Politics, et. al.

I'm not a doctor. I don't know jack about medicine and I generally try to stay away from all types of medical care unless absolutely necessary. That being said, I'm smart enough to know that this whole Terry Schiavo business is bunk.

It's not about euthanasia. It's not about vegetable/no vegetable. It's not even about parents rights vs. spouses rights. No, those issues were decided long ago. This latest ploy by the Pro-Life Movement is about politics. As a friend astutely put it, Bush sold himself to that constituency (as did most of the GOP) and now he has to pay the bill. That's all this is really about - kowtowing to a political minority to gain some points that will carry over to the next election.

That part doesn't bother me too severely. I mean, it is disgusting. It's really little more than pandering in oh so transparent ways, so of course it bothers me. But that's politics. It happens all the time, every single day, but usually in less vile ways. You usually don't see GOP leaders "diagnosing" a persons mental/medical condition based on a 20 minute viewing of a 4-year old video, for instance. And you don't usually see the righteousness of passing a meaningless bill "to save a life" that we've seen from the likes of Tom Delay (a true fascist if there ever was one), unless Ashcroft is involved.

What really bothers me, however, is that this case saw 7 years of appeal in the Florida courts, the judicial process was followed to the letter, and at the end of the day, when the Federal Government ultimately disagreed with the decision, they swooped in and tried to force Florida to do things differently. To me, that's the most objectionable element of all this nonsense. The American system is founded on a loosely held concept of devolution and decentralization. I hate the term "federalism", but it is the central issue. If the federal government can just intervene in state affairs any time they feel like it, then the system has no value. This, like so many other issues, used to be a GOP concern. But once again, the GOP is demonstrating their truly gutless nature by violating long held principles that, in part, form the basis of their "philosophy". I mean, seriously, the Contract With America was only 10 years ago.

Thusly, I was quite pleased with the Federal Circuit judge and the Court of Appeals when they ruled they had no jurisdiction in this case. That's the right answer. And I have a sneaking feeling that behind all the rhetoric and pandering, the GOP is pleased that it worked out that way. Fortunately, while even judgeships are political by nature, there are a few judges left that do what they're tasked to do and that's read the law and make a decision not based on politics.

I have no idea if Terry Schiavo is alive or dead inside. I have no idea if this is the right course of action. But I do know that the process was followed (exhausted, I'd say), a decision was made, and now it needs to be lived with. To attempt a last second change in Florida law (which is the next step for the family) seems desperate and inappropriate at this time. You live in a certain system, with certain rules that most of us follow. When things don't go your way, you shouldn't just be able to up and head to Tallahassee and change the law so that things all of a sudden do go your way.

That may seem callous. People in the extreme religious minority that appear to be running the US right now would scream in my face, "this is a life here, not a parking ticket!" That is cause to pause. But not to bring the whole show down. The stakes are always high. Bush's proposed Medicare cuts, for example, threaten to shorten the lives of thousands if not millions of elderly Americans simply because they're no longer going to be able to afford the medicine's they need.

The real point is, no matter how loud you shout, no matter how many candlelight vigils you hold, no matter how many palms you press or chits you call in, none of us, and I mean none, have any idea if it is a life or isn't. I'm sure it was a tough decision by the husband, by the doctors, and by the courts. I have enough confidence in people to believe that they didn't just up and decide to pull the plug without thinking about it long and hard. These late hour show stoppers that the press are foaming over are late in the day and frankly offensive to the people that did have to make tough decisions. Where was all this passion, prayer vigils, tears, etc. seven years ago when this process began? Call me a pessimist, but the whole thing stinks of politics and pandering.

Next up, the Terry Schiavo movie or Terry's Law or who knows what else. It's all about capitalizing on the stories of the day apparently. Thank God I don't have to sit there and watch it unfold. Ah, the benefits of not living in a country that appears to be totally insane.