Has the Schiavo case Become a Political Football?

Dookiestix wrote:

JustWonders wrote:

The majority of people will not vote on this issue. Think "Elian Gonzalez".

Was Elian Gonzalez braindead? And last I looked, he seems rather happy being back with his father and family. All in all, a happy ending (IMO).

I think JW's point was that just like in the Elian case, there is only a minority that agrees with the strident attempts at political intervention - but it agrees very intensely and might even let their next vote depend on it, while the majority that disagrees with it is likely to have forgotten most about it by the time of the next vote. I think that's probably correct.

I think the American population, when not scared spitless about war or terrorism, will only put up with so much crap from its elected officials without standing up demanding they pull back on the reins a little bit. So ironically, the more safe we're made to feel the more free to examine criticize and hold accountable we are.

I would venture to guess that's a universal concept.

That's why power hungry despots no matter where they hail from use the tried and true strategy of keeping us at war or on the edge of one or more at all times. A control issue.

In my humble opinion.

It's a horrible, I know, but this whole issue makes me wish Terri would hurry up and die so we can all get on with our lives and get back to what is important.

Like the Michael Jackson trial.

Dookies, Look at the bright side; aren't you glad Dr Frist is not your physician? I am. LOL

parados wrote:

It's a horrible, I know, but this whole issue makes me wish Terri would hurry up and die so we can all get on with our lives and get back to what is important.

Like the Michael Jackson trial.

If one post really says it all, this is it. You have just confirmed my belief that I am on the right side.

The Elian case and the Terri Shiavo case have many things not in common, including a plethora of contradictions, but with the exception of one thing; both were politically used by Republicans in maintaining their constituencies.

Republicans were just as worried about the Cuban vote in Florida back then as they are about the Christian fundamentalist vote today.

Republicans were adamently AGAINST government intrusion in the Elian Gonzales case back then (Janet Reno whisking Elian away), and yet have been adamently FOR government intrusion in the Terri Shaivo case.

Elian Gonzales was trying to FLEE Cuba, and witnessed the death of his relatives and his mother at sea. His father, who dearly loves him, deserved to have his own flesh and blood back in his own hands. It was about family unity and love. And Elian was a perfectly healthy child.

Terri Shiavo is an America citizen, who is also in Florida during this crisis, and has been pretty much braindead for the last 15 years, as there has not been ANY electrical activity to indicate a concious mind. As history had shown us (refer to Dr. Frist's experience as a cardiovascular expert), most individuals in these conditions deal with these matters PRIVATELY.

The differences between these two are stunning. The only similarity is the political pandering from the Republicans who desperately need these votes to maintain power.

I wholeheartedly agreed with Janet Reno's decision to return Elian to his rightful guardian, his father, who dearly loves him.

I completely disagree with the sick power grab by DeLay, Frist, and the rest of the neoconservative renegades who desperately need the Christian Fundamentalist vote to maintain power. It is all about politics. And they have used poor Terri Shiavo, her husband, and her family, as meaningless pawns in their continued power grab.

It is so purely sick and disgusting, watching Tom DeLay pretend like he cares. What a sick bastard that former exterminator has turned out to be. Dr. Frist should be utterly ashamed of himself.

That line from Red October is running through my head again: "This business will get out of control. It will get out of control and we will be lucky to live through it."

Why? Because the Republicans are still counting fundie votes. They think they can control this, that nothing will happen and the base will be excited. But most of the base is revolted. They are horrifed at the sanctimony and the increasing rhetoric from people who should know better. Ignore judges? Kidnap a dying woman? Are they kidding?

Why is this happening? Because they thought it would be a gimmie. That the only people who would care is the radical right and their foot soldiers. They could get their way and trap the Dems in the process. But now, the Dems stepped out of the way and let the GOP take every bit of heat for this. You have the spectacle of Randall Terry, hasbeen, making demands on Jeb Bush, who meekly says "I can't go beyond my powers."

Bush and Bush seem to be puppets of the fringe elements, a group who would let their kids get arrested, which horrifies most people. All that political capital has been squandered, as Jim Wolcott said, on a Sunday flight from Crawford.

But Bush has never spread political risk. He has always heaped it on and expected to be rewarded in the end. There has never been a downside for this. But there is now. If Judge Greer or Michael Schiavo is harmed in any way, that turd is going to land right on the doors of the White House and Congress. They unleashed this madness and the idea that they could escape it is unlikely.

http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2005/03/on-come-clowns.html

Dookie, you could have spared yourself a lot of effort on that post. Nobody here said the Schiavo case was like the Elian case, except for in the one regard: that the majority of people will not vote on this issue. Only the minority that actually agreed with the politicking about it might. Pretty much what you confirmed yourself in your second paragraph here.

On Friday, the FBI said a man was arrested in Fairview, N.C., on charges of sending an e-mail threat, allegedly for offering a $250,000 bounty for Michael Schiavo's death and $50,000 for that of a judge in the case.

More proof that Brandon is the "right" side.

Quote:

On Friday, the FBI said a man was arrested in Fairview, N.C., on charges of sending an e-mail threat, allegedly for offering a $250,000 bounty for Michael Schiavo's death and $50,000 for that of a judge in the case.

Brandon9000 wrote:

parados wrote:

It's a horrible, I know, but this whole issue makes me wish Terri would hurry up and die so we can all get on with our lives and get back to what is important.

Like the Michael Jackson trial.

If one post really says it all, this is it. You have just confirmed my belief that I am on the right side.

Geez, Brandon, is your skull really that thick?

Brandon
If things had been reversed would you be speaking out of the other side of your mouth?