Why on Earth does government — both state and federal — think they have a right to dictate life and death decisions for any individual? I, too, think Terri Schiavo’s slow death by starvation and dehydration is tragic and appalling!

According to her husband, she would rather die than live the way she has for the last 15 years. Since she didn’t write it down, who are we to question her legal guardian’s position? Will all of those protesters and self-entertaining clueless people please, instead of gripping signs and writing letters bashing federal and state officials for upholding our personal right to decide, grip a pen and write and sign a living will and leave no one in the dark as to your wishes when your time comes?

Again, government should have no right to tell anyone how to live or how to die, terrorists and criminals being the only logical exceptions.

— Michael Thames, Ojai