Posted on 03/25/2005 6:20:50 AM PST by SoVaDPJ
I returned home last night from Tallahassee, where I helped to lobby the Florida Senate to try to convince them to save Terri. I’ve not been registered at FreeRep for very long, so please try to bear with me as I try to tell you what I saw there.
When the vote came up, several Senators pushed for debate. In several very long winded speeches, they argued. It seemed to me that every opponent has pulled a feeding tube on a loved one, and watched them die, and it wasn’t so bad for them, so we should just shut up. Apparently, several Senators got threatening email, which they attributed to the vicious, blood thirsty Christians. In addition, Senator Webster had to explain the concept of “evidence” repeatedly, as some of the Senators seem not to have the reading comprehension ability to understand what that meant.
Senator Bullard said that she had been willing to reconsider her no vote, but then the Christians were so rude, what with the kneeling around in hallways, carrying crying babies outside her office, and sending her death threats, she decided to kill Terri. Those weren’t her exact words, but they’re awfully close.
She said that people were outside of her office, speaking in tongues, and as far as she knew, we were praying for her to drop dead. On my knees, outside her office, I’m pretty sure I was speaking English when I prayed “Hail Mary, full of grace…” but then I might have talents I’m unaware of. Senator Wilson announced that she was so frightened, she wrote her obituary. Think about this, please—she was afraid something MIGHT happen to her, so she wrote an obituary. Meanwhile Terri is dying of thirst—something actually IS happening to her—and Senator Wilson votes to kill her.
I don’t self identify as a Christian. However, we were all painted as crazed right wing extremist bible thumpers, concerned only with our political interests, and ready to spill blood. This was in spite of several women there with signs that read “Pro-choice, Pro-Terri Liberal.”
I’m kind of a chunky gal, and I have to say that there’s nothing quite as ironic as seeing hugely obese Senators shouting that starvation is not painful. In the elevator, a very large man with a Senate ID told me starvation was not a painful death. I was so frustrated I said to him, quietly, “Perhaps you should consider skipping a meal or two.” Apparently, he found this a horrible thing to say, because he announced, “Well, THIS conversation is OVER.”
I spoke conversationally to a reporter for Time magazine, and asked him if he thought the fifty or so older ladies and young children present could be the evil assassins. He told me that he saw the emails. I suggested that Dan Rather could tell him that emails could be faked. What with all the death threats—the ones to the Senators, not the real one to Terri—you’d think that FBI types would have been everywhere. Amazingly, people were still being let into the building with the usual metal detectors and not more.
I told him that I was a conservative, that Bill Clinton made me a Republican, and that I hadn’t come as part of a Right to Life group, and asked if there would be any mention that some of us just felt so strongly that we got in our cars and came alone. He seemed to hint that there might be some mention, but also mentioned there are only 300 words in an article. I guess it’s important to use those words to imply that all the supporters of Terri are all of a type. I didn’t see any of the type I’ve read of, didn’t see anyone foaming at the mouth. Everyone there seemed to me to be sad but determined. I’m very curious to see what he writes.
Before I left to return to Virginia, I asked William Greene what I should tell people when they asked what they can do. He says to call Governor Bush. I might add, keep praying.
Thank you all so much for your warm welcome. I don't know if I'm allowed to publish the Governor's phone number, but it's public info...850-488-4441. Please call him. Ask him to do a "Janet Reno" rescue and get the National Guard in there. Not getting elected again seems a better fate than dying of thirst, I think.
"Senator Wilson announced that she was so frightened, she wrote her obituary."
Let me get this straight...she is allegedly receiving death threats and her reaction is to write her own obituary?!? Her sense of self-importance is staggering.
DCF 1-850-487-1111
Legislative Affairs 1-850-488-5000
Probably the most spectacularly perfect response I have ever seen.
Worse, it is 100% truthful.
"Terri's received many death threats--from these very legislators.
DCF 1-850-487-1111
Legislative Affairs 1-850-488-5000"
Please elaborate a bit. Thanx!
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