Normally, I would view Jesse Jackson's presence at any particular crisis with skepticism and sarcasm. What is his motive this time? Where's the money, etc.
But this time I am willing to take him at his word. I honestly don't care what his motivation is, although I can guess. If nothing, Jackson is a prickly, sensitive politician and I have the suspicion that he realizes that the Dems may have set their foot wrong on this issue. There is some speculation that the Clinton machine had put out the edict to stay away from the Schiavo case which may have been a mistake. Jackson may be making a play here, but I don't think so. The family had asked him to come and from accounts his visit today gave them some comfort.
Too often we sentence our political opponents to the netherworld of Always Wrong. This is shortsighted and not very realistic. People are rarely always good or always evil. I think Jackson is doing something, for now, that he really believes in, maybe for the first time in a long time.
I think, however, that he is too late. Terri must be in the final stages and I don't know at this point what can be accomplished other than a symbolic gesture. Terri is being used and abused and Jackson may only be contributing, albeit with the best of intentions, to the family's suffering.
I have not been particularly articulate about this story and I'm having a hard time figuring out what the point is. Giving morphine to a person who is supposed to be unable to feel anything smacks of a cynical and disgusting ploy to either suppress her death throes or hasten the inevitable.
George Felos, sooner or later you're going to end up just like Johnnie Cochran.
How can you bash George Felos when he describes how Terri's room is filled with flowers, music is playing in the background, and a little stuffed cat is tucked in beside her?
I'm sure Terri finds all that comforting.
Thank you George for your reassurances in this matter.
Posted by: Maggie | March 29, 2005 at 08:11 PM