Does anyone else feel downright appalled by the Republican members of Congress who are trying to subpeona Terry Schiavo and bring her to Washington for a bogus hearing to "review health care policies and practices relevant to the care of nonambulatory persons such as Mrs. Schiavo"? I'm just stupefied that federal legislators would flagrantly make this desperate, transparent effort to intervene in a situation over which they have NO JURISDICTION. They are not the interpreters of the law in this country! This is clearly a judicial matter! And on top of this total, unabashed overstepping of bounds, these same individuals are making these totally wild, maniacal proclamations about keeping this woman---who they don't even know, of course---alive and protecting her from the "barbaric" act (Tom DeLay's word) of removing her feeding tube, "no matter what her husband says" (also Tom DeLay). I mean, could this jackass listen to himself? "No matter what her husband says"?! DeLay is essentially dismissing the legal fact of the Schiavos' marriage and Mr. Schiavo's inherent say in this situation.
What's happening here is that a family's tragic personal experience is being transformed into a theatrical political circus by these members of Congress and by the dramatic protesters outside Terry Schiavo's nursing facility. These people who have a zealous, maniacal reverence for "life" are showing blatant disrespect for the sensitivity of the Schiavos' situation and turning her into their unwitting emblem.
It's interesting and upsetting that these people (both the members of Congress and the protestors) seem to have chosen Ms. Schiavo as the poster child for their extreme beliefs about the supposed sanctity of "life." Why, then, don't they display the same outrage over the young men and women killed in Iraq every day? The ones who aren't even engaged in combat? All those lives wasted? What of the tragic human deaths that occur in this country every year at the hands of criminals armed with illegally obtained handguns? What about the loss of all of THAT life? Why choose the very sad, personal, private tragedy of this woman who has been in a persistent vegetative state for fifteen years to get hysterical over?
The protesters are robbing Terry Schiavo of her dignity, and the Republican members of Congress are pandering to the protesters. It's sickening. I'm just so appalled. I don't know what this country is about anymore.
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M,
Ms. Schiavo is not in a vegitative state. She is being fed through tubes because she is unable to chew at the current time. Is a baby in a vegitative state when it cannot move around, or eat on its own? As one can clearly see from any of the videos, Ms. Schiavo moves her eyes and tracks her mother and sister when they are within about 2 feet of her. Though this may not sound like a lot, she has not been given therapy since 1993. Also, the conditions under which her heart temporarily stopped in 1990, were never investigated. Said "husband" did not start his campaign for what she wanted until 1998, eight years after her brain damage. As soon as someone shows up with her written statement on being starved, or a video tape, we cannot take his word for it. Where is the living will? If there was one, the "husband" should come forward with it now. Perhaps he's too busy with his fiance and children from his fiance. Of course, Florida law designates him as the next of kin. Next of kin does not give you the right to choose death for someone who left no legal record that they wanted death behind. I agree that it is sad when Congress must invoke it's right to create emergency laws. However, when a judge, who has never been to see her, chooses a husbands word, with no living will, over the mother and sisters word, also with no living will, someone has to step up to the plate. There are many people out there who have fought very hard for the rights of the disabled, and they are now continueing their struggle. As for the "protesters," even CNN, which we now have to watch since we don't get FOX News, gave them credit. A beat reporter, when asked by the anchor about the "protests", corrected the anchor. She said that they were praying for Ms. Schiavo and her "husband" to do the right thing. She even said that they were not protesting anything. This on CNN!! I know that there are people in this world that don't value life. My unborn child could legally be killed in the name of convenience, via abortion. I accept that abortion is just a fact of life right now. However, should a woman who can breathe without the aid of machines be starved? I'd like to see how unbarbaric someone felt it was if we starved them to death.
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