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Schiavo and the Slippery Slope (It's taking shape as we proceed.)
The American Prowler ^ | 3/30/2005 | Hunter Baker

Posted on 03/29/2005 9:51:42 PM PST by nickcarraway

Democrats have joyfully jabbed conservatives who have hoped to use any potentially legitimate path of government power to save Terri Schiavo.

"Don't you like limited government?"

"What about federalism?"

"I thought you hated judicial activism!"

There is some validity to these criticisms. Not as much as the Democrats would like, considering that states' rights was their strongest issue for a long time, but some validity nonetheless. If I were going to suggest the Republican distinctive, I would say it's the dignity of the individual in a moral universe. Fits with being against slavery, for the women's vote, against socialism, for freedom of contract, and against abortion.

Although we like federalism and limited government, as means not ends, conservatives (and libertarians, I think) are also quite attached to slippery-slope arguments. Terri Schiavo's case is pregnant with possibility as regards the slippery slope. Let's see what this one looks like.

America watches Terri Schiavo die over a prolonged period from dehydration/starvation.

More attention is paid by everyone to things like living wills and other legal instruments. More commonly, husbands and wives will be explicit with each other about detailed situations.

Many stop and ask, why did Terri have to die of dehydration? Why couldn't she have been well-cared for to the end and finally delivered via an overdose of morphine or some other quick, painless finisher?

The euthanasia movement gains significant momentum.

Assisted suicide is legalized in a significant portion of the states or the Supreme Court federalizes the issue as it has abortion. Justice Kennedy's "sweet mystery of life" reasoning extends private discretion to decisions about the life and death of dependent, helpless persons.

America attains the moral status of, say, the Netherlands.

Having broken through the barrier of taboo, euthanasia is eventually applied to the disabled newborn population.

It is no longer assumed that a disabled child is going home with parents. The "fourth trimester" becomes as potentially deadly as the first three for "defective" children, who are already targeted for destruction as part of the campaign to reduce birth defects.

We begin to hear about therapy groups for post-euthanasia parents in the same way we hear about post-abortive women suffering psychic trauma.

Post-euthanasia parents receive as little sympathy as post-abortive women.

Everyone outside the hard core religious communities forgets what a Down Syndrome child looks like, or sounds like, or loves like.


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: clintonappointed; clintonjudges; neverforget; stophillary; terrischiavo; waterforterri
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1 posted on 03/29/2005 9:51:42 PM PST by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway
Many stop and ask, why did Terri have to die of dehydration?

Saw a letter to the editor today in a (gag)Seattle newspaper. Said it was the fault of pro-lifers that Terri had to suffer, because we refused to allow assisted suicide.

Pretty funny since the "assisted suicide" would have been more like "assisted murder".

They just give themselves away every time.

2 posted on 03/29/2005 9:59:09 PM PST by MarMema ("America may have won the battles, but the Nazis won the war." Virginia Delegate Bob Marshall)
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To: nickcarraway

I only wish all the evil rats who have twisted this case would have the opportunity to experience a stroke of the ventral rostral pons. Maybe if they could just experience it temporarily the jackasses would grow a heart.


3 posted on 03/29/2005 10:00:48 PM PST by yevgenie (8 bits in a byte; 2 bits to a quarter ($.25) ==> so, 8 bits is a dollar ???)
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To: nickcarraway
*sigh* How can you cite the Netherlands as an example of a country with legal euthanasia and then failed to notice that they haven't completed the rest of this little journey? Somehow it is still illegal, yes, even in the Netherlands, for parents to euthanize their children or for the state to kill the disabled.
4 posted on 03/29/2005 10:01:52 PM PST by cultureofdeath
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To: nickcarraway

There really is no validity to the criticisms. The preamble to the Constitution says it all. As does the Declaration of Independence. The purpose of the United States Government is to protect the natural rights we have, as given by our creator. It's not a paradox or hypocritical. It is a fundamental aspect of the United States Government to intervene in our lives in order to protect our lives. That is why the government must save Terri Schiavo. That is why the government must stop abortion. That is why tens of thousands of Union soldiers gave their lives to end slavery and preserve the Union.


5 posted on 03/29/2005 10:05:05 PM PST by atomicweeder
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To: nickcarraway

Terri Schiavo Slippery Slope:

*The Left and Right Unite in Agreement on Death Penalty!*

After Terri dies, the LEFT agrees to put feeding-tubes in everyone on Death Row, and then yank the tube out and watch
the inmates die!

(It's so peaceful, you know.)

It's not a DEATH Penalty...
It's a PEACE Penalty!

And to think, the Clinton-Appointed Judges
started it all!

Now, that deserves a Nobel Prize!


6 posted on 03/29/2005 10:08:39 PM PST by reformjoy (Hillary Haters? Nah, just "Freedom Lovers")
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To: nickcarraway
"There is some validity to these criticisms."

Some? Some?

Conservative Republicans should be ashamed. Limited government, federalism, and an opposition to judicial activism were once hallmarks of conservatives.

Not any more.

