Posted on 03/29/2005 10:29:34 AM PST by dead
People shouldn't be too surprised. Nat Hentoff is a true civil libertarian and 20 years ago wrote denouncing the starvation of a Downs' Syndrome baby. After that he began to rethink his convictions on life issues and became a pro-life atheist. His voice is a powerful one, because the Andrew Sullivans and other useless slime of the world can't label him a "theocrat".
I often disagree with Hentoff, but he is one of the few consistent and principled liberals out there, so this does not really surprise me. He, like Christopher Hitchens, sometimes "gets it" to a degree many on the right do not. I could nitpick with some of what he says, but overall, I will give him much credit for this.
Oh, and the ACLU did everything in its power to violate Terri's civil rights and to murder her, not mentioned by Hentoff.
My only complaint about the column is that it's like so many others - it describes the problem in proper detail, but presents no plan of action. The pressure should be on the Florida legislature to reform its proxy laws so that her situation can change for the better. The earlier bill they passed was struck down by the courts on the grounds that it was made specific to a single person (Mrs. Schiavo herself), so one would think that the immediate next step would have been to pass a bill that wasn't specific to anyone, but merely changed the rules generally. It's been months since that earlier bill was struck down, so I don't know why they've been sitting on their hands all this time.
Well, he penned a winner here.
And, this Judicial Murder can STILL be stopped.
If the U.S. Justice Department took her away based on violation of her 14th Amendement Rights, under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 and others.
Or, if Governor Bush would use his Executive Powers and enforce the removal statute, instead of cowering in fear of a county probate judge who has usurped powers he does not have (enjoining the executive branch from enforcing the law).
It is sickening and a failure of leadership, in my opinion.
And another voice is heard from.... a day late and a dollar short.
Oh my, what a day, finding an issue that I agree with Jesse Jackson and the Village Voice on all in one day.
The courts have ordered her to be made dead.
Ghoulish, concise truth.
When the left begins to wake to the danger, then we are indeed in mortal peril.
The definition of 'human being' has just been moved downward. Unless you meet a set of ever moving definitions, you will not be considered 'human', and therefore not eligible for Constitutional rights.
That is a terrifying thought.
The courts have ordered her to be made dead.
Ghoulish, concise truth.
Ralph Nader, too.
I often disagree with Hentoff, but he does seem to have principles and to be sincere. Something I don't see on much of the left. (The right has its political hacks too, from time to time.)
An atheist I just said a prayer for. God bless the man. First Jessie Jackson, now this. My God, what is it going to take for somebody in power to realize that the government is killing this woman, and simply for no other reason than Michael "POS" Schiavo's murderous desire, and judiciaries desire to retain their stinking power?
While lawyers and judges have engaged in a minuet of death, the American Civil Liberties Union, which would be passionately criticizing state court decisions and demanding due process if Terri were a convict on death row, has shamefully served as co-counsel for her husband, Michael Schiavo, in his insistent desire to have her die.
Months ago, in discussing this case with ACLU executive director Anthony Romero, and later reading ACLU statements, I saw no sign that this bastion of the Bill of Rights has ever examined the facts concerning the egregious conflicts of interest of her husband and guardian Michael Schiavo, who has been living with another woman for years, with whom he has two children, and has violated a long list of his legal responsibilities as her guardian, some of them directly preventing her chances for improvement. Judge Greer has ignored all of them.
Yes. Extremely disappointed in the Governor, and the President and the SCOTUS for that matter.
I have always enjoyed Nat Hentoff's columns. I have used an article explaining why he is pro-life/anti-abortion despite being an athiest liberal in several of my debates.
When he connects, the ball doesn't land in the water but makes it all the way to Oakland.
This one connects.
Indeed. Sad but true...
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