Friday, August 28, 2020

of Serious Thoughts: Protesting the 'Catholic Vote'

of Serious Thoughts: Protesting the 'Catholic Vote': I am a life-long practicing Catholic and I am angry and deeply offended by the group that calls itself ‘Catholic Vote’.     I have been floo...

Protesting the 'Catholic Vote'

I am a life-long practicing Catholic and I am angry and deeply offended by the group that calls itself ‘Catholic Vote’.  I have been flooded with at least 4 multi-page ‘information pieces’, several carrying three slightly different four-page surveys titled: 1) ‘2020 Catholic Voter Registration Confirmation & Presidential Preference Ballot’; 2) National Survey of 1,000,000 Catholic Voters Concerning the Democrats’ War on Catholics; 3) 2020 Elections Catholic Vote Survey Concerning the Left’s War on Catholics and Faith in God.  On each are listed: Your US Representative: John B. Larson, and Your two US Senators: Richard Blumenthal, Christopher Murthy. Thereby suggesting the reader inform their congressmen and senators of their position as ‘Catholic voters’.  My mailings were targeted to Connecticut voters; I assume they likewise identified congressmen for the other battleground states.

 

This is not a simple little flyer favoring a single candidate.  It is a vicious attack against the Democratic Party and Joe Biden designed to strongly influence the recipient to vote against Biden and for Trump.  It offends me on two levels: First, it flies in the face of the Constitution that calls for the separation of church and state.  Secondly, it opposes the official church position that Church refrain from political involvement.  One of the mailings contains a post card addressed to Connecticut Secretary of State requesting voter registration materials sent to the addressee (the person named on the letter.) 

 

Every ‘opinion question’ is strongly slanted against Biden and for Trump with bubbles of various words of  gradations from which to choose.   Examples:

--What is your opinion of President Trump’s performance on getting America’s economy growing again after 8 years of stagnation under the socialistic anti-business policies of Barack Obama?

--What was your reaction to the openly anti-Catholic stance of the Democratic Party leadership?

--How concerned are you that Christianity (which includes Christian morality) has been criminalized in America—especially in Democratic-run states and cities?

--What is your opinion about the Democratic leadership’s total opposition to President Trump’s efforts to secure American borders?

 

These 3 slightly different ‘surveys’ are each heavily loaded to lead the reader to affirming Trump and demonizing the Democratic party.  Why three?  I presume to give them more opportunity to apply pressure to to their audience.  There was of course an appeal for financial support in a brightly colored orange return envelope identified as:

                        Catholic Vote 

The 2020 Elections Project

        Campaign to Educate America’s Catholics

On How Anti-Catholic the Democratic Party Has Become

                        PO Box 7047

                 Merrifield, VA 22116-7047

Thus calling loud attention to their hostility toward the Democratic Party even by way of the US mail.

 

In referring to the similar 2016 campaign one of the letters stated:

“In all, Catholic Vote made more than 50 MILLION contacts with Catholic voters—with digital video ads that went viral, email, our social media campaigns, traffic to the CatholicVote.org website, and our CATHOLIC VOTER EDUCATION postal mailings.  This made the difference.

CatholicVote is undertaking a very similar Battle Plan this year—educating Catholics in the key Battleground states how anti-Catholic the Democrat Party had become.  But we aim to double what we did in 2016.”

 

I have found this so shocking I’m almost embarrassed to call myself a Catholic.  I was unaware of the extent of the so called ‘Catholic Vote’ in the 2016 campaign, I received no such mailings, perhaps because I was not in a battleground state at the time.  Although it is not an officially sanctioned church organization, I have heard no formal objections from the clergy.  

 

Catholics I know are shocked and strongly object to this slander.  How can there be—in the name of ‘Catholic’—such a blatant wide spread bias against the Democrats while giving support to a president known to be amoral, immoral and an inveterate liar?  It is inexcusable that there has been no official Church opposition to this.  It reflects the same silence that was demonstrated by the hierarchy regarding the Church’s sex-scandal.  

Saturday, July 25, 2020

of Serious Thoughts: Toward Justice

of Serious Thoughts: Toward Justice: I received a note-worthy comment on my June blog on violence.  Only last week did I realize how to make comments appear after the recent upd...

Monday, July 20, 2020

Toward Justice

I received a note-worthy comment on my June blog on violence.  Only last week did I realize how to make comments appear after the recent updates—technology is not one of my talents.  I want to repeat that comment as the lead in to my July essay.

 

            ‘Your insight - that the only formula for success is to put the self at risk in front of the offending party - is correct and difficult. It doesn't satisfy a sense of "fairness" because it is not fair... but it is the way that the arc of history is bent towards justice. (And that arc doesn't bend itself)    Anonymous’

 

 

Thank you for that wisdom, Anonymous.  Surely life is not fair!  Throughout my children’s growing up years, each time one came in whining ‘it isn’t fair’ about some perceived injustice done to them my response to them first was ‘and what did you do before that?’ followed by my stating ‘Life isn’t fair, but it is our job to make it more fair’.  Making it more fair includes standing before the injustice and refusing to resort to violence.  That is what Gandhi, the Suffragettes, and  MLK did and they made gigantic progress against the odds.  We celebrate, respect and admire what they achieved.

 

The arc of justice doesn’t bend itself;  the moral universe is not inevitable.  Humans are the only species capable of envisioning and understanding morality which involves principles of right and wrong, good and bad, truth and falsehood.  We know of it because of having reflective awareness—the ability to see forward and back to realize the consequences of our choices.

