Henry Hyde, RIP

Former Congressman Henry Hyde died today at the age of 83.

On November 5th, President Bush awarded the former Congressman the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying Hyde was a "towering figure in Washington" who "walked with kings and kept the common touch."

In 1996, Congressman Hyde rose before his colleagues and spoke at length about the need to ban partial-birth abortions. His eloquence as a speaker, especially on this issue, could not be surpassed.

He said toward the end of his speech:

One of the great errors of modern politics is our foolish attempt to separate our private consciences from our public acts, and it cannot be done. At the end of the 20th century, is the crowning achievement of our democracy to treat the weak, the powerless, the unwanted as things? To be disposed of? If so, we have not elevated justice; we have disgraced it.

This is not a debate about sectarian religious doctrine or about policy options. This is a debate about our understanding of human dignity, what does it mean to be human? Our moment in history is marked by a mortal conflict between a culture of death and a culture of life, and today, here and now, we must choose sides.

I am not the least embarrassed to say that I believe one day each of us will be called upon to render an account for what we have done, and maybe more importantly, what we fail to do in our lifetime, and while I believe in a merciful God, I believe in a just God, and I would be terrified at the thought of having to explain at the final judgment why I stood unmoved while Herod's slaughter of the innocents was being reenacted here in my own country.

This debate has been about an unspeakable horror. . . .We are not talking about abstractions here. We are talking about life and death at their most elemental, and we ought to face the truth of what we oppose or support stripped of all euphemisms, and the queen of all euphemisms is "choice" as though one is choosing vanilla and chocolate instead of a dead baby or a live baby.

. . .

Let the innocence of the unborn have the last word in this debate. Let their innocence appeal to what President Lincoln called the better angels of our nature. . . .

Make it clear once again there is justice for all, even for the tiniest, most defenseless in this, our land.

I was privileged to have been in the presence of this great man on several occasions. He will be greatly, greatly missed. But we have had the honor of having known him and he was a voice for the voiceless.

Thank you Congressman. It is my hope and belief that the chorus you hear now is one of comprised of millions of young voices testifying to your work on their behalf.