By Tim Gibbons; Published by High Plains View September 19, 2008.
“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.” - Thomas Paine
“I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.” -Susan B. Anthony
Sanctity of life and the rights of the unborn, once again abortion has come to the forefront of this year's presidential election. There are those who say that abortion is wrong, those that say it is a protected right and those who's opinion falls somewhere in between.
I must admit I have mixed views on the subject; growing up in a devout and legalistic Christian home I was all for the banning of all forms of abortion. Since I was a man this was, actually, quite easy for me to say as I would never be under the burden of carrying a child. And so for my teenage years and early adult life I proudly flew the banner of pro-life in defense of the sanctity of the unborn.
Sanctity...an interesting word that is often used in the halls of theology and religion. A rallying cry for those who stand against the evils of the world in Western Society. A passioned and feverish appeal to all righteous men and women to stand firm in their beliefs and convictions!
But, what does it mean to sanctify something? According to the dictionary, sanctification is the act of setting apart and making something holy. To entitle to reverence or respect.
According to the religious right, the Holy Bible does make reference to predestination of unborn children and God forming a child in the womb. And while these references are in the Bible there is no warning on ending a pregnancy, however, this same Bible, offers a strong argument on the rights of children from the mouth of Jesus himself, in the Gospels.
“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” - Matthew 18:5-6
So answer me this...why do we have more than 100,000 people in Southern Colorado willing to sign a petition to make a fetus a person, but we have barely a handful of people who will go to bat for their children's 4-H program in El Paso County? We condemn women for “killing” the unborn, but we barely do a thing to those men who view pornography of women and children. We listened to impassioned pleas to stop violating the rights of the unborn as clergy sexually violate children behind closed doors and husbands cast lusting looks at other women. Since when did the rights of the unborn become more sacred than the rights of the living?
“Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” - Matthew 19:13 & 14
Jesus, himself, makes no mention of the unborn, but he is adamant in his condemnation of those who would harm a living, breathing child. Likewise, he was harsh in his rebuke of those who let their eyes and hearts wander...
“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” - Matthew 5:28.
How can we have a respect, a reverence for the “unborn”, when we don't even come close to applying that same reverence for life to the rest of humanity? Fathers who abandon their children to chase a new set of legs. Parents who pursue their dreams and aspirations while leaving their children behind at home to raise themselves and find their way through the confusing world without a guiding hand to help them. Is it any wonder then, when a child rejects the fatherly influence of God? Who wants a father who is never there?
To deny a woman the right to end a pregnancy due to rape, incest or danger to her health is no different from the patriarchal and religious tyranny exercised in medieval Europe. We might “save” the child's life, but what life will that child have? It will forever stand as a reminder to the woman of a time when her life was destroyed. And what of the man who did the act? As our laws stand now, he need not worry about paying child support. All he has to do is serve his time before he is back on the streets destroying the next set of lives.
I find it hard to reconcile a belief that no woman has the right to end an unwanted pregnancy when men are not held accountable for their promiscuity and sexual addictions. Abortion is not the problem, ladies and gentlemen, rather an unwillingness among men to take responsibility for their actions and a willingness from those same men to condemn women for acting like the chattel religion has told them to be, is the real problem.
If the religious right and the pro-life movement is serious in their attempts to stop the alleged problem of abortion, then it is up to them to take a good hard look at themselves, stop judging others and remove the plank from their eye.
We need to stop condemning women, or at the very least, condemn women and men equally, after all, it takes two to tango and it takes two people, not one, to create life.
Women have long faced the wrath of the religious community for daring to end a pregnancy, why is that same condemnation not shown to the men who got them that way? Why are men patted on the back for a sexual conquest and women condemned for the same act?
Is abortion right or wrong? I don't know, and as a man I am hesitant to take one side or the other as I will not be faced with the decision of whether or not to end a pregnancy. But, as a man, I can take the stand and make the decision that will ensure no woman has to have an abortion on my account.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Freedom Earned, Freedom Given
By Tim Gibbons: Published in High Plains View, May 16, 2008.
