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Please, Some Good News! Pat Boone To my surprise, I found myself agreeing with Rosie O'Donnell a couple of days ago! On the morning TV show from which she launched her attack on Donald Trump, I heard her decrying the crazy hodgepodge of television offerings assaulting our senses today. Among other specifics (she never shrinks from specifics), she said "I don't want to see one more picture of that poor Anna Nicole Smith and her little baby and hear all the endless speculation about who's the father!" Sadly, this was the morning of the very day Ms. Smith was found dead in her hotel room. Of course, neither Rosie nor any of us knew that would happen. She went on for a little while, and I found myself anticipating and almost voicing the same complaints right along with her. That was really a "first" for me. Haven't you noticed the same things? Do they concern you? "Reality" shows that are anything but real; "entertainment" shows that focus more on gossip and speculation than actual entertainment news and facts; "talk" shows that encourage anything but talk, including fist fights and chair throwing; "news" programs that think all this other worthless garbage is reportable as news, while other vital and real topics are given only cursory notice. And of course, the comedy and drama offerings increasingly deal with the aberrant, dysfunctional, and outright immoral and blasphemous. Millions of us are hesitating to turn the "boob tube" on at all, having seen all the "boobs," both intellectual and mammary, that we care to see. Story Continues Below
Former FCC Chairman Newton Minnow called television a "vast wasteland" some years ago; well, true as that was then, it's virtually a polluted swamp now! So, then we go back to our newspapers and magazines, hoping for balanced and substantive coverage of real subjects and matters that will instruct, inform, and lift us up. Too often now, we find even the cover stories and front page articles dealing with a lot of the same sensational gossip and lurid escapades we got sick of on TV! And what actual news being reported seems only to be the worst man is capable of, and dire predictions about the dead end streets our leadership is taking us into. Yes, there are responsible programs and reportage, in TV and newspapers, and thank God for that. But they generally get poor ratings and scant readership, while sponsors and editors and producers feed us what they think we want — and will pay for. Too often they're right. Much of our society seems addicted to sludge, sleaze, and sensation. I need something good! Is there some good news, something laudable and hopeful anywhere? Yes, there is, and I want to share some with you, something that has cheered and encouraged me greatly. It centers around an organization called the Christian Legal Society. Will Rogers once said "Lawyers are generally nice guys, I suppose, but they make their livin' doin' things that wouldn't be necessary—if it wasn't for other lawyers!" And lawyers themselves know they generally reside at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to widespread public esteem. Most of us would rather have an appointment with the dentist than to see a lawyer, at least professionally. But the Christian Legal Society, based not far from our nation's capital, in Springfield, Va., is quietly and effectively at work, changing the image — and often even the motivations — of hundreds of dedicated and talented lawyers. With over two decades of litigation and coalition-building experience among a diverse community of religious freedom advocates, CLS Center for Law and Religious Freedom is one of the most respected religious liberty advocates in the nation. They provide Christian-perspective administrative, legislative or litigation-related public interest advocacy services in every type of legal forum, from Oregon to Congress — and the Oval Office. Since 1993, CLRF has also been building its reputation as a pro-life advocate, in cases where CLRF attorneys provide legal representation to parties in legal actions. That representation is handled through a separate but affiliated organization, CLRF Advocates, LLC. These are tough, informed, dedicated, and well-equipped defenders of the civil and personal liberties that the ACLU attacks continually. Why do I think this is such great good news? I knew Herb Ellingwood, a lawyer like this, when he was at the side of Ronald Reagan during his two terms as governor of California, and on into the White House. In addition to advising Reagan on legal matters and decisions, he arrived at the office before "the chief" and walked around it, praying for guidance, wisdom, and protection for many minutes. When the governor arrived, there was a sense of peace and purpose permeating the place; and he knew that the counsel Herb gave him would be thoughtful, legally sound—and morally right. That contributed greatly to the confidence Reagan always brought to his own statements and positions. Just read these CLS statements of their own purposes, viewable at www.clsnet.org, their Web site. Our Vision — Seeking Justice with the Love of God. Our Mission — To be the national grass-roots network of lawyers and law students, associated with others committed to proclaiming, loving, and serving Jesus Christ, through all we do and say in the practice of law, and advocating biblical conflict reconciliation, legal assistance for the poor and the needy, religious freedom, and the sanctity of human life. Our Core Value — Being a justice-seeking, Christ-following band of committed, loving friends. Our Core Purpose — Transforming the legal profession for good, one heart and mind at a time, by enlisting lawyers and law students everywhere to faithfully serve Jesus Christ in the diligent study and ethical practice of law by ministering to the poor, reconciling people in conflict, defending life, and protecting the religious liberties of all people. Wow! I needed that! We need that! We're not talking about a group of religious zealots organized into a subversive force behind one narrow ideology, trying to force its worldview on our society (like another four-letter legal group I could name, with its totally opposite agenda and philosophy). No, these are next-door neighbors, husbands and fathers and some mothers and wives, who love our country and its Constitution, who go to church on Sunday — and practice what was preached the rest of the week, in the delicate and very serious practice of law. If I need a lawyer, about any personal matter, I'm calling one of these guys. And when I know of somebody's legal and constitutional rights being threatened and squashed by an activist judge or the devil's advocate ACLU, I'm calling the CLS. Or on the west coast, Brad Dacus and the Pacific Justice Institute. Brad and his group are members of the CLS. I sure hope this brightens your day, as it does mine. I even suspect ol' Will Rogers might amend his famous statement, and say regarding the CLS, "I never met a lawyer I didn't like."
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