Terri, Life and the Courts

The plight of Terri Schiavo is the one of the most highly publicized death in our country and is a predictable result of the 1973 U. S. Supreme Court decision that struck down the abortion laws in all fifty states, effectively wiping out all legal protection of the unborn.

The decision, initially written to give a woman the right to kill her unborn child during the first trimester of her pregnancy, has led us down the path to the right to kill an unborn child even up to the moment of birth, i.e. partial birth abortion.  The devaluation of life, brought about by that court decision, has now expanded to precipitate the death of the infirmed as we saw in the case of Terri Schaivo.

Terri had committed no crime, yet she was sentenced to die, starved to death by a system that refused to recognize the principle of equal worth and dignity that is one of the basic tenants of our constitution.  Unable to speak for herself, and in spite of her parents offer to take custody of their daughter, pay for any treatment she might need, she was killed in a manner that would be considered inhumane if a dog on the street was subjected to the same treatment.

The final decision as to whether Terri would live or die was made by a judge. Aided and abetted by organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, judges have positioned themselves as the over class who know better than the average American what course our nation should take.  This over class has become increasingly hostile to the values of our nation as a whole, and has destructively intervened in the great moral debates of our time.

In the Federalist Papers, (No. 78) Jefferson wrote “…The judiciary, from the nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous to the political rights of the constitution; because it will be least in a capacity to annoy or injure them.  The executive not only dispenses the honours, but holds the sword of the community: The legislature not only commands the purse, but prescribes the rules by which the duties and rights of every citizen are to be regulated:  The judiciary, on the contrary, has no influence over either the sword or the purse; no direction either of the strength or of the wealth of the society; and can take no active resolution whatever.  It may truly be said to have neither FORCE nor WILL, but merely judgment; and must ultimately depend upon the aid of the executive arm for the efficacious exercise even of this faculty.” 

It was the Founders intention that the branches of government remain separate and that the legislative branches write the laws, the executive branch enforce the laws, and the judiciary interpret the laws.

We must insist that congress exercise their constitutional authority over a judiciary that is well on its way to establishing an oligarchy in our country.  It matters not what laws the legislature passes, as long as there are judges willing to rewrite those laws according to their own worldview.  Impeaching one or two judges who violate the separation of powers will get their attention and make others think twice before doing so again.

It’s too late for Terry Schiavo, but her death was not in vain.  Due to her plight and that of her family, we are having a national conversation about the sanctity of life and about the role of the judiciary in our everyday lives.  We must seize this moment in time and reassert ourselves as citizens rather than subjects.

The letter of the constitution must be enforced.  And, the revival of Judeo-Christian values must take place quickly…it must be done period.