Friday, January 29, 2010

Tebow and the Super Bowl and Commercials

Pro abortion advocates are going insane over a 30 second ad by Heisman Trophy Winner, Pat Tebow and his mom. She was counseled to have an abortion of her fifth pregnancy because of serious medical complications. Obviously, she didn't follow the Doctor's recommendations. Their family's witness to their faith is what would be showcased in this half minute advertisement.
From the Washington Post Jan 27th

"CBS's acceptance of the advocacy ad seems to mark a shift in network policy against airing Super Bowl commercials with divisive political or social content.”An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year -- an event designed to bring Americans together," Jehmu Greene, president of the Women's Media Center, said in a statement."
Personal snark, "I'm sure Greene and other members of the Women's Media Center just love to fire up the grill, cook some ribs, wings and pour cold ones while they watch the Super Bowl."

Now I love football. I like the Super Bowl and I admit I'd be upset if a Pro-abortion video came on during the game so I guess I can understand the ire. But banning ads and topics for ads because they are upsetting to some, smacks of intolerance, of a secular political censorship designed to dampen dissent, deny the existence or validity of alternative view points, and strikes me as a dangerous path for a network. If one witness is that powerful that it cannot be seen, no wonder the media never covers the March for Life as anything other than "There's an event that will affect your commute."

Some (Joy Behar in particular) tried to argue that Tebow could have been an awful person, and thus the fact that he is a talented and reverent football player should not be given any credence as an argument against abortion. Life may be about making choices, but the capacity to be, shouldn't be simply the whims of one over another, whether in war, in a laboratory, in a camp or in a doctor's office. The very existence of the possible as of yet unaired spot has already reminded people that abortion does limit the possibilities that life brings.

The arguments that having a controversial ad in the midst of a social cultural event like the Super Bowl detract from the experience smack of hypocrisy. Go Daddy Girl, Viagra and Beer for every occasion is fine family fare but a person who lived out their faith life and is willing to put dollars on the line to say that this is a good that came from being unafraid to be Pro-Life for a mere 30 seconds; that's worth a boycott, that's worth screaming and shouting.

Now, imagine all the 50 Million since Roe vs. Wade who were denied the opportunity to change the world. 1.37 Million Each year in the United States never got to have 30 seconds. That translates to 3,700 abortions a day.

One brave witness to life provoked all this with 30 seconds. Imagine what the 3,700 of just Superbowl Sunday would have done with lifetimes.

 

4 comments:

Karen said...

Pat Tebow's mom contracted dysentery in the Phillipines. Fortunately, for her, she had access to medicine that could combat this frequently fatal infection. Less fortunate are the estimated 4,000 children who die EVERY DAY as a result of drinking unsanitary water. The majority of these deaths occur in the developing world to children under the age of 5. What if 10% of the money spent on divisive, silly, sexual, political or just plain stupid Superbowl ads was actually dedicated to creating access to clean, potable water in the third world? Imagine ...

Sherry said...

World wide, you are right, 4000 die every day because water is not potable and the larger world nations either do nothing or not enough. We have a world of people to serve and there are Calcuttas everywhere.

To me, the womb is one of those Calcuttas. We should help the poor, we should protect the innocent, and no one should weigh one to be worth more than another, Christ cared for all.

I'd imagine that the additional 50 Million in the U.S. alone would have been able to perhaps give a bit of their income, vision and drive had they survived the womb; to help with healing the world of its many wounds.

Since you made the arguement global, 115,000 abortions happen world wide on a daily basis; 111,300 of them not in the U.S.

Tebow's mom had access to medicine and so her son is poised to make a lot of money and do a lot of good, possibly for a place like where his existence was threatened.

But there would be no chance for charity by anyone for anyone who made it big, if charity had not been practiced in the first place even when it was difficult.

Scarlett said...

I'm looking forward to actually seeing this ad. I wonder if it's as "offensively" pro-life as it's been made out to be. Remember, last year, the CatholicVote.org ad was rejected for the Superbowl. My thought is that, potentially, it's really just an ad about the beauty of life even in the face of adversity. And I'm sure a similar pro-choice ad would have been accepted, if only someone could come up with a way to make a 30-second spot about the beauty of abortion . . .

MightyMom said...

good news is that all the NOW nitwit dingleberries creating all the controversy are actually ensuring that most people will be watching for that commercial and will hang on every word (on both sides of the debate) instead of using that moment to go pee.

Leaving a comment is a form of free tipping. But this lets me purchase diet coke and chocolate.

If you sneak my work, No Chocolate for You!