in a long time, but the latest madness from the Other Bush is just too much. I am horrified that this lunatic is our governor. And still more horrified that the wingnuts are talking about running his psycho ass for president. And freaked out that the So Called Liberal Media is reporting this matter-of-factly, when they bother to mention it at all, like it's normal and rational for a governor to direct a state attorney to continue this personal witch hunt/vendetta on Mr. Schiavo despite a mountain of evidence over the years disproving any foul play, apparently based entirely on his failure to look at a clock before calling 911 when his wife collapsed, or remember what time he dialed the phone years later. Jeb doesn't like how the story ended, and can't bear to be wrong - a congenital and dangerous Bush flaw. The Bushies are never wrong, the facts are simply disregarded and new stories are spun and spread by the noise machine until they become "facts" too.
And the state attorney of course knows which side his political bread is buttered on, so he's on it. Never mind that this was already one of the most extensively investigated non-crimes in history, involving the expenditure of a small fortune in tax dollars to investigate and disprove the hateful and slanderous accusations that were thrown around for years, and notwithstanding the reams and reams of documentation disproving every accusation ever raised. Never mind that the autopsy showed no evidence of any foul play and that Mr. Schiavo and the doctors were right. This is an endless nightmare, and not just for Mr. Schiavo. We all should be scared that a governor will single out an individual citizen for persecution by the state based on his own personal whim, and it happens in broad daylight, reported (sort of) by the media, and everybody shrugs and talks about Tom and Katie's engagement. These are very, very scary times.
Not only was Jeb Bush proved wrong, the even greater sin was that he was proved wrong PUBLICLY. Unforgivable. And just like his brother he CAN'T be wrong, so he's going to leave no stone unturned to "prove" he's right. Who cares if he wastes a lot of taxpayer's money? The important thing is that he gets his way.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that the Bush clan will be more difficult to control than the proverbial cockroaches.
I don't quite understand either the fascination with Brad Pitt-Jennifer Aniston-Angelina Jolie thing or Tom and Katie's engagement, or the whole Michael Jackson fiasco. These people are insignificant, their goings-on have no effect on the rest of us, yet they get more attention than issues that matter.
And so it has always been.
How do.
ReplyDeleteYou are so spot on w/all you wrote - I had the silly hope that the autopsy findings would quiet the wackos. D'oh times two.
This sort of things makes me feel sad - this mess never should have gone as far as it did. Mr. S. was right all the way along. Perhaps the findings will eventually silence some people altho' obviously not enough & not fast enough for my taste.
Marfa
If you haven't seen it already, go to The Daily Show's website and watch the clip showing Bill Frist's "video diagnosis" from March, followed by his denial of same on morning tv last week. These people will look us in the eye and lie their asses off on camera, and nobody in the MSM has the cojones to call them on it. I's just bizarre.
ReplyDeleteAnd maybe I'm just old and cranky, but I remember when the news actually was about news, and there were shows like Entertainment Tonight that would slobber all over Brad 'n Angelina stories. Now that dreck IS our evening news - it blurs the lines and makes the real news seem like just more of the entertainment. Creepy times, these.
I'm amazed at how easily they dismiss AN AUTOPSY BY A FULLY LICENSED CORONER!!! Years and years and years of medical education and experience just wiped away with "they're wrong, I saw her do this." Makes me want to scream.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone see NOW on PBS last night (www.pbs.org/now/)? I have never been so scared in my life. Two stories--the first was on "radical judges." Some idiot minister who is leading the attack on the judiciary is bound and determined that all law should be made by the Bible. The case used as an example was the 13 year old who wanted an abortion (in Florida, again, I'm sorry to say), and they interviewed the judge who dealt with the case. He's CATHOLIC, and he's been critized because he went against Church teachings. His remark about using the Bible for the law was something like this: we are fighting a war because the government was using religion as law--that was wrong, but it's okay to do that here? HUH?
The other story was about a teenager in Lubbock, Texas, and her fight against the "abstinence only" pledge all high schoolers have to take there. They have no sex education at all, only this religious pledge. One out of every 14 teenagers becomes pregnant in Lubbock, but teachers are not allowed to talk about contraception at all--they can only reference abstinence. This girl took the pledge, she believes in it, but for her only, she understands that everyone has a different situation, but in a conversation she had with a youth minster, the minister said "Christianity is the most UNTOLERANT religion in the world." When did that happen? I know I haven't been to church in years, but the most untolerant in the world? What happened to love and acceptance and not judging your neighbor and turning the other cheek?
