Strib mischaracterizes Bachman

The Strib's article the other day described Michelle Bachman as a scared State Senator on the run. She was reported to have been "spying" on a gay marriage rally at the Capitol from behind some bushes (she denies this). But the article's main focus was on recent personal attacks on her from her opponents and not just words on the Senate floor. She was reportedly detained in a bathroom by some protestors at a political event and felt unsafe.

While the article attempted to portray Bachman as a wimp in need of protection from a body guard, I got a different take on the description of events she has recently endured. With all of the recent pie in the face and other bodily attacks on conservatives at public events, I don't blame Bachman for being tenative. To me the article put a very unattractive light on the lengths to which liberals will go to make their point. Intimidation and desperation are the words that come to mind.

FYI - I attended the tax rally at the Capitol this morning. Michelle Bachman was there the whole time and signed the no new tax pledge along with other Republican candidates for the 6th Congressional district race. She was surround by both supporters and some pro-tax distractors as well and did not seem unnverved at all. In fact, before I left I worked my way over to her, tapped her on the shoulder and thanked her for fighting for the sanctity of marriage in Minnesota. She was not startled or bothered by being approached by a constituent in a public place. Didn't look to me like Michelle Bachman will be running scared any time soon.

Strib describes Shiavo death as : Long Struggle Ends

So the headline was: Long struggle ends. Whose struggle? Certainly not Terri's. She was not struggling at all until her feeding tube was removed 13 days before her death. She was not terminal and not in any pain. Yes, her struggled started 13 days ago.

I guess the headline was not as controversial as it could have been. But the details of her death were certainly laden with the fluff one would expect. You would think that Terri was an ailing elderly person from some of the words used to describe her last days.

One thing I have to give the Strib credit for is using a picture of Terri on the front page before her "accident". This doesn't portray her as a vegetable or something inhuman. But it does tell you how she was allowed to deteriorate by her husband because he denied her therapy.

I have tried not to villianize Michael Schiavo in the last few weeks. Tried to overlook some evidence that she is in this state as a result of him directly. Tired to overlook the 7 years it took before he made Terri's wishes to die known. Tried to overlook his cruelty in his dealing with her parents and siblings in the court battles, refusing communion for Terri at times and ordering her cremated.

But, the last straw was the fact that he barred her parents and siblings from her room during her final moments. That would not have been Terri's wishes. Can you think of anyone saying to their spouse, if I am dying don't let my parents be by my side. This act was purely about Michael Shiavo and his wishes. Maybe that is what this case has been about all along?

Shiavo continued

While my criticisms on this blog are aimed squarely at the Star Tribune, they have only been one of the many villians and contributors to this tragic story.

Personally, Terri Shiavo's struggle has hit quite close to home. My twin daughters were born at 28 weeks gestation. While that stage of development is considered quite viable now a days, think back to the 1970's definition of viable when Roe v. Wade was passed. Abortion is one of the holdout issues I have not totally reconsiled yet with conservative views. But the condition of my daughters' when they were born has made made rethink 2nd and 3rd trimester abortions and why they should be allowed.

In relation to Terri Shiavo, their birth has made me seriously contemplate what quality of life is. My girls "quality of life" was very poor in their first few months. Tubes coming from every orphos and vein. Not even having the energy to cry. Of course, through great advancements in medicine in the last few decades they were supported and grew to be what everyone would consider a normal looking infant.

However, one of my daughters has not developed as one would have hoped. She is 2 1/2 but cannot speak or crawl or walk. She can sit up and stand with assistance. She can eat and drink through her mouth but must have someone feed her. She will probably be dependent on her parents for the rest of our lives. Some would judge her quality of life. It is certainly less than her twin sister, who is a "typical" thriving toddler.

What scares me about the Terri Shiavo case is that someone other than Terri and her parents have judged her quality of life. We do not know definitively what Terri would have wanted her life to be. Many people like her do not express their wishes in writing. In those cases, when family members disagree, who should decide. I have come to believe that the courts should not play God, no matter how dire the situation.

I now fear that I will have to be extremely diligent about who has control over decisions for my daughter's life. I am genuinely unsure about what road this case will take us down as to when life should end and who should decide. I am confident that as parents we will be able to protect throughout our lives, but once we are gone, I am frightened.

I have become more empassioned about the right to life issue as a result of this case and my daughter's experiences. Maybe Terri will be sacrificed this Easter season to provide enlightenment on this issue? God bless her and keep her.

Shiavo headline

Since the Strib is now officially "old media", I was wondering this afternoon, after the announcement of Terri Shiavo's death what the Strib's headline will be tomorrow. I have a few guesses:

Shiavo slips away peacefully

Shiavo's wishes granted at last

Shiavo dies, now in a better place

I'm sure whatever the headline is it will not be:

Shiavo fights til the end

Shiavo granted right to die

Shiavo dies, will we ever know the truth

What I'm getting at is that the Strib and it's liberal media counterparts will surely portray the passing of Terri Shiavo as a blessing. While stopping short of celebrating, the articles will reflect a sense of relief, as one would feel when an elderly relative passes away.

