My reply to Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-MN) re:Schiavo case
Mon Mar 21, 2005 at 03:14:31 PM PDT
I have been hesitant to write anything about this issue as I feel it has already garnered too much coverage but I was curious when I saw that Rep. Kennedy had voted for the legislation (not surprised in the least mind you). I accessed his website and found the press release that follows in bold print on the first page of his website and immediately begin crafting a retort. My retort follows below.
Press Release- Kennedy: Let Terri Schiavo Live
Washington, D.C. - The following is Congressman Mark Kennedy's statement on the floor of the House of Representatives, during House debate of legislation that will ensure Terri Schiavo's constitutional right to life will be given federal court review.
"Since I was a child, to this very day on the floor of this House, I have been guided by a fundamental principle: that we as men and women and all of us as a society, will be judged according to how we treat the most vulnerable among us. That is the issue we face today.
"I believe Terri Schiavo's case must be judged in that context. For me, the following points are the most important:
"Terri left no living will or written instructions. Terri's mom and dad, the people that have loved her the longest and have fought so valiantly for her, want responsibility for their daughter. Terri's life has value and worth and we must do everything we can to protect her rights, and those of other disabled people in America.
"The law ought not to provide murderers guilty of terrible crimes more protections than an innocent young woman lying in a Florida hospital bed. So today, we must act on behalf of Terri Schiavo. Congress must act on behalf of all those who cannot speak for themselves or defend themselves.
"Americans believe in a culture of life, not a culture that tells the weak and the vulnerable there is no place for them at our table. We make progress toward that culture of life one life at a time, one heart at a time. Today, let us start by helping Terri Schiavo live."
Congressman Kennedy,
I am writing in response to the press release regarding the Terry Schiavo matter found on your website. First allow me to express my utter disdain for the ridiculous dog and pony show that Congress has become. Every last one of you on the hill should be ashamed of yourselves. Obfuscation of the truth, debating non-issues, covering up the misdeeds of fellow elected officials, and passing legislation that flies in the face of everything this country was founded on is, in my humble opinion, not government of, for, and by the people. I shall attempt to rebut each of your statements in turn. Please accept my apology in advance if I should miss anything.
"...we as men and women and all of us as a society, will be judged according to how we treat the most vulnerable among us. That is the issue we face today."
According to the United States Census Bureau's American Community Survey, nearly 36 million Americans lived below the poverty level in 2003 (twenty percent of which were children under the age of five). 1 How did Congress respond to those of our society who are truly vulnerable? You (Congress) passed the bankruptcy bill which makes it harder for the average lower or middle class family or individual to ever escape from the mountains of debt that have been propagated by the banking and credit card industries in this country. I submit to you that Terry Schiavo is not vulnerable in the least. She ceased being vulnerable (or for that matter subject to any silly notions of human emotion) 15 years ago when her brain died as a result of her tragic accident. This is the issue we face today because you (Congress) choose not to concentrate on the issues that matter to your constituents (such as your majority leader's multiple ethics violations, the attempted gutting of Social Security, and continuing scandal and reprehensible action in the realm of foreign policy.)
"Terri left no living will or written instructions. Terri's mom and dad, the people that have loved her the longest and have fought so valiantly for her, want responsibility for their daughter. Terri's life has value and worth and we must do everything we can to protect her rights and those of other disabled people in America."
Florida state law contains a clause of Spousal Guardianship within its marital laws. Although her mother and father obviously love her dearly and are quite obviously having a difficult time accepting their daughter's condition, according to the laws of Florida, they have no legal precedence in this matter. Under the law of the land, the decision belongs to her husband, her de facto guardian. This is why the Florida courts ruled the way they did in this matter. Her parents want responsibility for her but under the law of the land they are not entitled to it. As to protecting the rights of the disabled in this country, there have been widespread reports of veterans of the Iraq war (a war that we are currently fighting) returning to find homelessness, poverty, post traumatic stress disorder (the likes of which this country has not seen since the Vietnam War), and a proposed budget which falls well short of the money the VA needs to treat our brave men and women.2
"The law ought not to provide murderers guilty of terrible crimes more protections than an innocent young woman lying in a Florida hospital bed. So today, we must act on behalf of Terri Schiavo. Congress must act on behalf of all those who cannot speak for themselves or defend themselves."
Under Florida state law, Ms. Schiavo does have someone to speak for her and on her behalf: her husband. He has spoken at length on this matter and made his wishes (and Terry's wishes as told to him) known. She does not need you, the members of Congress, to act on her behalf. As far as us granting rights to convicted prisoners where end of life issues are concerned, it is quite common for the individual to be granted early release so the prison (and local taxpayers) do not have to foot the bill for the inmate's care. So much for that culture of life you talk about (as quoted below).3
"Americans believe in a culture of life, not a culture that tells the weak and the vulnerable there is no place for them at our table. We make progress toward that culture of life one life at a time, one heart at a time. Today, let us start by helping Terri Schiavo live."
According to an ABC News poll conducted yesterday (March 20th), 63 percent of Americans support the removal of Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube and a full 60 percent oppose federal intervention in this matter. Clearly you are out of touch with the wants of the American people if you would make the statement I have quoted above. Furthermore, a culture of life does not allow for the senseless killing of thousands of our service members and countless civilians in a war based on shoddy intelligence work, a PR juggernaut that seemingly swallows everything in its path, and outright lies to the American people. A culture of life values every life within the culture including the lives of the poor and downtrodden, those of other nations / ideologies, and all life in general. We do not live in a culture of life.
In summary, I submit to you that Congress has completely lost touch with the American people. You have taken advantage of the plight of this poor family simply for political gains. This law sets a terrible precedent in the legal workings of our government. Our system only works (as the founding fathers understood) with a rigid and strictly defined set of checks and balances between the three branches of government. You have, by enacting this law, subverted the Constitution of the United States, subjugated the will of the people, and made a mockery of the United States legislature. I therefore ask you and all of your brethren who voted for this travesty, most humbly, have you no shame sir? Have you no decency?
A VERY disgruntled constituent,
Christopher Greenfield
Works Cited
1.http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/Profiles/Chg/2003/ACS/Tabular/010/01000US3.htm
2. http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=1468
http://www.streetroots.org/past_issues/2005/01_14/ruth_kovacs.html
3. http://talkleft.com/new_archives/009721.html
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