Constitution, where for art thou?

Am I the only one that is bothered by what the Congress is doing lately? Specifically with Terri Schiavo (but that’s just one symptom among many).

Terri Shiavo is the Woman in Florida who has been in a vegitative state due to a massive stroke for 15 years. The Florida courts ruled that the Husband knows her better than her family, and the law sides with spouses, so he fought for her right to die (take her off life support).

In response; Congress has stuck their nose where it doesn’t belong and is trying to make laws to block what Florida state says is OK. The Congress really shouldn’t be making last minute laws to override state laws or state rulings; quite the opposite. We the people (and the states) have rights that the Congress shouldn’t just sign away.

Anyone remember the 10th amendment? It says, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

If there was some reason this was federal, then the Supreme court might have legitimate reason to get involved; as this could be seen as a national human rights issue. (Does the rights of the Daughter-Wife/Husband override the rights of the Parents/Siblings). Or fundamentally, is a verbal contract good enough for living wills? These are fundamental issues of law that the Supremes have some jurisdiction over.

But Congress making a law to fix every state debate is just wrong. It is a complete violation of the spirit of the constitution. Whether you agree with this case or not, you should be against even more federalization of power, and a bunch of washington Bureaucrats ripping rights and sovereignty away from states and local communities, because they have visions of micromanaging the nation into utopia.

Terry Schiavo is a horribly complex case. Personally, I think spouses are closer to each other than their families are. (Depending). My wife and I have talked about living wills dozens of times; and while we haven’t gotten them drawn up, we know where each other stands far better than our parents do. So I personally, tend not to think Florida is wrong to side with the Husband. (He can be a self-serving dirt-bag, and be right). What it boils down to is free will. Do we have the rights to control our own destinies, or should that be given to the state (or Fed, in this case). What matters more, individual freedom, or societies powers to cram the group-morality down everyone else’s throats? I tend to be more an individualist, so whether I personally agree in right to die is irrelevant. (Though I do). What matters to me more is that I think each person should be free to decide that for them-self.

If you disagree with Congress ripping away state and individual rights, here’s a head-start in contacting your senator and congressmen.

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm