DeLay and Congress Care about Terri Schiavo

Tom DeLay is a caring politician, or so he would like you to think...

From US Newswire, DeLay: Terri Schiavo Receives One More Chance; House Sends Schiavo Legislation to President for Signature:

"Tonight we have given Terri Schiavo all we could: a chance to live," DeLay said. "After four days of words, the best of them uttered in prayer, Congress has acted, and a life may have been saved. Democrats and Republicans, congressmen and senators all deserve respect and gratitude for their commitment to giving Mrs. Schiavo the chance we all deserve."

Let's see, where to start...

Congress has given Terri "a chance to live." Perhaps Congress should have applied the same compassion for the people of Iraq.

Tom, like many of his conservative ilk, can't pass up an oportunity to slide in a religious reference:

"After four days of words, the best of them uttered in prayer,..."

Applying the filter of religious overtone makes it sound like such a benevolent action. Here we clearly see the way those in power use religion within a political forum to take the edge off, to mitigate, the true implication of the message: we (the government) will continue to take more and more control over the individual rights until there are none left or only those we choose to leave for you.

And, we should be ever so thankful for the government stepping in and setting up the opportunity to legislate the right to life:

"...congressmen and senators all deserve respect and gratitude for their commitment to giving Mrs. Schiavo the chance we all deserve."

Bottom line: The politicizing of Terri Schiavo's situation is a totally insensitive act and completely disrespectful to Terri and her family. Whether the individual be Terri, her husband, or her family, this is none of the government's business.

The decision whether to artifically feed someone who has been in a vegetative state for years is a private decision to be worked out between family members. Since it appears there are conflicting positions between Terri's husband and her family, this is a very interesting case especially since the government has made this into a high-visiblility cause to begin the legislative discussion.

Today, a US District Court judge has decided not to overrule a state judge's decision to disconnect the feeding tube (Judge Won't Order Schiavo Tube Reinserted):

Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, praised the ruling: "What this judge did is protect the freedom of people to make their own end-of-life decisions without the intrusion of politicians."

Terri Schiavo has been in a vegitative state since 1990. She can breathe on her own, but she has relied on a feeding tube to keep her alive. Although doctors say Terri is in a "persistent vegetative state with no hope of recovery", her parents believe she can recover with treatment.

I feel for the family who wishes to bring Terri back, her husband who wants to free her from the condition under which she has been in for 15 years, and the rest of us for not protesting against the government's intervention in individual matters.

Technorati Categories: Government, Individual Rights, Life,Religion