|
|
|
Jewish World Review April 1, 2005 / 21 Adar II, 5765 Terri deserved better from us all By Joe Scarborough
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
In the time I have been in Congress and a member of the media, I have never worked on a story that has had the personal impact of Terri Schiavo's fight for life.
Why is that?
Thousands have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. But no single death has drawn American's attention to their TV sets like Terri's.
Three thousand Americans were slaughtered on September 11th, but I cannot think of a single victim from that epic day whose death came close to grabbing the attention that Terri garnered over the past few weeks.
You probably would have to go back to the death of John Lennon to find a person who was not a president or a princess whose passing stirred up such interest.
So again I ask, why?
What was it about Terri's life and death struggle that divided families, political parties, and religious leaders?
I would like to be able to explain to you what it was about this story that got me more emotionally involved than any political election or vote that I ever took in Congress.
But I can't.
I have a few guesses.
First, the President's involvement in this case this month got the forces of the Left involved in a very personal way. This is, after all, a group whose own thought leaders had suggested of late that many in the movement hated George Bush so much that they were even cheering against American efforts in Iraq.
And then there was Tom DeLay.
Liberals despise Majority Leader DeLay in a way not seen since, well, since George Bush, or Rush Limbaugh, or Ann Coulter, or Mel Gibson, or anyone else with whom they disagree.
Add to the checklist the fact the evangelical and pro-life communities got involved, and suddenly it seemed inevitable that a political gangland war was waiting to happen.
My wife commented yesterday that the real tragedy of this case is the fact that Terri Schiavo seemed to be a very shy, unassuming woman who would have deplored the kind of attention that was thrown on her the last few weeks of her life.
I explained to her that there was a bigger issue involved here. The government was allowing the killing of a young, helpless woman without clear and convincing evidence.
She stared at me as if to say that I was missing her point completely.
Sadly, I think Susan's point has been lost on most of us — even those who were fighting for Terri's life because of the shocking truths connected with her death.
This has been a tragedy for all concerned.
But on this day when the debate starts to wind down, it is important that we stop to remember the young woman who was caught in the middle of this ugly political fight.
Goodbye, Terri.
You deserved better from us all.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Former Congressman Joe Scarborough (R-Fla.) hosts “Scarborough Country,” 10 p.m. ET, weeknights on MSNBC. He is the author of the recently published "Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day : The Real Deal on How Politicians, Bureaucrats, and Other Washington Barbarians are Bankrupting America". (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.)Comment by clicking here. © 2005, MSNBC |
Mitch Albom | |||||||||||
