Schiavo, Sacco and Vanzetti

The American Thinker draws an interesting comparison between the Schiavo case and the nearly century-old Sacco and Vanzetti cases. Having once written a high school paper on Sacco and Vanzetti, I have to agree with many of the similarities.

Both involved the state executions of innocents. In all three cases thousands argued that the condemned never received fair trials. Many levels of court appeals failed and, in the end, the Supreme Court refused to hear either case. Millions petitioned governors to intervene (and commute the death sentences). Both involved national and worldwide outrage and wide scale fights to save them. Both movements failed.

The proponents of the executions, in both cases, bear some similiarities as well. Rightwing hatred toward communists and immigrants on the one hand and leftwing hatred for pro-life advocates on the other. And, sadly, the protagonists in these cases best serve their societies as martyrs than they did as living actors.

I wouldn't go so far as to state that the Sacco-Vanzetti cases were "execution of innocents," since we really don't know for sure even at this point. Still, his point is valid - the cases also show how important it is to hire good lawyers before the finding of facts.