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On March
31, 2005 Terri Schiavo - an innocent American Citizen - was
put to death by torture by order of the state. Where do we
go from here?
We do not
put murderers to death unless there is evidence beyond a
reasonable doubt that they are guilty. We should require the
same standard of proof that a person who has become
incapacitated would want to die. The first job of government
is to protect the lives of citizens. What matters in these
cases is the wish of the person concerned. The law - even
now - does not allow anyone to make a judgment that the
quality of a person's life is so degraded that they would
not want to live.
Second, a
law should be passed outlawing murder by forced starvation
and hydration (thirst) unless an incapacitated person has
left written instructions specifically requesting that form
of death. If it is wrong to give an incapacitated person an
injection that would cause them a painless death, it is
surely wrong to murder them by torture. No reasonable person
could ever assume someone would want to be starved to death
or forced to die of thirst.
Third, a
law should be passed directing courts to deny guardianship
to a spouse who has engaged in conduct that would warrant a
divorce. In such cases, if there is another living relative
- like Terri's parents in this case - courts should be
required to award guardianship and health care proxy status
to that relative. Judges should not be allowed to assume
guardianship and health care proxy - as Greer did - when
there is a relative who is not disqualified by conduct
showing a conflict of interest.
Lastly,
the evidence that was never allowed to be presented in
Terri's case COULD be presented in an impeachment trial of
(so-called) Judge Greer, who ignored a congressional
subpoena, and federal district judge Whittemore, who ignored
the law passed by Congress directing the courts to hold a
new trial. Governor Bush should seize Terri's body to
preserve evidence of her broken bones, which Judge Greer
refused to hear. A simple x-ray would then assure his
impeachment - and convicton.
The larger
issue in this case is that the judiciary is out of control
and has disregarded not only congressional subpoenas but
also a law passed by congress directing the courts to hold a
new trial. The only sure way to solve that problem is for
Christians to learn how to share Christ with their fellow
citizens.
Only
citizens who have a relationship with God through Jesus and
the Bible will want to keep God's Word as the basis of their
law and government. Only Christ can topple emperors, in
purple robes or black.
Terri
Schiavo's case is a picture of the same cruel murder of an
innocent that Jesus suffered to pay the price for our sins.
Pray for her parents and family.
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