I've come to a conclusion... Florida sucks.

+veritas+ · #1 Mar 25, '05, 7:11 am

Just posted on my blog:

I'm come to a conclusion... Florida sucks.

You know, after hearing directly from Franciscan brothers close to Terri's family and involved in the protest line, and observing all the commotion in Florida over the past weeks, and reviewing the history of Florida's actions over the past multiple years, I have come to a conclusion -- Florida sucks.

Oh, there may be a few decent Floridians around, but for the most part, Florida seems to be a place where all the worst stereotypes of America's labeled groups have taken up residence.

You've got the selfish and greedy Republicans, who don't give a damn about a single woman's life if it doesn't seem to impact their own, or doesn't matter to them. Whether they are retired or young bloods, it doesn't matter -- they've got their life, with their live-in woman, maybe even married, and their 1.3 children, and their $500,000 house on the coast.

You've got the so-called compassionate liberal Democrats who also don't give a damn about a single woman's life (who are always whining about the rights of women, but don't seem to care when a husband is acting like his "wife" is his property to dispose of as he wishes), who make it clear that they are only out for power and special interests. If Terri Schiavo isn't black, injured in war, gay/lesibian, or a prisioner on death row, they don't care about her fate because it's not politically expedient for them to care.

You've got the Christians, but they apparently don't really care about "What Would Jesus Do" when it really comes down to it, since almost none of them have shown up to defend her. What Christians have come to her aid, are mostly from out of state.

More specifically, you've got the Catholic Church, Terri's own church, who has abandoned her locally. Bishop Lynch has left her to the wolves, and put a gag order on his priests so that they cannot even tell their faithful about the case. The Vatican itself, which almost never gets involved in individual cases, released numerous statements about Terri's case right around the time when it had become clear that Lynch had failed miserably to do what he ought to do. Of course, the Franciscans report that the Church in Florida is utterly dead anyway -- Lynch even forbids the practice of Eucharistic Adoration. If the good bishop doesn't care about his faithful's ability to worship our Lord, then why does it surprise anyone he has raised no outcry over Terri being forbidden by her husband from receiving the Last Rites and Holy Communion? Remember, dear bishop, with greater authority comes greater responsibility -- not just a greater ability to host catered steak dinners on Fridays during Lent. "The road to hell is paved with the skulls of bishops..."

You've got the Flordia justice system, which has failed utterly and has shown us just how corrupt our judicial system has gotten, where one man, who has prior to this case sentenced a woman to death by refusing to sign a restraining order against her husband (who killed her a week later), and who is now almost solely responsible (along with Michael of course) for everything that poor Terri has been denied. Then of course, you move up the line and you see how the judges all work together to keep actual justice from ever being done, refusing to step on the toes of the rulings of the judges beneath them, and above all, seeming to think that life was made for the law, and not the law for life.

You've got the Florida legislative system, which once saved Terri's life, but apparently grew tired of caring and threw up their hands saying "let her go already." Hopefully the voters let them go next time.

You've got the Florida police services and sheriff's offices, who are supposed to be protecting the innocent and instead are standing outside Terri's door and arresting 10-year-olds who are trying to bring in a glass of water -- "To Protect and Serve"....who?? If they do not support the least of us, why would they support anyone else? Who else is more innocent and in need of protection? You've also got the police completely abandoning Terri much earlier in her life, when her injury first happened the paramedics responding to the call considered it suspicious -- but where was the follow up by police? Nowhere. What about all the allegations of abuse over the years? Ignored completely.

continued...

+veritas+ · #2 Mar 25, '05, 7:12 am

You've got the Florida governmental offices, the Department of "Children and Family" above all, who have utterly failed in their mission to protect the innocent from abuse. They have sat on their hands, whined about the courts not "letting us", while all the while knowing that they, with Governor Bush, do indeed have the authority that no court can take away, to intercede and take Terri into custody while an investigation is conducted. Instead,, the act like they're simply "following the rules." Hah. We know better. Pandering idiots. As for Governor Bush, who knows... he says he is tryinig his best, for his sake I hope he is, but it sure as heck doesn't look like it. 7 days without food or water today, the time to act is now, Governor.

