Awhile back, Rush Limblah went on at lengths comparing the Terri Schiavo situation to the Elian Gonzales situation in response to the idea that Jeb Bush should use his executive authority to raid the hospice in the same manner that Janet Reno used the FBI to seize Gonzales and return him to his father. I remember him saying it'’s a classic example of how the conservatives are always on the side of life and liberty. I mean after all they drew a line in the sand when it came to Terri Schiavo's life and Elian Gonzales' liberty.
I say it's a classic example of how the right chooses symbolism over substance. In other words, it's easier and manageable for the right to be on the side of one illegal immigrant when in serves their ideological purpose. But consider for a minute that west of Florida along the porous Mexican border, the Minutemen project is stirring passions, angst, and headlines. Would the right wing in this country be willing to open their arms to millions seeking a better life were they not economic refuges but political refugees? Maybe, the best thing that could happen in Mexico for those who want to flee their dire economic situation would be for the country to take a sharp left turn into the state of Marxism.
As for being on the side of life, I've always believed the right wing'’s obsession with abortion is due in part to the fact that it allows them to rally on the side of the underdog, without having to actually touch it, clothe it, feed it, or smell it. It's this abstraction; this potential person growing in someone else it. But once they are born, they are loathe to provide them with quality healthcare, or a decent education. So whether it'’s a fetus tucked away in someone's womb, or a brain-dead woman tucked away in a hospice in Florida, or a child stashed away in a relatives house, Republicans will rally around the individual in a so called stand for life or liberty, but its little more than grandstanding for the sake of scoring ideological points..
