Posted on 10/20/2003 8:53:13 AM PDT by Houmatt
Dear Gov. Bush,
You have before you the most important decision of your political career: Will you or will you not uphold your oath of office to protect the constitutional rights of Terri Schindler-Schiavo?
Additionally, many of our readers have asked questions which, frankly – as reasonable as they are – I don't know how to answer them. Perhaps you do. For example:
1. Why is it that a governor can commute the death sentence of a person convicted of murder, but cannot stop the execution of an innocent young woman?
2. By the definitions of "cruel and unusual," our courts would not allow a convicted murderer to die of legally sanctioned starvation and dehydration. Why are you allowing this to be done to an innocent young woman?
3. If any person in America tried to euthanize their dog the way you are allowing to be done to Terri Schindler-Schiavo, they would be prosecuted for cruelty to an animal. Why are you allowing this to be done to an innocent human being?
Gov. Bush, I must also tell you that your pitiful attempt to make people think you are impotent to act in this matter is not credible. It makes people think you are acting in bad faith – washing your hands of a difficult matter just as Pontius Pilate did with Jesus 2,000 years ago. If such is the case – and I believe it is likely – you sir are a coward without modern-day peer. I hope I'm wrong. But, if you let this woman die, her blood is on your hands.
Oh, and yes, Gov. Bush, I am aware there may be a special session of the state legislature that might include a bill to address this matter. But the simple fact is you already have grounds to take charge now. By the time this "special session" gets done, Terri may very well be dead. But then you'll be able to shrug your shoulders and give yourself and the legislature enough cover to pretend you really tried to help Terri, right?
Surely, governor, there are ample reasons to warrant investigations into the activities of the people involved in seeking Terri's death. And surely there is ample evidence that Terri is no more a vegetable than you are, governor – she laughs, she cries, she moves in response to words and other stimuli. She is awake. She is alive. And she is a citizen of your state who is entitled to the full protection of the law.
Terri Schindler-Schiavo is being denied her right to life. She needs help to be rehabilitated. She does not deserve a painful execution that we wouldn't even subject dogs or criminals to.
So, governor, will you act honorably and uphold the integrity of your oath of office or will you allow an innocent, helpless woman to be murdered by legally mandated neglect?
The world is watching.
Follow your own advice. You started it, bub.
The governor can order his law enforcement people to NOT EXECUTE a suspect ruling while an investigation is conducted, especially where that suspect ruling has irreversible consequences if carried out. You know that, sinky.
No, I don't know that.
Once again, for the third time, where in Florida law is that power given to the governor?
If you're just making it up, tell us you're making it up.
I read the amicus; nowhere in it does he contend he can suspend the execution of a judge's ruling.
And the governor's oath?
As I suspected, you concocted your "suspension" idea out of thin air. There is no basis for it in Florida law.
So you think you are in the majority in believing Terri should die and Jeb should just satnd by and watch?
Prove it, then.
Terri Schiavo's.
Sorry, Charlie, but no matter how you may try to twist and bend and spin and whatever, this is not about me. This is about Terri Schiavo. Period.
Look, I am glad that at least we all remember that we are friends here, but you are missing a very important point. The people who will be executing the Judge's ruling are not under the jurisdiction of the Governor. Bush has no power to order the medical or supervisorial persons involved to do anything at all. Were he to try, he would be guilty of encoraging others to break the law.
There is no law enforcement involved in this case that falls under the power of the Governor to control. The Governor cannor rule by fiat. He cannot order a private citizen to do anything, much less ignore a Judge.
There is a more important matter at stake here. Almost no one believes O.J. Simpson to be innocent of murder. According to the LAW, he IS innocent. So, what do we do? Kill the creep? Break the law? No, we dont. We are a society based upon laws. We dont ignore them whenever we dont agree with them.
There are many times that the law will protect a villian rather than punish him. Men make laws, but men are not perfect. Many of us have asked you to point us towards any law that would back up what you are saying, but you have refused, as I predicted. This is not a pissing match. Being wrong does not mean I win or you lose. It means that we both care about Terry, but are helpless to do anything about her plight.
How many men are on death row who dont deserve to be there? I am one who believes that we should keep the death penalty, even if we get a few wrong. Whatever happens in this case, I hope we all remember who the enemy is, and should this poor girl die, that it encourages us to fight for change, without pointing the finger at those who we wanted to act.
We are the government. We put them there. Whatever they do or dont do, is a reflection on all of us.
I'm in the majority of those who want Jeb to intervene, legally, if Florida law permits him to do so.
Prove it, then
Watch what happens.
I'm not ignoring it.
But you're not citing the specific statute that gives the governor the authority to supercede, or "suspend", if you wish, a judicial decree. You're cobbling together a couple of statements, draping it in the Governor's Oath of Office, and saying that that gives Jeb the authority to act.
I don't believe it does.
You vote for someone better next time around. The only problem is that someone better, is someone who probably could not win an election for dog catcher in America.
Judicial Watch says Gov. Bush can intervene. So I'm still confused about that issue.
Well, if FR were the gauge of the general population, there would be no abortion and no illegal immigration.
(Hint: FR is NOT a good gauge.)
You have yet to prove to me you are opposed to Terri's death. In fact, the only thing you have shown via your actions (saying you are tired of posts about Terri and wanting them to stop) is apathy (an allegation you have yet to deny).
Let me put this to you plain: Nobody is forcing you to read so much as a single word of these posts. If you don't like the subject matter or what is being said, threatening to go to the mods is not going to help you.
What you need to do is simply grow up and move on to another thread and not bother those who vehemently care about this poor woman's welfare no longer.
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