Value of life losing favor with Americans
by KC Jones, reporter

    Holidays like the 4th of July remind us of the sacrifices made for the establishment and continuance of the American way of life.

    Many people have given their lives for the freedom and liberties of others. Now, Americans are using that freedom with a disregard for life.

    In the past 200 years, over one million Americans have died for their country.

     America is now engaged in a war with no heroes, only victims. Our society has declared war on its most helpless members, our unborn children. Since that war was declared on January 22, 1973, through 1997, there have been over 35 million deaths.

    This society has ever so gradually traded its belief in a Supreme Being for a devaluation of life itself. Suicide, euthanasia, abortion and violence are on the rise.

    This growing violence, apathy and lack of respect in American culture may be a result of the wealth and over abundance of the land. Most people in the world are faced with obstacles of starvation, war and genocide; these people struggle just to survive.

    As time and science advance, one might ask if U.S. society is better off today than 50 years ago. Some are concerned about the future economics of this country because of the unnaturally high average age evolving. Care services for the elderly are already realizing shortages. One problem is the loss of a generation of citizens, one in four, because of the legalization of abortion.

    The easy access of this form of birth control and a casual attitude toward the procedure touted as a woman’s right has turned the society’s attitude toward a disregard for life.

    Stem cell research has proven to be a potential lifesaver for those inflicted with a variety of illness. Adult stem cells have shown to produce the best results, but science has chosen to harvest newborns instead.

    A newly legalized procedure, called a partial birth abortion is now part of the medical mining of baby parts. But science doesn’t stop there; thousands of embryos from invitro-fertilization are tossed into experiments.

    Dr. Jack Kevorkian has opened the door for acceptable mercy killing. With thousands of unloved and lonely elderly in understaffed nursing homes, many people would rationalize that they are better off dead.

    The hurting and hopeless can’t see past their pain to the light of day and opt to end it all in the darkness of death. It is a paradox that while millions worldwide struggle to exist, millions in America strive to die.

    Life is beautiful; it is the attitude of people that is ugly.