[Rhodes22-list] Living will. (new form)

[Rik Sandberg]

Hear Hear, Rummy!!!

R22RumRunner at aol.com wrote:

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>Living  Will 
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>I, _________________________ (fill in the  blank), being of sound mind and 
>body, unequivocally declare that in the event of  a catastrophic injury, I do 
>not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial  means. I hereby instruct 
>my loved ones and relatives to remove all life-support  systems, once it has 
>been determined that my brain is longer functioning in a  cognizant realm. 
>However, that judgment should be made only after thorough  consultation with 
>medical experts; i.e., individuals who actually have been  trained, educated and 
>certified as doctors. 
>
>Under no circumstances -- and I can't  state this too strongly -- should my 
>fate be put in the hands of peckerwood  politicians who couldn't pass 
>ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it.  Furthermore, it is my firm hope 
>that, when the time comes, any discussion about  terminating my medical treatment 
>should remain private and  confidential.
>
>Living in Florida, however, I am acutely aware that the  legislative and 
>executive branches of state government are fond of meddling in  family matters, 
>and have little concern for the privacy and dignity of  individuals.
>
>Therefore, I wish to make my views on this subject as clear  and unambiguous 
>as possible. Recognizing that some politicians seem cerebrally  challenged 
>themselves (and with no medical excuse), I'll try to keep this simple  and to the 
>point:
>
>1. While remaining sensitive to the feelings of loved  ones who might cling 
>to hope for my recovery, let me state that if a reasonable  amount of time 
>passes ! -- say, ____ (fill in the blank) months -- and I fail to  sit sit up and 
>ask for a cold beer, it should be presumed that I won't ever get  better. When 
>such a determination is reached, I hereby instruct my spouse,  children and 
>attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes and call  it a day.
>
>2. Under no circumstances shall the members of the Legislature  enact a 
>special law to keep me on life-support machinery. It is my wish that  these 
>boneheads mind their own damn business, and pay attention instead to the  health, 
>education and future of the millions of Floridians who aren't in a  permanent 
>coma.
>
>3. Under no circumstances shall the governor of Florida butt into this case 
>and order my doctors  to put a feeding tube down my throat or through a hole 
>into my abdomen to  keep me alive. I don't care how many fundamentalist votes 
>he's trying to  scrounge for his run for the presidency in 2008, it is my wish 
>that he plays  politics with someone else's life and leaves me to die in peace.
>
>4. I  couldn't care less if a hundred religious zealots send e-mails to 
>legislators in  which they pretend to care about me. I don't know these people, and 
>I certainly  haven't authorized them to preach and crusade on my behalf. They 
>should mind  their own business, too.
>
>5. It is my heartfelt wish to expire quietly and  without a public spectacle. 
>This is obviously impossible once elected officials  become involved. So, 
>while recognizing the wrenching emotions that attend the  prolonged death of a 
>loved one, I hereby instruct my relatives to settle all  disagreements about my 
>care in private or in the courts, as provided by law. If  any of my family 
>goes against my wishes and turns my case into a political  cause, I hereby 
>promise to come back from the grave and make his or her  existence a living Hell
>__________________________________________________
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