Among the many strange creatures found in the Australian outback is one called the Frilled-Necked Lizard. He has this umbrella-like structure around his neck which, when threatened, he splays out in an effort to look larger to his adversaries. To complete the effect, his skin grows darker in color; he opens his mouth widely and emits a loud hissing sound while rocking back and forth on his hind legs.
It’s quite a sight, and it does make him appear somewhat menacing. The problem is, it’s all for show. If a potential foe makes even a faint move toward him, this guy turns and runs away like his head’s on fire. Despite his warrior-like appearance, he is actually more of a song-and-dance-man. It is a trait that makes him the obvious candidate to replace the elephant as the symbol of the Republican Party. After all, elephants are noble animals who will take on a pride of lions to protect their young, and no one can even remotely suggest this is true about the GOP.
With that, we come to the primary arena where Republicans display their cowardice. It is in the battle over abortion, and right now, a textbook example of this being played out in Ohio. As you read this column, a groundbreaking piece of pro-life legislation called the “Heartbeat Bill” is being intentionally bottled up in legislative maneuvering by gutless Republican legislators who call themselves pro-life.
Naturally, these people are able to regurgitate a lot of meaningless drivel to justify their treason, but the bottom line is that they seem to be comfortable doing nothing while millions of unborn babies have their arms and legs ripped off, their chests crushed and their skulls collapsed. Apparently, like the goons down at Planned Parenthood, Ohio’s Frilled-Neck-Republicans are willing to just write these children off.
I must caution you, however, not to conclude that this sort of scandal is unique to Ohio. In the pro-life movement’s race to our inevitable victory, overcoming the damage done by faux-life politicians is a hurdle we have had to leap before and will have to leap again, in every state of the Union.
Let’s cut to the chase. As much as the GOP’s gated-community quislings might prefer that confrontation over abortion be conducted like some ivory-tower debate between people in plaid smoking jackets with elbow patches, it is not going to happen. This has always been, and will always be, the political equivalent of a brawl in a waterfront bar.
Regrettably, most Republicans give off the aura of a bunch of guys whose mamas used to dress them for college. As part of some fraternity hazing ritual, they might find themselves sitting in a waterfront bar trying to look like they belong. But the only thing you can be certain of is that, when the first punch is thrown, the next sound you’re going to hear is the rapid pitter-patter of fine leather wing-tips stampeding out the door.
Another problem is that Republican lawmakers have about as much practical use for the abortion issue as a fish has for a bicycle. That’s because these guys are motivated by money and votes that the unborn don’t have. In addition, they always seem to get a little queasy whenever the abortion issue is mentioned. To an even casual observer, it is clear that they have about the same opinion of the pro-life movement that they would have about the cockroach they step on during a middle-of-the-night trip to the toilet.
In short, this is a fight for which Republicans have no stomach. On the other hand, it is exactly the kind of fight their opponents relish. It is hardly a secret that, since the 1960s, the once-proud Democratic Party has devolved into a snake pit of perverted social agendas pushed by amoral leftists who will wallow in the filthiest cesspool to get what they want. And that scares most Republicans to death.
In the final analysis, the Democrats are almost always wrong on moral issues and will fight to the death for them, while the Republicans are generally right on moral issues but don’t care about them. The result is that, in the cultural civil war currently being waged for the soul and future of our country, the political battle often comes down to a contest between those who lack character and those who lack courage.
If you need proof, just do an internet search and type in: Ohio, the Heartbeat Bill.
Mark Crutcher is president of Life Dynamics Incorporated of Denton, Texas.