Other Columns by Kevin Fobbs
Kevin Fobbs Bio

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Every period of our nation's history has an established measuring point for the culture. It is something that has always embodied a defining moment, some salient point, which earmarks for America's soul when it is time to re-arm and recover its spirit.

Is it no mystery that Terry Wallis and his remarkable story of reawakening after nearly 20 years to an America that has literally passed him by is a new reminder of how precious it is to not give up on life no matter how long it takes or how miraculous it may seem to have faith. In Terry Wallis' world of 19 years ago, Americans and the world were still fearful until President Ronald Reagan, now a virtual legend in our nation's recent history, stood against the fear of communism and challenged the then "Evil Empire" to tear down the wall of communism which had gripped the world for at least two generations.

America and the world needed a new reference point. President Reagan's firm defiance of conventional political correctness, which was at that time to acquiesce on bended knee, embrace failure, negotiate away freedom and time honored values, had to change because to do otherwise would be to fear the possibility of success.

President Reagan knew that history demanded that the nation stand against fear in whatever form it would transform itself. He came of age during the Great Depression. This period was probably the most transformative period in America's history. Reagan experienced what millions of Americans experienced when another remarkable American, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt surveyed the nation's consciousness and gave Americans new courage and faith in ourselves by stating in his first inaugural speech, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself"

But seventy three years and ten Presidents later America has indeed sunk into another depression which is much more severe than the economic mind numbing tailspin which the nation grappled with during the harrowing years of the 1930s.

This depression may have seen its true genesis in those dark days, when faith, family and freedom were being challenged by new "beliefs" being heralded by Margaret Sanger of Planned Parenthood and Roger Nash Baldwin founder of the fledgling ACLU, which in 1933 was celebrating its 13th birthday.

Many Americans look at the passage of time and the apparent "undoing" of America's "Culture of Life" as an ideological exercise, only cherished and fought for by conservative zealots who live in some fanatical world sandwiched between the eight years of the Eisenhower's administration and the early years of the Kennedy administration, sort of pre-Cuban Missile Crisis. Culture of Life detractors believe those were the days which Culture of Life supporters would like to force-feed America. Many of these detractors superficially attempt to define contemporary Culture of Lifers as coming of age in this narrow sliver of a historical reference point, without understanding Culture of Life defenders draw upon their historical weaponry from all parts of our American history.

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