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- After meeting with Governor Bush, SueZann Bosler held an impromptu
press
conference with the Associated Press, the Miami Herald, and Florida's
News
Channel.
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Click on the title to see FADP's related press
releases:
"Jeb Bush "Pining and Signing" for
Votes"
(http://www.fadp.org/pressrel39.html)
"Victim's Family Members Ask Governor and other
politicians: "Please stop
using our pain for political gain."
(http://www.fadp.org/pressrel41.html)
While the Miami Herald sent a reporter, no report
was ever published. This
despite the fact that the Herald did publish a
report by the same reporter
under the headline, "Gov. Bush Capitalizes on
execution debate." That
report centered on the fact that "In repeated
appearances this week, the
Republican Governor has injected the issue
squarely into the
race..." Hmmm.....
The following article from the Associated Press
appeared under various
headlines in the Tampa Tribune, the Tallahassee
Democrat, the St. Augustine
Record, the Naples Daily News, and many other
papers....
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It's not too difficult to see the bias of a newspaper and its
headline
writers... Above, the St. Augustine Record used the headline
provided by
the Associated Press. Below, the Tampa Tribune put a different spin
on the
identical story.
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Jul 16, 2002
Bush Hears From Citizens on Death Penalty, DCF
By Ron Word
Associated Press Writer
LAKE CITY, Fla. (AP) - Gov. Jeb Bush defended his
position on capital
punishment and denied accusations of an
anti-death penalty group Tuesday
that he was using "victims' pain for political
gain."
Bush and Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan held individual
five-minute meetings with
about 75 area residents at Lake City Community
College in this north
Florida city. The topics ranged from problems
with the Department of
Children & Families to education issues and an
author who presented a copy
of his book on Coral Castle to Bush.
Bush has held several open office sessions around
Florida, including
meetings in Bunnell, Yulee and Perry.
"A lot of people have problems in their life and
they count on the
government to help," Bush said. "I love listening
and I love helping
people. There is a group of people we are going
to be able to help."
Abe Bonowitz, director of Floridians for
Alternatives to the Death Penalty,
and SueZann Bosler, whose father was fatally
stabbed, visited with the
governor for about 18 minutes.
Bosler, whose pastor father was murdered in 1986
in South Florida, opposes
the death penalty and worked to help get her
father's killer a life sentence.
She said it was painful when the governor invoked
the rights of victims
when signing death warrants.
"Please don't use victims' pain for political
gain," she said.
The governor said he did not do that, although he
strongly supports the
death penalty.
"It is the law of the land. I have a duty to
uphold the law," Bush said.
Bonowitz suggested Florida impose a moratorium on
executions, mentioning
the 24 people removed from death row by court
opinions.
"On the death warrants I've signed, I have
absolutely no doubt that the
people were guilty," Bush said. "I am a devout
Catholic," the governor
said. "I am at peace with my position."
Many of those wanting to see the governor had
issues involving DCF.
Janice Moesch, 41, of Fort Lauderdale, arrived at
5 a.m. Tuesday to grab
the first spot in line to solve a problem with
DCF.
The DCF has her two children in foster care and
she has been fighting for
21 months to regain custody. She said the courts
have determined she is a
fit mother, but has been unable to get them back.
"These are my babies and that is my life," she
said, holding a picture of
her 6-year-old daughter, Brittany, and 4-year-old
son, Anthony.
Moesch said the governor and DCF officials
promised to work on her case.
"I'm counting on him," she said.
Bush said his administration has made progress on
improving the agency but
would continue to work to improve the system.
Joy Doll, 23, who was accompanied by her
3-year-old daughter, Christina
Hudson, talked to the governor about the need for
early childhood education.
"She went to a program where they just let them
run wild. There need to be
some instruction and some educational function,"
she said.
During a break, the governor went outside with
the child and swung her
around on top of his head, saying, "Helicopter!
Helicopter!"
One of the governor's visitors wanted to give him
a copy of a book he had
written about Coral Castle near Homestead.
"Governor, I have no political agenda. I just
want to present you with a
novel," he said.
Joe Bullard, a former employee at Lake City
Community College, spent 16
years writing and researching his book, "Waiting
for Agnes," which
chronicles the life of Ed Leedshalnin, the
builder of Coral Castle.
Bush said he would place the book in the
governor's mansion library.
AP-ES-07-16-02 1638EDT
This story can be found at: http://ap.tbo.com/ap/florida/MGA2TQ49Q3D.html.