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy
cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” –Theodore Roosevelt
Lexington, 1775. A group of rag-tag farmers and country boys stood facing the largest and finest military power in the world. From among the rebels a lone soldier, shouldered his rifle and fired the shot heard round the world. A shot that began the American Revolution and ended with the birth of a new nation. A nation founded on tolerance and liberty for all mankind regardless of race, religion, station or creed.
Brand new, and infant, the American ideal was to face the withering storm of slavery, the fight for the right of women and the wars against foreign tyrants.
Now we find ourselves in the forefront of the War on Terror, which has entered it's fifth year with the fledgling Iraqi democracy still unstable and an endless stream of American casualties.
On our current path, the war in Iraq will fail, not from lack of valor or effort from our service men and women, but failure of our politicians and the government of Iraq to grasp one simple concept: Freedom earned is more powerful than freedom given. It is only when we fight for what we believe in that it has any worth.
According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, humans have a hierarchy of needs, starting with Physiological (Food, warmth and shelter) and progressing through Safety, Love and Belongingness, Esteem and Self Actualization. An individual, if he is dependent upon himself, must satisfy each of these needs through work and perseverance. He must hunt his food, build his home and gather wood for the fire. He must protect himself and his family, create for himself a sense of worth and seek his own path and find his own merit.
Tyranny, on the other hand, allows these psychological needs to be met with little effort on the part of the individual. The State provides food, warmth and shelter if one devotes himself to the State. Through devotion to the State, safety from the outside evils is promised. One now belongs to a movement that is larger than the individual. The State's achievement becomes the individual’s achievement and boosts the esteem. And Self-Actualization is achieved by promoting and growing the State.
Why would people choose the easy way out? Maybe it's religion.
Islam, like its monotheistic siblings, Protestantism, Catholicism and Judaism, seems to deny the very thing that makes mankind unique. Instead of finding the strength within ourselves to create our own destiny, it would appear that God does it for us.
Within these religious beliefs, God provides food, warmth and shelter in return for unswerving, unquestioning loyalty and devotion. Through service in God, one is guaranteed safety or, at the very least, a place in heaven should one's duties be properly executed. According to these faiths by serving God, one belongs to an elite, chosen group of believers. The Esteem of the believers becomes the individual's esteem and conversion or actions in the name of their God allow an individual to achieve Self-Actualization.
Is it any wonder then, with so much of the world's population belonging to one of the many religions out there, that tyrants are more plentiful than fleas on a coyote?
Tyranny is often comfortable and predicable, there is danger in it, but so long as one keeps their head down and does what they are told, their chances of being harmed are lessened and they can justify their lack of effort by claiming that their needs are being met and they are helping to make the world a better place through their State or God.
But it wasn’t God who liberated Iraq; it wasn’t a Tyrant that overthrew Saddam; and the only banner that flew over Iraq on the day Saddam’s regime tumbled was the stars and stripes of Old Glory.
American soldiers of all races, colors, religions and creeds, liberated Iraq and dethroned Saddam.
American soldiers and the American people paid for the freedom of Iraq with their blood and their money. What thanks have the Iraqi people given us and what sacrifices have they VOLUNTARILY made to avenge the cruelty of their despot leaders?
Our Founding Fathers desired freedom with such zeal that they sacrificed all to get it. “Give me liberty! Or give me death!” Where is that cry in Iraq?
Maybe, tyranny is more comfortable.
While American Forces came bearing the torch of freedom, I can pretty much guarantee, the Iraqi leaders saw just another handout and another source of wealth.
America is one of only a few nations to have an all volunteer military force. Our service men and women choose for themselves whether or not to defend their homeland. They make the choice to serve and so serve with the passion and zeal that made our country what it is today.
It is no idle boast that they are the finest soldiers on the planet because they know the cost and price of liberty. Can Iraq make the same boast?
Before the true heart of freedom can take root in Iraq it must come from the Iraqi people themselves. They must discovery liberty for themselves, even if it lies outside of democracy.
They must be the ones to overthrow their tyrants and terrorists. They must desire freedom and liberty so passionately that, like our Founding Fathers, they would rather die free than live as slaves. And they must choose to unite their country in pursuit of a common ideal.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.”
America has earned her freedom many times over, do the Iraqi have the courage to do the same?
