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."
If I thought it were doable I'd be for breaking the law to save her. The right to life is an inalienable right. But we cannot realistically expect to pit branches and divisions of government and segements of society against one another in an effort to save one person. Who else will be hurt in the process? And even if Jeb were to take Terri by force, what then? It would just return to the same struggle.... and the courts would rule in the same way.... and here we would be all over again, only without a wonderful Governor willing to stick his neck out for us. It just doesn't make sense. This is way beyond civil disobedience. We need to keep in mind that Terri is representative of many others. Let's work to save the rest of them in Terri's name. That means our allies need to survive to fight another day. As tragic as it is, sometimes you have to lose a battle or two before you can win the war.
I don't mean to lessen the value of her life. Just the opposite. Let's see that her sacrifice counts for something by redirecting our efforts and seeing to it that this never happens again. That's the best way we can honor her at this point.
what law is it that he's following?
No one ever knows the name of it.
"Terri cannot function on any level other than to breathe. She has no cerebral cortex. For all ostensible purposes she is totally functionless other than to lie there day after day, year after year"
And you know this to be a fact because...........
a.) A doctor said so and they are never wrong
b.) A lawyer said so and they only have the best interest of their clients at heart
c.) The media talking heads told me and they have no agenda other than truth
d.)I am Psychic and have spoken with Terry Schiavo personally.
Good. The thread still stands. :-) I guess that's our answer.
Then I'll repeat what I said before. If her consciousness is gone completely, then we are doing no harm to her as a person to keep her body alive. If it is not gone completely, then we are committing murder. So let's not fool ourselves that we're doing her any favors, that we're being "merciful", by "letting her die." We're not.
They have to ask themselves if they've done enough.
And I'm sick of hearing that idiotic argument. Comparing an ordinary citizen's power to that of a governor is beyond ludicrous. Are Terri's parents asking for a commando raid? NO. Are they asking for Jeb to intervene? YES. By your reasoning, the PARENTS shouldn't be asking for Jeb's help unless they are willing to mount a commando style raid. What a crock of crap.
I have been a big supporter of the Bushes, but they are wimping out here, big time. It's all politics. Ask yourself this question - If the polls showed that 70% of the public was outraged and thought Terri should be saved, do you still think Jeb wouldn't intervene?
Sadly it is.
If 70% of the public was outraged he wouldn't have to. Judge Greer is elected too, you know.
One. Two. Three. Good job.
Is a commando raid morally justified? Yes. Is it legal? In this case, probably. That wasn't my point. My point was to dismantle the argument: that if we private citizens won't do something, how can we expect the Governor to do something? Simple. It's his job.
Now people are demanding he saddle up the state police and go down and battle the local police to drag her out of there.
You support that ridiculous option?
Feel better?
You say that in a derogatory way, but in fact, it is both critical and defensible for Jeb Bush to take this into account.
Even if we accept the argument that Jeb is legally entitled to violate court orders and rescue Terri Schiavo, he remains accountable to his constituents. So if 70% of Floridians disapprove of the act---which is not unlikely, given that plenty of conservatives would see it as an improper overreach of executive power---then his time as governor will be sorely limited.
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.
It's called losing a battle but living on to fight the war.
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