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Congress Oversteps Bounds in Schiavo Case
As I was at SXSW for the past week, I've regrettably been out of the news cycle -- something that doesn't happen very often. But if what I've read concerning the Schiavo case is correct, I'm (once again) pissed off at our government.
Here's how I see things: once again, politicians are sticking their nose where it doesn't belong. I actually found it amusing when I learned Congress subpoenaed Terri Schiavo, a woman that hasn't communicated in over a decade. As the New York Times said:
Subpoenas are designed to obtain testimony and evidence for a court case or a Congressional hearing. But the subpoenas issued by a committee of the House of Representatives required Ms. Schiavo's doctors to maintain what they said was a key piece of evidence - the medical equipment keeping her alive - "in its current and continuing state of operations."
It is true that subpoenas occasionally call for recipients to preserve relevant evidence. But that evidence is not usually a human life.
Similar subpoenas were issued to Ms. Schiavo's husband and to a hospice administrator. Another subpoena, to Ms. Schiavo, sought only her testimony.
Also yesterday, a Senate committee invited Ms. Schiavo and her husband to appear before it, noting pointedly that it is a federal crime to harm a person called to testify before Congress.
Talk about a gross abuse of Congressional power. But what's more absurd is the fact that they've convened Congress for an emergency session (these things usuaulyl only happen when a war breaks out) to interfere with something that, frankly, is none of their business. As the New York Times said in their editorial:
"Congress's rash assumption of judicial power and trampling on established state and federal constitutional precedents in 'right to die' cases is nothing short of breathtaking."
In case you haven't been following the case, here are some posts that will prove much more informative than this rant:
· Latest Headlines on Schiavo Case [Google News]
· Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo [TalkingPointsMemo.com]
· Congress Steps In on Schiavo Case [Washington Post]
· Despite Congress, Woman's Feeding Tube Is Removed [New York Times]
· News Analysis: The Medical Becomes Political for Congress [New York Times]
· Special Coverage: Terri Schiavo Case - good legal background [FindLaw]
Posted in on March 20, 2005, 05:21 PM | Permalink
