Two days ago Jesse Jackson was quoted by AP saying "I implore them to apply this same passion for Terri Schiavo to the young infants and children dying of starvation and lack of prenatal and postnatal care," Jackson said in a statement released by the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, his Chicago-based group. "Those on food stamps need a feeding tube to fend off poverty." To be fair he also said he thought the feeding tube should be reinserted. Is Jackson trying to straddle two fences here, his African-=American religious audience and his political to the left one.
Today we find Jackson side by side with the Schindler family acting as though he is their spiritual adviser, a strange coming together of sorts given they are Catholics and Jackson I believe is a Baptist. It is hard to guess but given Jackson's charismatic presence it is not hard to guess there may be some kind of agenda here that seems to add up to Jackson trying to get the two sides together, Michael Schiavo and the parents, although Schiavo is not cooperating.
It is my hope that Jackson is attempting to get the parents to face facts at this late date as the daughter is failing greatly, mostl likely losing organ function, and any attempt to reinsert the feeding tube could cause more pain and suffering that is what they say they are trying to avoid. Facing facts means in this case letting the daughter die with dignity. Any other course would be profoundly immoral. Certainly Jackson is smart enough to know that the medical profession involved with hospice care and palliative care would frown on any last minute attempt now to reinsert the tubes.
I have a lot of respect for Jesse Jackson and up to the Schiavo case have agreed with his support of causes in spite of all the bad publicity questioning his motives and sincerity. I am hoping Jesse will do the right thing and try to help close the chapter on the Schiavo case rather than inflame and "keep hope alive" when hope is better kept vanquished in this tragic situation.
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