Families Foreign and Domestic

Family Issues, Politics — By Dustin R. Steeve on July 3, 2009 at 1:59 pm

It’s a sad thing to read the news and find it fixated on sex and death. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the business model of the news industry and in that industry, as in many others, sex and death sell. However, the responsibility of the news media is to keep us informed, a job that they cannot do well if they let their “selling” get in the way of their “informing.” Take for example the media’s failure to responsibly inform us about the deterioration of the fundamental building block of our society – the American family.

The news media treats the family as though it were an obstacle to political success. Attentive readers well know that the recent affairs of Attorney General Spitzer, Senator Ensign, and Governor Mark Sanford have been assessed primarily with regard to the negative ramifications of the sex act on the offending party’s political career. Take the coverage of Governor Mark Sanford. According to the news, Gov. Sanford has disgraced his party by committing adultery.

In a widely e-mailed column from the New York Times, liberal Gail Collins advised Gov. Sanford on behalf of “us all” that his problem was not his womanizing but his failure to leave a contact phone number so that “we” could reach him. She followed that tasteless advice by suggesting that “perhaps the party has been too strict about the no-girlfriends-while-running-for-president rule. If they don’t drop it, pretty soon the youngest contender will be 75.” Notice, Sanford’s error is not familial, not one of breaking the marital covenant, but political. If the Republicans would only cast aside their outdated expectations of fidelity within the family, their political problems would be solved. Evidently, Ms. Collins assumes that we the voters do not care about the integrity of the family unit.

On the same day that Ms. Collins balked at the notion that Republicans ought to insist on fidelity and integrity within the family, the New York Times also ran a story about the tragic destruction of the family unit in Africa. As many as 50 million children are orphaned as a result of disease or warfare in Africa. Their problem is the same as ours: the disintegration of the family. These children are left without the care and support families provide, and thus are malnourished and unprotected. Evidently, we are to care about the integrity of the family unit after all.

It might seem like I am comparing apples and oranges here. After all, one story is talking about abuses of power by people in office while the other story is talking about tragedy resulting from uncontrollable disease and warfare. However, to argue this only proves my point – the news has conflicting ideas about the importance of the family. As the Times demonstrates, it’s easy to care about the problem of families in Africa while choosing to be flippant about the problems of the family unit at home. Regardless of how the family disintegrates, a society without its fundamental building block is in dire straits – see Africa as exhibit A. It’s time the news industry helped its buyers see how the problems of Sanford and Africa are related.

7 Comments

ex-preacher says:
July 3, 2009 at 4:11 pm
I think it is important to distinguish between the news and opinion. Collins is an op-ed columnist, not a news reporter. Further, her “advice” to Sanford and Republicans was clearly tongue-in-cheek.
Lindsay Stallones says:
July 6, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Africa is exhibit A? Isn’t it a rather large place with political and social complexities in its various regions? And aren’t familial bonds particularly strong in parts of Africa? I hardly think suburban infidelity compares with a war that orphans generations and sets entire people groups against each other. And might not centuries of colonial oppression, slavery, and zero-sum, violent politics be more of a contributing factor to the problem of family stability in parts of Africa than family instability might be responsible for the devastation of parts of Africa?
Regardless, what happened to Sanford’s family is a stupid, avoidable tragedy. It never ceases to amaze me the capacity of elected officials, especially men, to risk careers and families for simple sexual gratification.
Though I suppose it’s better than having a truly ruthless Machiavellian with some self-control in office. At least we can count on the downfall of less-than-dedicated ‘public servants.’ Sometimes.
In any case, Sanford’s failure to the voting public in following his male organ to another country while leaving his office effectively vacated is unforgiveable for an elected official. The fact that he has not offered his resignation only underscores his complete lack of dedication to his oath of office. His resignation would be his only political redemption.
smmtheory says:
July 6, 2009 at 9:48 pm
In any case, Sanford’s failure to the voting public in following his male organ to another country while leaving his office effectively vacated is unforgiveable for an elected official. The fact that he has not offered his resignation only underscores his complete lack of dedication to his oath of office. His resignation would be his only political redemption.
Just out of curiosity… did you happen to say the same thing about Bill Clinton following his male organ around after the interns?
Lindsay Stallones says:
July 6, 2009 at 11:31 pm
smmtheory,
Yes.
smmtheory says:
July 7, 2009 at 9:16 am
interesting… you’ll probably be about the only liberal i will ever see that comment from. did you ever wonder why none of the rest of his party were advocating the same thing?
Lindsay Stallones says:
July 7, 2009 at 10:58 pm
No. Both parties have as their core goal the maintenance of power. Just as Republicans set Ken Starr on Clinton like some ghastly attack dog to take power back, so Democrats circled the wagons and defended the indefensible to maintain it.
It’s an old story. That’s why it’s unwise for Christians to align themselves too closely with either party. The Kingdom of God isn’t in either party’s platform.
Dustin Steeve says:
July 12, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Lindsay,
I have no idea how the questions you posed in your first response have anything to do with what I wrote. My use of Africa as “exhibit A” is no different than the Time’s use of it to talk about the 50 million orphans. If I have somehow forgotten the demographical and political nuances of the various nations within that continent, so also has the Times.
Here’s my question for you – if the disintegration of the family unit destroys a society, does it matter the cause of that disintegration?
Regarding the Clinton / Sanford comparison, the two are not on the same scale. President Clinton committed a Nixon-esque abuse of Presidential power by attempting to undermine the supremacy of the law – he lied under oath. Sanford subjected himself to the law by admitting an affair thereby exposing his illegal use of taxpayer funds for personal gain. He will be judged for his crime. At least he didn’t insult the nation by desecrating a national treasure staining it (an an intern) with his seed.
Any direct comparison between these two incidents is utter nonsense – a political maneuver to rebuild the image of one party’s hero.