By Judie Brown
Part I in the series “Draining the Swamp”
(This was originally published 6/13/2017. For Part II, see the link at the bottom of the page.)
Thanks to the creativity of some in politics, one of the most popular theses today is the idea that, through perseverance, we can “drain the swamp.”
According to the Urban Dictionary, the phrase drain the swamp originally meant to rid an area of “malaria-carrying mosquitoes by draining the swamp. Figuratively, ‘drain the swamp’ means ‘to exterminate something that is harmful’ or anything that most of the people hate such as corruption or government waste. This term is especially attractive for politicians during campaign.”
In my opinion, the dirtiest swamp in our midst and the one that if cleaned up would benefit every one of us is the swamp created by society’s penchant to disregard the value and dignity of the human being.
The swamp should shock us, but in the moral free fall zone we live in today it seems that nothing ever does. The goal of this series is not to shock, but to put forth fixes or antidotes to the filth polluting the swamp, and thus drain it once and for all.
Let’s start with a prime example of the disdain for the gift of life.
Today, young people can bully each other on social media without paying a price, though in far too many cases the recipient of the bullying pays the ultimate price by committing suicide. We see an example of this in the report of a 17 year old who used texts to her boyfriend to goad him into committing suicide. And he did!
The underlying problem today is that our children have lost their sense of self. They do not recognize their inestimable value before God and their innate ability to rise to the occasion and always put the good of others ahead of personal desires and feelings.
The anonymity and impersonal nature of the Internet make it too easy to write something sordid or hateful and push the “send” button. With just a click of a button, the sender can tell the world how much he dislikes someone or wishes someone were dead. This ability to speak without a filter is damaging, and, in many cases, inhumane.
Social media has created a minefield for folks who have no grounding in ethics and who have no appreciation for the difference between right and wrong. The idea of being a servant of God and loving Him first and unconditionally escapes many of us as human beings. What’s left in the wake is sadness, suffering, and moral depravity.
This is why it is the responsibility of parents, friends, teachers, and spiritual leaders to teach the truth about God’s goodness.
That is why American Life League created the Culture of Life Studies Program. Our program takes the message of God’s love for every human being to children from preschool through high school.
As human beings made in the image and likeness of God, each person must understand that he is not created to go his own way and selectively choose when and where he will deliver a minute or two to God, if indeed he ever does. We must all understand that God should always be first and foremost in our minds and hearts. Without God, man is rudderless. He will err and not feel shame; he will kill and not feel guilt; he will discard his family; he will abuse his sexuality; and he will do whatever feels right for him, even if it is absolutely wrong and sinful.
In the end, such people live in bondage and are tied to that swamp by their ankles. Why? Because that is the way evil works.
To turn this around we must embrace the culture of life. From a young age, as early as kindergarten, children can be taught respect for each and every person and that abortion is wrong because every human being is a gift from God.
Laura Kizior, CLSP program developer, explains: “By teaching your child to take an active approach to ending abortion through prayer and action, you will show your child that, with God’s help, we can end abortion and restore a culture of life.”
This type of positive, proactive, pro-respect for human dignity education can create a tidal wave of positive energy that will bring the light of truth into a world that desperately needs to hear it.
The most effective way to drain the swamp is to begin with education and with spreading the good news that every human being—both born and preborn—possesses the gift of life and is precious.
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Join American Life League as we work to cure this toxic pathology by teaching truth with our Culture of Life Studies Program, by showing others how to live it with our Life Defenders program, and by arming others for battle with our Stop Planned Parenthood International program.