Thought of the Day 09.05.08

I used to marvel at the rudeness so often publicly shown to parents of large families until I realized that such critics are just using anger to stifle the doubt and guilt they feel about their own decision to stop having children. This insight helps explain the vitriol of the attacks by so many people on the left of Sarah Palin.

It’s not her conservatism, her beauty, or even the bump she gives to McCain. It’s more primitive than that. It’s because her life rebukes them. She has five children, two of them after the age of forty. When her infant son was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, she chose life. And when her own daughter was discovered pregnant (a hypothetical commonly used to challenge pro-lifers), she helped her choose life, too.

In short, they must demonize her because her choices so clearly condemn their own. Make no mistake, when your example disproves someone else’s deeply internalized rationalizations, they will try to destroy you. After all, the only other option would be to -repent.