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 ...
That law was unconstitutional. If you weren't so emotionally invested in Terri's case, you'd agree.
This case caused me to get a new living will. NO, it had never crossed my mind that there were any people so evil that they would want to starve a helpless human to death, but I had to learn otherwise. No, no, I would not want to be starved to death, and I doubt that Terri could have imagined such a future for herself.
Keep on praying friends. Pray for Terri, pray for all caring Legislators and attorneys. Pray for all people who love life and care, and pray for Terri's entire family, and all who are willing to fight this good fight. We will stand, and we will hold fast! We care!
AND he wants to starve her to death because she will not die- no matter how he tires to force her to do so.
She isn't dying- has never been dying. What in the world is there not to understand about this.
Hello people- Jeb Bush has put a huge amount of his political stock into this case!
What the heck do you think he is talking about? We have an activist judge out of control here! People are screaming about it from the roof tops and have been for years- and there are good mined freepers who don't even get it!
We are doomed.
Ok..rant off. I have been trying to stay off these thread for awhile because I am afraid my head will explode if I think about it too much.
Oh, for pete's sake. The Florida legislature could vote to remove "including artificially provided sustenance and hydration" from one provision of the Statutes and this case would be over. They could pass that in about an hour.
>>I think you mean inalienable, not unalienable.<<
A typo, you'll notice I correctly used the term "inalienable" in post 66. Thanks for the correction, though, although it is hairsplitting.
>>My personal views have no bearing here. The federal government has long recognized limits, e.g., abortion.<<
The Constitution says Terri Schiavo has an inalienable right to life. The pro-aborts' argument (a lame one) is that a fetus is not a human life.
That cannot be said about Terry Schiavo. She is a human being who has an inalienable right to life.
And if your personal views have no bearing here, then why in the world are you sharing them on a public forum? That makes no sense. The ONLY reason you are here is that you think your personal views have some bearing on the issue.
How is listening the will of the people unconstitutional?
You know I would think Jeb Bush would know where to get some competent counsel- don't you think?
My personal views have no bearing on what Congress will or won't do, what the federal courts will or won't do. They will do what they will do.
"My personal views have no bearing on what Congress will or won't do, what the federal courts will or won't do. They will do what they will do."
The government's powers arise from the consent of the governed. A paraphrase.
Maybe so, but they haven't asked for my consent on this issue.
"Maybe so, but they haven't asked for my consent on this issue."
Continue to think of yourself as a powerless victim and lamely accept your fate, and you might not like what you get.
There is such a thing as political activism, and it works.
Yes, I've already contacted my Congressman and told him that these are matters for families, not federal legislators, and that Congress should butt out.
"St. Jude is awesome!"
St. Jude does not answer prayers, God does.
God is Who deserves ALL the praise and thanksgiving for answered prayer.
Isa.42:8 - I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another...
Good. You took an active role. If a lot more of us do that, even though we won't agree on every issue, the will of the people will be done.
;-)
This is a matter of the law the Florida legislature wrote, and the Florida courts are interpreting and applying to one individual.
The governor really doesn't have a role in the matter at this point. Nor does the dang federal government.
The Florida legislature is in session. They can pass a bill that isn't so blatantly unconstitutional next week to save Terri's life. Leave D.C. out of it.
They know it's blatantly unconstitutional and so do we. If they refuse to act on their mistake - then where does one go to have it corrected when they will NOT do the right thing?
This is not a smart a$$ question.
Let's see what Congress comes up with. We'll see if the despicable Culture of Death will steamroller full steam ahead over Terri as their test case.
The U.S. Constitution is a federal matter. The Constitutional rights of disabled Florida citizens are being violated, and there is not currently a law that specifically addresses this. We need one. When a small town judge can deprive citizens of their Constitutional right to life, something is very wrong.
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