Posted on 07/12/2005 3:02:52 PM PDT by george wythe
On Thursday, I closed the state inquiry into the Terri Schiavo case.
This puts to rest a sad chapter in Florida state history. To me, this was not an issue about politics, but about life. Terri's case is one I was involved with for years - long before it became a media interest - and I was determined to see it through to completion. Although I am saddened Terri had years cut from her life, and I do not agree with all the courts' decisions, I respect those decisions.
Terri did leave us with a silver lining. It is my hope that Americans across our great nation take a lesson from Terri's case. We never know when tragedy will touch our lives. All of America saw the agony Terri's family experienced. That could have been any person, in any city, in any state. None of us wants our loved ones to go through a similar situation.
I urge all Americans to make getting their affairs in order a priority and to let their loved ones know their wishes. My wife, Columba, and I filled out and signed our living wills, and we both feel better because of it. Completing a living will increases the likelihood that a person's wishes are known, respected, and followed. It also makes a difficult period slightly easier on family members.
As this trying period ends we can find comfort in knowing Terri is now in a better place.
it's about politics, to libs.
and, instead exerting my executive authority as the governor, I sat back and let her be killed.
Bush did everything he could within the law. The fault lies with the Florida legislature - and particularly with the GOP speaker, Jim King from JAX, who is very pro-death and pro-liberal and led the fight AGAINST Bush's legislative rescue of Terri.
If you want to attack anybody, attack them and go and try to make sure they don't get elected again (if you live in Florida).
Yeah, so much life that he let her be murdered. There were things that he and the RINOs in Congress could have done and they didn't.
This guy is pathetically lame. Just STHU already, Jeb. Your hands are turning pruney.
A disabled woman is ordered to be put to death, and he respects it. Jeb's middle-of-the-road. Complete with yellow streak.
And it increases the chances that insurance companies will get a green light to charge more or less depending on the nature of those living wills.
It increases the chances that "parts farming" will become more accepted.
It increases the chances that doctors will take less heroic measures and give up far sooner.
It increases the chances that judges and lawyers will start parsing the words of wills and finding more death in them than life.
You must be trying to ruin Jeb Bush. You know full well Jeb tried two times with laws to get her the opportunity to live. The legislature failed Terri.
I always wonder why you people focus on Jeb for your rage and never even mention the legislature that was really at fault.
Looks mighty suspicious to me as to your motives. If you are that outraged, then you know that the legislature did not go along with Jeb's efforts on a law to save her. Just why do they not get the blame? Instead the blame goes to Jeb - the only politician that tried to help her.
Do you live in FLorida? If so, work to make sure that Jim King doesn't ever get elected again in this state or any other. He was the one (a RINO of the first water) who fought Bush tooth and nail on protecting Terri.
I make my comments to you also. You too know full well that the legislature failed Terri - not Jeb, but you choose to ruin Jeb.
You must be a Keyes supporter as I think they are behind a lot of the hate generated for Jeb. Why I don't know other than to ruin his future in politics as a means to help Alan Keyes in the future.
Good grief.
You're going to blame it on Keyes, now??
If you want to take issue with what I believe, then do it. We are free to disagree. No need to drag others into it.
You are right in that Jeb isn't the only one to blame.
I'm not "ruining" him. He "ruined" himself.
And if your main concern is the fact that this whole thing is bad for Jeb politically, don't worry--he said he's not running.
It confuses me to no end that otherwise sane people would keep this poor girl alive at all costs. Don't you believe in an afterlife ???
yah, what a paragon of moral virtue JEB was... safe for him to speak now that she is "really most sincerely dead"
Jeb Bush proves that no good deed goes unpunished.
the left is portraying him as a tool of the far right, and the far right is portraying him as Pontius Pilot
GEE, someone in the legislature resists doing the right thing.... guess Jebby had no choice but to acquiesce..
I'm sorry, no amount of excuse making can salvage Jeb's moral cowardice here...
Nothing good came out of this. It's even hard to blame the Florida legislature since they had already passed one law to save Terri's life which was thrown out by the Florida State Supreme Court.
Even if they had passed another law, would it have just been another stay of executiton? If Terri had gotten a De Novo review as the U.S. Congress had asked for, would that have been just another stay as well, or would it have changed everything?
We will never know the answers to those questions. One thing appears certain. The courts were convinced that Terri wanted to die, even though the evidence of that was supported only by hersay of people with the last name of Shiavo.
It is hard to imagine a person who is 26 years of age giving much thought to the prospect of pulling their own plug. Yet this is what the courts somehow found to be the case.
I have serious doubts as to what Terri's wishes might have been based on what passed for evidence in this case.
"Yeah, so much life that he let her be murdered. There were things that he and the RINOs in Congress could have done and they didn't."
IMHO you are 100% correct. As far as I am concerned he is damaged goods. He should have done what he thought was right not what the law allowed him to do. If he got locked up, so what, all he would get was a slap on the wrist.
As this trying period ends we can find comfort in knowing Terri is now in a better place.
Note to Jeb, We have not forgotten, nor will we. This trying period isn't over yet. Impeach George Greer!
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