Posted on 03/18/2005 12:36:00 PM PST by oregonconservative.com
Senator Wyden's Senate Foor Speech Against the Terri Schiavo Bill,
March 17, 2005.
"Mr. President:
The Senate is now addressing probably the most gut-wrenching decision that an American family can ever face. Without even a single hearing, without any debate whatever, the Senate is tackling an extraordinarily sensitive concern that involves moral and ethic and religious principles and this troubles me greatly. The practices of medicine, and regulation of it throughout our history, has been properly left to the Constitution to the states.
Now regardless of how a senator might feel about this tragic case in Florida, and feeling certain runs very high, the Senator (Sen. Frist) ought to reflect on the implication of federal intrusion before we cast this vote. I'm particularly troubled at the prospect of setting a precedent that is going to have, in effect, playing medical czar in case after case because, Colleagues, there will be thousands just like this. I would ask the Senator WILL the step of the Capitol be the new gathering place for America to wrestle with these situations that all concerned consider tragic? I think that's a mistake and that is why I'm going to vote against this legislation.
Now this legislation has particular repercussions for people of my state. We have voted twice for assisted suicide. I would tell colleagues I voted AGAINST both of those measures on assisted suicide and I joined all of you, I think here today, in opposing federal funding for assisted suicide, but I think these matters are not ones that we should trample on the prerogatives of the state quickly and that is what we are doing today without a single hearing, without a single opportunity for us to even hear from those most knowledgeable in the field.
Now I know many colleagues want to speak on this and I want to respect them. I would note that as a result of the cooperation shown, particularly by a colleague from the other side of the isle, Senator Frist and others, that there has been language added to this proposal so as to at least attempt to protect any state that has acted in this area. My guess is that when the Supreme Court tackles this they're going to declare it unconstitutional. But as we go to the vote on this matter I would just urge colleagues to think about what it's going to mean when people from all over this country , all of our states, all of our communities ask the Congress to step in on these kinds of cases.
I think that is a very very troubling precedent. It is my intention to vote "no." I thank my colleagues particularly majority leader for his courtesy and yield to any others to speak on the matter."
Sen. Rick Santorum's Senate Floor Speech Defending the Terri Schiavo Bill, Responding to Senator Wyden
March 17, 2005.
Unfortunately, a large percentage of our voters hail from Blue States, particularly NY.
If Terri Schiavo was black pulling the feeding tube would never happen (ò¿ó)
the judge needs to be charged with human rights abuse (ò¿ó)
Amen to that.
...Why is the federal legislature involved? They don't have enough time on their hands with a plate of un-constitutional pandering? How many more americans had there feeding and water supply removed today? It's a chance to get "news time"...
It doesn't matter if judges are elected or appointed (which merely means they are elected by fewer people). Every legislature in the country can remove a judge.
Seems to me Congress is empowered to examine this situation.
Yes, but it's a lot more difficult.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new guards for their future security -- Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. -- The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our People, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free system of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislature, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have we been wanting in attention to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Hancock Button Gwinnett Lyman Hall Geo. Walton Wm. Hooper Joseph Hewes John Penn Edward Rutledge Thos. Heyward, Junr. Thomas Lynch, Junr. Arthur Middleton Samuel Chase Wm. Paca Thos. Stone Charles Carroll of Carrollton George Wythe Richard Henry Lee Th. Jefferson Benja. Harrison Thos. Nelson, Jr. Francis Lightfoot Lee Carter Braxton Robt. Morris Benjamin Rush Benja. Franklin John Morton Geo. Clymer Jas. Smith Geo. Taylor James Wilson Geo. Ross Caesar Rodney Geo. Read Tho. Mckean Wm. Floyd Phil. Livingston Frans. Lewis Lewis Morris Richd. Stockton Jno. Witherspoon Fras. Hopkinson John Hart Abra. Clark Josiah Bartlett Wm. Whipple Saml. Adams John Adams Robt. Treat Paine Elbridge Gerry Step. Hopkins William Ellery Roger Sherman Samuel Huntington Wm. Williams Oliver Wolcott Matthew Thornton **********************************************
Our Forefathers were vehement in their belief of an individual's Divine right, under God, to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, to equal government protection AND the right, the duty, to throw off destructive despotism, tyranny.
Nowhere within the Constitution of the United States of America do we read that either Federal or State laws may permit judicial eradication of a law-abiding individual, whether mentally or physically handicapped.
To the contrary, the Constitution guarantees that individuals are protected from such statutes.
Insert: that law-abiding individuals are protected from such statutes.
"The judge is in contempt of Congress. Send Federal Marshalls in to get Terry and arrest the judge. I'd like to see him go out in chains!"
My sentiments exactly...
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