Poetic Leanings vs. Poetic Leanings
On March 1, 2005, Poetic Leanings had the following comment on the right to life after birth:
Every so often the U.S. Supreme Court does something right. Today was such a day, when they ruled 5 - 4 that the execution of youths is unconstitutionally cruel. They had previously ruled that children under 16 could not be executed, but today's ruling covers 16 and 17 year olds. About 70 juveniles had their death sentences thrown out as a result.
The ruling by Justice Anthony Kennedy was joined by Justices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer and overrules the laws in 19 states that currently allow the death penalty for minors.
The states in question are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Texas and Virginia. They are mostly right-to-life, red states. Apparently, valuing life ends at birth.
On the same day, Poetic Leanings had another comment on the right to life after birth:
I am aware that the story of Terri Schiavo is old news and everyone knows about it to some degree, but in perusing the news tonight, I came across the above-linked story and the attempts by Terri's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, to have a judge grant a divorce to Terri from her husband Michael. I find this, and all the attempts to keep her alive in this terrible way to be appalling.
1 Comments:
Your implication that I am contradicting myself is typical of black and white thinking and is a false comparison. To equate the belief that the death penalty should not be applied to minors, who have a definite chance for rehabilitation, especially given how racially biased the death penalty is, with the belief that Terri Schiavo should be given the opportunity to finally rest when she is living only through technology when, according to her husband, she would never have wanted to "live" like she is being forced to is an apples to oranges comparison. Sparing Schiavo is actually a RESPECT FOR LIFE.
The two postings are wholly consistent and I stand by them. The death penalty is cruel, biased and the easy way out when someone can still be affected. Assisted suicide is compassionate, loving and a respect for any connotation of a REAL life. I am comforted by my own living will.
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