“I am absolutely convinced that the culture wars are just so 90s. Their days are growing dark.” – Barack Obama, July 17, 2007
Obama declared this on the campaign trail at a Planned Parenthood event. His audience was receptive, of course—especially after he promised to sign into law the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) if he became president. The crowd erupted in approval. After years of being on the defensive, Planned Parenthood had found someone who just might put them back on the winning side to achieve their ultimate goal: unrestricted abortion nationwide and the pro-life movement’s demise.
Social conservatives, including myself, sat in disbelief as Planned Parenthood’s dreams became even more possible on November 4, 2008. Barack Obama would be the next president of the United States, and with his radical agenda and political momentum, the pro-life movement wouldn’t be his only target. Many times, Obama has threatened to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which preserves the right of states to make their own decisions regarding the definition of marriage. For all of his problems, it was Bill Clinton who signed DOMA as president, further proving that a President Obama would be a new kind of liberal. Even traditional marriage would have to fight for survival.
Well, Barack Obama has been president for only about eight months now, but his agenda has already started to unfold. While no direct attack has been made on DOMA yet, the current health care ‘reform’ Obama is pushing could become the Freedom of Choice Act by another name. Liberals in both the U.S. House and Senate have proposed amendments to include (i.e. mandate) abortion providers in the government health plan, and every pro-life amendment to prevent this from happening has failed so far.
But I’m not really interested in addressing President Obama, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, or liberals from a policy standpoint right now—I’m more interested in talking about this emerging assumption that the culture war is over. It would certainly be convenient for our opposition if this was the case. Unfortunately for them, the culture war is not over, nor is it winding down. As a matter of fact, pro-life and pro-family Americans are still fighting and experiencing success.
I could point to how California—a liberal state—passed Proposition 8 by a citizen vote last November. I could tell you about Stand for Marriage Maine, and how this grassroots coalition just turned in over 100,000 signatures to Maine’s attorney general in support of a ‘People’s Veto’ ballot initiative. If all goes well, the people of Maine will soon have the chance to overturn the law recently passed by the state legislature that legalized same-sex marriage. Then there’s the effort in Colorado, which I highlighted last week, that would bring a Personhood Amendment to the people. If Colorado passes this amendment, the unborn will be granted full personhood in the state.
Let’s also not forget about what’s happening at the federal level right now, as conservative groups like Family Research Council and The Heritage Foundation fight hard against President Obama’s health care ‘reform.’ Both of these groups, and many others, have formed a strong opposition to Obama’s plan—a plan that could very well include taxpayer-funded abortions, among other travesties. Then there’s the millions of Americans who called their elected leaders and gave them a resounding “no!” on a government-run health care system. And what about the ever-growing Tea Party Movement that shows no signs of stopping? How can any honest person claim that the culture war is over? Such an assumption is really wishful thinking on the part of liberals.
Also, I just have to ask: If the culture war really is “just so 90s,” as President Obama has said, then why not leave it in the 90s? I suppose liberals might be able to demoralize some people with their victory dances, but honestly, I don’t think it’s going to work. The anti-family crowd is in for a big surprise when they discover that the culture war isn’t dying down at all—and in fact, it has only just begun.
