Dick Morris tonight on Hannity & Colmes:
I’m pro-choice. But when I meet someone who knowingly bears a Downs syndrome child because she’s pro-life, I just melt with respect.
Not sure, but I bet there are a lot of pro-choicers outside New York and California who feel the same way.
A few months ago I came up with a strategy (or, if you prefer, a strategery). Not being a huge fan of Senator McCain, and knowing there are many conservatives like me who were feeling lukewarm, if not completely abandoned by the Republican Party, I came up with a compelling, if perhaps cynical, idea.
McCain, I knew, had as good a voting record on abortion as you could ask for, but he’s never made it a big talking point. Obama, as I’ve mentioned several times, is as bad as you can be on abortion. So it seemed to me that McCain could pick up some steam in the heartland and “energize the base” by pushing the contrast between the candidates on abortion. Push hard on Obama’s “present” vote on the Infants Born Alive Act, his comment about not wanting his daughters “punished” with a child, his perfect rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America, etc. And push hard on McCain’s own voting record, as well as his commitment to appoint strict constructionist judges in the Thomas/Roberts/Alito mold. Bring abortion to center stage. It would be a good move morally, and a good move politically.
It’s certainly not because he heard it from me, but McCain might be doing that. His response at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Forum on when an unborn baby is entitled to human rights was dead-on. He floated some trial balloons about a pro-choice runningmate, but they were quickly shot down. And this morning came the news that he’s chosen Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, as his VP pick. Palin is reputed to be a solid conservative on all fronts, but she is especially known for her strong pro-life stance, which is made more poignant by her recent carrying to term of her fifth child, Trig, who was born with Down’s Syndrome. (Of course, simply not having an abortion isn’t heroic in itself, but 80% of Downs babies are aborted. So, sadly, carrying little Trig to term was a bold move.)
There’s lots of dissecting still to do, but at this point I’m encouraged by the Palin pick. I hope it’s more than a symbolic nod to social conservatives. I hope it signifies some sense of a conservative foundation to a McCain administration. We’ll see.
The big thing to say now in “moderate” circles is that you’re personally against abortion, but you’re willing to support Democrats (especially The One) who support abortion (or, in the case of The One, refuse to vote for a bill protecting infants who are already born), because they want to “work to reduce the number of abortions.” And we can all agree on that.
Actually, no. Even if we grant that the pro-abortion crowd wants to reduce the number of abortions (which I believe is a lie), this is incorrect. Abortion is not an undesirable necessity that we want to reduce. It is a moral evil, an abomination. It is the taking of innocent life. It makes the claim to want to look out for “the least of these” an absolute sham.
Imagine arguing in the 1860’s that slavery should be legal, but that we should work to “reduce the number of slaveowners”. Imagine arguing in the 1960’s that while lynching should not be outlawed, we could all agree that we want to “reduce the number of lynchings”. There’s a word for this: Appeasement. And it’s not very effective in curbing moral evil.
We don’t want to “reduce the number of abortions” (although, contrary to Democratic talking points, the numbers have fallen steadily during the Bush administration). We want it gone. We want unborn children, created in the image of God, to have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We want this awful stain removed from our country and from the rest of the world. May God grant that we don’t get bored with this pursuit and move on to a more hip cause.
Overheard at the furniture store today:
What do I love about Lite 102.9? The music is all so relevant. It’s like every song could have been written about me.
Immediately following: Sir Elton John’s “Rocket Man.” Which was so perfect, because that’s exactly how I felt when I was an astronaut.
Even if you grant A and B, C is a non sequitur.
Especially when the DNC’s platform states:
Because we believe in the privacy and equality of women, we stand proudly for a woman’s right to choose [to kill her unborn child], consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of her ability to pay [someone to kill her unborn child]. We stand firmly against Republican efforts to undermine that right [to kill one's unborn child].
