NOW’s response shows desperation in a losing cause

When the Tebow ad aired during the Super Bowl and made not one mention of ABORTION, it really took the wind out of NOW’s sails. I’m guessing those old grey haired hags (I can call them that as I’m one of them now – not a NOW member, but the other thing) had a rushed Skype confab to determine a Plan B attack.

So, as you’ve all heard, they took the tried and tired stance of violence against women.

Of course, as is par for this out-dated, out of style organization they ignored the Betty White tackle and mud wrestling ad – which I thought was pretty funny.

I can’t imagine anyone else – anyone as normal as I – who saw the Tebow ad and thought what NOW thought. This ad worked and it worked because the 4 words that mattered are still with me days after it aired: Celebrate Family. Celebrate Life.

And who can seriously take issue with that? No one.  At least no one who wants to retain any kind of credibility. How much more un-American can you be to have an issue with FAMILY? So NOW had to create an issue out of thin air.

The Los Angeles Times reported that NOW President Terry O’Neill said the Tebow ad – I couldn’t make this up – glorifies violence against women.

“I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it,” she said. “That’s what comes across to me even more strongly than the anti-abortion message. I myself am a survivor of domestic violence, and I don’t find it charming. I think CBS should be ashamed of itself.”

No, Terry O’Neill is the one who should be ashamed.

This violence against women thing really is a stretch and an obvious one. But to create an issue of this kind out of nothing and then to ignore actual cases of violence is nothing short of hypocritical. It’s circumstances like this that do nothing for their cause, credibility or the organization’s reputation.

Hours before the Tebow ad ran, former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Warren Sapp was arrested in Miami on a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery against a woman.

Where was Terry O’Neill on that one?

This makes that defunct organization of old women look desperate, bitter and shrill. And very out of touch with real issues that affect women and families.

… we get a ridiculous statement of outrage about an ad featuring a loving family.

We know why, of course.

The Tebow ad features a message to contact the group Focus on the Family, which strongly opposes abortion.

I’m not going to get into that debate here, but it’s worth noting that prior to the airing of the ad, when NOW was trying to force CBS to keep it off the air, O’Neill told The Associated Press, “That’s not being respectful of other people’s lives. It is offensive to hold one way out as being a superior way over everybody else’s.”

Yes, it is.

And to say that Tim and Pam Tebow have glorified violence against women is worse than offensive. It’s downright stupid.

Is stupidity, desperation and bitterness an image that old grey haired hags really want to put forth? Well, it’s not an image I want. In my old grey haired hag days, I want to be viewed as wise, kind and strong.

And still very much in love with my family.

Read Joe Henderson’s column at Tampa Bay online.