps some of the tough questions were answered, but in many cases, ignored, and evidence unreviewed, over and over again by the SAME court. Why has the Judge never personally seen Terri? How can a Doctor diagnose PVS without the proper tests? How can that diagnosis be disputed by dozens of Doctors yet disregarded by the Court? Is it ethical to deny her standard rehabilitation? Why was her rehab halted after the malpractice lawsuits won? Is it ethical that her money is being used to kill her rather than any attempt at rehabilitation?

Let's assume, for argument's sake, that she did not wish to live on 'artificial life support.' Pull the tube and let her be hand fed. Then your view that the husband's right to decide is met and Terri's alleged wish is satisfied. (Verified in reality only by Michael and HIS family members, NOT her friends). Judge Greer has ordered that she not be hand fed. Or are we now also considering oral nourishment artificial? How can a Judge's order that she not be hand fed once the tube is pulled be considered ethical? Or legal? Or humane? If it is, why don't we starve the inmates on death row and spare the taxpayers the expense of possibly a few weeks of meals?

Perhaps you need to look at a few more sources for your facts. I would suggest, www.terrisfight.org (the timeline is a good place to start) or http://www.bendegrow.com/wp-trackback.php/645 which is a great blog synopsis of the many inconsistencies in this case and her treatment.

I find your odd twist on semantics troubling. We are not 'letting' Terri die, we are forcing her to. Big difference.