IN A WORLD GONE MAD
by David Sisler
In a world gone mad, a little touch of sanity appeared on Monday.
Al Qaida terrorists mounted a suicide attack armed with four hijacked airliners and America’s illusion of safety and security was buried in rubble, twisted metal, and death. In response, America told the terrorists and their henchmen that there was no place to hide – turn over the perpetrators or face annihilation. And so we justly and justifiedly attacked Afghanistan and stand poised to take the battle to other members of the axis of evil.
Palestinian terrorists mounted suicide attacks with bombs strapped to their bodies and strapped in their cars, killing and maiming during times of Israel’s high holy days. Yasser Arafat is as clearly a terrorist leader as Osama bin Laden and as of this writing he is surrounded in his headquarters with all avenues of escape denied him. Yet America holds back her total support of Israel, calling for negotiations.
Can any sane person imagine bin Laden surrounded and America’s leaders listening for one second to a call for negotiations? But that is precisely the stance America’s leaders are taking with Israel!
Insanity.
Two decades ago responsible people warned that if the right to murder unborn babies was made the law of the land, the early termination of the lives of the sick and the elderly would be the next step. “No way,” pro-death proponents hollered. “Our nation is not crazy.”
Well, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that in 1994 Oregon passed a law (and reaffirmed it in 1997) allowing physician-assisted suicide.
Compassion in Dying Washington, a pro-suicide group, three years after Oregon’s law was passed for terminally ill patients, urged that the law be amended to allow the physician assisted suicide of anyone with a disease which “will eventually lead to a terminal diagnosis.” This insanity misses the obvious – life is a terminal condition.
Still not satisfied, Kathryn Tucker, legal-affairs director for the Compassion in Dying Federation in America, says that Oregon’s 15 day waiting period – written so that patients can be sure of their desire to die – is “overly restrictive,” and wants the waiting period struck down as “unduly burdensome.”
The Netherlands pioneered looking the other way while doctors kill their patients. Dutch doctors could have been imprisoned or fined for assisting in the suicide of their patients, but for 20 years Dutch courts have looked the other way. Now there is no danger of legal prosecution. On April 1, the London Bureau of CNSNews released the story that the Netherlands has officially sanctioned euthanasia. And this is the same nation where one of their legislators suggested that Dutch teens be allowed to seek legalized suicide.
Insanity.
In the midst of all of this, the Georgia Senate on Monday, approved a measure, approved two years ago by the Georgia House of Representatives, that will save the lives of newborn babies. Pro-life Senator Mike Beatty almost scuttled the bill while advancing his own political purposes when he introduced an anti-abortion measure, but then withdrew it when his election year grandstanding drew more heat than he wanted to handle.
Babies in dumpsters and trash bags finally caused members of that lofty body to take notice of the little bodies, the dead and dying babies abandoned in Georgia.
The bill passed with six “no” votes. It was particularly disappointing to see that Senator Joey Brush, R-Appling, joined on the negative side. With Senator Brush’s well-known leadership in Christian endeavors, it was sad to see him stand against a bill that will save the lives of Georgia’s children.
After the vote was taken, Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg said, "Abandoning a newborn is irresponsible behavior. I believe this legislation basically encourages irresponsible behavior."
Irresponsible behavior? Well, he and his fellow nay-sayers are 6 more examples. Regardless of their previous behavior, women now have one more option – and this option lets babies live. If only one child’s life is spared, the passing of this bill will prove to be one of the legislature’s finest moments.
The Safe Haven Bill is, admittedly, a small measure, holding back the floods of life-taking insanity. But it is a start. Let us pray it is only the beginning.
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Copyright 2002 by David Sisler. All Rights Reserved.
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