Rarely has any politician shot straighter than this. If there is any man with whom we should entrust the future of our country, this is him.

——————-

The New York Times
Editorial/Op-Ed

Schiavo’s Life and Death
Published: June 18, 2005

To the Editor:

The New York Times’s grotesque and chilling disrespect for the sanctity of life has never been more apparent than in your June 16 editorial “Autopsy on the Schiavo Tragedy.”

Terri Schiavo was a deeply loved daughter, wife, sister and friend. The fact that her brain was atrophied or that she was blind or could not have been rehabilitated doesn’t change that fact.

While many medical professionals said she was in a persistent vegetative state, still other highly respected neurologists said there was a chance that she was not.

In cases where patients do not have an expressed written directive regarding end-of-life decisions and where the patient’s guardian has a conflict of interest, it only makes sense to err on the side of life.

Terri’s life and her death remind us all that life is fragile and must be valued.

Despite claims of cynicism and being “agenda-driven,” we will continue to strive to protect our most vulnerable citizens. All innocent human life is precious, and government has a duty to protect the weak, the disabled and the vulnerable.

Jeb Bush
Governor
Tallahassee, Fla., June 17, 2005