How 'bout that Gator?

By Doug Hagin

Those who know me know that I am a proud, passionate, dedicated fan of the Florida Gators. They also will tell you that there is nothing I love anymore than watching my beloved Gators play football on Autumn Saturdays. Over the past 20 years, I have had a tremendous amount to be proud of as a Gator follower. Two Heisman Trophy winners, two college basketball national championships, three college football national championships, and the winningest football program in America among other achievements.

I must say, however, that recently, I have found another reason to say that it is, as we Gators say, Great to be a Gator! Tim Tebow, who during his four years as Florida QB, delivered two national championships, and a Heisman, and an South Eastern Conference record 48 wins, has always shared his faith openly, and in a manner that shows the very best of the Christian faith. His play on the field, and his mission work off of it has been a blessing to many, not just us Gator fans. Standing on your principles and beliefs can do that. And Tebows' latest stand makes me as proud of him as any other deed he has done.

Tebow, along with his mother Pam, have agreed to do a 30-second spot for Focus on the Family that will run during the Super Bowl on February 7. CBS, has approved the spot, which is called "Celebrate family, Celebrate Life." Pretty simple, it might seem to most folks. A very nice message, celebrating family, and life. What could go wrong? Well, for one, a group of radical "feminists" might develop Offendeditis over it, and start behaving like the intolerant bigots they are.

A national coalition of women's groups called on CBS on Monday to scrap its plan to broadcast an ad during the Super Bowl featuring college football star Tim Tebow and his mother, which critics say is likely to convey an anti-abortion message.

"An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year — an event designed to bring Americans together," said Jemhu Greene, president of the New York-based Women's Media Center.

The center was coordinating the protest with backing from the National Organization for Women, the Feminist Majority and other groups

Ah, so they are outraged over an ad that no one has seen yet and are upset because they think it might, might mind you, contain a message that is, "anti-abortion." Well, sorry to use a bit of common sense here, but, is Tim's mother Pam, not a woman? Was she not pregnant with Tim? Did she not choose to give birth to her son? Now, I know we all are well aware that these "feminist" groups champion , say it with me, "a woman's right to choose." So, what is the problem? Is the choice Pam Tebow made not fit to be shared? Is her choice somehow less deserving than if she had decided to abort her baby?

Perhaps we can look at the message and better understand the outrage by these "feminists" Let us look at the story Pam and Tom Tebow are expected to share in the spot.

The ad — paid for by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family — is expected to recount the story of Pam Tebow's pregnancy in 1987 with a theme of "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life." After getting sick during a mission trip to the Philippines, she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child and gave birth to Tim, who went on to win the 2007 Heisman Trophy while helping his Florida team to two BCS championships.

Ah, now we see the real reason for the outrage don't we? Pam Tebow decided, CHOSE, not to have an abortion. And because of that CHOICE, the whole world can now look at her son, and see the wisdom, and faith involved in that choice. The pro-abortion side loathes choices like this, and will do anything to prevent that message from being shared. You can bet your bottom dollar that if Pam Tebow wanted to do an ad for Planned Parenthood, or one of these other radical, pro-abortion groups, they would be all for it.

They do not care about the alleged "divisiveness" of the ad. They care about silencing the message it will deliver because that message will hurt their agenda. They fear that people will watch this ad and see the "choice" these groups never talk about. They fear people will look at Tebow, and think what a tragedy it would have been if he had been done away with in his mothers' womb. You see, as I have written many times, the "pro choice" side is really not pro-choice at all. They are pro choices THEY approve of. The feminist movement has become part of the Leftist camp. Like all Leftists they are only in favor of decisions, choices, speech, and actions they approve of.

Sure, sure, they talk the pro-choice talk, just like they talk the freedom of speech talk. But look at their walk, it is usually decidedly different than their talk. Sure, these groups say they are pro-woman, until a woman chooses a course they do not approve of that is. If you do not believe me, check out how the "tolerant" Left has treated .Sarah Palin, or Michelle Malkin. Like these two women, Pam Tebow has forgotten her place. She is a woman after all, and by George women are supposed to take certain ideological positions, and if they don't? Well, then they must pay the price for thinking for themselves.

Terry O'Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women, said she had respect for the private choices made by women such as Pam Tebow but condemned the planned ad as "extraordinarily offensive and demeaning."

"That's not being respectful of other people's lives," O'Neill said. "It is offensive to hold one way out as being a superior way over everybody else's."

Excuse me but how is sharing one woman's CHOICE demeaning exactly? How is it offensive? How does the ad convey a message that the CHOICE Pam Tebow made is superior? It doesn't of course, and frankly, if phony feminists like Terry O'Neill really cared about women, and choice, then they would be applauding the ad. Instead, they are slinging nasty accusations and trying to silence voices they do not approve of.

So, keep standing up and making us proud Tim, and Pam, God bless you both! Oh, and one more thing, GO GATORS!

© Doug Hagin