Posted on 03/26/2005 7:38:18 AM PST by churchillbuff
Hugh's been strong in defense of Terri -- till yesterday, when he devoted a lot of time denouncing those (like Dr. James Kennedy) who have called for Jeb to step forward - despite Judge Greer's injunctions - and take action to save Terri Schiavo from a judicially-decreed death.
Hugh was going on about the "rule of law" and quoting the old chestnut from "Man for All Seasons," about how if we tear down the laws to get at the devil, we have nothing to defend ourselves when he turns on us.
But Hugh doesn't get it: IT's the ACTIVIST JUDGES who've ALREADY TORN DOWN THE LAWS. For some politician to stand up to a lawless judiciary would be a stand FOR the "rule of law," not against it.
We have a crisis of governance in this country, with judges taking seizing tyrannical power. Tthey're able to act as tyrants only because elected officials won't stand up to them. IF THERE WAS EVER AN OCCASION THAT WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TURN THE TIDE - FOR AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO SAY "NUTS" TO A DICTATORIAL JUDICIARY - IT IS NOW, WHEN THE TINPOINT JUDGE GREER, A HICK COUNTY JUDGE SWOLLEN WITH ARROGANCE HAS ORDERED AN INNOCENT WOMAN KILLED SIMPLY BECAUSE SHE'S dISABLED.
There are constitutional and statutory provisions enough for Jeb to rely on, as chief executive authority of Florida, to act to save this woman.
Hugh Hewitt, with all his civics lecturing -- taking the issue away from the life or death realities of this crisis -- forgot to mention some important historical precedents: Lincoln refused to obey the Dredd Scott (pro slavery decision); Andrew JAckson scoffed at what he considered an illegal order of Chief Justice John Marshall; Thomas Jefferson affirmed that EACH BRANCH of government has an independent DUTY to interpret and UPHOLD the constitution;;; and DWIGHT EISENHOWER SENT TROOPS TO CLINTON'S ARKANSAS (clinton was a kidk, of course)., when local politicians AND LOCAL JUDGES WERE IMPOSING SEGREGATIONIST LAWS, DENYING BLACKS THEIR RIGHTS TO EQUAL PROTECTION - i.e TO GO TO UNIVERSITY.
The showdown with arrogant judiciary has to happen at some point: Destiny has asked Jeb to be the hero for free government, and to take a stand. Hugh Hewitt counsels passivity: Let's hope Jeb finds the counsels of conscience to be louder and more persuasive!
Terri is bleeding by the tongue. Jeb Bush, Hugh Hewitt and the rest of should say "NO MORE!" to Mr. Greer, the judicial mediocrity who has ordered that torture.
We have ALREADY torn down the laws protecting life, Satan and his minions now have free reign. And people still vote their pocketbook.
HH is very selective about WHICH laws we need to enforce. He's a roll over on sovereign borders and the illegal alien invasion, a hand-wringing whiney country-club republican when it comes to enforcing THOSE laws.
You know that Jeb Bush has done much for Terry. She would not be alive today if not for him, but many of you forget that little factoid.
I know of no law that states it is okay to disregard it if someone else does first. We will not have anarchy in this nation, no matter how many of you want it when it serves your cause. Hopefully, this tragedy will spur you to vote early and often against judges like Greer, and the politicians that support them.
I'm not.
Fort Lauderdale (March 24, 2005) Dr. D. James Kennedy issued the following statement today:
Governor Jeb Bush is to be commended for all he has done in seeking to save the life of Terri Schiavo. His course of action thus far has proven fruitless. Neither the state legislature nor the courts, state or federal, have been willing to act on behalf of this helpless woman who is now within hours of death.
As Governor, Jeb Bush is the only legal authority who can save the life of Terri Schiavo. He must act and he must act immediately on her behalf. He must disregard the order of Judge Greer. He has both the authority and the duty to do so under the state constitution.
The Florida constitution states in Article I, Section 2, that "[a]ll natural persons, female and male alike, are equal before the law, and have inalienable rights, among which are the right to enjoy and defend life ...." According to the Constitution, "no person shall be deprived of any right [including the right to enjoy life] because of ... physical disability."
As governor, Jeb Bush has the supreme executive power, and the constitutional duty, stated in Article IV, Section 1, to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." The governor, who is sworn to uphold the constitution, is obligated to safeguard this constitutional guarantee of the "inalienable right ... to enjoy and defend life," regardless of physical disability.
The Governor may not disregard that obligation even if a member of the judiciary has ordered otherwise. He is not bound by a court order that is at odds with a constitutional guarantee.
Thomas Jefferson said that [T]o consider the judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions [is] a very dangerous doctrine indeed, and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy. Abraham Lincoln disregarded the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Dred Scott when he issued the Emancipation Declaration.
Governor Bush has tried patiently to work with the courts and the legislature but to no avail. Now, at the very last moment, he has a constitutional duty to protect Terri Schiavos "inalienable right ... to enjoy and defend life." Jeb Bush must choose between the clear mandate of Floridas constitution and a judiciary which, in this case, has acted in defiance of that state supreme law.
