Death by Starvation: A Rant

I have been surprised by the silence from the right to life people about the Ruth Graham assisted suicide through starvation. I'm afraid no Christian leader wants to touch it because they feel it might reflect poorly upon her memory.

Remember, Kevorkian did time for this. I guess his actions seemed a little more "active".

Here's an article from the Dallas Morning News that addresses the topic as it relates to Mrs. Graham.

I first learned that it was legal to stop feeding someone through a feeding tube 10 years ago. Our 34 year old next door neighbor was starved to death by his wife against the wishes of his parents who had offered to be his caregivers and gave her permission to divorce him and move on with her life. He was not terminal, but had a brain injury from a car accident. The day he died, she dolled herself up and went off for a motorcycle ride with his therapist who was an usher at our church. (And, to think I had put her on my "Harvest List" and was praying for her to go to my church!) They vacationed in the Caribbean a few months later (probably on the life insurance money she collected) and she moved away shortly after the death by starvation. They are now married.

Then, 4 years ago, my not-terminal aunt was starved to death. She didn't even have a feeding tube, but had gone into the hospital with an electrolyte problem and learned she had a form of cancer in her bones that could be treated with a daily pill...it didn't even require chemo and she was in no pain from it.

Lesson learned: Stay away from hospital care givers if you can cuz you don't know who wants to starve you and tell everyone you want food and water.

Again, I, Linda Dugan, being of sound mind, want food and water. If I ever say I don't want food or water, I want that request ignored.

End of rant.