Many of America's well-intentioned programs and laws are rooted in stupidity. One only has to look at the Endangered Species Act to know that this is true. Compare these two endangered species:

Since both the Ocelot and the Tooth Cave Spider are endangered, doesn't it seem that they should receive equal time from environmental activists and politicians? That makes sense. Unfortunately, little about the ESA makes sense...but it's a reflection of our values as a society. Cute and cuddly animals get more sympathy than insects, and endangered bacteria don't even make the list.

What about humans? Admittedly, there are plenty of us to go around...but, at this moment, one-fourth of unborn babies will be aborted. If you stick your neck out and mention that fact, you're considered a religious nut by default (even if you're an atheist). Christian musician Steve Taylor wrote about this years ago:

You save the whales, you save the seals,
You save whatever's cute and squeals
But you kill that thing that's in the womb
Would not want no baby boom...
Who you tryin' to kid, kid?
Wrap it in a fine philosophy
Who you tryin' to kid, kid?
But your bottom line still says me, me, me

If we're truly concerned about the lives of the creatures around us, we should be concerned about all of them. Political correctness shouldn't play a part in our decision-making...only intellectual honesty. Unfortunately, intellectual honesty is often in short supply. The simple fact is that many consider Ocelots just as valuable as humans, and the babies and Tooth Cave Spiders are out of luck.