Infomaniac: WeBlog

Overheard on the Web, and other Web links From The Herald's Research Editor

A different kind of living will 

In light of the Schiavo case, thousands of people are making sure they have a living will to guarantee their wishes will be respected if they ever face a situation where they are being kept alive despite hope for recovery. (For more information, there's lots to be found with a simple Web search: here's a guide from Nolo, and one from Findlaw; there are also a few organizations which will keep a will on file for you, such as Living Will Registry.)

But one Craigslist poster in San Francisco has come up with a unique form of an online living will: he's posted an offer to sell his vegetative body to any groups or organizations which will support issues he's interested in:

If I am rendered comatose and determined to be in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) for a period longer than one month and if no imminent cure is forthcoming, I do not wish to be kept alive by artificial means including but not limited to nourishment, hydration, etc.
However....
If, due to the absurd political state of affairs in this country, my persistent vegetative state and impending unplugging can be parlayed into some sort of political leverage, I wholly endorse using my predicament in whatever way possible for the purposes of passing legislation favorable to my general political and ethical outlook.

This would be funny if it weren't so close to reality.
(Via Dan Gillmor.)

posted by liz at 10:44 AM