I opened a new thread because I didn’t want to pollute the thread expressing sympathy on her passing with political implicatiopns of the case.
IMO, the lunatic fringe of the Christian Right has guaranteed that Dems will very soon become the majority party and win the next Presidential election. Millions of conservatives like me and many right leaning centrists never viewed this case as a clash of liberals vs. conservatives or a moral debate.
Who has the right to decide whether to let a person die. In the first instance, of course, the person is allowed to do this by a living will. Everyone should respect a person’s choice. When the person doesn’t express that choice in a living will, the presumptive candidate to make that decision clearly should be the spouse. If there is no spouse, then mother and father. If no mother or father, then brothers and sisters.
Facts in particular cases may be brought up that could disqualify the “presumptive choice” from being the proper person to make the decision. ** That is what should have been debated in this case. Were there facts that disqualified the husband from being the proper person to decide? The answer to that question is not a Liberal versus Conservative or a moral issue. **
In choosing to proceed as if this was a case of conservatives versus liberals and in trying to make it a moral choice, many in the non-religious segment of the Republican party have been turned off entirely. Worse, those independents and centrists who lean conservative and Republican will turn the other way because they don’t want to be associated with a party that appears to have more than its fair share of extremist nuts.
If the Dems can keep their own lunative fringe (Michael Moore and his ilk) quiet and in the background, they will see huge gains. Republicans lost the next Presidential election during the last two weeks.
But I thought the people who supported the parents didn’t support them because they thought it was parent’s right to make the decision, instead they didn’t think it was anyone’s right to pull the plug when there is hope or ‘life’. Off course the legal battle was focused on who has the right to make the decision and so the parents lost.
BTW, in Desi/Pakistani culture, parents would win hands down.
ahmadjee - That was one of the things my husband couldn't understand, why the parents have no power.
MV - As much as I hate to say this (considering my blue streak), this will blow over in a week or two and most of the easily lead people who only read headlines and not articles will remember they spoke out against killing a woman. It will turn out to be a plus on their side.
As much as I felt for Schiavo and how much starving her bothered me, I am so glad that the courts upheld the decisions and that the government was powerless in this case. But people out there running on pure emotion won't see the drawbacks of allowing government to step into our lives.
Give it two weeks (heck, three) and the spin will be in full effect and there will be a couple of measures proposed placing restrictions that will be blown out of the water or stalled and the republicans will seem like the 'right' people again.
myvoice, just curious...
After a couple of decades of Republicans trying to appease the lunatic right, why is this the one issue that turns off the independents and centrists? They have done a lot worse in their rush to politicize issues and position themselves as the moral party.
Minah, this battle was just one of many for the religious right. They feel that they got Bush elected and they certainly did help and now they are going to push their agenda onto and into the Republican Party. They expect payback in terms of support and certainly in this case we saw the Republican Party lay down on their backs for them. Take a look at the book by Christine Todd Whitman, "It's My Party Too".
I'm afraid this isn't going to go away in a week or two.
UTD, why is it so hard for you to accept that American public does not approve the liberal ideas regarding the social programs and the lack of morals exhibited by liberals? As long as liberals are hell bent on letting people like Ted Kennedy be their mouth piece, they have no chance of convincing american people that their ideas may indeed work.
Kaleem, Bush didn't win by some major landslide, the country is 50/50. I can say that the American public doesn't approve the ideas or programs that the Republican Party create. The fact is right now the majority of American disapproves of Bush.
You have bought into the idea as others that Republicans are the moral party, I've stated in previous posts which would counter that with examples. What's interesting is that "Morality" might drive support away from the Republican Party.
More Republican posturing and misinformation -- the Republicans have not exclusivity to morality. Who is the great 'moral' conservative mouth piece? Tom Delay? Rush Limbaugh? Bill O'Reilly? George Bush?
The Religious Right is now the morality talking head of the Republican Party and if you don't like the message to bad it will be forced onto you, screw the laws.
Seminole, its not the mouthpiece, its the perception my friend. As long as you keep supporting everything that destroys morality in this country, you will not be in the majority.
in the absence of a family, it could be argued that her husbands' decision didn't impact a child.. just their union.. which would put him in equal footing with the parents..
btw i didn't follow the case (despite the media force feeding) .. did the parents offer to pay for all medical expenses?
strange the Republicans crying about the case when Dubya enacted rules in Texas allowing hospitals to pull the plug if the patients couldn't afford being on the feeding tube..
to Kaleem.. what's 'morality' is Tom Delay moral? how about deceiving an entire nation and taking them to war.. is that "moral" in your eyes? what else? the 'liberal' media as you put it is in bed with the Republicans.. did they call them out on ANYTHING they've ever done wrong? yet.. Republicans are quick to assert their exclusive rights over 'morality'.. how strange?
PA, reread my post, I did not claim that Republicans have exclusive rights to morality. There are certain issues in life that I will not/cannot compromise on. It just so happens that republicans share the same ideology. You can be a liberal and go for the gay parade, pay for all their proposed and implemented welfare programs (which have bankrupt many a institutions) and believe in "If it feels good,, it must be right" philosophy, just dont expect american public to be fooled by this wolf in sheep clothes anymore.
Kaleem bhai, trying to save a bed ridden woman from an important electoral state on 'moral' grounds while waging a war where people get killed everyday gives me the perception of hypocrisy, not morality.
this is more than just a woman.. it's the desperation of a people, who don't care funding the death of tens of thousands innocents in needless wars, to show some 'humanity' .. Terry is just an easy outlet.. hold some vigils, light some candles and try and feel good inside about yourself..
An exclusive, white male majority party that favors the death penalty, starts illegitmate wars that kill thousands, gives tax breaks to companies that destroy the environment, supports drug companies that leaves poor people dead in the wake, etc, etc are some examples of the hypocrisy, not morality.
ahamdjee, I am talking about issues that affect you personally. We can argue about the war all day long...actually not because I was against it. Dont foregt about the people who lost their lives due to the inaction of Slick Willy. Also, dont forget that rise in your medical and other social services bills is a direct result of generous welfare and immigration programs..generally championed by the liberals.
Seminole u forgot opposes increasing the minimum wage, turns a blind eye towards illegal immigration, tightens bankruptcy laws for the downtrodden (no such laws for corporations) and sits through possibly the largest rise in cost in Medical Expenses and the most people without medical insurance and finds issues like Steroids in pro sports more important to attend to..
