James Dobson Toys with Sedition – Dismantling the Constitution One Judge at a Time

"They're trying to kill me," Yossarian told him calmly.
"No one's trying to kill you," Clevinger cried.
"Then why are they shooting at me?" Yossarian asked.
"They're shooting at everyone," Clevinger answered. "They're trying to kill everyone."
"What difference does that make?"
Joseph Heller - Catch 22

Judge Greer was given a task that no one would relish. Determine within the construct of the laws of Florida and the United States of America whether Terri Schiavo would have chosen to be kept alive through heroic means (this includes feeding tubes under both Florida and US law) or to pass away peacefully. Using the law and the best available evidence, that is, testimony which was “clear and convincing” and medical evidence which was authoritative Greer determined that it was Terri’s wish to not be kept alive. The details of this case and Greer’s decision are available and I would encourage everyone to read both Greer’s original decision and the final decision of the 11th circuit court. Whether or not you agree with Greer’s decision or the subsequent rulings by the appellate courts, these decisions were made squarely within the frame work of the constitution. In short, our system of Government worked as intended.

Now comes the insanity. James Dobson and others from the are calling for a wholesale firing of any judge whose rulings they do not agree with. This restructuring (or shredding) the US constitution is being promoted because, as Dobson apparently sees it, the entire American judicial system is out to get Christians. Using the tragedy of Terri Schiavo as a pretext, Focus on the family Leader James Dobson has increased his campaign of misinformation to stir up his largely ignorant and compliant followers. What follows are outtakes for a Focus on the Family Action Alert with some of my typically juvenile comments inserted.

First, Dobson whips his mob into a frenzy with a nice big dose of misinformation:

(http://www.focusaction.org/articles/A0000066.cfm )
She was confined to her room for five years with the shades drawn, could not be legally photographed or video taped, never received an MRI to determine the nature of her brain injury, and her parents were not even allowed to take her out in the warmth of the sun or to an outing at a mall. 4 And this is called justice.

As a matter of clarification, Schiavo had platinum implants deep in what was left of her cerebral cortex. These implants which were placed by physicians with the permission of her parents and husband and were designed to stimulate brain activity. Exposing Terri to an MRI when she had metal implants would have killed her almost instantly. Dobson surly knows this.

Judge Greer had police posted at the door to keep anyone from bringing relief to Terri, and an entire family was arrested for attempting to give her a sip of water. 6 Toward the end, Michael even refused to let the priest provide communion for Terri, and instructed the police to arrest him if he tried. 7 And shortly thereafter, Terri died. God forgive us!

I believe the court records show that Terri was incapable of swallowing either voluntarily or involuntarily. Giving her water would have caused her to aspirate.

This cooperative effort between the judiciary and the media to kill an innocent woman is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in American history.

There is always a conspiracy.

Terri's killing signifies conclusively that the judicial system in this country is far too powerful and is totally out of control. No agency of government can rival its reach. Not even the combined influence of the President, both Houses of the Congress and the Governor of Florida could override the wishes of a relatively low-ranking judge. His decision was upheld by several federal court judges, and ultimately, by the U.S. Supreme Court that refused six times to hear Terri's case.

So the courts have committed murder and must be punished. Never mind that the original ruling was appealed before 18 other judges from across the political spectrum. Never mind that all found that the original decision was sound. No, let’s drop the facts and exploit this women’s death to do what Dobson does best, incite an angry lynch mob.

How did this happen to us? How could such a great and freedom-loving people have allowed themselves to be dominated by a handful of unelected, unaccountable, arrogant and often godless judges, many of whom receive lifetime appointments and regularly circumvent the democratic process? It is a breath-taking and ominous development. Was this the desire of the Founding Fathers when they designed this great representative form of government? Hardly!

Replace the word “Judges” with “Jews” in Dobson’s screed and maybe throw in a line about “Germany for Germans” and see how this sounds.

Justice Kennedy should be impeached for taking such a position, along with O'Connor, Ginsberg, Souter, Breyer, and Stevens, who have recently made similar statements. It is outrageous that we, the people of the United States, not only find ourselves governed unwillingly by a judicial oligarchy, but we are manhandled and lectured by this tiny body of lawyers who increasingly base its rulings not on our Constitution, nor on legal precedent, nor even on international law—but on something they call "world opinion." The American people have neither chosen nor agree with this opinion. Kennedy and his liberal colleagues simply pick and choose the people in countries or continents that agree with them, usually from Europe and Canada, and ignore the rest, such as South America, Asia, and Africa. This is what we call "judicial tyranny!" and for good reason.

Let the purge begin!

Anti-religious rulings like the one made by Lancaster are coming in bunches now. Another occurred on March 28, when three members of the Colorado Supreme Court overturned the death- penalty verdict for cocaine addict, Robert Harlan. 38 Harlan was convicted and sentenced to die for kidnapping and raping a 25-year old waitress. He held her captive for two hours before killing her in cold-blood. The Court overturned the death penalty decision because, if you can believe this, five members of the jury had looked up Bible verses to help them understand the moral implications of capital punishment.

Let’s get them before they get us! And remember, it is all about US evangelicals, there is no one else and if there is, well, there won’t be much longer. Never mind that the last thing I want as a Christian is to live in a country where the government thinks it knows which God I should pray to.

To all Democrat Senators: We will remember how you vote on the confirmation of judges. If you attempt to use the filibuster to deny a vote to those who hold to conservative views, you will have to explain it the next time you run. That is a promise. It will not be forgotten.

To all Republican Senators: Many of those who put you in power care passionately about the unborn child, about marriage, about the evil of cloning, and about religious liberty. The liberal judiciary threatens our beliefs about every one of these issues. You have been made the majority in the House, in the Senate, and a Republican occupies the White House. Together they represent the coveted "Triple Crown" of American politics. If you fritter away the responsibility to reform the courts, and if you ignore the "values" that motivated those who supported you at the polls, you do not deserve the trust given to you. It's time to fish or cut bait.

This final message is simple, “we put you into office and we can take you out.” Can someone direct to the passage on the new testament where Jesus commands us to seek and wield unlimited political power? How ‘bout just hitting the stuff about bearing false witness?

The only tyrant I see is the one sitting in an office in Colorado Springs at the headquarters of Focus on the Family. Its time for the American people to stand up and let the world know that we are not going to be lied to and bullied by a group of extremist religious fanatics. Perhaps we should consider boycotting church both physically and financially for a week or two to send the message that the self appointed screw balls on the religious right don’t speak for us.