Commentary Overload

A Column by Mike Fichter

President, Indiana Right to Life

Lifeline Report, July 2008

On May 7 the Wall Street Journal unwittingly produced a snapshot of American culture with a front page that carried these three headlines: Myanmar Cyclone Also Batters a Reeling Global Food Supply; Some See Oil At $150 A Barrel This Year; Solid Disney Profit Bucks Woes of U.S.

What does it say about our culture when Disney theme park profits soar 22% while tens of thousands lay dead or starving in tragedies like the Myanmar cyclone and fuel prices force painful family budget decisions?

I am certain that an army of sociologists have keener insight than do I on such matters, but for the sake of discussion I submit that the rising Disney profits in the face of tough times reveal an American conscience that chooses fantasy over reality, or disengagement over inconvenience.  You might call it fiddling "When You Wish Upon A Star" while Rome burns to the ground.

When it comes to the political arena, I believe many conservatives are slumping into a form of disengagement that is much less identifiable but no less harmful.  I call it commentary overload.

The basic point is this:  it's easier to spend four hours every night watching the Fox News Channel than it is to spend one hour a month registering eligible pro-life adults to vote.  One of these activities raises voter turnout in your community.  One of these activities raises your blood pressure. Guess which one will matter on November 4th.

There is no denying that it's simpler to let the professional pundits tell us what matters than to analyze the data and arrive at our own conclusions.  At times it's downright entertaining to hear well-delivered analysis on political issues and strategies.  But just as we can overdo our leisure time, we can overdo our absorption of political talk until we no longer understand the larger, more substantial issues that impact our culture.

I cannot recall one time in the last six months when I have heard any of the top conservative talkers discuss what's at stake with life issues in this fall's elections.  Lost in the endless discussions over earmarks, primaries, and super delegates are the issues that will ultimately define who we are at the core of our collective American soul.

Will we expand taxpayer funding for the killing of unborn children?  Will we open the floodgates for human cloning and the killing of human embryos?  Will the Supreme Court be stacked with liberal justices for the next four decades?  Will speaking against abortion be labeled a hate crime?  Will pro-life crisis pregnancy centers be regulated out of existence?

We've got to wake up.  The results of this year's elections will not be determined by political pundits.  They will be determined by either our action or our inaction. 

When it's all said and done,taking a family trip to the Magic Kingdom will not result in the downfall of American culture.  Staying planted on the couch while every safeguard to human life crumbles to the ground most certainly will.

Comments

[donsherfick]

Sue, as one who stuggles with the issues involved in the basic issues underpinning the debate over abortion, and appreciating your passion for the subject (although far from agreeing on many facets), I would only ask you to do some serious introspection as to priorities. I haven't done this myself, but I would ask you to count up the number of times since its inception that VR has dealt with the issue of homosexuality/same-sex marriage versus pro-life issues. Whatever the count comes out to, it seems relevant to what kind of relative emphasis you and your own colleagues are giving it.

[Kristen Luidhardt]

Don,

I would say we've done quite a bit of writing on this subject. I would also note that the marriage amendment issue was before the state legislature, whereas the abortion issue was not.

Believe me, if the legality of abortion was up to the states, this blog would be working overtime to ban the practice.