Posted on 03/29/2005 2:11:48 PM PST by AmericanInTokyo
What happened? Hello? Hello? Anybody home?
By Governor-elect Jeb Bush
"Talking with a variety of Floridians with disabilities and their families has helped understand a lot more about the lives, challenges and dreams of those with disabilities. However, I know that my education continues with everyone new I meet.
People with disabilities are no different than anyone else. They want to work, have families, and live independently. As Governor, I would work hard to create an environment that gives people with disabilities every opportunity to be independent and play an active role in their communities and in our State.
My first experiences with disability issues were visiting with adults and children with developmental disabilities, their families, advocates, and providers.
I have been impressed by the differences between persons with these disabilities who remain in their homes, receiving community-based support services and similar persons living primarily in institutional or large residential facilities. What I observe is not just a difference in expression, it's a difference in the way they act, how they respond, how they interact with the people around them, how they look, how they talk, and probably in how they will face life with its opportunities and challenges.
I am convinced that, whenever possible, Floridians with disabilities should be able to remain in their communities with their families, friends or roommates and receive the support services they require.
That way, their lives are enriched and they continue to enrich the lives of their families, friends and communities. Of course, in cases of severe and profound disabilities, there may be no option other than a dedicated residential facility. That choice should be preserved.
In order for individuals to be able to live at home or on their own, there must be an excellent, responsive network of support services available to assist them and their families. Funding needs to be shifted to provide the full range of these services. In turn, more individuals can be served and with a broader range of services, such as transportation or respite care that have often been unavailable in the past.
As Governor, I will work to allow individuals with disabilities and/or their families to have more say about what services and necessary treatments are provided, based on each person's professionally identified needs.
This is a time of setting new directions in care for people with disabilities here in Florida. I have reviewed the Governor's Task Force proposal for the future of DD services and I am waiting for an independent study on the future of developmental disability services that was contracted by the Legislature and will be released shortly. Both of these will help a Bush Administration to make detailed decisions to assist individuals with disabilities. My team will also monitor Washington legislation and work with our Congressional delegation to ensure that federal initiatives are responsive to Florida's needs.
On a separate note, I also have come to realize the importance of educating the public about people with disabilities and disability issues. Too often, people react in fear or distaste when coming face-to-face with persons with disabilities. These people simply lack the necessary knowledge to understand persons with disabilities.
If elected, I will work with state agencies and disability organizations to help erase that insensitivity. If people understand more about how to interact with persons with disabilities, their fear will be diminished. That will open up more opportunities for education, employment, and participation in community life.
In addition, I will support educational programs about disabilities in our schools. Young children are especially receptive and accepting, and their understanding will help bring about changes in everyone's misconceptions about disabilities. I would also support efforts to mainstream children with disabilities whenever possible.
Finally, my Administration will support full compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This is vital, not just for the individuals themselves, but for the communities that will be enriched and blessed by their contributions and participation in community life.
I know that there are other issues that need to be addressed. The state has complex legal mandates to meet. The waiting lists need to be cut way back. The best way for me to lead on these issues is to continue to learn the people who are living those issues day-to-day, their families, and the professionals who provide the care. Let's work together to make Florida a better home for people with disabilities."
You apparently have the military training; and you apparently "believe in it". So what are you waiting for?
What, you mean you might actually fail? So that's why you're not doing it?
Bingo.
No, Jeb would probably succeed in saving Terri if he did what you suggested. But at what cost? Yes, in lives lost. I'll guarantee that it's more than one.
Sometimes, you just have to let the chips fall where they may. When a peson's life is literally at stake is such a time. Define "courage" for me and see if it includes a focus poll.
Now you might say, well, yeah, but since when are votes more important than lives? Simple: when votes ARE lives. Do you really think that those 70% would toss Jeb Bush out in favor of someone who is more pro-life than Jeb? No friggin' way. The backlash will be severe in its consequences on abortion and euthanasia law; and the conservatives will live to regret it.
Wrong. Votes aren't lives. Votes are VOTES, and lives are LIVES. Let's not confuse the 2. NO innocent person should lose their LIFE, regardless of how many VOTES are against them. We are supposed to live in a constitutional republic, not a mob-rule democracy.
