Norouz
We've been mostly vegging out this weekend, as it is the beginning of UCLA spring break at the law school. I believe it's the end of the quarter (or just about so) for the undergrads as well; med school students get their break the following week, or something like that. It rained Saturday as well, and it's supposed to rain on and off all week. *sigh* Dunno if or when we'll be able to get to the desert, but it is on my agenda of things to do fairly soon.
Today was nice-- mostly sunny, but *very* breezy. Decided it'd be a good time to get outside and just enjoy the fresh air (or what passes for it!). Took a walk for an hour, out to Westwood proper and back. Heading up Westwood Boulevard towards Wilshire, we saw tons of people on the sidewalk. I figured it was a combination of it being a nice day, and possibly people going to or heading back from church, as it is Palm Sunday. Then we saw ahead of us even more people, mostly Persians, and in the distance, green, white, and red balloons. Soon we saw the street had been closed off for a full block, mostly in front of Persian/Iranian stores (there is a "Little Persia/Little Iran" on Westwood Boulevard, with bookstores, restaurants, and the like). There was a huge crowd of people, mostly Persian, with a stage. We managed to navigate through the throng, and once we escaped the human maze, wondered what was going on. Turns out it is Norouz, the Iranian New Year. Since it was rather late in the afternoon when we got there (3 p.m.?), it's possible we missed whatever festivities were taking place. I've always enjoyed ethnic festivals, gatherings, and celebrations, but I'd never heard of Norouz before this.
The flowers are fantastic- considering the amount of rain we've had, they should be nothing short of spectacular. Still, it was appropriate, given today is the first day of Spring. I've always loved Spring, and the only gripe I have with the season is that I usually have allergies, which make their presence known sometime in February, and don't go away completely until June. This year I've managed to keep the sneezing and watery eyes to a minimum thanks to medication, but there are times when I need the nearest Kleenex box.
The big news splashed all over this weekend is the Terri Schiavo case. I thought it would wind down, and I previously wrote about this sad case. By now I'm sure you've read or heard everything you wanted to about this poor woman, but I am furious with Congress for politicizing what is at its heart a private family matter. Regardless of what you or I may think about her husband, Michael Schiavo, I agree with him that Congress is really overstepping their bounds here. This kind of situation is best handled by the family and individual family members; the court has its place only if needed. In the Schiavo case, this is exactly what happened. Her parents aren't innocents either, as they pushed to have the matter brought up in the political system, first by the Florida legislature and its governor, and now by the Feds. Between the steroids hearings and Terri Schiavo, Congress doesn't seem to want to handle its primary responsibilities these days. The main purpose for Congress' existence is to pass bills and approve the federal budget. I don't see a whole lot going on there concerning their real jobs. I see a lot of grandstanding going on.
It also worries me, because what Congress is essentially doing is circumventing the courts and in essence saying that the judges, juries, and the court system as a whole don't matter. Don't like that verdict or decision? We'll help change it for you! If this kind of thing continues, where do you draw the line? What boundaries are there between jurisprudence and the political arena? The subpoenas bother me as well. Once you open the door to allowing anyone to be subpoenaed like this, where does it stop? Even more disturbing is the legislation being fast-tracked even as I type this, to permit the Schindlers (Terri's parents) to see redress in federal court. Ostensibly, this is all about Terri and only about Terri, but it becomes a slippery slope. Sure, it's all focused on one person, but what about the thousands of other Terris out there? Maybe their parents will think, "Gee, they did this for Terri's parents. They'll do it for me too!" Out comes the PR machine, and presto, another appeal to Congress to do this "for my son/daughter." It is NOT Congress' job to supplant the courts. Congress theoretically has plenty to do on its own (although it often seems like they'll do everything *except* their duties), and our system is predicated upon the existence of checks and balances. Unfortunately, our executive and legislative branches seem to want to weaken and bend the will and power of the judiciary to whatever political needs they have as of that moment. Even more appalling since I first blogged this, ABC (in a rare moment for the Corporate Media) has obtained a set of "talking points" regarding the legislation. The jerks that call themselves Republicans see this as something that will excite their base, and that it is a "great political issue." It makes me so nauseated; this is a person's LIFE we're talking about here, and all they can think of is that it's a great way to rally the faithful and stick it to the Democrats??? It's so hypocritical of these hacks to proclaim their concern for Terri Schiavo, but behind the scenes salivate at how they're gonna score points. Further proof our gummint leaders have no shame...
Back to the principals: I really hope that the conclusion is that a resolution is reached as quickly as possible. Here's an excellent timeline of the whole matter: the parents and husband have been litigating this for TWELVE years, and each time, the judges have sided with the husband. You'd think after twelve years and numerous trips to court, someone would say, "Gee, maybe it's time to throw in the towel." You'd also think that maybe people would realize that this is something most of the public, not to mention the press and our *cough* "esteemed" politicians, was not aware of up until two years ago, when the Florida politicians showed how little shame they had, setting the stage for a similiar shameless political display at the federal level. If you remove the emotion from the whole debate the facts are this: Terri Schiavo has not improved, her condition hasn't changed in fifteen (now going into sixteen!) years; majority medical opinion is she's *never* going to get better; and regardless of who's in charge of making decisions, her parents or her husband, the Terri they knew isn't going to come back. At this point, it's too late for Terri to have the privacy to "live" or die as it may be; but I hope that the parents can come to their senses and resolve this issue on their own terms without going to the courts or politicians again. It's terrible to outlive your child, yes, but it is such a waste of time, energy, and money when nothing's going to change.
