Posted on 03/19/2005 8:00:19 AM PST by beyond the sea
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Friday that subpoenas issued by Sen. Mike Enzi compelling Terri Schiavo to appear at a March 28 congressional hearing made it a crime to disconnect her feeding tube - and threatened anyone who interfered with her testimony with jail.
In a statement issued by the majority leader's office, Frist said:
"Federal criminal law protects witnesses called before official Congressional committee proceedings from anyone who may obstruct or impede a witness’ attendance or testimony."
"More specifically," said the Senate's top Republican, "the law protects a witness from anyone who - by threats, force, or by any threatening letter or communication - influences, obstructs, or impedes an inquiry or investigation by Congress.
"Anyone who violates this law is subject to criminal fines and imprisonment," Frist said.
His comments appeared to be directed at Florida state judge George Greer, who brazenly defied the Enzi subpoena on Friday and ordered Schiavo's starvation to commence.
Frist's statement echoed comments by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who said late Friday that he intended to charge Greer with contempt of Congress.
"No little judge sitting in a state district court in Florida is going to usurp the authority of Congress," he complained.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Sorry if this offends anyone, but I dont think anyone is going to take this seriously.
If someone were strangling your daughter to death, and you told them to stop but they continued, would you stamp your foot and say, 'I really mean it!'
Or would you get your gun and plug the SOB?
Sorry, Senator, but actions are now required, and not merely more warnings.
It ran back in January in the Catholic Standard. It comes originally from Cheryl Ford; Susan Brinkman wrote a piece based on it.
In the article, she says:
On Oct. 27, 2003, Michael Schiavo, the husband of the cognitively disabled Florida woman, Terri Schindler-Schiavo, appeared on Larry King Live to explain why he was fighting so hard to remove his wife’s feeding tube.
His appearance was only days after the Florida legislature intervened to have Terri’s feeding tube reinserted for the second time in two years.
Michael Schiavo insisted that he wanted to help his wife “die with dignity.” He told King: “It’s painless, and probably the most natural way to die. It is a very easy way to die — probably the second best way to die, the first being an aneurysm.”
At the same time he was speaking on national television, Terri’s medical file contained a document prescribing for her a slow and painful death by starvation and dehydration.
Called an “Exit Protocol,” the document contains explicit instructions for how Terri will be treated during the grisly series of events that will occur should the courts decide to withdraw her feeding tube. Terri’s fate remains an active issue in both the Florida state and U.S. federal courts.
The nurse who discovered the Exit Protocol, Cheryl Ford, R.N., a Tampa nurse, was reviewing Terri’s medical file at the request of the Schindler family when she found the document. For the benefit of our readers, Ford agreed to explain this document in detail. [Editor’s note: The protocol, in bold print, is followed by Ford’s comments.]
http://www.cst-phl.com/archives.html
Click on the archives for January 13, 2005 and the whole piece, with Ford's comments about what it means to use these drugs this way means.
Excuse me, but the federal civil rights act - passed by congress - also had the express intent over overruling local southern judges who were uphold segregation. And by the way, most republicans in congress voted for the civil rights act. Congress was using the same authority as the FEDERAL courts whose order Eisenhower was enforcing - the xiv amendment gives the FEDERAL government the right to step in and defend FEDERAL rights. That's what congress is proposing to do now, with schiavo. If you say congress doesn't have the authority to enforce federal constitutional rights - - even over the objection of local, tobacco chewin southrin judges, you're not, as you claim, being a "republican," you're siding with the old dixiecrat democrats of Bill Clinton's arkansas, and Bobby Byrd's West Virginnie.
Thanks for the link. 10900 signatures so far.
Your arguement that her MRI "looks awful" and that someone is lying, now under your prescription, warrants the death penalty. You argue, let Terri have her tube pulled. Well if she is noncommunitative how do you know she wants the tube pulled? If she is communitive then her quality of life according to your side demands that another decide for her. Which is it? Since you can devine her wishes, tell us all what are the objective, collated criteria for allowing human beings to live? Will you tell us why Michael Shiavo "remembered" Terri wanted to be dehydrated unto death 3-4 years after she developed her condition? Selective memory. Why not just divorce her and let the nearest of kin take guardianship? This seems almost too easy and too logical. So this is the gauntlet thrown down by Democrats.
Just one more critical domestic issue Bush has been AWOL on. Add it to the ever-growing list as the reign of the mullah juges continues.
Brilliant question. (not)
Time to send in the federal authorities.
Wow, this story you relate may be the big untold story behind the schiavo drama. You really ought to contact some investigative reporters - or assignment editors at National Review and other conservative magazines. And thanks for the warning! My wife and I had been considering moving to Florida!
You have no earthly idea what you're talking about. Frist and DeLay aren't doing this under the guise of civil rights. There are bogus subpeonas at work here and nothing more.
I forgot to add that what is happening to Terri is ROUTINE in Florida. Normally this inhumane "treatment" is reserved for those of a terminal disease but now I see it extended to the disabled. This has to stop! It's not as though NO ONE wants to care for her. Her parents WANT to care for her, so they should be allowed to do this. You should NOT have to go to ANY "judge" to get permission to care for a loved one of have them put down like an animal. I take that back, atleast an animal will get an over dose of anesthesia and it is over in less than a minute - her the human being starves to death and that is PAINFUL. I had two pets I had to put down. Both had cancer. When they were unable to eat I had to make a decision. Since they are not human beings, my vet came to the house, I held them and she administered the needle. I didn't want them to starve to death as is happening with a human being Terri.
Some of these folks are advocating that they go in like they did for Elian. Want to bet they were on the opposite of the issue then?
Congress has to be very careful how they handle this and must follow the Rules because it is setting a precedent that we live with even though I believe something should be done.
Doesn't President Bush have anything to say about the attitude of the US Attorney?
The actions of a person is usually what will show the fruit to be. I'm a sinner. A believer. But..a sinner. I'm going to fall down and mess up.. I'm going to do things that my Lord would not approve of.. even writing things when my spirit is in 'the flesh' that I should not/most likely would not if I were walking closer to Jesus.
That said. If I were to say to you, go ahead and kill an innocent person, knowing the person is innocent and do not fear my God's reaction...and judgement...I'm really in deeeeeeep doodoo. If, on the other hand, I can consistently kill innocent people, I most likely would not have a fear of God...Therefore, would not believe in God.
When I say non-believer, I'm talking Christian non-believer. My Lord tells me through His Word that His people will..repeat..will follow Him or go through things/events/what-ever-you-want-to-call-them that will bring them back to Him.
There's a lot of rage pent up in that Judge... He knows in the deepest part of his heart she's an innocent person to whom he is giving death... Somewhere, somehow, someone really made him so angry that when he found someone he could be God over...he did it.....
Absolutely nothing.
I agree. This whole thing is paving the way for euthenasia and assisted suicide which many seniors would love to get in florida.
We had NO idea this was COMMON practice.
NONE!
And why I tell it here WITH NAMES - HOPE HOSPICE in FORT MEYERS FLORIDA. We were horrified and felt so helpless.
So, you can understand WHY there is reluctance to stop starving Terri.
Which is he?
Have no idea, all it said is that Greer's friends say he has awful eyesight and doesn't drive.
I don't believe this for one minute. Provide details where and when you saw it.
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