Reflections

Over the last few months (especially the last 2 weeks), I've done a lot of thinking about the current political scene. There are a loooot of complex, confusing issues out there. The economic crisis, for example, is one of them. All three popular answers that have been given (dems--deregulation. Repubs--government control mandating foolish loaning stretegies. Both--greed) strike me as true *in certain places and certain ways,* though some certainly overstate their case.

There are a lot of issues out there that I can discuss with you, and we can disagree vigorously on them, but at the end of the day, we can still call each other brothers and sisters and go have a drink together.


I've come back to one issue time and time again, though: pro-lifers, Catholics, and Evangelicals supporting Obama. I've shown my cards quite explicitly on what I think about that. What keeps vexing me, though, is why the pro-life, pro-Obama line of thinking is so popular, especially among young voters.

There's a couple of reasons why I think there was an upswell of that kind of thinking this election:

1) Political fatigue. Many are disappointed with traditional politics, especially of the Republican party. Neither candidate seems wholly satisfactory, and perhaps a lot of pro-life Catholics and Evangelicals can't find a home with either party.

2) As to the young, abortion has been identified as the fight of our parents, and we'd rather not engage in the same fight they did. Its just uncool.

3) You've really thought the issue through and you side with Obama. You've seen the information and arguments that I present, and you are unmoved.

Let me work backwards. First, if you are in group 3, you know where I stand on that. I think you're delusional. I have no more to say to you.

If you are in group two: the good, the true, and the beautiful knows no generational bounds. Just because it was your parents' fight doesn't mean its not a worthy fight for you. Perhaps they *were* right on *some* things, despite what MTV has taught us.

In short; don't be blown about by the winds of popularity. Jesus didn't give a hoot, and neither should you. Let truth and courage be your compass.

If you are in the first group, I sympathize with you. I can see why you feel that way. I agree with you that politics can be and is a somewhat silly enterprise.

But let me offer an encouragement; don't throw in the towel. Don't let the best become the enemy of the good. Just because we haven't scored a total knockout doesn't mean we aren't fighting well.

Plus, sometimes you gotta hang in there and hold the hammer down, b.c the stakes are awfully high. One of the many things I've learned the past few weeks is that many significant pro-life gains *have* been made by pro-lifers in legislation. These bills and such have chipped away at Roe, and have reduced abortions significantly. To let our hands down during this round of the match, to let our feet go flat this late in the fight endangers those significant gains. In a boxing match it doesn't matter how many punches you landed in earlier rounds; if you let your guard down and take a ringer on the chin, the fight is over, even if its the last minute of the twelfth round...you lost.

Heck, even if those gains hadn't been made, the pro-life fight is still a worthy fight, just as a matter of principle. It should always be issue #1, just like slavery was issue #1 in many people's minds in its day.
In all likelihood, on Wednesday, November 5, Barack Obama will be president-elect. Mark my words, pro-lifers, especially those who supported Obama this election: you will need lots more stamina to stay faithful the next four years. You must prepare, as Shakespeare said, to "screw your courage to the sticking place." Stand up, regain your nerve, and carry on.

Our very souls are at stake.

"What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?"

He's the wisest man that ever lived for a reason, folks.