By SHAUN KENNEY
The barbarians have come to Virginia, birthplace of America and home of the agrarian Cavalier tradition. Inside the Virginia General Assembly, a bill that mimicked New York’s now infamous abortion bill came to a House subcommittee, where the patron revealed that the bill would allow for an abortion during labor — not before, but during.
To make matters worse? Gov. Ralph Northam, himself a pediatric neurologist, went on-air the following day to not only defend the bill, but to defend the actual practice of an after-birth abortion — quite literally infanticide.
LifeSiteNews, in a story by Stephen Kokx, reported as follows on January 31:
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The staunchly pro-life Catholic bishop of Arlington, Va., has strongly rebuked pro-infanticide comments made this past week by Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam.
Bishop Michael Burbidge on January 31 called Northam’s comments a “staggering admission” that reveals just “how far abortion advocates are willing to go in taking the life of a precious child.”
Northam caused a national uproar Wednesday when he told a radio station that if a woman seeking an abortion goes into labor and the baby is delivered, the baby would be kept comfortable, resuscitated “if that’s what the mother and family desire,” and then a discussion between the mother and physician would ensue.
The comments, made in response to a question about a Virginia abortion bill that has since failed, elicited strong reactions across the country, especially from Republicans and conservatives.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) tweeted, “I never thought I would see the day America had government officials who openly support legal infanticide.”
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel described Northam’s comments as “horrific” and a defense of “born-alive abortions.”
Pro-life commentator Ben Shapiro decried the remarks as “pure evil.”
In his statement, Bishop Burbidge said Northam’s comments betray “a new level of deep-rooted animus against the inherent goodness of every child.” He also noted how not just in Virginia but also in New York “extreme abortion legislation” has been introduced recently. “This is a critical moment in the life of our Church and our society.”
Northam, however, doubled down on his remarks despite near-universal outrage. In a tweet, Northam, a former pediatric neurologist, said it is “shameful and disgusting” to say he hasn’t “devoted” his “life to caring for children.”
Northam made his original infanticide comments while being interviewed about Virginia Delegate Kathy Tran’s proposed abortion bill, which Tran admitted would allow abortions at 40 weeks of pregnancy and even as a mother is going into labor.
Burbidge said in his statement, “This bill rightfully failed — but I am, along with so many people of good will, distraught that this bill was introduced in the first place. It could have paved the way for babies to suffer a violent and gruesome death moments before birth and could have been harmful to women.”
“My hope is that this bill failed because the elected officials of the state legislature recognized that it was an evil and impermissible offense to human life and our collective decency. Abortion of a baby in the final stage of pregnancy borders on infanticide. Our governor, however, may be willing to cross that border and go even farther.”
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Pro-lifers across the Commonwealth are rightly outraged, and thus my time has been (rightly) diverted from presenting you an appropriate and thoughtful article this week. Hence it is nothing but sheer divine Providence that part three of the series presented by “Anonymous Andrew” is so very well composed and ultimately so worthwhile.
I hope you are enjoying these as much as I am. When I read this section, it was here that I knew we had to share this with First Teachers readers. One is reminded of Odysseus instructing his crew to stuff their ears with beeswax so as to avoid the sirens, while Odysseus himself lashed himself to the mainmast and begged to be cut loose.
Technology has the same impact. There are shades of the Canadian philosopher George Grant here, but all in all an admonishment that the new and popular is not necessarily better than the tried and the true. The aphorisms here are quite simply excellent; the wisdom of our fathers that the next generation can faintly hear, but ought to be reminded of through our own example.
Please get a cup of coffee and enjoy!
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The following is a four-part series penned by Anonymous Andrew entitled “An Opinion From the Trenches” — republished with permission from the author.
I hope it impresses you the way it impressed me. — SVK
Part Three
But perhaps superseding all of the above as the primary reason we neglect or disregard our faith and traditions including Mass, Confession, and even to a certain extent our own families is an addiction from the cradle to the grave with the mesmerizing television, radio, video games, and somewhat all technology.
Although there is much good in the above, a lot of corrupt and offensive content comes unimpeded into our very living rooms and consciousness; subtly leading us into a way we may later regret. Of course we are swept away by technology in general, carrying us most times we know not where. Most of us haven’t had the insight and fortitude to use technology wisely. Instead of serving us as God intended, it may have practically enslaved us.
Some of the possible side effects of the misuse or overuse of the electronic media, especially television and secondarily all unbridled “progress” may be:
Do kids still build a real snowman anymore?
Do kids gather together in the neighborhood just to have fun outside anymore?
Is it possible to find youngsters who will do some chores for oldsters for a little spending money anymore?
Are kids (and adults) hyperactive today because of those hyperactive cartoons among others?
Have our homes now become merely way stations where we take the sustenance until we can get back to the “real” world of television and outside organized activities?
Secular television and public schools have virtually ostracized our — and their — God.
Our minds are now clogged with thousands of mostly nebulous sound bites.
Television and screen market sexual innuendoes, shocking violence, and “winning is everything” and then lament the consequences on the 10 o’clock news.
We all genuflect before the camera.
Does anyone take an old-fashioned walk anymore?
Do any families still all gather at the supper table and say grace anymore?
We gorge ourselves listening to canned music instead of having the joy of making our own.
We have had a lot of sleep deprivation since the invention of the light bulb.
Vainglory has really troubled us since the invention of the photograph; epidemic since the invention of the television.
Most men can no longer find meaningful physical work, with its God-given sense of accomplishment and self-respect, which supports them and their family against nature and a formula for unrest.
The demise of the irreplaceable dedicated homemaker (not the indentured servant) is everyone’s fault. In its true form the homemaker is certainly one of the pillars of a stable and successful civilization.
Most “ma and pa” small traditional enterprises are now defunct. The big too often have an unfair advantage over the small.
Noise, noise, noise; for practically eons there were no loud grating artificial noises until modern times. How many of our minds have been turned to spaghetti from now being saturated with noise and images?
Secular peer pressure. . . .
We have become speed-happy in most everything as individuals.
Have we all become “cheap” excitement junkies?
The greatest story ever told is about Jesus. The second greatest story ever told is our own, especially if we have become what God created us to be.
Unfortunately, sometimes late in life, when reality stares us in the face, many of us realize that it was only the phantoms of television and the media in general (directly and indirectly) that became part of us and acted through us that lived, not our own real true selves. We never came to know and become that wonderful person God intended us to be.
God made all of our modern technology possible because it was mostly necessary. But we have overused and abused the use of them even to the point of damaging the planet and even to the point of relegating Christ (our only real hope) to the dustbins of our minds. We have been deceived.
Technology owns us. We must advance tech-wise, but must we practically dehumanize ourselves in the process?
Overall, most of part three has been more of a confession rather than a lament. Mea maxima culpa.
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We love your comments! First Teachers encourages readers to submit their thoughts, views, opinions, and insights to the author directly, either via e-mail or by mail. Please send any correspondence to Shaun Kenney c/o First Teachers, 5289 Venable Road, Kents Store, VA 23084 or by e-mail to svk2cr@virginia.edu.
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