Guest Column

The Gold Coast of Florida is a beautiful part of this great coun­try of ours. The Fort Myers area in particular is a masterpiece. And as you walk some of the beaches in the summer you can observe little mounds of sand that are roped off. These are sea turtle nests and a warning sign is posted warning you not to disturb the nests because unborn sea turtles are protected by federal law. The sign states that disturbing the eggs could result in fines and even im­prisonment.

Here in Massachusetts parts of the Cape Cod National Sea­shore are off limits when the plovers are nesting and access for fishing or merely enjoying the beach is curtailed.

Recently a friend of mine told me the following story. On a re­cent shopping trip to Wal-Mart his fourteen-year-old daughter at­tempted to purchase a bottle of hair coloring and was denied on the grounds she wasn’t old enough. Her father had to buy it for her.

Fourteen-year-olds are also protected from alcohol and tobac­co by age restrictions. Interesting enough though, she’s consid­ered old enough to make a decision on terminating a pregnancy by getting an abortion.

What have we become in this nation when unborn turtles and birds have rights and are protected by laws and unborn humans have none? We protect our female children from the evils of to­bacco and alcohol and the dreaded hair coloring but we fail to pro­tect the unborn.

Recently during the Super Bowl an ad was run by the Chris­tian group Focus on the Family, and it featured Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and his mother. The ad referred to a longer spot online in which we are told that Tim’s mother was advised the pregnancy was dangerous and that she should have an abortion. She chose not to have the abortion and she and Tim came through the pregnancy healthy and strong. The showing of the spot was protested vehemently by the Women’s Media Center. The presi­dent

of the group, Jehmu Greene stated “an ad that uses sports to divide rather than unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year.”

Well, for all the hype, all the recriminations, and all the pre­dictions of the horrors this ad would cause it went off very quietly, with a whimper, not a bang as was predicted. There was no rioting in the streets, the sun didn’t fall from the sky, nor did the moon head for the next galaxy. No, it went off without a hitch and people began asking what all the fuss had been about. The ad with the theme “celebrate family, celebrate life” was a feel-good experience, not a divisive attack message as had been foretold by its detractors. No, it spoke of love, not hate; it spoke of hope, not despair; and it was uplifting not depressing. Three lions of liberalism, President William Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and President Barack Obama, have said the same exact words: “Abortion should be legal, safe, and rare.” Maybe this ad will provide a baby step in that direction by pointing out that by calmly and rationally working together we can move our nation in the direction outlined by the three lions. Certainly there is no rational person alive who thinks that over 1.2 million abortions a year is a good thing. Nor is there a single rational per­son who would not want to see that number significantly reduced.

Wouldn’t it be great to see one of these national figures re-em­brace those words and undertake the project of moving America towards the position he or she espoused?

Changing gears, The Boston Globe annually rates the top 100 places to work in Massachusetts. There does not appear to be one manufacturing company in the top 100. We have plenty of banks, hospitals, other health-related firms, financial service companies and others of a similar ilk, but not one outfit that makes things. And we wonder where the jobs went. Oh well, as long as the green people are happy.

North Dakota Game and Fish is sponsoring “Becoming an Out­doors Woman” winter workshops February 19-21 at Lake Meti­goshe State Park. There will be classes in dog sledding, snowshoe­ing, tracking, and winter survival. This would be a great group of classes for any of you gals to take who might be interested in get­ting an outdoorsman, a real man, and not some PC, pencil-necked “green” weenie. Don’t delay, opportunity is knocking. In Lowell, police say a truck driver who had his mouth full Wendy’s chili choked on it, passed out, and drove into a house. Well, at least he wasn’t texting. The PC crowd drives me nuts; you can’t say this, you can’t do that. What a bunch of nonsense! So it always amuses me when the shoe goes on the other foot, such as recently happened in Brock­ton.

Four years ago a six-year-old boy was suspended for sexual harassment — if you recall, for putting two fingers in a girl’s waist­band after she had touched him.

The lad’s family sued and received $20,000 and the boy him­self received $160,000. You would hope the teacher and principal involved were both fired, but knowing how schools function it’s more than likely that the pair of nincompoops ended up being pro­moted. Two old-time National Football League stars recently died. Tom Brookshier, 78, was an all-pro defensive back in the fifties with the Philadelphia Eagles. However he is best remembered for being a superb announcer alongside Pat Summerall. Together they did three Super Bowl telecasts. Tom was retired by CBS for being too honest. “PC” he wasn’t. Also dying recently was “Bullet” Bill Dudley at the age of 88. He was chosen the Most Valuable Player in 1946 when he played for the Washington Redskins. That year he led the NFLin rush­ing, punt returns, and interceptions. (Back in those days players played both ways, offensively and defensively.) He was one terrific player.