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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JDN who wrote (676348)	3/22/2005 1:00:06 PM
From: Hope Praytochange	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

'Culture of Life' The Schiavo case shows that it's about more than abortion. BY BRENDAN MINITER Tuesday, March 22, 2005 12:01 a.m. During the presidential campaign last year, George W. Bush talked about the need to promote a "culture of life." Anyone who dismissed such talk as just a way to spin antiabortion views without scaring pro-choice voters should pay closer attention. Today the Terri Schiavo case is revealing that protecting life is much broader than that single issue, and that it is a central component of Mr. Bush's governing philosophy. With Congress passing and President Bush signing legislation early yesterday morning that may end up saving Mrs. Schiavo's life, some are now accusing Republicans of crass political motives. That misses the larger public debate joined in America and largely promulgated by those the media often dismiss as "the religious right." From stem cells to abortion, Americans are confronting questions about life--when it begins and when it ceases to be valuable--more than at any time in our history. Partly we have science to blame for this debate, since medicine can sustain life long past the body's ability to function on its own. But the debate is so intense because it is about the direction in which we'd like our culture to move. Perhaps it is fitting then that this debate should reach a crescendo in the run-up to Easter, a celebration ultimately about the resurrection of life. Several high-profile events have made Americans think about life in ways they might have otherwise been able to avoid. Ashley Smith helped bring in alleged murderer Brian Nichols by convincing him that his life still had meaning, even if he should spend the rest of it behind bars. One way she did this was by reading to him from the best-selling book "A Purpose-Driven Life." Scott Peterson was sentenced to death recently for the murder of his pregnant wife and their unborn son, Conner, who in different circumstances would have been considered a clump of cells. And Pope John Paul II's health has made many Catholics confront the realities of growing old and frail. He has persisted in carrying out his duties, even as Parkinson's disease is robbing him of his abilities, demonstrating that even a life much reduced has tremendous meaning. This is the backdrop of the national stage upon which Terri Schiavo has been thrust. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, insists her life no longer has meaning and that it was her wish not to live on under such circumstances. Mr. Schaivo blames House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and other Republicans for bringing the federal government into what he sees as purely a private family matter. But this case was destined to make it into the national consciousness long before Washington politicians got involved. Her parents were never going to go along quietly with killing her. They even set up a foundation in Terri's name to help publicize her case, raise money and provide for her care. Mrs. Schiavo isn't a cause célèbre for Republicans. The struggle to keep her alive embodies the larger right-to-life battle millions of Americans have been fighting for decades. A flashpoint has long been abortion, but it's wrong to think this battle is entirely about "a woman's right to choose" or about protecting only unborn life. A large segment of the population feels that there has been a coarsening of our culture, that as a society we no longer view life as precious and valuable in all its forms. Abortion on demand is a sign of that coarsening, but so is euthanasia and the push to use stem cells from frozen embryos and tissue from aborted babies. Like Terri Schiavo's family, many Americans have decided they aren't going to remain silent as lives are discarded as "worthless." The president also decided he wasn't going to sit by on his ranch in Crawford, Texas, while Terri Schiavo slowly died of dehydration. It is said that tough cases make bad law, and that's why it was wise for Congress to legislate only on this specific case rather than "making law" for everyone. But it is also true that extreme examples have a way of laying out cultural markers that help define our society. On stem cell research, cutting off federal funding of abortion clinics overseas, bringing faith-based groups into public policy and judicial nominations, President Bush has been nudging American society toward a culture of life. Now, by flying back to Washington and signing legislation well into the night, Mr. Bush is laying out a cultural marker. The president of the United States is saying, We're for life. That's not political pandering. It's the rise of a cultural movement. Mr. Miniter is assistant editor of OpinionJournal.com. His column appears Tuesdays.