COVID-19. If you turn on any media, it’s all you hear about. It’s a serious health issue – and it affects some of the most vulnerable people in our society. It’s worthy of our attention and our concern.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably received dozens of emails from stores, church groups, restaurants, and the like explaining what they’re doing to combat the illness. While some of them have chosen to close down altogether, most of them have chosen to deep clean, disinfect, and remain, cautiously, at your service.
These stores and restaurants are protecting you and your family from a threat that you cannot see, hear, or taste. And that’s actually what we’re doing, too.
But we aren’t protecting you and your family from disease or infection – we’re protecting you from apathy, distraction, and political agendas being pushed quietly as a result of the public’s rightful preoccupation with COVID-19.
I’m not saying that the coronavirus isn’t worthy of our attention – it is. But there are other things that must be watched, too.
Do you realize that our sister organization in Washington State, easily the area most affected to this point by the coronavirus in the entire United States, with many hundreds of cases, is reporting that the progressive-controlled legislature continued forward full-force in passing highly-controversial “SeXXX Education Reform” – quietly, while the public was distracted by the coronavirus?
They didn’t stop pushing their agenda just because the public wasn’t paying attention – in fact, if anything, they did the opposite. They saw an opportunity to impose their agenda and they took it.
Our sister organization did what they could do warn others what was happening, but the controversial legislation that mandates kindergarteners learn about sex, genitals, gender identity, and sexual orientation was passed by the legislature anyway. After its passage, almost not even a peep in the media. Most parents probably still don’t know what has happened and what their children will be facing next year.
My point is this: our political opponents, the ones that will be endorsed by Planned Parenthood, are still running for office this fall. The groups who oppose life, marriage, religious liberty, and parental rights are still going to spend money to advocate against the candidates who support those foundational principles. Radical activists in Hollywood aren’t going to stop investing their money in progressive advocacy groups like the ACLU simply because the stock market is down. The world isn’t going to stop spinning because of the coronavirus.
If we want to continue moving our state and our nation in a direction that protects and promotes respect for the constitution, free speech, and limited government, we cannot withdraw or retreat, or become tight-fisted. We have to compete. We have to invest in the future we want to see. We have to push ahead.
Coronavirus or not, we cannot allow momentary uncertainty to cause us to lose the ground we have fought so hard to win and protect. We must continue to have foresight and wisdom about our involvement in culture and on issues that matter.
If we allow apathy to set in and our side doesn’t turn out to advocate on the issues that matter or show up to vote – if fear motivates them to stay home – conservatives could lose HUNDREDS of seats nationwide.
We can exercise caution and still be engaged in creating a world that we are proud to leave to our children. Together, we can protect and preserve the things we care most about, and we must – because the alternative is unacceptable.
– Kent Ostrander
Executive Director of The Family Foundation