You've got the Florida hospice community, absolutely silent over this case, because, of course, as everyone knows, this happens in "hospices" all across America all the time -- and to them, this is normal, they kill people all the time. If a nurse speaks up against it, out the door goes she.

You've got the Florida press, who have fallen in love with Michael Schiavo over the years, because he's sooooo truthful and endearing, "please, my wife just wants to die, she's always wanted to die, just let us let her die, I beg you!" Investigative journalism is a foreign concept to them, though there is SO MUCH to this case, if they cared at all, they could have had the story of the century, many times over
-- "Husband remembers, after being awarded million dollar malpractice lawsuit, that his wife told him before injury that she 'didn't want to live like this.'"
-- "Husband buys $450,000 oceanside home and gets education as a nurse using the money from wife's lawsuit award."
-- "Husband said in testimony for malpractice trial that wife responds to him and feels pain, now, while fighting for the right to kill her, denies it."
-- "Man who wants wife dead places her in hospice where judge, lawyer have history of being on the board of directors."
-- "Husband forbids wife from seeing her parents, locks her in solitary room with no pictures or music, won't let her go outside anymore."
-- "Husband tells hospice workers to stop cleaning his wife's teeth."
-- "Husband refuses to divorce brain-injured wife, turn her care over to her parents, even though he is a common-law husband of another woman with whom he has two children."
-- "Husband signs orders for wife's body to be cremated immediately after her death to prevent autopsy."

And, worst of all, you have the Florida people - apathetic and uncaring, they think they know about this case because they have heard it on the news off and on over many years. Quite honestly, they tell us, they just wish it was over, it's a pointless case that should have been done long ago. Just kill the woman would you? Florida's people, the same people who brought you the Elian Gonzales story, the term "hanging chad" and the Disney Empire, have abandoned their own. They just don't want to hear it anymore. "They have eyes, but do not see, ears but do not hear."

If the Florida people would have stood by Terri, I dare say we would not be watching her die right now on this Good Friday. Instead, because of their lack of outcry, the Flordia courts and political leaders feel "safe" in turning their backs on Terri Schindler-Schiavo.

Almost none of protestors have been from Florida. No priest from Florida has ever seen Terri. No pro-life groups from Florida, that I'm aware of, has gone to her side in this fight outside Woodside hospice. No suburban families from Florida have shown up to help feed the hungry. No civil-rights watchdogs have lept to her side, though if she were Black and her husband was White, you know we'd have a whole different response from them. No animal rights activists have come forward, though one would think that any group who condemns cruelty of starvation on a dog would be one of the first to condemn the starvation of a human being. No anti-death penalty groups have come for Terri either, though she has less rights than a criminal waiting on death row -- and is completely innocent, and everyone agrees that she is innocent, and wants to kill her anyway!

If Terri's life is spared, which looks increasingly unlikely, short of divine intervention, it is no thanks to Florida. I say again, Florida sucks.

But here's the bad news -- is it really Florida? I doubt it. I would bet that no matter what state any of this happened in, this same debacle would have emerged. Our country is sick, and dying.

We have seen Florida and Florida is us.

+veritas+

davy39 · #3 Mar 25, '05, 7:55 am

Veritas: You have quite a letter there, and I'm afraid it's more truthful than a lot of us would like to admit. I am an older person (65), and I can see in my time that this country has really went downhill. People just don't care about anything anymore. And this is spread across all religions, all races, and all cultures. With our culture of death so prominent, I just wonder how much more of this goings on the good Lord will permit. Pray and stay tuned.

atsheeran · #4 Mar 25, '05, 8:04 am

I think this is much bigger than a Florida issue. I'm willing to bet that there are numerous other states that would allow the same things to happen. I'm willing to bet that there are numerous governors that would not be a proactive as Jeb Bush has been.

AnnieD · #5 Mar 25, '05, 8:11 am

Very good article you wrote, veritas. Thanks for sharing with us.

