The Schiavo issue

[Claire]

Leo, in all seriousness, do you not think that the Republicans in power have used this family's case as a political manuever? I'm just curious on that point.

[BarTopDancer]

I think the bigger issue [of the government getting involved] here is the government taking away the right of the spouse to make medicinal decisions for his/her spouse and giving it to the parents because the parents disagree with the spouse.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Claire

Leo, in all seriousness, do you not think that the Republicans in power have used this family's case as a political manuever? I'm just curious on that point.

I would suspect so. Unfortunately, I believe the large majority of politicians - regardless of party affiliation - play the political angle of everything and attempt to gain advantage from it.

[Ghoulish Delight]

If "activist judges" on the Supreme Court can be accused of usurpation, so can Jeb. If they had something of merrit, I'd agree with you. But one law that was passed and signed by Jeb has already been struck down as unconstitutional. That, if not before, should have been the final straw. Instead, they are using their power and going to extraordinary lengths to contradict the courts and to deny what has been declared over and over Terry and Michael's rights. Perhaps they are technically within their rights, it doesn't mean it's not scummy.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

If "activist judges" on the Supreme Court can be accused of usurpation, so can Jeb. If they had something of merrit, I'd agree with you. But one law that was passed and signed by Jeb has already been struck down as unconstitutional. That, if not before, should have been the final straw. Instead, they are using their power and going to extraordinary lengths to contradict the courts and to deny what has been declared over and over Terry and Michael's rights. Perhaps they are technically within their rights, it doesn't mean it's not scummy.

So you try one thing, get stopped because it was declared as unconstitutional, and you should stop trying other avenues? I would suspect that you would be very persistent in pursuing what you thought was best in every situation if you hit a roadblock you thought you could get around.

They are not contradicting any court. They are working within an established system of government. You may think it scummy, and that's fine, but it's all about working within the system to acheive your goal.

Personally, I think it's scummy to make someone die of dehydration.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

So you try one thing, get stopped because it was declared as unconstitutional, and you should stop trying other avenues?

As far as I'm concerned, public officials getting this involved in a private matter that should have been (and was) resolved in the courts was over-stepping the bounds long ago.

[scaeagles]

Arrested for trying to give her water.

http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/...&c=news_photos

That's amazing. Arresting someone for trying to give someone dying of dehydration a drink. Shows how screwed up the whole thing is.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Arrested for trying to give her water.

http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/...&c=news_photos

That's amazing. Arresting someone for trying to give someone dying of dehydration a drink. Shows how screwed up the whole thing is.

Try arrested for trespassing. And these people were bringing sandwiches to a woman who is unable to eat and has no feeding tube. They were trying to get arrested. It's called civil disobedience. Good for them, I'm all for civil disobedience, but c'mon Leo, "arrested for giving her water"? You're above that kind of propoganda.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Good for them, I'm all for civil disobedience, but c'mon Leo, "arrested for giving her water"? You're above that kind of propoganda.

Well, the link I posted only said water. Sandwiches, stupid, yes. Of course they were trying to get arrested, and it's pretty effective propaganda, really.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Well, the link I posted only said water. Sandwiches, stupid, yes. Of course they were trying to get arrested, and it's pretty effective propaganda, really.

Go walk into any stranger's ICU room with a bottle of water in any hospital in this country and see what kind of reaction you get. What they were doing was a protest, they were protestors doing something illegal trying to get arrested. They weren't trying to give her water.