It's very apparent that big government, no states rights, and activist judges are just fine and dandy if they favor the conservative agenda. The only time those things are bad is when they favor the liberal agenda.

7 posted on 03/29/2005 10:08:52 PM PST by robertpaulsen
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To: nickcarraway; Peach; Howlin

Just posted a thread breaking on CNN that there has been another appeal sought by the 11th Circuit Court.

Not sure where to post breaking news when it is changing. Threads get pulled a great deal. Some with great comments.

Husband says last ditch effort.

When is it time to stop?


8 posted on 03/29/2005 10:09:05 PM PST by Former Military Chick ((I'm in the WPPFF.))
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To: cultureofdeath

"How can you cite the Netherlands as an example "

I thought it was the perfect example. The Netherlands and Sweden are the spearhead of all evil surrounding morals. He said that it would bring us to the same moral status as the Netherlands, in general.

Im sure it wont take them long to legalize murder, its becoming more anarchist by the day with gay marraige and legal drugs.


9 posted on 03/29/2005 10:13:05 PM PST by AlbertaBeef
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To: ALOHA RONNIE

Whose behind all of this?

Clinton-Appointed Judges who REFUSED to hear the parents
side!


*Death of Terri Schiavo = Clinton's Legacy*

(And we thought it was just about sex.)

--Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness--

One down.
Two to go....


10 posted on 03/29/2005 10:14:46 PM PST by reformjoy (Hillary Haters? Nah, just "Freedom Lovers")
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To: reformjoy
Now, that deserves a Nobel Prize!

You might be on to something. If the courts don't think a forced dehydration is cruel and unusual, how could they object to criminal executions using this method? Sounds like something for a red state legislature to test.
11 posted on 03/29/2005 10:20:21 PM PST by farmer18th ("The fool says in his heart there is no God.")
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To: reformjoy

LOL--I love it!!


12 posted on 03/29/2005 10:28:09 PM PST by dino1955 (Christ is my King!)
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To: nickcarraway

"The authority of certain physicians to be designated by name in such manner
that persons who, according to human judgment, are incurable can, upon a most
careful diagnosis of their condition of sickness, be accorded a mercy death."

-- Adolf Hitler, 1939

A Cup of Water for Terri: Part I
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1373614/posts

13 posted on 03/29/2005 10:29:04 PM PST by XR7
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To: MarMema
Pretty funny since the "assisted suicide" would have been more like "assisted murder".

Just like "pro-choice" is the same as "pro-death"

14 posted on 03/29/2005 10:33:26 PM PST by taxesareforever
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To: reformjoy
After Terri dies, the LEFT agrees to put feeding-tubes in everyone on Death Row, and then yank the tube out and watch the inmates die!

Why waste time putting in feeding tubes? No difference between what they are doing to Terri and witholding food and water from inmates on death row. The only real difference would be all the lawyers lined up to represent the inmates.

15 posted on 03/29/2005 10:38:30 PM PST by taxesareforever
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To: taxesareforever
Why waste time putting in feeding tubes?

Because that's the part that enhances Euphoria!

16 posted on 03/29/2005 10:50:05 PM PST by reformjoy (Hillary Haters? Nah, just "Freedom Lovers")
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To: All

NEVER FORGET

Clinton-Appointed Judges created this monster.

And a President Hillary Clinton will surely clone
the creation.

**Clinton Term 3 = The TERRORS Begin**


17 posted on 03/29/2005 10:51:05 PM PST by reformjoy (Hillary Haters? Nah, just "Freedom Lovers")
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To: thompsonsjkc; odoso; animoveritas; St. Johann Tetzel; DaveTesla; mercygrace; ...

Moral Absolutes Ping.

I am so very heartsick that Terri was not protected by the government, whose basic duty and responsibility is to protect the life and liberty of the citizens.

This is a terrible corner in history. If we keep sliding in the direction towards government authorized - nay, mandated - murder - of innocent citizens, no one can even imagine the horror ahead.

The situations posited by the author are just the prelude.

Let me know if you want (back)on/off this pinglist.


18 posted on 03/29/2005 10:55:05 PM PST by little jeremiah (Resisting evil is our duty or we are as responsible as those promoting it)
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To: atomicweeder

Study deeper into the War Between the States, a.k.a. Civil War before making such an uninformed statement. In fact, that war had nothing to do with the protection of people's rights. It was about states' rights to seceed from the Union. In your reasoning, exactly how would the lives of people who wanted to be free from what they saw as opression be harmed by forming their own government? Actually, the northern economy was at risk of losing the lucrative natural resources and agricultural production of the South. It was a war of economics by force. Slavery, though an issue, was a minor one and not the primary reason.


19 posted on 03/29/2005 10:55:11 PM PST by veeceeque
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To: cultureofdeath

I guess you haven't lurked on FR long. It is indeed legal in the Netherlands to kill babies after birth if they are considered hopelessly terminally ill or defective.

Despite your screen name, you are spectacularly uninformed about the culture of death.


20 posted on 03/29/2005 10:57:20 PM PST by little jeremiah (Resisting evil is our duty or we are as responsible as those promoting it)
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