Hyerdahl wrote:
> Dustbin wrote:
> > Hyerdahl wrote:
> > > In Texas, Critics Question Bush's 'Culture of Life'
> > > By Jeff Franks, Reuters
> > >
> > > HOUSTON (March 22) - President Bush's intervention for Terry
> Schiavo
> > > has opened old wounds in Texas, where death penalty opponents say
> his
> > > words of support for a "culture of life" ring
hollow after so
many
> > > executions during his time as governor of the state.
> > >
> > > Bush said he stepped into the Schiavo case because the United
> States
> > > should have "a presumption in favor of life," but
there were 152
> > > executions in Texas during his administration, including some in
> which
> > > the convict's guilt was in doubt, critics said.
> > >
> > > "It's hypocrisy at a thousand levels," said
University of Houston
> law
> > > professor and death penalty defense attorney David Dow.
> > >
> > > "I saw many, many cases where there was substantial doubt about
> whether
> > > someone was guilty or whether the death penalty was the
appropriate
> > > sentence, but he never said anything," said David Atwood, head of
> the
> > > Texas Coalition Against the Death Penalty. "I really can't say he
> cares
> > > about life."
> > >
> > > "We all recognize there is a difference between an innocent
person
> and
> > > someone who has committed a heinous crime, but to say one life is
> > > important and one isn't, that's politics," Atwood said.
> > >
> > > Bush has defended the high number of executions by saying he was
> > > confident everyone put to death in Texas was guilty because they
> had
> > > had a fair hearing in the courts he believed capital punishment
was
> a
> > > deterrent to crime.
> > >
> > > He interrupted a Texas vacation and flew to Washington to sign an
> > > emergency law passed by Congress on Monday that forced a review
of
> the
> > > Schiavo case in federal court.
> > >
> > > Schiavo, 41, has been in a vegetative state since a heart attack
in
> > > 1990. Last week, a Florida court, at her husband's request,
ordered
> the
> > > removal of the feeding tube keeping her alive, but her parents
> argued
> > > it should stay in place.
> > >
> > > "In cases like this one, where there are serious questions and
> > > substantial doubts, our society, our laws and our courts should
> have a
> > > presumption in favor of life," said Bush, who has spoken often of
> > > creating a "culture of life" by limiting such
things as abortion
> and
> > > stem cell research.
> > >
> > > Death penalty opponents said Bush did not give the same
presumption
> to
> > > death row inmates in Texas, where he used his power to grant an
> > > execution stay only once while governor from 1995 to 2000.
> > >
> > > In 2000, the state set a U.S. record with 40 executions,
including
> that
> > > of Gary Graham, whose guilt was hotly contested and became an
> > > international controversy.
> > >
> > > "In the face of pretty substantial evidence that Gary Graham was
> not a
> > > murderer, George Bush didn't say anything about a 'culture of
> life,"'
> > > Dow said.
> > >
> > > Legal experts say Bush has not been totally consistent on the
> > > "right-to-die" issue because in 1999 he signed a Texas law
similar
> to
> > > the Florida law under which a judge ordered the removal of
> Schiavo's
> > > feeding tube.
> > >
> > > The Texas law allows for life support to be stopped under certain
> > > circumstances at the request of a family member or other
> appropriate
> > > surrogate.
> > >
> > > "If this case had been in Texas the same thing would have
happened
> as
> > > happened in Florida," said John Robertson, professor at the
> University
> > > of Texas law school and author of a book on bioethics called "The
> > > Rights of the Critically Ill."
> > >
> > > But, he said, Bush's support of the emergency bill for Schiavo
was
> not
> > > "a direct contradiction" of the Texas law.
> > >
> > > "He's saying he thought it was good enough from the state's
> perspective
> > > at the time, and now he's saying there may be cases that might
need
> a
> > > second look," he said.
> > >
> > > Diane Clemens, head of the Houston-based Justice for All victims'
> > > rights group, said death penalty opponents were not making
> legitimate
> > > comparisons.
> > >
> > > "This woman is an innocent, brain-damaged individual who has
harmed
> no
> > > one. Killers are convicted murderers who have harmed many people.
> They
> > > have had a fair process," she said.
> > >
> > > "They have had the very process these people would try and deny
> Schiavo
> > > -- and that is a request for life at the federal level, in the
> federal
> > > courts."
> > >
> > > On Monday, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the
> president's
> > > decision was based on principle, not politics.
> > >
> > > "It (Schiavo case) is a complex case, where serious questions and
> > > significant doubts have been raised," he said.
"And the president
> is
> > > always going to stand on the side of defending life."
> > >
> > Really! Read a few psychology books. You expect
> > this kind of crap from a fascist authoritarian
> > personality type.
> >
> > It is just typical of the kind of personality
> > strcture that *found itself* rather late after
> > some degree of failure. In bush's case repeated
> > failures in business leading to drunkeness etc.
> >
> > Like the reformed smoker who goes around tellimg
> > everyone else what a disgusting habit it is and
> > that they should stop; the reformed religious
> > zealot similarly goes around ramming thier new
> > found wisdom down everyone else's throat.
> >
> > Typically the authoritarian personality is
> > incapable of seeing other's point of view and
> > remains utterly convinced that his/her view of
> > life the universe and everything is
> > unquestionable. We see this in bush all the
> > time. Most typically it is exampled by his
> > mission to free & democratise the world when any
> > amerikan with their eyes open can see that the
> > US is neither democratic nor free.
>
> Well, as the saying goes:  "George Bush, fighting religious
> fundamentalism abroad, while embracing it at home".  :-)

I never quite grasped that. But I believe that it is the moral duty of
every goddamned Right-Wing Republican to join the army or marines and
go fight in Iraq for what THEY believe in.
Also, all those corn-fed fundamentalist xians ~ get their sorry asses
over there too!
Of course, Bush is a lieing sack of shit.
His "culkture of life" is nuking our environment, capital punishment,
and war!

R



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