Reply #16: Looks like again the difference is being on a ventillator. [View All]

[Nothing Without Hope]

This man was apparently put on one when he got pneumonia - at least that's the way I'm interpreting what is written. He is being fed intravenously. He has been in a persistent vegetative state much less long a time than Ms. Schiavo was, only since 2001.

I think the fundies split hairs on this issue of when they think the lord wants perpetual life support for their own comfort - Ms. Schiavo could still breathe on her own and was fed through a feeding tube. Baby Sun was also on a ventillator.

Looks to me like being on a ventillator is life vs death for the fundies. If you get some pneomonia the way this patient did, and you need some help breathing until it is resolved, that's an excuse to pull the plug without any heavenly wrath descending on you.

I wonder if any of them ever wrote up a hair-splitting essay on what is a valid excuse for pulling the plug - not counting the proximity of network TV coverage and a strong need for a distractive maneuver. If so, it would be good to get a copy and look it over.