Monday, March 21, 2005
Clear as mud
I'm not going to say too much about the Terri Schiavo case, except to say that it gives way too many people an excuse to pontificate. Here's just a few of the events taking place at the same time Congress is meeting about this:
In the same state, Jessica Lunsford, a nine-year-old girl, was raped and murdered by a registered sex offender staying at his sister's house: within 150 feet from her house. Is this a loophole? Sex offenders register their home address, but neighbors of their relatives don't get the same warning. A sex offender could be staying with a cousin next door to you and you'd have no way of knowing.
Another U.S. soldier was killed in Iraq yesterday. The news gave it five seconds, and didn't bother saying his name.
Condoleezza Rice, expressing the views of the current administration, keeps making vague threats against countries developing nuclear programs. Today she said, "Of course if we cannot find a way to resolve the North Korean issue in this way (through six-party talks), then we will have to find other means to do it." She did not elaborate.
Here's a cynical voice talking (mine): Tom DeLay is very happy to talk about this, as it takes the focus of those nagging ethics violations people keep bringing up. He's been following a regular pattern of deny, deny, deny, and if that appears to be failing, charge that it's a partisan attack by sore-losing democrats, and if that doesn't seem to be taking, have Congress vote to change the ethics rules so you can keep your chairmanship while all these ethics violations are sorted out.
Finally, let's not forget the millions of Americans who would be healthy, with healthy bodies and brains, except that they don't have healthcare.
I wonder what side Congress would be on if Terri Schiavo's parents were Christian Scientists, and they were saying it's up to God to heal her, and it was her husband arguing to keep her alive through medical means. Christian Science is a recognized denomination, so the conflict would shift from a constitutional "right-to-life" argument to the classic separation of church and state. Anyway, this action from Congress is interesting because they aren't saying the all the Florida courts did anything wrong, or that the judges are all incompetent. They just don't like the decision repeatedly made.
There's a reason the Supreme Court refused to hear this. This could turn out to have long-range effects on the checks and balances system of the three branches of government [In this case, it's two branches (Congressional and Executive) overruling the third (Judicial)]; and it adds another layer to the issue of states' rights (which comes up every time a state wants to approve gay marriage or medicinal marijuana).
People much more knowledgeable about this case can speak in greater detail about it.
Just get a living will, everyone. No matter how young or healthy you are. Let your wishes be known, if only to spare your family from having to decide for you.
I'll return to more goofy stuff tomorrow.
In the same state, Jessica Lunsford, a nine-year-old girl, was raped and murdered by a registered sex offender staying at his sister's house: within 150 feet from her house. Is this a loophole? Sex offenders register their home address, but neighbors of their relatives don't get the same warning. A sex offender could be staying with a cousin next door to you and you'd have no way of knowing.
Another U.S. soldier was killed in Iraq yesterday. The news gave it five seconds, and didn't bother saying his name.
Condoleezza Rice, expressing the views of the current administration, keeps making vague threats against countries developing nuclear programs. Today she said, "Of course if we cannot find a way to resolve the North Korean issue in this way (through six-party talks), then we will have to find other means to do it." She did not elaborate.
Here's a cynical voice talking (mine): Tom DeLay is very happy to talk about this, as it takes the focus of those nagging ethics violations people keep bringing up. He's been following a regular pattern of deny, deny, deny, and if that appears to be failing, charge that it's a partisan attack by sore-losing democrats, and if that doesn't seem to be taking, have Congress vote to change the ethics rules so you can keep your chairmanship while all these ethics violations are sorted out.
Finally, let's not forget the millions of Americans who would be healthy, with healthy bodies and brains, except that they don't have healthcare.
I wonder what side Congress would be on if Terri Schiavo's parents were Christian Scientists, and they were saying it's up to God to heal her, and it was her husband arguing to keep her alive through medical means. Christian Science is a recognized denomination, so the conflict would shift from a constitutional "right-to-life" argument to the classic separation of church and state. Anyway, this action from Congress is interesting because they aren't saying the all the Florida courts did anything wrong, or that the judges are all incompetent. They just don't like the decision repeatedly made.
There's a reason the Supreme Court refused to hear this. This could turn out to have long-range effects on the checks and balances system of the three branches of government [In this case, it's two branches (Congressional and Executive) overruling the third (Judicial)]; and it adds another layer to the issue of states' rights (which comes up every time a state wants to approve gay marriage or medicinal marijuana).
People much more knowledgeable about this case can speak in greater detail about it.
Just get a living will, everyone. No matter how young or healthy you are. Let your wishes be known, if only to spare your family from having to decide for you.
I'll return to more goofy stuff tomorrow.
# posted by smacky @ 7:40 AM 
