NEVER Call Someone a Vegetable

Human beings may suffer various degrees of mental impairment, but they remain human beings. They do not become "vegetables". Ever. And it is wrong and dehumanizing, to suggest they do and to label them as such -- just like we get around the inconvenient fact of the unborn child by using the impersonal term "fetus" and we disassociate ourselves from evil human beings by referring to them as "animals". All are human beings created in the image of God, however undeveloped, marred, or damaged this image may be.

This comes too late to help Terri Schiavo who was, effectively, murdered (or something very close to it) with the support of a substantial percentage of American society.

But perhaps it may result in a little less arrogance and a bit more humility among those both in and outside the medical sciences who are quick to label other humans "vegetables". And an increased awareness of the continuing humanity of even the most severely handicapped among us.

Let's resolve to never, ever refer to someone as a vegetable.


Update May 2011:


Spelling errors corrected. h/t Canadian Cynic -- thank you.


Regarding the linked article, 

Laureys later concluded that messages attributed to Houben through Wouters' facilitation were not, in fact, coming from Houben after all.... Dr. Novella attributed Dr. Laureys's prior error to likely insufficient experience with facilitated communication.[4]  Source: Wiki.

This does not negate the thrust of this post; people never become vegetables, and it is de-humanizing to refer to them as such.

Update July 2011:

‘Brain dead’ Quebec woman wakes up after family refuses organ donation

‘Brain dead’ woman recovers after husband refuses to withdraw life support