The other day I heard an ad for a car dealership. They were touting their new showroom, which is 2 levels and has all sorts of goodies, including childcare and a cafe. My first thought was, why bother with all that stuff? Why not focus on having a good product at a good price?
Then I thought about churches. Lots of them now have coffee bars, cafes, elaborate play areas for kids, gift shops, and the like. And they do promotions, like a drawing for a free gas card or a sermon series ripped off from a TV show. Anything to get people in the door.
What if the car lot focused on selling cars and the church focused on preaching the Gospel?
I think I actually once told someone I didn’t have a testimony, because I’d grown up in the church. I was wrong, of course. But I think we all know the really successful testimonies are the ones that go something like this:
I was thinking about this recently when I read the account of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9. It doesn’t really fit the pattern. In fact, you don’t even really get the impression that Paul was all that thrilled about “getting saved.” He was terrified, knocked blind, and didn’t eat or drink for 3 days afterward. It wasn’t too long before he was having to flee for his life, a pattern that continued for the next three decades.
Paul’s conversion seems to have been a whole lot about the fear of God and not very much about him being at the end of his rope and Jesus making things better.
Well, I did it to you again. Vanished from the blogosphere for over a week without so much as a warning or a guest blogger. Better get straight to some Miscellenies.
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We moved. That’s most of the reason for the silence. We now live in Plaza Midwood, a funky, urban-revitalization-type area which we love. It’s pretty Athens-esque. We’re within walking distance of the library, a couple of parks, a DQ (you can get a Coke… just drive through and get a Coke, if you’re thirsty…), and several other cool restaurants including Fuel Pizza, Zada Jane’s and The Dish. And the place is great. It’s owned by a couple in our church, meaning we don’t have to sign a lease, meaning good news if you’re trying to leave the country soon.
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Last night I went on my first run in our new neighborhood. I heard lots of dogs, coveted lots of houses, saw numerous Obama stickers and 2 cops on Segways.
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A few minutes ago I’m pretty sure I heard flute-playing, and it sounded live. Well, scratch that– M told me it was her radio. Live flute player would’ve made a better blog post, but oh well.
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I’ve never had the best impression of Rick Warren, and the whole Saddleback Forum thing isn’t something I’d do as a pastor. But I was impressed with the questions he asked. And I thought the answers made the contrast between the two candidates pretty clear.
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I’m a Mac user now. Can’t you tell the difference? Doesn’t this post look smoother, simpler, more intuitive? Well, maybe not, but I like it a lot.
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I’m making my first foray into fantasy football with a college league. I expect to get trounced. I mean, I assume everybody in the league can’t just pick Georgia players (we’re all alumni), and beyond that my knowledge is pretty pathetic. We’ll see.
***
Finally, I bought something for work and got more free downloads from emusic.com:
French 4×100m freestyle relay team:
The Americans? We will smash them.
US 4×100m freestyle relay team:
(wins gold, sets world record)
It’s not my custom to listen to much Christian music. But this morning on a run, for whatever reason, I decided to give a listen to Beams of Heaven: Indelible Grace IV. I like the IG guys– their music isn’t always my favorite, but they find great hymns, aren’t overly produced, and generally avoid the cheese.
So all that to say, my morning started with some great news.
I do not ask to see the way
My feet will have to tread;
But only that my soul may feed
Upon the living Bread.
‘Tis better far that I should walk
By faith close to His side;
I may not know the way I go, But oh, I know my Guide.
Since all that I meet will work for my good,
The bitter is sweet, The medicine food;
Though painful at present, will cease before long,
And then, O! how glorious, The conqueror’s song!Begone unbelief, The Savior is here
Though cisterns be broken And creatures all fail
The word he has spoken will surely prevail.
(“Begone Unbelief“)
Whate’er I need in Jesus dwells,
And there it dwells for me;
‘Tis Christ my earthen vessel fills
With treasures rich and freeMercy and truth and righteousness,
And peace, most richly meet
In Jesus Christ, the King of grace,
In Whom I stand complete.
