Henry Hyde: RIP -- Part One of Two

"In the greatest human rights issue of our time--the right to life, Henry Hyde will always be known as a champion and great defender of children and their moms.  Because of the Hyde Amendment countless young children and adults walk on this earth today and have an opportunity to prosper because they were spared destruction when they were most at risk. With malice towards none, Henry Hyde often took to the House floor to politely ask us to show compassion and respect--even love--for the innocent and inconvenient baby about to be annihilated."
      Cong. Chris Smith, on the death of Henry Hyde. [See Part Two for Congressman Smith's full statement.]

"When the time comes as it surely will, when we face that awesome moment, the final judgment, I've often thought, as Fulton Sheen wrote, that it is a terrible moment of loneliness. You have no advocates, you are there alone standing before God and a terror will rip through your soul like nothing you can imagine. But I really think that those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. I think there will be a chorus of voices that have never been heard in this world but are heard beautifully and clearly in the next world and they will plead for everyone who has been in this movement. They will say to God, 'Spare him because he loved us,' and God will look at you and say not, 'Did you succeed?' but 'Did you try?'"
       Cong. Henry Hyde

Henry Hyde was as gentle as he was physically imposing, as brilliant as he was humble. Our Movement's greatest champion died this morning at age 83.

In July Mr. Hyde underwent open-heart surgery. The Associated Press quoted a spokeswoman for Rush University Medical Center, saying the he "was admitted for persistent renal failure related to his cardiac condition and suffered from a fatal arrhythmia."

Hyde retired from Congress at the end of the last session after an illustrious career. We remember him for championing the Hyde Amendment, which has saved the lives of at least one million unborn babies (probably two million) by preventing Medicaid and any other program under these departments from funding abortions except in very limited cases.

In 1995 the National Right to Life Educational Trust Fund presented Mr. Hyde with its highest honor--the Proudly Pro-Life Award. And, in 2006, the Trust Fund honored him as he approached retirement.

Tomorrow I will write at length about the passing of this good and decent man. Today let us all join in prayer for Mr. Hyde's family.

Please send your comments to daveandrusko@hotmail.com.

Part Two