Afterall, how else can you surround the description of this death in anything but fluff. You surely can't talk about the details of how one suffers when they die of dehydration. Or detail the painfull loss her parents and other family members (sans her husband) are feeling. We don't want to talk about that, it is too telling of the truth afterall.

We will see tomorrow how it is portrayed in the Strib.

O' Rourke comments on the Hiawatha Line

Just a link for now to a great commentary by P.J. O'Rourke on the failings of mass transit. More of my personal opinions later.

Conservative in St. Paul

I met a friendly fellow conservative at my tennis lesson yesterday. I was wearing my Bush/Cheny campaign T-shirt. He had kinds words to say about our President. He said it was quite difficult living in his "socialist" St. Paul neighborhood.

We then got talking about the annoying No War with Iraq and Wellstone signs you still seem to see in the bowels of our urban areas. Moveon.org has had no greater meaning. Get over it already. Instead of displaying these dated propoganda pieces, just put up a sign that says

Liberal Forever!
No Matter What.

That to me is what these ridiculous No War with Iraq and Wellstone stickers are really saying. To my dismay, I did find that the Wellstone website is still selling Wellstone bumper stickers. No wonder you see them on some newer vehicles and not just 5 year old hybrid cars and Volvos.

These diehards really need to get new material. I removed all my Bush and Cheney lawn signs and bumper stickers. I have replaced them with startribunebias stickers and decided to start this blog. I am past the election and I hope the liberals can do the same.

The shape of things to come

Strib's Monday cartoon sure did portray the U.N. the the right light. It shows them as cowering mice. Defenseless against the big bad USA cat. While I disagree with the big bad cat part the portrayal of the U.N. was quite humorous to me. Thanks Star Trib for the pick-me-up.

Gay Marriage Ban - Just Vote Already!

One of the Strib's Monday perspectives was to once again run like cowards away from the Ban on Gay Marriage debate. The key word here is debate and we should be having one. I'm not a gambler by nature but would be willing to take my chances on an up and down vote on the issue in the Minnesota Senate.

The Strib advocates that this issue should "go away" because we have more important issues to deal with like the bonding bill and the state deficit. Well the bonding bill issue should have been settled almost 9 months ago. The Senate and its DFL majority leader Dean Johnson chose to not even vote on a bonding bill in the last session. Who is really holding up legislative progress? This seems to be a running theme with the Minnesota DFL. And we all know the Strib is just the fourth arm of government in Minnesota, using their media bias as a bullhorn for the DFL and other liberal organizations.

The consitutional amendment to ban gay marriage was halted in committee just like the bonding bill in the last session, that was May of 2004. Some say the gay marriage debate was a distraction at that time and was one of the bargaining tools the DFL used to not vote on a bonding bill. I say it was a very relevant issue, considering a timely debate could allowed the legislature to put a referendum on the 2004 election ballots. This would have given the citizens of Minnesota a chance to directly speak loud and clear on the issue. Or would that have just driven more social conservatives to the polls who might have also voted for George Bush. Sounds like a pretty political maneauver by the DFL to me.

So the Strib's rational is that once the issue has died in session, it should remain there. Does that include stadiums, bonding bills and gambling, all things that have resurrected this session from the ashes. Just because an issue is controversial does not mean debate should not take place. And, that is all conservatives are really asking for. A fair debate in the committee and on the floor of the State Senate. Then a vote by the citizens of Minnesota.

The Strib argues that the majority should not rule in some cases of "social justice". I just hate that term. The Strib contends that the other 17 states that have adopted a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and their citizens are just uncomfortable with gay marriage. And their uncomfortableness is not reason to deny gays and lesbians their "rights". Who says, apparently in this state the DFL and Strib because they have not intention of letting the rest of us have our day at the polls.

As far as Michele Bachman using this issue to further her political career. She put herself on the line for this issue over a year ago when there were no U.S. House seat races in her future. She has been a consistent proponant of social conservatism and I applaud her for that. At least we know where she stands.

What! Strib advocates police crackdown?

The Strib perspective today was that the Minneapolis needs a police crackdown. I almost fell over. The recent gangland style shootings at Penn Best Steakhouse seems to have stirred some kind of affinity in the Strib editors for the men in blue. Or has it?

The Strip editors go so far as to call for "proactive" policing such as stopping loiterers and jaywalkers. Stopping petty offenses to get at the major ones, they say. Rudy Guilianni anyone? Of course proactive policing sounds alot better than racial profiling. Though both are proven effective.

If you read deeply you see the real meaning behind this plea for more police presence in North Minneapolis. They say the neighborhood has cried for and been deprived of its rightly share of policy protection. Yeah that's why they are all killing each other. It's the police's fault. No wait, it's also the Governor's fault, as it most things these days, because of the funding cuts to local aid.

Only in the last sentence do the editors call on the neighborhood residents themselves to clean up their house. I say, until the crime and violence that pervades these areas has zero tolerance from all of its residents, no amount of police presence, or money for additional cops will make a real difference to this neighborhood.

Stop blaming the police. When the Minneapolis police department has made extra attempts or has apprehended and in some cases shot violent criminals, they were blasted time and time again by the media. Do you think the Star Trib's past transgressions against the police will be forgiven so easily? Or does just take an invite from the Trib to make things OK again?