Among these are Life...

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

All rights enumerated in the Constitution are predicated by the assumption that those who would enjoy their God-given rights are alive. Dead people don't have rights.

Terry Schiavo's most basic civil right has been violated. Convicted felons sentenced to death receive more consideration in the appeals process than is available to Ms. Schiavo, who has been denied recourse to the Federal courts.

Believe what you want, but beginning with Roe v. Wade in 1973, the Baby Doe incident in the 80's, assisted suicide laws, etc., the U.S.A. has been sliding down the slippery slope of devaluation of human life to the point where you should fear being incapacitated in an accident or medical situation. In Europe, euthanasia is common practice in delivery rooms and, if stories I have heard from some Europeans are true, hospitals and nursing homes.

Terry Schiavo should receive judicial relief on the principles of basic civil rights. To do otherwise is to declare her a de facto non-person as the Florida courts have done. Hmmm. Non-person. Where have we heard that kind of terminology before?

It doesn't matter what her husband or parents think. There is a higher moral issue here that transcends the emotion we see on both sides. Terry Schiavo deserves to live, no matter the quality of that life, because she has a right to live that should not be abrogated, even with the cooperation of the courts. Expediency and emotion have no place in this decision.

Let us hope that those who hold Terry Schiavo's life in their hands will choose life.
GBW