Tebow Talks About Abortion
Brendan Monroe
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Opinions
One firestorm that erupted last week in the run-up to the Feb. 7 Super Bowl match-up between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts managed to, at least briefly, overshadow all talk of the game. One commercial set to air during the Super Bowl has garnered controversy for taking a view on the always-touchy subject of abortion.
The spot features Univeristy of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother Pam. The fact is, nobody outside of Focus on the Family, the Colorado based religious organization, and CBS, which requires viewing of all potential Super Bowl ads for approval, have seen the ad.
What the ad is rumored to contain is the story of a doctor's recommendation in 1987 to a pregnant Pam Tebow while she was in the Philippines doing mission work to get an abortion after her pregnancy suffered complications. Obviously, Pam Tebow did not succumb to the doctor's supposed advice and instead gave birth to Tebow, who as we all know, went on to win the Heisman.
The commercial supposedly focuses on Tebow's field accomplishments in order to create an argument for why women should rule abortion out as an option.
Focus on the Family released a statement last week which stated that the commercial is merely a "celebration of family" and a "celebration of life" and is not trying to push any political agenda. Yeah, sure - which explains exactly why Focus on the Family is the one sponsoring it.
What F.o.t.F. should have said is, well yes, of course we are trying to overturn Roe v. Wade, and this ad is an easily communicable way of getting our message across to the over 100 million viewers who watch the Super Bowl.
On the opposite end of the spectrum you have women's groups and individuals, like radical leftist Gloria Allred, who have come out vehemently against the ad. On her part, Allred denies the factuality of the story in the first place.
"One fact is that the act of abortion is totally illegal in the majority Catholic country of the Philippines - under all circumstances including rape and incest, and even without a provision in the circumstance that the mother's life is in danger. The law has been in effect since 1930." Allred goes on to state that because of this, a Philippino doctor would have essentially been breaking the law in offering this advice and carrying it out, as an abortion in the country carries with it a six-year prison sentence and leads to the physician's license being revoked.
The risk, Allred argues, is then too great for a doctor in the Philippines to advise a woman to get an abortion and it is fairly reasonable to say that no doctor in the country would take this risk. This does call into question some elements of the story but until Pam Tebow is interviewed and asked to iron out these details, I will give her the benefit of the doubt.
There are those who argue that the Super Bowl should be free of politics. I am sympathetic to this. But if you have a problem with a 30-second commercial spot then change the channel. That goes for political rhetoric offensive to both Republicans and Democrats. I doubt this one commercial is really going to convince anyone against his or her position on the issue already. It is not in fact the subject matter that is offensive, but the idea that Tebow's athletic accomplishments somehow make him a more valuable human being.
The spot features Univeristy of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother Pam. The fact is, nobody outside of Focus on the Family, the Colorado based religious organization, and CBS, which requires viewing of all potential Super Bowl ads for approval, have seen the ad.
What the ad is rumored to contain is the story of a doctor's recommendation in 1987 to a pregnant Pam Tebow while she was in the Philippines doing mission work to get an abortion after her pregnancy suffered complications. Obviously, Pam Tebow did not succumb to the doctor's supposed advice and instead gave birth to Tebow, who as we all know, went on to win the Heisman.
The commercial supposedly focuses on Tebow's field accomplishments in order to create an argument for why women should rule abortion out as an option.
Focus on the Family released a statement last week which stated that the commercial is merely a "celebration of family" and a "celebration of life" and is not trying to push any political agenda. Yeah, sure - which explains exactly why Focus on the Family is the one sponsoring it.
What F.o.t.F. should have said is, well yes, of course we are trying to overturn Roe v. Wade, and this ad is an easily communicable way of getting our message across to the over 100 million viewers who watch the Super Bowl.
On the opposite end of the spectrum you have women's groups and individuals, like radical leftist Gloria Allred, who have come out vehemently against the ad. On her part, Allred denies the factuality of the story in the first place.
"One fact is that the act of abortion is totally illegal in the majority Catholic country of the Philippines - under all circumstances including rape and incest, and even without a provision in the circumstance that the mother's life is in danger. The law has been in effect since 1930." Allred goes on to state that because of this, a Philippino doctor would have essentially been breaking the law in offering this advice and carrying it out, as an abortion in the country carries with it a six-year prison sentence and leads to the physician's license being revoked.
The risk, Allred argues, is then too great for a doctor in the Philippines to advise a woman to get an abortion and it is fairly reasonable to say that no doctor in the country would take this risk. This does call into question some elements of the story but until Pam Tebow is interviewed and asked to iron out these details, I will give her the benefit of the doubt.
There are those who argue that the Super Bowl should be free of politics. I am sympathetic to this. But if you have a problem with a 30-second commercial spot then change the channel. That goes for political rhetoric offensive to both Republicans and Democrats. I doubt this one commercial is really going to convince anyone against his or her position on the issue already. It is not in fact the subject matter that is offensive, but the idea that Tebow's athletic accomplishments somehow make him a more valuable human being.
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