Those Evil Bastards

Growing up, I was told that I had to obey the law, even those laws I disagreed with--even those I didn't know existed. 

As it stands, every single court that Terri Schiavo's parents have appealed to, have rejected their arguments.  I sympathize with them and the tragedy of their situation and I completely understand their desire to seek any avenue of protection for their daughter, whom they believe could be restored to health.  However, they've now lain down with the dogs: the conservative movement in the United States.  The Republicans used to be a law and order party.  Now, however, they choose to obey only those laws with which they agree, contradicting the good civic values I was brought up with by Republican parents.  All of that changed I guess around the time of the Nixon administration, when breaking and entering and burglary, illegal in all contexts, was deemed by the President to be appropriate courses of action to achieve his political aims. 

The conservative movement has embraced Terri Schiavo for one reason only and that's because it's an opportunity to embarrass the opposition.  Even if they lose the court battle, which they have to date and will in the future, that doesn't matter to them.  Terri Schiavo doesn't matter to them.  They simply want to appear to be concerned so that when she does die, liberal democrats are tarnished and the democrats can be called "the party of death," which I've actually heard said.  They want to recast this legal battle as a struggle between good and evil--rather than the wrenching, intensely private family horror that it is.  The conservatives have positioned themselves so that no matter what happens, they win.  They are nothing short of grandstanding opportunists, the evil bastards, and some day the American electorate is going to wake up to that fact.