This subject will no doubt dominate the news for the next few days, at minimum. I just hope that this lapse of judgment on the part of our politicians was a one-time thing, or we're going to face some very serious conflicts of interest and control issues sooner than later.
Today was nice-- mostly sunny, but *very* breezy. Decided it'd be a good time to get outside and just enjoy the fresh air (or what passes for it!). Took a walk for an hour, out to Westwood proper and back. Heading up Westwood Boulevard towards Wilshire, we saw tons of people on the sidewalk. I figured it was a combination of it being a nice day, and possibly people going to or heading back from church, as it is Palm Sunday. Then we saw ahead of us even more people, mostly Persians, and in the distance, green, white, and red balloons. Soon we saw the street had been closed off for a full block, mostly in front of Persian/Iranian stores (there is a "Little Persia/Little Iran" on Westwood Boulevard, with bookstores, restaurants, and the like). There was a huge crowd of people, mostly Persian, with a stage. We managed to navigate through the throng, and once we escaped the human maze, wondered what was going on. Turns out it is Norouz, the Iranian New Year. Since it was rather late in the afternoon when we got there (3 p.m.?), it's possible we missed whatever festivities were taking place. I've always enjoyed ethnic festivals, gatherings, and celebrations, but I'd never heard of Norouz before this.
The flowers are fantastic- considering the amount of rain we've had, they should be nothing short of spectacular. Still, it was appropriate, given today is the first day of Spring. I've always loved Spring, and the only gripe I have with the season is that I usually have allergies, which make their presence known sometime in February, and don't go away completely until June. This year I've managed to keep the sneezing and watery eyes to a minimum thanks to medication, but there are times when I need the nearest Kleenex box.
The big news splashed all over this weekend is the Terri Schiavo case. I thought it would wind down, and I previously wrote about this sad case. By now I'm sure you've read or heard everything you wanted to about this poor woman, but I am furious with Congress for politicizing what is at its heart a private family matter. Regardless of what you or I may think about her husband, Michael Schiavo, I agree with him that Congress is really overstepping their bounds here. This kind of situation is best handled by the family and individual family members; the court has its place only if needed. In the Schiavo case, this is exactly what happened. Her parents aren't innocents either, as they pushed to have the matter brought up in the political system, first by the Florida legislature and its governor, and now by the Feds. Between the steroids hearings and Terri Schiavo, Congress doesn't seem to want to handle its primary responsibilities these days. The main purpose for Congress' existence is to pass bills and approve the federal budget. I don't see a whole lot going on there concerning their real jobs. I see a lot of grandstanding going on.
It also worries me, because what Congress is essentially doing is circumventing the courts and in essence saying that the judges, juries, and the court system as a whole don't matter. Don't like that verdict or decision? We'll help change it for you! If this kind of thing continues, where do you draw the line? What boundaries are there between jurisprudence and the political arena? The subpoenas bother me as well. Once you open the door to allowing anyone to be subpoenaed like this, where does it stop? Even more disturbing is the legislation being fast-tracked even as I type this, to permit the Schindlers (Terri's parents) to see redress in federal court. Ostensibly, this is all about Terri and only about Terri, but it becomes a slippery slope. Sure, it's all focused on one person, but what about the thousands of other Terris out there? Maybe their parents will think, "Gee, they did this for Terri's parents. They'll do it for me too!" Out comes the PR machine, and presto, another appeal to Congress to do this "for my son/daughter." It is NOT Congress' job to supplant the courts. Congress theoretically has plenty to do on its own (although it often seems like they'll do everything *except* their duties), and our system is predicated upon the existence of checks and balances. Unfortunately, our executive and legislative branches seem to want to weaken and bend the will and power of the judiciary to whatever political needs they have as of that moment. Even more appalling since I first blogged this, ABC (in a rare moment for the Corporate Media) has obtained a set of "talking points" regarding the legislation. The jerks that call themselves Republicans see this as something that will excite their base, and that it is a "great political issue." It makes me so nauseated; this is a person's LIFE we're talking about here, and all they can think of is that it's a great way to rally the faithful and stick it to the Democrats??? It's so hypocritical of these hacks to proclaim their concern for Terri Schiavo, but behind the scenes salivate at how they're gonna score points. Further proof our gummint leaders have no shame...
Back to the principals: I really hope that the conclusion is that a resolution is reached as quickly as possible. Here's an excellent timeline of the whole matter: the parents and husband have been litigating this for TWELVE years, and each time, the judges have sided with the husband. You'd think after twelve years and numerous trips to court, someone would say, "Gee, maybe it's time to throw in the towel." You'd also think that maybe people would realize that this is something most of the public, not to mention the press and our *cough* "esteemed" politicians, was not aware of up until two years ago, when the Florida politicians showed how little shame they had, setting the stage for a similiar shameless political display at the federal level. If you remove the emotion from the whole debate the facts are this: Terri Schiavo has not improved, her condition hasn't changed in fifteen (now going into sixteen!) years; majority medical opinion is she's *never* going to get better; and regardless of who's in charge of making decisions, her parents or her husband, the Terri they knew isn't going to come back. At this point, it's too late for Terri to have the privacy to "live" or die as it may be; but I hope that the parents can come to their senses and resolve this issue on their own terms without going to the courts or politicians again. It's terrible to outlive your child, yes, but it is such a waste of time, energy, and money when nothing's going to change.
This subject will no doubt dominate the news for the next few days, at minimum. I just hope that this lapse of judgment on the part of our politicians was a one-time thing, or we're going to face some very serious conflicts of interest and control issues sooner than later.
posted by Mr. Sandman | 6:21 PM
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