If Jeb Bush can't rescue this innocent person and make his case to the Florida citizens of why he was justified in doing so, then he doesn't deserve the job. It's as simple as that.
Would the next governor be more "pro-life" than Jeb? Perhaps not, but what good is having a "pro-life" governor who will not protect life?
It's called losing a battle but living on to fight the war.
And sometimes making a stand and not backing down in battle helps win the war a lot more than giving up and forfeiting the battle.
Listen, I don't want to argue with people I agree with on the underlying issues here, but I honestly believe that if there were some legal way to do this, Jeb Bush would have done it. In addition to being the right thing to do, it would be the politically wise thing to do. But the legal options were exhausted. The next step would have been marching in there with armed state troopers to hope that the local police stand down and let you leave the hospice with her. That would have been too extreme and dangerous, and absolutely counterproductive to the prolife cause in the long run.
I specifically recall MS inviting Jeb to come see Terri. Well, I think he should take him up on the offer. And bring some friends with him. And an EO, or whatever piece of paper he needs to hand to the county mounty outside of the hospice. And don't call 2 hours ahead of time, either. JUST DO IT. Do you really think some Deputy Fife is going to put the Governor in cuffs and haul him away?
I don't think they would have hauled him away, but there is a good chance that the local police would act on their local orders and refuse admittance (not to the governor, but to others). Then it would have gotten uglier.
Jeb Bush could have gone down there in a symbolic gesture, but it wouldn't have kept her alive either.
Again, I think we have to look at the overall affect on the prolife cause. Would the possibly temporary stay in Terry Shiavo's death been worth the cost of damaging the overall battle? Keep in mind that 1,400,000 babies are aborted in this nation each year. An armed confrontation, with a possible violent outcome, by the President's brother on a prolife issue would not have been a good way to kick off the upcoming battle to seat conservatives on the Supreme Court.
I'd love to agree with you. So do you support stationing the Army in front of every abortion clinic in the nation?
Sometimes. But you're fooling yourself if you believe this is one of those times. There are far too many people on both sides of the political aisle who would decry that degree of executive intervention.
dead, I've got your back, bro.
Do you have anything positive to say, or are you just one of the FREEREPUBLIC lurkers who toss hand grenades? Take ME on and leave this Marine who is obviously overseas out of it. Or aren't you man enough to pick on somebody close to home?
All of the legal grievances have been addressed and declined by the court, no?
This is too easy. Please spread this far and wide - NOT DEAD YET would especially get a kick out of it.
Never forget. jeb bush was the last man to turn his back on Terri in her greatest hour of need . . . and walked away - thumbing his nose at God and all of us. I will never forget.
Tomas, THAT'S MY POINT. Taking extreme executive action to save Terri will COST us in the pro-life war. I am very glad to hear that you and I agree that this is about far more than Terri. All we disagree on, therefore, is strategy. And while I respect your service as a Marine I must respectfully suggest that this war is fought a bit differently :)
Don't you know? The government should stay out of everybody life except when it fits your "fill in the blank" politics.
TomasUSMC can handle himself just fine, thanks.
I tend to agree BUT in the opinion of many, what is happening is inherently uncivil and has been accomplished by what I always thought was a cruel trick of the justice system perpetrated by a master at that art. (Death Zealot Felos)
The fact that there appears to be no winners but many losers makes what has happened all the more irrational and is very frustrating to many (Including this writer!).
FRegards
Sorry, I must have missed that memo.
A little impractical at this point. We lost that battle over 30 years ago and have been fighting uphill ever since. If we can't save ONE innocent person from state-sanctioned murder, we certainly can't save them by the millions.
I don't doubt that. I should have waited a few before jumping in. I will always jump in when I think my Naval Service buds are being abused. I apologize for s****ing on you.
OK, then look, as I said to TomasUSMC, what we apparently disagree on is strategy here. At least we agree on what the battle is. I just don't agree that somehow saving one innocent person, no matter what the political cost, is automatically going to advance the pro-life fight. I truly beleive it will d o the opposite.
"And you are either not very intelligent or very delusional"
I'm intelligent enough to know a living breathing human being when I see one.
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