Terri Schiavo: Republican Hypocracy

Families, with the help of their doctors, are making these tough decisions all over the country. When someone in Terri Schiavo's condition does not leave an Advanced Directive, sometimes our State courts are called upon to ascertain that person's intent through testimony from friends, family, and other sources. If there is conflicting medical opinion, the State court judge must make this call, too. This morning I am sickened by the enactment of the Terri Schiavo special legislation. I hearken back to my father who died of cancer, and to the difficult and painful decisions we had to make, and then to this governmental intrusion into what should be intimate, family issues. Whatever happened to Republican tenets which oppose the Federal government interfering with family and/or State rights? This extraordinary measure affects only one celebrated case in Florida, and it panders to the Republican's ultra conservative political base. But it is more. It is a dangerous precedent. Ask yourselves: do you really want our Federal Government intruding this far into your lives?

JANET L. FAYTER

Egg Harbor Township Letter published in Atlantic City Press, March 22. 2005

U.S. Can't Hide Torture Claims

The Bush administration continues to insist that the torture of detainees in its war on terror was carried out only by a few bad apples. But there have been reports of hundreds of incidents throughout the gulag of detainee camps - in Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo Bay and even the United States. There have also been reports of approximately 30 unexplained deaths of detainees while in coalition hands. We are assured that they are all being investigated.The Bush administration does not see any connection with suspending some of the Geneva conventions and redefining torture to mean damage of internal organs and breaking of bones. This somehow makes things like mock executions OK.We are also exporting detainees to other countries that do not share our new-found concern for fair treatment of detainees. I fail to see how outsourcing torture absolves us of any culpability.

NICK REINA

Milmay

Letter Published in Atlantic City Press, March 18, 2005