First They Came

From Cross Blogging:

First they came for the unborn babies and I said nothing.
Then they came for the disabled and I said nothing.
Then they came for the Fundamentalist Christians who speak out and I said nothing.
Then they came for the Jews who speak out and I said nothing.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to say anything.

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1. Is what is happening to Terri and abortion comparable to the road paved by the Nazi’s?
2. Do you believe Congress had the authority to pass legislation as they did in this case?
3. Do you believe Congress or the President has authority to overrule judges like they are saying they do not have in this case?

1. Yes, I believe so. The Nazi’s thrived on incrementalism, secularism, and the perception of compassion. The started with the weakest members of society and worked their way up to those they deemed most undesirable. Much the same way in America today, we’ve started with the weakest members of society. If we continue the path we are on, soon senior citizens, the mentally handicapped, and unwanted children (post-birth) will be next. Those who wish to reduce the population will convince many that it is for the best for the people being “euthenizedâ€? (of course they will never call it what it is – murder). They will also convince many that it will be much better for society. Rising health care and welfare costs would be assisted by the elimination of those who are the “greatest drainâ€? to the system.
2. In this particular case, I do not believe the U.S. Congress had the authority to intervene. They could make their opinions known, but little more. I believe the Florida Congress had/has the full authority and responsibility to intervene. The Constitutions of both the U.S. and Florida governments explicitly leave the power in this case to the state of Florida. I also believe the state of Florida, like every other state in the Union, has a responsibility to keep its judicial branch in check. Judges should not be given the power to change the law at will.

   I believe in this particular case, considering Mr. Schiavo’s adulterous relationship, the husband should have been legally declared “estranged�, Terri should have been given a divorce by proxy (with her parents acting as power of attorney), and her parents should have been given full custody of her and all rights to make medical decisions on her behalf. Absent the mistress (with which he has children), there is little that could have been done to take custody away from Mr. Schiavo as I see it.

3. In this case, for reasons I discussed in the previous question, I do not believe they did. I do believe that the Florida Congress and Governor Bush do have that authority, and have a Constitutional responsibility to overrule the judges involved. The judges overreached their Constitutional authority, and should be impeached and removed from office.

What is happening to Terri worries me greatly. I consider this case one piece of evidence that the government does not have the best interests of the people at heart. They are continuing to use all possible opportunities to grab more and more power from the people for their own selfish ends, regardless of political party. Governor Jeb Bush has the power and responsibility to save this woman’s life, but like Pontious Pilate before him, has washed his hands of the matter and attempted to shift the blame away from himself when he has had the power to stop her killing by starvation all along.

As long as she is breathing, I pray for her. As long as she is breathing, Governor Bush has the power to step in to preserve her life.

Hat Tip: Ogre