What happened to our “Hallmark” values?
Each Christmas season my wife and I look forward to days we spend watching one Hallmark movie after another; hopefully a snowy day with a fire in the fireplace.
We just finished watching Hallmark’s “Have a Little Faith,” which I taped earlier this week. As the first commercial began, I realized I was not fast-forwarding through it as I normally would. Instead, I wanted to watch the Hallmark commercial.
Why? Their commercials are as good as their movies and they still bring tears to my eyes. They remind me of our faith, our values, our traditions, of what we were, and of what we could again become.
After the movie, I read about Hallmark on the Internet, learning that for the past 60 years it has presented movies that “entertain, enlighten and inspire.” And at 61, I am one of the generation raised on Hallmark movies, movies that remind me of my parent’s and grandparent’s values; simple, uncomplicated American values.
And despite the ever-increasing demands for compromising these values, Hallmark holds fast, reminding us of the values we near-uniformly once held. I think more about this since moving home to Kearney, Nebraska, 37 miles from Holdrege where I was born, allowing me to really appreciate, maybe for the first time, what people mean when they talk of Midwestern and western values, better described by a man in his 90s who told me, “Nebraskans come from good stock.” Unfortunately, these traditional good-stock values have been under attack for decades, unending demands for change hidden in seemingly innocuous words like progressive, enlightened, tolerant, entitled, and the like. And, what of those people who dare question these demands? They face accusations of being narrow-minded, hateful, discriminatory, and worse.
An example? The current quarterback of the Denver Broncos. He receives continuing criticism for voicing and living his faith. Doesn’t he understand that our nation has evolved beyond a constitution that protects freedom of religion to a Supreme Court interpreted constitution that supports freedom from religion? How many in our country claim the words “separation of church and state” are from the United States Constitution and then use those words to demand the government only support those people professing the faith of “no faith?”
Critics of Tim Tebow’s suggest he “shut up” about his faith and stop the “religious antics.” I wonder. Do those same critics also tell those demanding no faith to shut up?
The USA Today suggested that our discomfort with Tebow’s faith might be that if he is, as he seems, “he doesn’t make us feel better about ourselves.” We would prefer to read about a Tiger Woods’ problems because other’s shortcomings don’t challenge us to be better.
Why have our mores and values changed so much over the past 200 plus years? The founding fathers gifted us a constitution with wonderful values, with freedom and opportunity to a level unique in the history of the world. But our government, with its Supreme Court, has distorted our constitution into one that now promises handouts in exchange for freedom, aristocratic benevolent overseers in exchange for opportunity, and an anything-goes value system in exchange for our faith.
Flying in the face of this deterioration stands Hallmark, giving me hope, hope that there are still people in this country who believe that freedom is more important than entitlements, opportunities are more important than guarantees, and values are more important than self-indulgence.
Hallmark movies give me hope that one day we will again demand the people give final approval to amendments to the United States Constitution rather than the Supreme Court (and lower courts) rewriting the constitution with rulings of what they believe a living, progressive, enlightened, tolerant constitution should say.
There are three groups in Washington I believe no longer ascribe to American values, who no longer represent us or our constitution – Democrats; Republicans; and Supreme Court justices. Maybe they need to watch Hallmark movies until they understand.
2 Responses to “What happened to our “Hallmark” values?”
Dawn L. Morrell says:
December 12, 2011 at 10:45 PM
Hi Dr. Bosley,
Great article. Thanks for posting. Good to hear from you again…its been a while.
Craig Bosley says:
December 15, 2011 at 3:48 PM
Craig
My name is Tom Davie, and I just finished reading your column in the Idaho State Journal. I just want you to know that your feelings about the Hallmark Channel are the same as mine. If Hallmark would put out a DVD of their commercials, I would be the first one in line to buy one, They are just awesome.
In case you do not remember me, I have three boys. While you worked in the emergency room in the old Bannock Hospital, you mended all their broken bones and feelings during their high school football and baseball season.
For all you have done for the boys and me I thank you and I cannot thank you enough.
Please keep up the good columns; I really enjoy reading your opinions.
Thanks Again
A friend always
Tom Davie