Guest Contributor
Joe Armendariz
Joe Armendariz is a city councilman in Carpinteria California and Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Industrial Association and the Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association and city councilman in Carpinteria, California.

Schiavo Husband Lashes Out
Rep. Delay Is A 'Little Slithering Snake'...
[Joe Armendariz] 3/23/05

"Rep. Delay is a 'Little Slithering Snake'"... Well, it takes one to know one...Mr. Schiavo, the former husband of Terri Schiavo, a poor Florida woman stuck in a so-called persistent vegetative state, is himself, stuck in a persistent vindictive state.

I am fascinated, and, frankly, more than just a little unnerved by the craftiness of her enemy(ies). I believe the fight between those who wish to save Terri's life and those wishing her life were just over already, indicates a spiritual battle of biblical proportion. And the actual nature of this incredible struggle is discernable to many but completely invisible to most.

What I believe is going on here, and unfolding hour, by excruciating hour, is nothing short of diabolical. Those who have consistently risen up to lecture all of us - Michael Schiavo, his attorney, the secular humanists at the New York Times, Barney Frank, et al, - about why Terri's interests are served best by death's irrevocable finality, are transparently empathetic while demonstrating a counterfeit compassion. But what should we expect after all? The tragedy of Terri Schiavo is almost Shakespearian because her protagonist demonstrates qualities bordering on Luciferian.

But forget about all of that...because ours is a nation, not of men; nor spirit beings...but of laws. And the mundane world of legislation suffers no fools. It is a rational world defined by statutes, ordinances and regulations. It is what culminates after a secular body conducts its civil debate. Once the last of the pregnant words finishes bouncing off the walls, and the eloquence and logic, fade into the history books, it's time to call for the vote. That is what protects the integrity of our 200 plus year experiment in representative democracy and that is what determines the success or failure of the moral exercise we call self-government. The worst form of government, perhaps, except for the alternatives; as Churchill would say.

Alas, in an extraordinary midnight session, the House of Representatives finished deliberating and finally voted 203-58 <http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll090.xml> to approve a bill to restore Terri's life-line. 156 Republicans voted Yea, 5 Republicans voted Nay. 47 Democrats voted Yea while 53 Democrats voted Nay. How did your representative vote? Let me tell you how mine did. My representative, the honorable widow of former "religious studies" professor, and former Congressman, Walter Capps, didn't cast a vote on this inherently moral question.

Nah, Lois Capps, representative of California's 22nd Congressional District, didn't rise to the occasion. How did your representative vote? My representative, paid in advance and paid well...to be there for these sort of things, was, in fact, nowhere to be found. Indeed, she was missing in action. Her District's collective voice was stifled by an apparent indifference on her part. We weren't represented on the question of whether the people should approve the motion...in order to offer relief to the parents of Theresa Marie Schiavo.

It's difficult to imagine anything more important than casting a midnight vote on what could end up being one of the most profound issues of our time. Apparently Lois and 173 other representatives had more important things to do.

CRO

Joe Armendariz is a city councilman in Carpinteria California.

copyright 2004 Joe Armendariz

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