A Tale Of Two Stories
Tony Snow wrote a powerful column involving two college students and how they could have avoided murder charges by opting for a late term abortion of an unwanted pregnancy. Instead, the eighteen year old students waited a few hours too long; allowed the birth and then disposed of the child. Snow brought a gory, graphic poignancy to the words "what a difference a day makes."
On the same day, MSNBC was touting a headline "Unborn Baby Gets Marrow Transplant" and telling of how American doctors had successfully performed a "life saving" bone marrow transplant on a 4 month old unborn baby.
I wish that I could have jumped for joy at the second article. Instead, it disturbed me all the more. What bothered me most was the terminology used in MSNBC's article. What's this "unborn baby" business? It almost makes them sound human. It was a plain old ordinary fetus, right? "Life saving"? Shouldn't that have been something like "preserved the viability?" Or does our terminology change based on the perceived nobility of our actions? Shall we have our cake and eat it too?
We wonder why kids are so confused these days. We convey mixed signals. The bottom line message we deliver is "whatever floats your boat."
The trouble is, if we preach of a consistent morality, the naysayers scream about separation of church and state. So hard is this line that we now have what could be construed as a church of state. This church believes in nothing but that which can be changed. There is nothing sacred in the church of state; nothing to cling to when everything else seems to be slipping away.
We have our constitution, the bible of the church of state, but it is not for every man. It is for the lawyers to nit pick and twist and test. "Unalienable rights" is so much hogwash. We simply redefine the terms.
How far flung that abortion would be legalized as a woman's right to privacy? As if consensual sexual intercourse did not relinquish such a right. It was pragmatism that legalized abortion … economic pragmatism. Pragmatism is the holy spirit of the church of state. There are many "gifts" from this spirit. Capital punishment, "sin taxes", state run gambling, and assisted suicides are just a few.
Remember when gambling was illegal? Then came OTB and its slogan: "Bet with your head … not over it." Now the state tells us that all we need is a dollar and a dream.
Unfortunately, the spirit of pragmatism which brought us down this path is not very good at coping with the very human ills of loneliness, isolation and despair. When faced with the two-edged sword of getting more money from an impoverished population , the "dollar and a dream" bit was the best it could come up with. For many, this has become the new American dream. Would that everyone could get by on so little hope. It was not enough for the two college students; or, perhaps they lacked a dollar for they surely had a dream.
Of late, I have felt much like Ebenezer Scrooge; haunted by the ghosts of past, present and future. These three ghosts swirl in me as one. The message I am haunted with is consistent. That message is to believe in something bigger than ourselves; to believe, if not in God, then in life. To hold life sacred … the past, present and future of life as one flowing, sacred river. To leave the issues surrounding the quality of life as the challenges to our technology, innovation and human spirit so that we might truly celebrate something so wondrous as giving a bone marrow transplant to an unborn child.
There will always be problems in life. There will always be horror stories. There will always be things that seem unfair. Of all the challenges which face us, education presents the single greatest challenge. The cornerstone of that education should be that above all else, we, the people hold life as sacred. That we are not arbitrary on this point. That our laws and our conduct as a society are based on whether something favors or conflicts with the very concept of life. And that our willingness to accept the challenges which life presents, our willingness to try to right the wrongs and improve the quality of all life is why we are here and why we are truly a noble species.
If this were our message … if this were our goal … we would find great joy in our successes and, in our darkest hours, we would have something firm to cling to.
Brian J. McMahon 797-5016
PS (to the P&SB)
My prolific letter writing over the past couple of years attests to
my "haunting". I appreciate your publishing my last 2 Guest Viewpoints.
I would hope that you do not misconstrue my writing with an ego thing.
In fact, I cringe when I hear that something has been accepted for publication.
I would just as soon have my name left off the articles. Especially
this one. My opinion could easily be written off as "an Irish Catholic
trying to stuff his version of morality down our throats." That, most
assuredly, is not my intent. I am struggling … as are so many in our community
… looking for answers to very difficult questions.
Thanks again.
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