We are living in a theocracy, I tell you, no matter what anyone says.
Here's the thing that really bothers me about the Schindlers and their band of nutjob followers. It's that this horseshit is presented as a "pro life" position when it's based entirely on delusional thinking.
ReplyDeleteIf the Schindlers had said, "Okay, we know she's blind, paralyzed, unable to think, unable to swallow, dependent on tubes to carry nutrition in and waste out, but dammit, her heart is still beating and therefore she's still alive and we don't want to hasten her death," that would be a purely "pro life" position. Not one that I would agree with, because if you've ever seen someone you love in that state, as I have, most of us pray for the nightmare to be over, as I did. But at least it would be based on the presence of life, even in its lowest, just technically alive form, as a condition that deserves care.
But that was NEVER their position -their position was based on the hope of recovery - that she was actually aware and able to see and could be rehabilitated - all of which we now know for a fact was clinically impossible. So even the "pro life" slant was based on a distortion, because they couldn't face the reality of her condition. Remember her father outside the hospice, claiming he'd told her they were going to "take her out to lunch" and that she responded? It's just so sick and bizarre that our government got behind this and championed this cause, and now the frigging governor is keeping the insanity alive. I can sort of understand the family being crazy with grief for Terri and maybe not entirely responsible for their irrationality, but what is Jeb's excuse?
By continuing to pursue this after the autopsy findings, it is purely malicious prosecution.
ReplyDeleteAs a person of deep abiding faith, I always considered myself pro-life. The true meaning of that has been distorted over the past few years by some of the CRAZIEST LOONS in the history of time.
First of all, if one was truly pro life, wouldn't they be in favor of LIFE? Not in favor of prolonging DEATH. When there is absolutely no hope of recovery and no evidence of brain activity, keeping someone "alive" by artificial means is not pro life.
I am so thankful my father had made the decision for himself, had an advanced directive and made sure all of his doctors were aware of his wishes. We (my sisters and I) did not have to make the decision when it came time. If nothing else, maybe the Shiavo case made people realize they need to make this decision for themselves and not leave their loved ones subject to the abuse that Mr. Shiavo continues to bear. Do you really want congress deciding your fate?
My heart was so grieved by the outlandish actions of so-called "Christians" during the Terri Shiavo situation. I say so-called, because there was nothing Christ-like in their behavior. Since when did Christians become so terrified of death? What message does that send about their faith?
They had no consideration whatsoever for other families dealing with death and loss at that hospice. They had no regard for the staff that provided care. All they cared about was getting their faces and rhetoric on national television. There was one monk in particular I would have liked to beat about the head and shoulders with the microphone he persisted in monopolizing.. He had never laid eyes on Terri, but he was an "expert" foaming at the mouth whenever there was a camera turned on.
Although I could feel some sympathy for the Schindlers in the situation, their continued attack on Mr. Shiavo was unconscionable. Then I studied the history of this case and found they were not always so concerned or attentive. The fact that our politicians got involved (after this had been adjudicated repeatedly) is beyond belief. The snippet of video where it appears she is responding or following objects was part of HOURS of video where she did none of those things. Was that ever mentioned by any of the news media running that video clip repeatedly? No. This was why Mr. Shiavo continually won every court battle, because ALL of that video was viewed and it was very apparent that she was not responsive or interactive. It was also outrageous the medical personnel who felt free to lend their “expertise” on air when they had never examined her.
It’s time to let this woman rest in peace, as well as her husband.
Wow, Bliss, you just did the second half of my rant - these "Christians" who thought of nothing but themselves and "winning" this "battle" with this helpless, thankfully unaware woman as their trophy, and their fear of death and the blithe lies they told every time a camera was pointed in their direction. But even when it's over by all rational standards, we have the governor of FL continuing the irrationality at taxpayers' expense. Meanwhile, he can cut a bunch of programs for kids' health to give more tax breaks to the rich friends who bought his politician whore ass and put him where he is. "Pro-life" my cynical and profane (and pro-life Christian) butt.
ReplyDeleteWhat an eloquent and truly frightening discussion Catherine. I wonder tho, have you written to our illustrious (read nefarious!)Govenor? I have a few times now! I did when he spit on the constitution by his intercession in a completely private matter and I did again recently as he again spits on the constitution as well as wastes more of my tax dollars re-re-re-re-hashing a situation that has been supported by many highly regarded professionals, and yet because our Jeb has such crucial and genetic control issues, he just can't let it go!!
ReplyDeleteYou write so well, Catherine, I'm sure he'd love hearing from you! :)