Newborn Perspective

Since I wrote my last column, much has happened in the world. Judge Alito was confirmed as Justice Alito. Global rioting resulted from the publication of controversial cartoons depicting Muhammad. Most recently, there is uproar over control of American ports potentially being run by a company based in the United Arab Emirates.

Even on issues I’ve written about most often, there were developments. The genocidal crisis in Darfur has spilled across the border into Chad and the Bush Administration’s attempts to increase the involvement of both NATO and the UN have fallen largely on deaf international ears. (Click here if you’d like to sign a postcard to the Bush Administration urging action in Darfur as part of an effort to send a million postcards by the end of April – www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org). On torture, two low-level dog handlers within the army are to be sentenced for their actions while those who allowed – even encouraged – torture are not held accountable. Representatives of Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, and Cisco were brought before Congress to testify as to their activities in China. And on tort reform, our Vice-President infamously fired the first shot in a quest to reform the system by eliminating the lawyers.

In short, the past month has not been short of interesting social and political activity.

Yet, I have paid little attention to the world. Instead, I am concerned with issues like wet burps, clogged tear ducts, and dirty diapers. Lots of dirty diapers. My wife and I are meticulously tracking eating and sleeping patterns. We have spent far more time listening to Twinkle, Twinkle than to NPR. It is a major cause for excitement when our daughter is able to do something as simple as bringing her hand directly to her mouth. Watching her grow and develop and experience something new every day is incredible, and it is a reminder of what we all truly care about.

This past month has driven home the point that thinking, talking, or writing about political and social issues is truly a luxury. Instead, it is the day-to-day challenge of raising a family, a task that requires unwavering commitment and attention, that rightfully gets top priority.

I would argue that this is the way most Americans confront politics – they may be important, but they are secondary to the challenges of everyday life. We don’t have the time, or frankly, the attention span, required to be fully engaged and informed citizens. Instead, we focus our limited energies on our core concerns – is my family healthy? Is my family safe? Any free time we have is spent doing something far more interesting than reviewing public policies.

And while the proper perspective is essential when discussing politics, I firmly believe that these discussions are important. It does matter who our leaders are. It does matter who sets the local or national agenda. It does make a difference which way an issue turns. In fact, these outcomes often affect the way we live our day-to-day lives as part of a larger community.

So when I watch Sadie striving to do something new, I see not only an adorable distraction from the world we live in (check out the picture – she really is adorable), but the very reason to be engaged with that world. It is precisely because these small things are my top priority that I must also care about the larger issues we face together. And while it may be difficult to focus on anything beyond the sound of a baby’s cry – and it grows more and more difficult every day, I’m learning – we owe it to our families to do so. After all, it is their world as much as our’s that we are shaping.