But I thought we were against that, right?
Have our values changed now?
No. This is to prevent the government from executing innocent people.
Read in the last chapters of Esther - the LAW demanded the extermination of the Jews. At the very end, it was turned on its head as Esther bravely approached the king, and the murderes had visited upon them the very thing they sought for the hapless Jews.
FWIW, I don't think the written LAW as codified in the FLA Constitution or the US Constitution is to be blamed in this case. It's the (mis)application thereof.
I guess it depends upon what your values are. In Elian's case his relatives were waiting for due-process to decide if he could stay with them in America. But the President decided he didn't deserve the liberty his mom died to give him. He found a legal way to remedy that and take his liberty away.
In Terri's case due-process has made its decision and says she must die. This President should use the same legal tactics that the Commander in Briefs used and save Terri's life.
Conservatives wanted liberty for Elian so they opposed Clinton's intervention. Conservatives (most Conservatives) want life for Terri so they will support Bush's armed intervention. Same values; inalienable right to life and liberty. Constitutional values.
What in God's name is going on here about Terri Schaivo?! Why are there so many Forum threads on this? She's a living brain stem only, there are no higher functions... let her husband fulfill her wishes to rest in peace. If everyone thinks he is only trying to kill her off for the insurance money, then pool your cash and offer it to him as an incentive to divorce her. If he does not take it, then you know he is doing it out of his love and respect for her. She has been dead a long time now. A brain stem will let the body breathe and eliminate wastes. From what I have heard, she has no higher brain functions. This is different than someone who is in a coma and has these functions and might one day wake up....
Why is my federal government getting involved in this state matter?! This is NOT what I want out of my Republican leadership, an over extending federal grip on some nonsense about one woman on whom local courts have already judged. Calling her body and brain stem to Congress is outrageous to say the least. We have a LOT of problems I need my Republican leadership to concern themselves with, like using the Constitutional option to get judges on the bench, getting more oil, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, a whole host of matters. Terry Schaivo is not a Federal matter.... having Bush call in Federal Agents to take possession of her body is ludicrous, and if it happened the Republican party would start its downslide back into minority city. Remember, a lot of average Americans like me are Republican and we are not keen on watching a bunch of zealots with their bibles in their hands trying to make an issue out of a brain stem. Away with this issue you should put. Concentrate on more practical matters at hand if you can. Maybe a good thing can come out of this, like pushing for folks to explicitly put in writing thier wishes if they should lose their brain functions and/or become dependent on machines. I sure did after this... I don't want my body and brain stem paraded up to Congress someday or become fodder for the media. Go write spell out your wishes today or this could happen to you. And ask yourself one thing, I know if my wife had expressed a desire not to be artificially kept alive, I would do everything I could to try to fulfill her wishes... even if they were not written down.
Our values haven't changed, Howlin, but the circumstances are different. Reno-Clinton and company rescued Elian from a good life to return him to a hell hole. While this would be resuing Terri from a death sentence, pronounced upon her and mercilessly being executed by people much more deserving of such than she.