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy
cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” –Theodore Roosevelt
Lexington, 1775. A group of rag-tag farmers and country boys stood facing the largest and finest military power in the world. From among the rebels a lone soldier, shouldered his rifle and fired the shot heard round the world. A shot that began the American Revolution and ended with the birth of a new nation. A nation founded on tolerance and liberty for all mankind regardless of race, religion, station or creed.
Brand new, and infant, the American ideal was to face the withering storm of slavery, the fight for the right of women and the wars against foreign tyrants.
Now we find ourselves in the forefront of the War on Terror, which has entered it's fifth year with the fledgling Iraqi democracy still unstable and an endless stream of American casualties.
On our current path, the war in Iraq will fail, not from lack of valor or effort from our service men and women, but failure of our politicians and the government of Iraq to grasp one simple concept: Freedom earned is more powerful than freedom given. It is only when we fight for what we believe in that it has any worth.
According to psychologist Abraham Maslow, humans have a hierarchy of needs, starting with Physiological (Food, warmth and shelter) and progressing through Safety, Love and Belongingness, Esteem and Self Actualization. An individual, if he is dependent upon himself, must satisfy each of these needs through work and perseverance. He must hunt his food, build his home and gather wood for the fire. He must protect himself and his family, create for himself a sense of worth and seek his own path and find his own merit.
Tyranny, on the other hand, allows these psychological needs to be met with little effort on the part of the individual. The State provides food, warmth and shelter if one devotes himself to the State. Through devotion to the State, safety from the outside evils is promised. One now belongs to a movement that is larger than the individual. The State's achievement becomes the individual’s achievement and boosts the esteem. And Self-Actualization is achieved by promoting and growing the State.
Why would people choose the easy way out? Maybe it's religion.
Islam, like its monotheistic siblings, Protestantism, Catholicism and Judaism, seems to deny the very thing that makes mankind unique. Instead of finding the strength within ourselves to create our own destiny, it would appear that God does it for us.
Within these religious beliefs, God provides food, warmth and shelter in return for unswerving, unquestioning loyalty and devotion. Through service in God, one is guaranteed safety or, at the very least, a place in heaven should one's duties be properly executed. According to these faiths by serving God, one belongs to an elite, chosen group of believers. The Esteem of the believers becomes the individual's esteem and conversion or actions in the name of their God allow an individual to achieve Self-Actualization.
Is it any wonder then, with so much of the world's population belonging to one of the many religions out there, that tyrants are more plentiful than fleas on a coyote?
Tyranny is often comfortable and predicable, there is danger in it, but so long as one keeps their head down and does what they are told, their chances of being harmed are lessened and they can justify their lack of effort by claiming that their needs are being met and they are helping to make the world a better place through their State or God.
But it wasn’t God who liberated Iraq; it wasn’t a Tyrant that overthrew Saddam; and the only banner that flew over Iraq on the day Saddam’s regime tumbled was the stars and stripes of Old Glory.
American soldiers of all races, colors, religions and creeds, liberated Iraq and dethroned Saddam.
American soldiers and the American people paid for the freedom of Iraq with their blood and their money. What thanks have the Iraqi people given us and what sacrifices have they VOLUNTARILY made to avenge the cruelty of their despot leaders?
Our Founding Fathers desired freedom with such zeal that they sacrificed all to get it. “Give me liberty! Or give me death!” Where is that cry in Iraq?
Maybe, tyranny is more comfortable.
While American Forces came bearing the torch of freedom, I can pretty much guarantee, the Iraqi leaders saw just another handout and another source of wealth.
America is one of only a few nations to have an all volunteer military force. Our service men and women choose for themselves whether or not to defend their homeland. They make the choice to serve and so serve with the passion and zeal that made our country what it is today.
It is no idle boast that they are the finest soldiers on the planet because they know the cost and price of liberty. Can Iraq make the same boast?
Before the true heart of freedom can take root in Iraq it must come from the Iraqi people themselves. They must discovery liberty for themselves, even if it lies outside of democracy.
They must be the ones to overthrow their tyrants and terrorists. They must desire freedom and liberty so passionately that, like our Founding Fathers, they would rather die free than live as slaves. And they must choose to unite their country in pursuit of a common ideal.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.”
America has earned her freedom many times over, do the Iraqi have the courage to do the same?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
RSS Feeds
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
