On March 31, Terri Schiavo passed away, following 15 years of life in a vegetative state. This was, in fact, a tragedy, though not because it was an "act of medical terrorism," as House majority leader Tom DeLay described it. This was a tragedy because the issue was never about Mrs. Schiavo; she was simply an innocent bystander to a political circus, one which the media shamefully covered with zestful glee.
The battle over Terri Schiavo has been waged in various courts for over a decade now. The case is not unique for its substance; thousands of people are taken off life support ever year. This instance is special because of the role politicians played in the battle. For two weeks prior to her death, Republican Congressmen pursued every avenue they could in an attempt to reverse Judge Greer's decision, which allowed Michael Schiavo to authorize the removal of his wife's feeding tube.
On March 18, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform issued five subpoenas: one for Michael Schiavo, three for the commanding physicians at the hospital and one for Terri Schiavo. That's right, Congress wanted to hear testimony from Mrs. Schiavo, despite her inability to respond to her surroundings.
The Committee also moved to intervene in the trial, asking Judge Greer to stay his order requiring the removal of Schiavo's feeding tube, a request that the Judge quickly dismissed. The Committee responded by filing an emergency petition with the Florida Supreme Court, effectively seeking a reversal of Judge Greer's decision. This, too, was denied, and the Congressmen were forced to turn to the U.S Supreme Court, which, in turn, refused their claim. After being turned down by the highest court in the land, you'd think these Congressmen would accept defeat and save their fight for another day, right?
Maybe, if only the GOP hadn't seen an opportunity to gain political ground. The Washington Post reported that a memo distributed to Republican senators by party leaders called the Schiavo case a "great political issue" and a "tough issue for Democrats." Acting on the suggestions of their advisors, Republicans called an emergency session of Congress and passed a bill that forced the matter to appear before federal courts. For the first time in his four-plus years as President, Bush interrupted a vacation on his Texas ranch and returned to Washington at 1:00 a.m. to sign Congress' bill.
The rest of the legal story unfolded much like it did in the past; the case was dismissed by successive Federal Judges, all the way up to the Supreme Court (again). In the meantime, Republicans used the public forum of Congress to expound their views on the Schiavo matter.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a licensed physician, diagnosed Schiavo by videotape and proclaimed that she was not, in fact, in a vegetative state, as those on-site doctors believed. This is the same Bill Frist who once acknowledged his uncertainty on whether or not the HIV virus could be transmitted through sweat and tears. Other Republicans voiced similar opinions, calling this "judicial murder" and another instance of "judicial activism."
Unfortunately for Republicans, their public and legislative support had an adverse affect on popular opinion. In a recent TIME Magazine poll, three-quarters of respondents, including 68 percent of Republicans, believed it was wrong for Congress to intervene in this matter; two-thirds said they did not believe in the politician's so-called principled motives.
Members of the GOP seem to forget that, although the Religious Right might be the loudest section of their party, the majority of Republicans feel most strongly about long-established Conservative stances such as a smaller government. This manifests itself in a belief in fewer taxes and decreased government spending, but even more so, in less federal intervention into personal matters, such as the Terri Schiavo case.
For years, conservatives have promoted State's rights. Recently, the Republican party, including the President, have done more to take away from State's rights than they have to increase them. The most obvious example is the national education system established by the No Child Left Behind Act, against which many states are now in open revolt. Bush also proposed the infamous Constitutional amendment on marriage, an issue that has traditionally been left to the states. In the Schiavo matter, Republicans made a state case into a federal one.
What does this all mean? It appears that the traditional conservative belief system, which grounded its politics in the original intent of the Founding Fathers, has been superseded by the Religious Right. It is one thing for Democrats to fight against Republican beliefs in smaller government and less federal programs; that fight is important, true, but not unprecedented.
The new and pressing fight, however, is against an emerging theocracy. As Tony Blair said recently, "I do not want to end up with an American style of politics with us all going out there beating our chest about our faith." According to recent polls, neither does the American public.
James Gerber is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached via e-mail at james.gerber@tufts.edu.
