Another Terri Schiavo update…
Unfortunately, it appears that not everybody wants to get to the bottom of the Terri Schiavo case. It was disturbing enough when a judge and attorney talked about Terri as if she was nothing but a legal burden, a long overdue, tiresome process that for convenience sake, needed to be ended…
Terri Schiavo is declared a mere ‘case’, or ‘process’ - NOT a human being.
Now we get this story from the AP…
Schiavo’s Brother Pleads With Democrat
A House Democrat trying to stop legislation backed by Terri Schiavo’s family turned down a request to reconsider his position from her brother when the two ran into each other Sunday in the House Press Gallery.
A little awkwardly, Bobby Schindler and Rep. James P. Moran, D-Va., shook hands. Schindler then launched into a passionate defense of the legislation. The bill would effectively take Schiavo’s fate out of Florida state courts, where judges ordered the feeding tube removed on Friday, and allow Schiavo’s parents to take their case to a federal judge.
As reporters and photographers gathered, he handed Moran a CD and urged him to consider footage of his sister.
“She’s doing the best that she can trying to speak to my dad,” in the footage, Schindler, a high school science teacher, told Moran. “I urge you, in fact I am begging you to at least listen to these videos of my sister communicating with my father.”
“I am happy to take a look at that,” Moran replied. “But my greater concern is not with the immediate facts of this case as much as it is the precedent, of overruling the state courts, of politicizing a tragic family situation.”
my greater concern is not with the immediate facts of this case
For further clarification on what this greater concern might be, these previous stories might be illuminating…
What is an oligarchy?
the ACLU - and A Strategic Approach to Marriage
Calif. Court Voids S.F. Same-Sex Marriages
Judicial tyranny continues…
Mayor Barred From Performing Gay Marriages
“Terri’s Law” Revoked by Florida Supreme Court
The Power of the Courts…
*** Update 03/24/05***
I can’t help but think of how truly sad this event is. Terri’s parents are being allowed to go visit their daughter in a hospice that has removed her feeding tube thereby starving her to death, what a privilege. It’s not very comforting to know that health care providers are more afraid of not obeying a ruling from a judge they’ve never met than looking out for the well-being of the patient they work with every day. So the Shiavo’s play by the rules and appeal to the other courts…and they get the even more comforting response of “Gee, we’d like to help, we understand your pain, honest we do…but we can’t help you…and please, don’t bother us with this case again…we’ve got more important cases to deal with.” Next up, Congress joins the fray and tries to help and they get skewered and made fun of for being pious, or being political, or letting Tom Delay exist. Funny how Congress gets labeled as ‘political’ and ‘pious’ but the courts never do. After all, it was the courts that ordered the feeding tube to be removed and started this mess in the first place. So, some folks are having a field day making purely political statements regarding how this is such a purely political show all the while missing the irony of their actions (I guess they were having too much fun to notice). Yet, still, some folks see people on TV praying and holding vigils down in Florida and take the opposite stand on the issue just because Christians are involved - for whatever reasons, only they can know. I turn on the TV and see Michael Shiavo’s lawyer talking about how this is all about ‘dying with dignity’…sounding just like Dr. Jack Kevorkian did years ago. But I thought this was “not about Euthanasia?”
If this is ‘dying with dignity’…may we never allow it again.
*** Update 03/28/05***
BreakPoint has a good commentary today…
The Lessons of Suffering - Terri Schiavo and Holy Week
The facts were all out there, in plain view. Terri’s family, her nurses, her family’s lawyers, and many others tried to explain them. And yet the public just wasn’t willing to listen. Some people even showed a streak of viciousness toward this sick woman, arguing that she should just die and get it over with. Look at the flak that Tom DeLay took for fighting for Terri’s life in the House of Representatives—so much flak that I’m about ready to nominate him for a Profile in Courage Award.
…
But this view of death misses the big picture. It places no inherent value on life; instead, it embraces the culture of death. Choosing death over suffering misses the point: that suffering can be redemptive, like Christ’s suffering during Holy Week. Suffering can teach us something, if we’re only willing to listen: that life is precious, and that the weakest person has value and is worthy of life. If we refuse to learn that lesson—if we continue to believe the lies of the culture of death—then ironically, in the end, we’ll only bring more suffering upon ourselves and everyone else.
Tags: Politics
