Politicizing Tragedy
The horrific tragedy in Newtown,
Connecticut was only a few hours old when some politicians began
posturing. Perhaps they were sincere,
perhaps not, but first and foremost we must take some time to pray and mourn
for the victims and their families. I
ask that everyone would, this Christmas, when so many families in Connecticut
will be removing gifts from under the tree that suddenly have no one to open
them, please offer a prayer or sacrifice for those families. It is a gift we truly can offer these people
who we don’t even know. Let’s remember
them this season.
I referred to the political
response. Fr. Morris at the link above
has given the only rational response to this tragedy I’ve seen so far. Most of the clamoring has been about gun
control. I have no problem with reasonable discussion
about assault rifles and such. What I
have a problem with is the liberal finger wagging and moral indignation. Especially when they insist on awarding
themselves the moral high ground.
This is the message that liberals have been offering for over
a generation:
“Unborn children have no right to life. They can be killed at any time for the sake of our
convenience.
“Disabled children do not deserve the same level of care as
others. With today’s screening
procedures, you knew the diagnosis ahead of time. You chose to have the child; it is your problem. We will help you manage his death, but not
try to save his life.
“Some of the lives of the elderly are simply too expensive to
extend. Euthanasia should solve the
problem of prolonged suffering and ease families’ financial burdens.
“We must make birth control and abortion universal because
they allow us to avoid tying sex to life.
Christians who have a problem with it should just shut up and fund it.
“The life-affirming cultures of Africa and Southeast Asia are
primitive and they’re adding too many humans (the biggest problem on the
planet) to the world population. We have
to export the tools of the culture of death and blackmail those countries that
reject them.
“’Choose Life’ license plates represent viewpoint
discrimination.
“Human life has no inherent value. We decide who has human rights and who does
not.”
Then something like this tragedy happens and they ask, “Why
did this young man not respect the lives of the people he killed?”
I know there are mental health issues involved, but we can
not saturate our young people with these cultural messages and expect that
these tragedies will not happen.
How about these liberal mantras:
“Prayer has no place in school. No reference to God can be made at school
events. The Ten Commandments and other
religious symbols must be removed from government property. Large crosses on public lands are a
violation. Religious clubs do not
deserve the same status on university campuses as secular / humanist / liberal
groups.”
Then they wonder, “Why were this young man’s values so distorted?”
It is hypocrisy at its worse.
And I suspect most can’t even recognize it. I’m sure the concern and sadness on the part
of Democratic politicians is genuine, but when a party is the architects of the
Culture of Death, it has no credibility on issues like these. If we want to do something substantial about these tragedies, we will have to change the messages our culture is sending our youth.
I want to end this article where I started it, with thoughts for the victims of this horrific tragedy.
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
‘You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?’
The Lord replied,
‘The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand,
is when I carried you.’
-Mary Stevenson
May God carry all the children and families suffering in
Connecticut through this time, and may Heaven shine all the brighter for
receiving those we lost.
“Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted” -
Jesus
