Terri Schiavo
This situation is a tragedy and an outrage.
I really feel for Terri Schiavo and her family. I do. What happened to Ms. Schiavo is terrible and I feel for her parents, but this situation has really brought out the worst in everybody, from politicians who ARE exploiting this situation for personal political gain, to the media's glorification of this situation, to the parents exploitation of the situation.
My biggest problem with this is how Congress and President Bush have drawn themselves into this personal family issue and, if anybody believes otherwise you ARE in denial, are using this tragedy for personal political gain at the expense of the Constitution.
1. What ever happened to the Republican's belief of the sanctity of marriage? Terri Schiavo was bulimic and bulimia does tremendous damage to the body. This is what could have originally lead to the situation where her heart stopped beating. This is similar to what happened to Karen Carpenter. Her husband was privy to conversations that her parents were not. Parents do not always know what their children's wishes really are. Whatever one may think of Michael Schiavo, he did spend years taking care of her after she suffered her brain damage. And spend 7 years in court battling for the right to remove the feeding tube. By overriding his choice the sanctity of marriage is completely eroded.
2. What ever happened to federalism? Republicans speak of states rights and stronger federalism, but apparently only when it suits their own personal agenda. Under Reinquist, the Supreme has continued to strengthen states rights in ever ruling except for one (bush v. gore). And now, after a case that worked its way through the Florida court system for 7 years with 19 judges hearing and in every situation ruled in favor of Michael Schiavo, the Republican controlled Congress has now decided that this case should move immediately to Federal courts!?
3. President Bush signed into law, while he was Governor of Texas, a law mandating that if citizens of Texas are in a persistent vegetative state, but cannot afford to pay medical bills, they must have their feeding tubes removed, even if family members don't want to remove the feeding tube. Check out this article in Salon.com about people who had to be taken off life support because of then Governor Bush's ruling. You have to scroll down to get the specific article.
4. In the same Salon.com column above, there is a great little article about President Bush. ON Aug. 6, 2001 George Bush got a PDB titled" Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." The president went fishing. On Sept. 11, 2001, Andy Card told Bush: "America is under attack." The president continued to listen to a second-grade class read "The Pet Goat." On Dec. 26, 2004, Bush learned that a massive tsunami had caused unimaginable devastation all around the Indian Ocean. The president waited three days before making any public comment.
But, when it comes to important issues that will stir up the Republican base, President Bush flies back from Crawford, Texas to be ready to sign legislation, and is woken up from his sleep at 1:11 am, to make sure this important matter is dealt with.
Do I need to go on???? This is an absolute outrage. I find it hard to believe that people can't see this for what it is and are willing to let this action slide. George Bush and the Republicans in Congress do not care about this issue as a personal matter, but only for personal political gain and any decent self-respect, God fearing individual should be able to see this for what it is. What has happened to this country?
I really feel for Terri Schiavo and her family. I do. What happened to Ms. Schiavo is terrible and I feel for her parents, but this situation has really brought out the worst in everybody, from politicians who ARE exploiting this situation for personal political gain, to the media's glorification of this situation, to the parents exploitation of the situation.
My biggest problem with this is how Congress and President Bush have drawn themselves into this personal family issue and, if anybody believes otherwise you ARE in denial, are using this tragedy for personal political gain at the expense of the Constitution.
1. What ever happened to the Republican's belief of the sanctity of marriage? Terri Schiavo was bulimic and bulimia does tremendous damage to the body. This is what could have originally lead to the situation where her heart stopped beating. This is similar to what happened to Karen Carpenter. Her husband was privy to conversations that her parents were not. Parents do not always know what their children's wishes really are. Whatever one may think of Michael Schiavo, he did spend years taking care of her after she suffered her brain damage. And spend 7 years in court battling for the right to remove the feeding tube. By overriding his choice the sanctity of marriage is completely eroded.
2. What ever happened to federalism? Republicans speak of states rights and stronger federalism, but apparently only when it suits their own personal agenda. Under Reinquist, the Supreme has continued to strengthen states rights in ever ruling except for one (bush v. gore). And now, after a case that worked its way through the Florida court system for 7 years with 19 judges hearing and in every situation ruled in favor of Michael Schiavo, the Republican controlled Congress has now decided that this case should move immediately to Federal courts!?
3. President Bush signed into law, while he was Governor of Texas, a law mandating that if citizens of Texas are in a persistent vegetative state, but cannot afford to pay medical bills, they must have their feeding tubes removed, even if family members don't want to remove the feeding tube. Check out this article in Salon.com about people who had to be taken off life support because of then Governor Bush's ruling. You have to scroll down to get the specific article.
4. In the same Salon.com column above, there is a great little article about President Bush. ON Aug. 6, 2001 George Bush got a PDB titled" Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." The president went fishing. On Sept. 11, 2001, Andy Card told Bush: "America is under attack." The president continued to listen to a second-grade class read "The Pet Goat." On Dec. 26, 2004, Bush learned that a massive tsunami had caused unimaginable devastation all around the Indian Ocean. The president waited three days before making any public comment.
But, when it comes to important issues that will stir up the Republican base, President Bush flies back from Crawford, Texas to be ready to sign legislation, and is woken up from his sleep at 1:11 am, to make sure this important matter is dealt with.
Do I need to go on???? This is an absolute outrage. I find it hard to believe that people can't see this for what it is and are willing to let this action slide. George Bush and the Republicans in Congress do not care about this issue as a personal matter, but only for personal political gain and any decent self-respect, God fearing individual should be able to see this for what it is. What has happened to this country?
posted by Bryan Samolinski at
11:22 AM
