Some people have emailed me asking if I think President Bush or Governor Bush should be "doing something" to prolong Terri Schiavo's life, but it looks like Jeb is doing everything he can, legally, and it's not clear what anyone thinks the President should do. Send in federal marshals to put the tube back in? I suppose he could do that.
It seems to me though that most people who want to see that happen are less concerned with Terry Schiavo than with seeing one of the Bushes force a constitutional showdown with the obstructionist courts. I agree that our judges are far overpowered and should be more deferential to the executive branch, but in this case I think the courts have pretty much followed the letter of the law, even if I don't like the results. No legal system is perfect, but I'm hard-pressed to think of a different set of rules for dealing with disabled patients. Most of the time, allowing the next-of-kin to make life decisions in the absence of a living will is the right thing to do.
If anyone should be pissed, it's the state and federal legislators who have been ignored and dismissed by every judge involved in this case, from top to bottom. By extension, the public who elects the Florida legislature and the American Congress should be angered by these unelected tyrants spurning the instructions of our representatives and assuming that they know better than our legislators what is and what is not Constitutional. Judges aren't the only people who can make that determination, and they should be more humble and keep in mind that they are not representatives of the people, but appointees. (Although Florida state judges other than those on the Florida Supreme Court are elected. About the Florida Government.)
So what, if anything, would you do if you were President or Governor?
I've commented elsewhere that these people who advocate any means necessary are aligning themselves with Eric Randolph, who took extralegal action to prevent people from committing "murder."
"Any means necessary" is essentially an immoral statement. Nuking DC to get the Supreme Court judges replaced would be an extreme example of "by any means necessary." It would also be a reminder that even civil disobedience must be proportionate to the evil that they seek to prevent.
I have suggested that if 1000 people attempted to get water to Terri Schiavo, without using violence, there aren't enough police there to arrest them all.
I would turn Florida into a feudal system and make everyone my slaves and become rich. Oh and I would save Terri Schiavo, too.
If I were the governor of Florida, I'd probably channel Andrew Jackson and say "they have made their ruling, now let them enforce it." I've about had it with this theory that checks and balances are a one-way street.
X: But from the stories it sounded like the local PD was willing to enforce the judge's order. Should the governor have used force to stop the local PD?
Absolutely. If for no other reason, then because the order was stayed automatically for three hours, meaning that the local PD was acting with no legal authority whatsoever.
Jeb's biggest mistake was failing to fail to communicate. He should have gone in Reno-style.
Don't say "less" rather say NOT conerned with Tery Schiava after what I came to know about his history one can't expect him as a leader in future. Atleast I can't.