Annie

caroljm36 · #6 Mar 25, '05, 8:20 am

Well, not to take it too far..but I've wondered about Florida myself. Not just because of political events. It's sort of like SoCal and Vegas, attracting certain kinds of people (and I've spent a great deal of time in both). E.g. I heard Michael Savage say that Florida is full of lawyers who washed up in NYC or got into ethical trouble. I noticed lawyers in my state seem to head to Vegas when their conduct gets a little questionable. Florida attracts all sorts, but the ones I've known who went were kind of a loose ends, looking for that pot 'o gold somewhere.

What it all comes down to is that it's probably a lot more atomized there, less community, more rootlessness. Never good IMO.

**Edwin1961** · #7 Mar 25, '05, 8:27 am

I have to sadly agree with +veritas+ HOWEVER, Florida is just ONE example of the other 49 that this whole 'disease' of a cold heart is spreding.

Where is Compassion?

Whenmy father was dying, my brother and I talked about compassion. (My brother is a priest). He said to me one of the qualities of comapssion is sharing in the suffering of another person. Just for me and my brother to sit looking at our father slowly die was compassionate. JUST BEING there is putting yourself in the struggle.

Terri has a police guard in her room, that's it!
She will probably die alone. If Michael is in the room, then she will still be alone, because didn't care about her condition.
(personal remark...I don't have the facts).

It's just that florida has become the outward sign of what we as a nation is going through.
The future doesn't look good. God may have removed His hand of protection from us.

Lord, Have Mercy on US All!
Edwin

4HisChurch · #8 Mar 26, '05, 8:00 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by +veritas+

We have seen Florida and Florida is us.

+veritas+

I agree, Veritas. Although I have had no plans to retire to Florida, or even visit, I won't do so now. The fact that Florida is populated, in a great part, by older retirees, is very frightening! But, sadly, you are right. Florida is not the only place that is overtaken by the culture of death.

Faustina · #9 Mar 26, '05, 8:12 am

I have been to Florida exactly twice. I wasn't impressed in either visit, with exception of St Augustine.

Fitz · #10 Mar 26, '05, 8:44 am

OK, I will be in the minority here. I really like Florida. I have two children that live there. I go there often and I love the warmth. Being from a cold state I have always love the week of break I get from the cold mid winter. I have never felt that the people in Florida were any different than the rest of us. I have visited many churches there. I don't think they are more pagan or more sinful. I still like Disney and I will duck now so I don't get hurt with the onslaught of attacks.

On the other hand, I do think God might be trying to tell us all something. We are all too secular. Flordia is in the spotlight, but I do believe that we have these feeding tube issues all over the country. Florida has its problems, but not unlike all of ours.

tcay584 · #11 Mar 26, '05, 8:52 am

All you Florida bashers might want to take a peek at how widespread this stuff is getting. The website this comes from is pretty hideous too.

http://www.endoflifechoices.org/file...in%2003.05.pdf

theTaxCollector · #12 Mar 26, '05, 8:58 am

We have to have hope....

While Terri's situation is most definitely a tragedy, look at all of the people who have been affected in a positive way. People are are talking about the issue, and even young people are involved in trying to help Terri.

History has had many tragedies before... but His Truth goes marching on! We have to continue to work with God to help keep His Truth marching.

Peace.

**Ani Ibi** · #13 Mar 26, '05, 9:38 am

I'm Canadian and so don't know which states 'suck' or not. What are some good states?

WhatMeWorry · #14 Mar 26, '05, 10:35 am

Florida may be where God takes action first...but no, we are not at all immune anywhere else. The culture of death is everywhere. Whatever God chooses to bring will affect the entire U.S. at one point or another.

Just as Jerusalem was the "focal point" at the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord, and spread out across the world from there, whatever justice and mercy God brings may very well start in Florida and spread out from there across our nation.

JFlats · #15 Mar 25, '05, 8:13 am

In defense of some Floridians .... my daughter and family live in Ft Lauderdale. She and her pro-life friends have indeed tried to help. The mother-in-law of my other daughter lives in Jacksonville and has been very active with her pro-life group as well.

But I agree with your conclusion - I don't think there would have been too many states where Terri would have been safe.

God have mercy on her and us!