my final words (i hope) about terri schiavo.
Andrew Sullivan is a man for whom I have a great deal of respect. He also perplexes me, from time to time. But his view of the Terri Schiavo situation is, thus far, the best encapsulated version of all the facts in the timeline.
It seems most reasonable people come to the same conclusion: we grieve for the family and their agonizing battles but loathe the shameless politicking and martyring of a brain damaged woman. Unlike some dimwitted pundits have opined, this was not the culmination of a red state vs. blue state. Many liberals and conservatives were together in their thinking on this matter -- government overstepped its boundaries. And we all were equally stunned (at how long it took) and sickened by Jesse Jackson's ability to run headlong into yet another media circus. That guy, I tell ya...
I digress.
Perhaps this painful saga will open up something that's been bubbling since Dubya took office: there is dissention among the Republican ranks. This typically well-oiled machine is starting to show cracks as secular conservatives are growing more and more disenchanted with the Christian Coalition's strong-arm tactics.
Indeed, the Republican party has morphed into something new and counter to its own doctrine. And it's got a good lot of its members antsy and frustrated.
The Democrats? Hell, they are as consistent as ever, spending their days spinning themselves into the ground. It's what they did best under Terry McAuliffe.
I wonder if this situation will -- as person said -- bring us closer together. I honestly don't know. I do know that this situation was bad from the start and made only worse by a cast of shady characters. And the requisite pundits took it even lower than that.
Welcome to the 24/7 news cycle, boys and girls. I guarantee we'll have another crack at a media circus soon enough.
AndrewSullivan.com
It seems most reasonable people come to the same conclusion: we grieve for the family and their agonizing battles but loathe the shameless politicking and martyring of a brain damaged woman. Unlike some dimwitted pundits have opined, this was not the culmination of a red state vs. blue state. Many liberals and conservatives were together in their thinking on this matter -- government overstepped its boundaries. And we all were equally stunned (at how long it took) and sickened by Jesse Jackson's ability to run headlong into yet another media circus. That guy, I tell ya...
I digress.
Perhaps this painful saga will open up something that's been bubbling since Dubya took office: there is dissention among the Republican ranks. This typically well-oiled machine is starting to show cracks as secular conservatives are growing more and more disenchanted with the Christian Coalition's strong-arm tactics.
Indeed, the Republican party has morphed into something new and counter to its own doctrine. And it's got a good lot of its members antsy and frustrated.
The Democrats? Hell, they are as consistent as ever, spending their days spinning themselves into the ground. It's what they did best under Terry McAuliffe.
I wonder if this situation will -- as person said -- bring us closer together. I honestly don't know. I do know that this situation was bad from the start and made only worse by a cast of shady characters. And the requisite pundits took it even lower than that.
Welcome to the 24/7 news cycle, boys and girls. I guarantee we'll have another crack at a media circus soon enough.
AndrewSullivan.com
