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When I started ths blog, I promised an occasional political rant. Here it comes. Yesterday and today, my thoughts have been about Terry Schiavo and the two year anniversary of the illegal war on Iraq. In my mind they are related.
The parents of Terry have turned to conservative, Randall Terry, the leader of Operation Rescue, to help them keep their daughter alive. Yesterday, he lashed out at the US Congress for not doing everything they could to keep Terry alive. He said that he and others of the Christian right have worked mightily over the past 10 years to get a conservative congress that would be at their beck and call. (OK, I am paraphrasing a little) Terry Schiavo is brain dead. Sure she looks like she is smiling and reacting to family, but that is an illusion. A feeding tube is a bazaar and invasive means for keeping someone alive. My mother-in-law died from a terrible infection brought on by a feeding tube. She would have been much better off dying a natural death brought on by an inability to eat food. Terry Schiavo’s husband is a remarkable man who is standing by his wife until the end to preserve her right to die with dignity. Randall Terry and his ilk should stay out of this. The legislative branches of the state of Florida and the United States should stay out of this.
How does the war in Iraq related to this? Here are two quotes I found on Iraqui casualties.
Two years after the United States launched a war in Iraq with a crushing display of power, a guerrilla conflict is grinding away at the resources of the U.S. military and casting uncertainty over the fitness of the all-volunteer force.
Many media outlets self-censored their reporting on the Iraq invasion because of concerns about public reaction to graphic images and content, according to a survey of more than 200 journalists by American University’s School of Communications.
To date we have lost 1520 young men and women. Who knows how many are maimed for life? We watch The Jim Lehre Report on PBS every night and at the end of the show, they show photos and stats of our dead young people in silence. It is very moving. Most of us are sheltered from these facts. And the war goes on despite the spin that this government puts on the whole debacle.
The conservatives in control of our government (did any you see Tom Delay speak out for saving Terry Schiavo, yesterday? Give me a break) are more interested in promulgating the wishes of the conservative right and saving one brain dead woman in Florida than dealing with an illegal war that is killing and maiming too many of our young and saddling this country with an obscene debt.
So there you have it, an occasional political rant. Now back to my fiber art.
Hi Gerri. I found you by following Arlee’s links. You tell ’em, girl, because you tell ’em well. The day Bush returned to the White House to butt into that family’s business, a 6 month old baby in Texas was taken off life support because of a bill he passed when he was their governor. Hypocrite, and shameless huckster. And Iraq? I’d better not get started. But I will say I’m furious because my husband’s 54-year-old cousin just got deployed, one month before his first grandchild was to be born. That’s not a typo–he’s 54 and in the National Guard. We have Cox Cable and watch BBC news quite a bit. You’ll see a different war on that channel! Ta-Cyd
OK that was supposed to be “last week”
Great post. It is so comforting to know that there are people who think along the lines I do. Have you listened to the NPR story about maimed soldiers trying to return to daily life? It was on last wee,.
Thanks Gerrie for a well-written post. I had been thinking many of the same things, just not ambitious enough to write about it. It really bugs me how we have such hypocrites in office now! Sometimes I really can’t watch or read the news because it gets me all steamed up!
well said. As far as Delay goes – well, it was certainly a break from his normal routine of being investigated….
Don’t you feel that this is what it’s become – to play for the single-issue folks and to hell with the big picture? Regardless of the crowing from the “winners” I thought these guys were elected to represent ALL of their populace. Oh wait — that would explain why schools get so little money…. no voters go there on a regular basis….
sorry – bitter AND cynical this morning.
*clap clap clap* Beeyooteful post.