Recommended on the Touchstone Blog, "Mere Comments"

The first is Peggy Noonan's article in WSJ's "Opinion Journal". It's subheaded "If Terri Schiavo is killed, Repubicans will pay a price."

Here’s both a political and a public-relations reality: The Republican
Party controls the Senate, the House and the White House. The Republicans
are in charge. They have the power. If they can’t save this woman’s
life, they will face a reckoning from a sizable portion of their own base.
And they will of course deserve it.

This should concentrate
their minds.

So should this: America is watching. As
the deadline for removal of Mrs Schiavo’s feeding tube approaches, the story has
broken through as never before in the media.

There is a passionate,
highly motivated and sincere group of voters and activists who care deeply about
whether Terri Schiavo is allowed to live. Their reasoning, ultimately, is
this: Be on the side of life.

A miserable reason for saving this woman. But if that's what it takes to pry the country-club Republicans out of their comfy chairs, so be it.

More here.


And then The New Pantagruel assumes, probably accurately, that the allegedly pro-life Repubican party members who currently hold office will do nothing and suggests that "(t)he Christian community and all people of good conscience, rather than accepting the State’s actions with the small consolation that “everything that could be done was done,” should acknowledge the true horizon of morally acceptable responses, and should actively encourage and support all such responses when taken by those with immediate responsibility for Terri’s care and wellbeing."

Consurgens Ioseph accepit Puerum et matrem eius nocte, et secessit in Ægyptum, et erat ibi usque ad obitum Herodis recalls the morning office of today's feast of St Joseph. But Herod has more resources at his disposal these days and where is the Egypt in which the refugees would be safe?