Terri Schiavo — one year later

It was exactly one year ago today that [tag]Terri Schiavo[/tag] died, and for reasons that still don’t make any sense, some high-profile conservatives want everyone to know that they were right all along.

Focus on the Family Action Chairman Dr. [tag]James Dobson[/tag] said the media — even one year later — is still trying to cover up what really happened to her.

“The truth of the matter is, Terri Schiavo was starved and dehydrated to death,” Dobson said. “What a horrible way to die! (She was killed) despite the fact that her mom and dad were right there, and would have taken her and cared for her lovingly for the rest of her life — however long she may have lived.

Schiavo collapsed in 1990 and was diagnosed — some say misdiagnosed — as being in a persistent vegetative state after her brain was starved of oxygen.

“Maybe she wouldn’t have recovered; I suspect that she wouldn’t,” Dobson said. “But she had the right to life like all of us do, and we regret her death and remember it sadly.”

And while Dobson was explaining the media and medical conspiracy, some of Terri Schiavo’s family held an event on Capitol Hill yesterday to announce the creation of an anti-euthanasia foundation in Schiavo’s name. Her mother said it is “incumbent upon us to save the lives of others from this culture of euthanasia and choosing death instead of life.”

What’s more, Sen. [tag]Sam Brownback[/tag] (R-Kan.) participated in the press conference to praise last year’s intervention on Schiavo’s behalf, calling the effort “galvanizing events for the United States and for the world.” Brownback repeated the same talking points from the original debate, adding, “We have to be a country that stands for life at all its stages from conception to natural death. And her death was not a natural death.”

This tragic situation was a turned into an ugly political spectacle by far-right conservatives a year ago. Their efforts have not improved with age.

The reason is simple – the culture war is all the Republicans have left.

  • from conception to natural death

    hmmm… I’ve not noticed the “natural death” part before. Have they always used that? I guess it’s included to justify punishing the unnatural death of murder victims by killing the murderer. What about the unnatural deaths of victims of war, innocent and otherwise?

  • “We have to be a country that stands for life at all its stages from conception to natural death. And her death was not a natural death.”

    What a bunch of hypocrites.

    What about the deaths from torture at Abu Ghraib and other places.
    What about all the senseless loss of life (on both sides) of a war that shouldn’t have been started.
    What about all the executions of criminals.
    What about all the deaths from diseases that could possibly be cured with stem-cell and other reseach.

    Culture of life indeed. These people have more blood on their hands than… well I don’t know. How can you really quantify it? Excuse me if I’m not impressed.

  • Note to Mssrs. Dobson, Brownback, Santorum et al.: Please, please, please keep reminding the American public how influential you were in perpetuating the Terry Shaivo fiasco.

  • A year ago, Republicans were falling all over themselves to proclaim the sanctity of life and decry euthanasia. Bill Frist made a medical diagnosis after viewing a videotape. Tom Delay used to incident to decry activist judges. Mel Martinez saw the potential political windfall and decided to hand a “talking points memo” to GOP colleagues and one lucky Democrat. There were the dramatic last minute votes and the even more dramatic scene of George W. Bush cutting his ranch vacation short to sign the bill that would stop Schiavo’s tube from being removed.

    What a difference a year makes. At the press conference yesterday, only one Republican made an appearance. Granted, Brownback is the Religious Right’s choice for president. But where’s Rick Santorum? Tom Delay? Bill Frist? Mel Martinez?

    I don’t know what to think here. Did the Schindler family pointedly not invite any other GOP congressmen? Or did they conveniently ignore the invitation? Either way it speaks volumes about the Schindlers, Republicans and their commitment to the sanctity of life.

  • Why are these “conservatives” trying to destroy the institution of marriage?

    OK, I just want to point out another scummy aspect of these jerks. They want to discriminate against gays in the name of “saving” the institution of marriage, but when it fits their agenda to shit on that same institution, they can’t wait to drop their pants and aim.

    If Hell exists, my bet is that these folks will be getting “forked” by Satan. And that is the reality of the situation.

  • “And her death was not a natural death.”

    Er, seems like you’ve got that backwards.
    We wouldn’t let her die a natural death, is
    what happened.

  • Am I missing something – Didn’t GWB sign a law in Texas allowing a medical facility to pull the plug if the patient couldn’t pay? Why is the right ignoring this Texas law?

  • it’s not just that the culture wars are all the right has left; it’s also that lying propaganda is all the right has left.

  • Thank you, thank you, thank you – one and all, but mostly the GOP – for reminding us of the Terri Schiavo affair with all the cruelty and grandstanding of the Bush Crime Family. My fave memory: the Sen. Frist (M.D.) diagnosis via a an old videotape.

    Please keep these memories alive at least through the elections of 2008.

  • Hark – Exactly! We have created a culture of artificial life. Polls show most people do not want to be kept alive attached to tubes with no chance of improving. Sometimes difficult decisions need to be made as a result of tragic events. Any politician who use this issue for political gain should have their political plug pulled.

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