Tony Snow, former White House press secretary and host of Fox News Sunday, passed away over the weekend, after a battle with cancer. I enjoyed watching him, and sensed that he was a great guy - but, when all you know of someone is what's on TV, you don't really know. Judging from the remarks below, from those who knew him and worked with him, he was.
Michelle Malkin has the announcement, the White House's release, and an article that Tony wrote for Christianity Today. Others who have shared their memories and recollections of Tony include Susan Estrich, Juan Williams, Ellen Ratner, Cal Thomas, and Mike Gallagher (whose wife Denise succumbed to cancer two weeks ago, and had been communicating with Tony). I'm sure there will be many more tributes and memories shared as the two-days-behind syndicated column cycle passes.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
10:30 pm
Daniel J. Summers
At this point, it appears as though Terri Schiavo will be allowed to starve to death, on a court order issued at the request of her husband. This situation is particularly sad, especially with all the people around the case that disagree with the medical diagnosis that says she is in a persistent vegetative state. Opponents of her remaining alive cite the terrible precedent that has been set by Congress's weekend emergency session. I feel that the terrible precedent is allowing someone who should have long ago ceased being her guardian using a court order to, in effect, get away with murder.
This man whom she once married and with whom she planned to spend the rest of her life - this man has not been acting either as her husband, or in her best interests, for a long time. There have been reports from nurses that she is able to swallow Jell-O and liquids even without the feeding tube. He also secretly began living with someone else, and now has two children by her. He clearly wants to move on, and her parents clearly want to be her guardians - so why is he so bent on seeing her dead?
Other thoughts about this situation (that I won't fully develop, I'll just put them out there)…
The one thing that we have seen in all of this is the incredible hypocrisy of the left. Abu Ghraib? Guantanamo Bay? Last I checked, we never starved anyone to death there. Yet, that's what's going to happen to Terri.
For as long as I can remember being involved in the issue, the people on the other side of the “pro-life” movement have called themselves “pro-choice.” I guess, given their reaction to this case, they have now graduated to actually being “pro-death.”
The difference between Michael Schiavo and Scott Peterson is that Scott got the job done quicker, but Michael won't be going to jail.
Others are much more eloquent than I, so rather than continue down this path, I'll link you to some of the better articles I've run across regarding this situation…
Thomas Sowell - “Cruel and Unusual”
The way Terri is being treated would be called “cruel and unusual punishment” if exerted on inmates in our prison system.
Cal Thomas - “Schiavo Case Matters in Symbol and Substance”
This case is not only important because a woman's life is at stake, but also because of the dangerous precedent it sets in a slide towards legalized euthanasia.
There are so many talented writers out there, so I think today I'm just going to let them do the writing. One site I came across during my travels was City Journal, which boasts a quote from Peggy Noonan crowning it “the best magazine in America.” It has two thought-provoking articles on marriage - “Gay Marriage vs. American Marriage” and “Redefining Marriage Away”. As best I can tell, these are not “Christian” folks per se, and one of the things I really enjoy is proving my beliefs using means other than the Bible. I feel that this type of proof may be more easily accepted by a world that doesn't believe the Bible in the first place. For another perspective, Cal Thomas (who is a Christian) writes that instead of pushing for a new law, Christians should try setting a better example first.
Thomas Sowell had two great columns this week, addressing what he calls the “grand fallacy” of our times. In Part 1, he exposes the fallacy of the belief that “equal opportunity = equal results.” And, in Part 2, he shows the danger of how preconceptions plus statistics equals “proof,” and puts the burden of proof off on the accused, instead of the accuser. As always, an excellent read.
Just one parting note - our next-door neighbors and great friends for over three years are moving on to California. Have a safe trip, guys!