For the past two weeks Americans have been witnessing the unfolding of events surrounding Terri Schiavo.
To summarize: the press have filled the Penellas Park, FL streets, Bob and Mary Schindler (Schiavo’s parents) persistently move back and forth between state and federal courts pleading to have their case heard only to be repeatedly refused, George W. Bush cut short his vacation to sign an emergency bill, Republican politicians all over the nation have taken up the issue for their own political agenda while Democrats remain silent-except Jesse Jackson who has suddenly locked arms with the Christian right, disabled protesters unloaded themselves from their wheelchairs and blocked the Penellas Park streets, three defiant citizens were arrested as they attempted to force through police barricades carrying bread and water to save Terri Schiavo, priests and protesters have been outside Terri Schiavo’s hospital night and day appealing for federal intervention, and outraged demonstrators in New York City gathered this past Monday begging President and Governor Bush “to order federal marshals and Florida National Guard troops to take Terri into protective custody so that her feeding tube may be restored and her life saved.”
OK. Breathe.
It has been intense couple of weeks, no doubt.
Perhaps in the midst of the intensity it would be a good idea for all Americans to take a moment and temporarily remove themselves from this great national debate by taking a look at these events from an objective view-point, to gain perspective. Here’s a look at what international observers have to say.
Leah Morgan from Ontario, Canada writes, “The Terri Schiavo case is intriguing on a lot of levels. Her plight has turned into a moral, legal, political, and media circus. The far right religious types are now comparing her to Christ dying for humanity’s sins, the courts have decided on her legal rights, George W. Bush has again leaned toward the preservation of life regardless of consequences, and the U.S. media, as usual, have turned the story into that which divides the ‘United’ States.”
Carl Wesselink from Nairobi, Kenya states, “If the Bush Administration, the governor of Florida, and the world population could spend just 50 percent of the energy and resources they have invested in a woman without a future, in the African continent-which does have a future-wouldn’t that be a great day!”
The time for constructive self-criticism is optimal while the nation rages on about what should happen next with Terri Schiavo’s life.
But the minds of American’s are so captured by the saga that to ask us to engage in self-reflection seems an almost impractical request.
So let’s go out on a limb and begin by asking some questions here.
While the religious right, who widely side with conservatism, implores for the federal government to interfere with the decisions of the Florida State Courts about Terri Schiavo’s life, they are caught in a deep contradiction. These same conservatives who want to maintain tradition in American life, culture, and politics, forget that the essence of traditional conservatism lies in the belief that federal authority is subordinate to the rights of states.
Classical conservatives debated over the size of government, the power of states, lower taxes, and balancing the budget.
Therefore, ideological conservatism (often associated with pro-life, pro-death penalty, the belief that religion in the political arena is appropriate, and anti-homosexual tendencies) should not to be mixed with traditional Republican philosophy.
But that is exactly what is happening. We have created an entangled mess where current issues and traditional politics have resulted in very blurry lines.
The irony is that today, with a Republican president in the house and a majority Republican congress, the manner in which the Terri Schiavo case should be tackled should be more than clear. The Florida State Court made a decision-the battle should have ended there. If the family wanted to pursue it further, they should beckon their state. If protesters want to protest, they should restrict themselves to doing so in Florida and not expect George Bush or the Supreme Court to overwrite the Florida State Court’s decision-never mind calling in the National Guard!
And then, in the end, perhaps Jesse Jackson can find his way back home to the Democratic Party.