Posted on 03/11/2005 4:25:34 PM PST by gopwinsin04
With avenues to keep Terri Schiavo alive closing in the state of Florida, they were opening in the nation's capital Thursday . The tide turned decidedly in favor of the parents who want to prolong their brain-damaged daughters life.
Just a scant eight days before the court ordered deadline to remove her feeding tube, Republicans on Capitol Hill rallied around the case that has become a 'cause celebre' of conservative and religious groups.
Florida Sen. Mel Martinez and Rep. Dave Weldon's bill to require the incapacitated without living wills to be appointed attorneys before life support is terminated, introduced on Tuesday had 103 sponsors in the House and seven sponsors in the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a surgeon, is trying to get it to the Senate floor without it being heard in committte. House Majority Leader Tom Delay is working to get the bill in front of the Judiciary committee by Wednesday.
It was unclear whether US Congressional Democrats would try and stop the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he prefers for it to be heard in committee.
Sam Brownback, a Kansas Republican, said he hopes for full Democratic support and has heard no direct oppositon.
George Felos, attorney for Michael Schiavo, sounded resigned to the fact that politics in the nations capital would delay the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube the way it did in 2003, when Florida's governor and legislature stepped in.
'It is certainly disheartening to see them falling all over themselves to pander to these groups,' Felos said. 'It's a massive campaign of fear and misinformation. It's a repeat of Terri's law'
The attorney for the Schiavo parents had the opposite view. 'We are very encouraged by what is happening in Congress right now, said David Gibbs.
'The family is profoundly grateful'
(Excerpt) Read more at sptimes.com ...
The 5th and 14th Amendments DO apply. Terri has NOT received due process. The entire proceeding has been corrupt; evidence that should be allowed is NOT allowed; and evidence continues to be ignored that no honest, intelligent person could ignore. I agree that we have to be very careful of what we let the Feds do, but the process in Florida cannot be saved and a woman's life is at stake.
But everyone is missing the even bigger picture. It's not just about Terri. The Schiavo case will set precedent for the euthanasia movement that has wanted to eliminate from our society the belief in the sanctity of an individual life. They will not stop until the "culture of death" controls our hospices and nursing homes. Do a google search for "Ron Panzer, president,Hospice Patients Alliance". He is a credible advocate for patients' rights and knows what's REALLY going on with this case.
"Just the opposite. If a state violates your US constitutional rights, you have the right to challenge that law in court."
How do you do that when you can not communicate? Through your court appointed guardian, who happens to be the same person that wants your feeding/hydration tube removed? The same person that wants you starved to death? How do you do that when the court only allows evidence from your guardian's side, which gives the court no reason to doubt the guardian and gives the court every reason to believe that the guardian is looking out for your well being, eventhough that guardian is trying to have you legally killed? Are you sure this is not a matter for the Federal level of Government to step into and clarify by law?
The state of Florida tried to clarify the law, only to have the law ruled unconstitutional.
In essence it is the court that has created the situation where Terri is not given due process of law. The only way to change that is by changing Federal law to clarify equal protection so that the federal court has to at least, hear the case.
I would not back just any law. I think this does have to be done at the Federal level, but it also has to be done correctly. I do not know what the law they are working on will do. I do not know if it will be a proper fix or not, but I do believe that this is a Federal case.
Hasn't FL's Democrat Senator Nelson come out in opposition? He is a Janet Reno-Betty Castor type of Democrat and both of those "ladies" have urged Terri's demise.
Yes, and I'm also remembering the truth of a bumper sticker I saw years ago, "Dear Lord, protect me from the righteous."
jwalsh07 has convinced me that she can't be saved at the state level anymore. Where we differ is that I don't think she can be saved at the federal level, either. I think we've entered the end game, only it's not a game.
She certainly has been deprived of due process. It is "hearsay" of her "husband's" family by which the "judge" based his "execution" order. There is no due process at all.
This was attempted, but the FL courts are unwilling to examine the merits and evidence on which George W. Greer based his findings. Therefore, there should be a national law to correct this time of states' rights abuse. People argue "states' rights" mostly when they want a case to come out a certain way, not based on a constitutional process. "States' rights" died in the New Deal if not sooner.
Fundamentally, you are right. However, with all of the blatently unconstitutional actions of the federal government in the past (Roe v Wade, the federal drug war, etc.), it is hard not to support a bill like this on an emotional level. I pride myself on being a constitutionalist and sticking to principle, even when it goes against my emotional wishes. However, I must admit that I'm praying for this bill to pass.
Terri is a goner. The lone hope is the US Congress, and they'll never act in time, even disregarding whether their action would be constitutional.
I don't always know. I have to wing it and pray for guidance. And I've been at this a long time. Maybe I shouldn't have watched Billy Graham last night. He's not catholic. I do my own thing.
Dang, I can't stand being lectured by you bible people. It's annoying to the max. Do you have any idea how offensive that is? I make a simple statement about asking certain saints for help, and you are all over me. The catholics get all over me when I don't goose step to everything they say.
You worry about your faith journey, and I'll worry about mine.
I went to mass tonight. We have to pray at every mass, "and I ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, all the angels and saints to pray for me to the Lord, Our God."
I can't please the protestants, I can't please the fundamentalists, and I can't please the catholics, probably can't please the Jews either. I must be doing something right. We were warned that it would be like this.
Now please leave me alone.
I was hoping some catholics would join me in making a novena to St. Jude for Terri Schiavo or I wouldn't even have gotten into this. It's too late to make a novena before March 18.
You need not worry about pleasing me. I have said that already.
I care for saving lives before I care for state's rights.
Bump for LIFE!!
One quick question to begin with:
Where exactly does it say in the Bible that we are to be guided by Bible only? If it really is 'Scripture alone', it must say so somewhere in the Scripture, right? Please, point that place to me.
LOL! Do what you believe in your heart to be right. It is unfortunate that those of us who believe in the same God spend more time squabbling amongst ourselves than we do spreading His Word.
Ken Connor, who represented Jeb Bush in trying to pass Terri's Law, answered the question this way: "There's no question that over the course of time Terri has become more unresponsive while in her husband's care," he said.
"She has been subjected to profound isolation, including light depravation, over the last number of years."
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