After all this time of praying, petitioning, and lobbying, it comes down to this.
###
The CENTER FOR RECLAIMING AMERICA, founded by Dr. D. James Kennedy, is an outreach of Coral Ridge Ministries to inform the American public and motivate Christians to defend and implement the biblical principles on which our country was founded. The CENTER provides non-partisan, interdenominational information, training, and support to all those interested in impacting the culture and renewing the vision set forth by our Founding Fathers.
We have KING COURT!
Jeb Bush has been by comparison great. Think about Bill/Hillary Clinton, Janet Reno, the former govs of Florida as someone else noted earlier. Do you think they would do anything other than accelarate this woman's death?
Jeb Bush deserves much credit for his efforts and sadly I think he only made one mistake. He tried to do an orderly fight through the legal process before committing himself to further action. In doing so, he allowed Greer to get ahead of him in issuing an order against him taking Terri into protective custody. His people telegraphed that in the hope it would produce the actual de novo review.
Sadly, it had no such effect. The death march continued apace and Jeb Bush now had one less tool at his disposal. Alternatively, if he had his people act sooner, they would have forced the Feds to actually look at the case.
As it stands, the judges have all stood together like a bunch of corrupt cops.
This has upset me so much, I have a headache and feel guilty just eating.
It breaks my heart to see Terri's family fighting and fighting in such a dignified way while so many ignore their pleas for mercy.
Michael Schiavo will befall a sad ending here. I just feel it. There's God's love and God's justice. I think there will some bad luck coming his way.
I just wish the family could preserve Terri for the investigation that was never conducted at the time of her incident.
You have nailed it. The Bush brothers have sealed their own fates by showing bluster then running for cover after some judicial nutcase like Greer issues some small paragraph on his word processor.
The gist of yesterday's discussion was that if we don't support the rule of law, all else is lost. In some circumstances I would embrace that approach, but not this time.
The branches of government are either equal or they are not.
To make the absurd statement that "we cannot allow lawlessness to prevail", and then suggest that two of the three branches are "lawless" and the third "untouchable", is where he lost me.
His implication is that the judiciary can not be lawless, and if it is, the other branches of government and all the country's citizens are helpless to remedy it.
Terri Schiavo is not the subject here, she is simply the catalyst that forced things to the boiling point. It can be appropriate, as history has shown us, from time to time to let the judiciary know that they can't usurp the functions of the other branches. Bad move.
Laws are not the end in themselves. When they become so in the minds of the "Men in Black", or their lawyer supporters it is time to remind them.
When all branches of government are perceived to be lawless over a given issue, I see absolutely no reason for the judiciary to claim primacy.
God will judge this country not on the life or death of Terri, but on what we do as a result of it. I pray that we can find a way to save her, but if we can not, we must make sure that this never happens again. Thousands of people have died in this very same way, but we didn't know about it. Were there lives any more precious than Terri's? This has been brought before us for a reason and if you destroy that reason just to get to Terri you will have done more harm to this country than the liberals could ever have concieved of doing on their own.
Hey, I can understand that, because I'm also a "process" conservative -- my point, though, is that the judges have destroyed the process - they've stepped beyond their constitutionally designated role. For the "process" to be restored - and the rule of law reasserted - the judges have to be CONFRONTED when they act tyrannically. For Jeb to do so now would save a woman's life - and send a message to judges across the country to start behaving constitutionally, or they're also going to be confronted. Jeb could provide psychological fortitude to elected officials and voters around the country, to stop cowering in the face of judicial tyranny. For him to stand up against Greer could be a watershed event of historical proportions.
Did everyone see the thread I posted several days ago?
OPEN LETTER TO HUGH HEWITT RE: TERRI SCHIAVO and the JUDICIAL OLIGARCHY
2005-03-23 | UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1368633/posts
Amen.
Are admitting that you are NOT a "real man" or that you don't have enough information to work with?
Perhaps your definition of "real man" is impaired?
Does it include a willingness to take on heavy handed and ultimately counterproductive tactics to inflate your ego and pound your chest?
Would you be happier with the the Bill Clinton/Janet Reno approach to the Elian Gonzales case?
Then what?
But what do you do when it is the JUDGES who are tearing down the law? IF you don't stand up to them, the rule of law is gone.
People who like the current result may be suspected on their logic. Right now the country stands for starving the disabled and so do you.
"judge" greer is an ego- maniac and any reference to this cold-hearted monster as a "conservative christian" should make any sane person ill.
The church he attended kicked him out of their fellowship and greer should be removed from the bench as well ASAP
What part of "judges are legislating from the bench" don't you understand? We are not getting laws enforced because of a corrupt judiciary. We ceased long ago to be a nation of laws. We are a "nation of corrupt judges" and have been for many years. If judicial corruption is the new "rule of law" then we of all the planets inhabitants deserve what transpires.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.