 

It is for that reason I wrote ‘violence is never the answer’.  Returning violence with more violence can only and will always escalate to ever more violence until someone is defeated or something is destroyed.  Violence has as its objective to crush, defeat, and/or destroy—to WIN.  The wiser objective is to raise awareness to the injustice and negotiate a solution.

 

Our desire for fairness sometimes gets in the way of reason.  When there is unfairness, tempers rise and indignation fuels anger—but it is within our ability to control the anger and not return the violence with more violence.  The marches of the 60’s did that.  Violence will never cure injustice; it will only expand and extend it.  Justice can be reached only by awakening to moral order; standing against violence and putting the self at risk.

 

The ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement and subsequent murder of George Floyd by white policemen has awakened world-wide awareness to legal systems being unjust.  Our law enforcement system unjustly targets blacks and minorities.  But consider: it is the job of police to control crime and keep order.  It is a fact, that in general, police unfairly treat people of color—as with George Floyd.  This attitude arises from a white supremist belief that all non-whites are inferior and more prone to crime and violence . . . so when those protesting retaliate and become violent (even if it be for a valid reason) that violence serves to reinforce their view and confirms in their minds the need to ‘levy control’, i.e. bring out stronger weapons. 

 

There is such a thing as righteous anger.  It is correct to be angered by injustice . . . that is what we see in the marches, a voice raised against injustice.  MLK did it without resorting to violence

--the million-man march and other 60’s marches were morality-based protests.  They were completely non-violent on the marcher’s part; the only violence was perpetrated by the ‘controllers’ . . . and their violence was witnessed.  The cost was the loss of a great leader and many other ‘innocents’, but the gain was that a huge measure of justice was won with sweeping changes in the law.

 

Humanity is progressing but progress is slow . . . bringing primitive man through inventing and learning to use language then how to preserve ideas by writing, to awakening to the need for laws, learning how to plan for future needs, recognizing the wrongness of invading and plundering, finally relinquishing slavery as incompatible with civilization, becoming aware that all people have inherent value . . . now we are struggling to understand justice and its place in the world we have created. 

 

It has taken thousands of years for mankind to begin to see justice as a goal.  Even as short a time as 150 years ago, mankind knew the words  but not the meaning of ‘justice for all’.  It will take many generations to inch toward its achievement.  Having recognized there is a flaw in our justice system is a giant step in the right direction.  I’m not suggesting to stop there, but I am suggesting there is a need to stop the violence that breaks out, because it causes the loss of our objective toward justice.  Keep marching, keep protesting, but temper the anger, be persistent but don’t throw rocks or antagonize those whose job it is to keep order.  When they choose violence be willing to put self at risk.

 

Today we mourn the passing of John Lewis.  In his lifetime he was demeaned, jailed and beaten but he never resorted to violence.  Let his example lead.  He is highly regarded by people of all colors and in both parties.   He will remain among the great American heroes.  He was a true moral leader.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

of Serious Thoughts: Violence Is Never the Answer

of Serious Thoughts: Violence Is Never the Answer: Violence is never the answer—it can only escalate the problem. There is a systemic problem in this country built upon our unique democ...

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Violence Is Never the Answer

Violence is never the answer—it can only escalate the problem.

There is a systemic problem in this country built upon our unique democratic origins wherein specific ‘human rights’ were granted to citizens as a constitutional right (upheld by law)—but citizenship was reserved only for white males.  The devastation that is now threatening to engulf our nation has its origin in the institutional enslavement of humans to work and build this nation to world prominence (primarily in the South).  Imported mainly from Africa, the enslaved were deemed ‘property’, denied rights—even denied the recognition of full humanity.  White  American males were ‘in control’ and automatically believed in their ‘superiority’.  It became an embedded belief.  A belief leads to assumptions which dictates behavior, producing habits which finally become entrenched. That superiority belief has its roots in the law of the jungle—‘Might Means Right’.

Slavery was abolished and laws were changed . . . but the systematic acceptance of superiority and dominance did not.  Blacks were given voting rights with the fantasy of equality, but widespread discrimination was the norm—and the myth of white supremacy in the minds of many men continued.

[a side note that is relevant:  Women also were considered property, inferior and denied rights.  Only in the 20th Century, after years of struggling for change, women for the first time were ‘given’ the right to vote and the appearance of equality but continued to be controlled by the illusion of their ‘privileged position of wife’. . . They didn’t need to be  ‘out in the world’ they were being ‘protected’ by husband.  To this day women are still denied full pay and equal authority.]

What I’m saying is that a deeply imbedded attitude is largely unseen and often unrealized.  Attitudes permeate cultures and take many generations to dislodge. 

There is just cause for the anger, rage, and pain in the black community.  I support demonstrations, and while the majority of protestors are concerned citizens, these events are opportunities for outsiders to create mayhem which degenerates into riots.  In this particular crusade too many rallies become destructive.  There is never a just cause that can validate violence.  The violence only justifies in the minds of white bigots that they are right to oppress and call in lethal weapons . . . and everything escalates until damage, destruction and death follows; obscuring the valid accusations of injustice.   Violence cannot be used as a tool against injustice because it also is unjust.

The killing of black men in the name of law enforcement is a travesty—and it truly happens.  All reasonable people will agree.  But to turn a demonstration into burning, smashing, destroying and an orgy of looting is equally despicable.

Our dictator; excuse me, our president who clearly thinks he is the lawfully appointed ultimate example of the Supreme white supremacist has chosen to militarize the streets of our cities in response—this is a cycle in which there are no winners!

Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and the Suffragettes knew that the only formula for success in the fight against injustice is to put the self at risk in front of the offending party and be willing to pay the price, whatever it is.       –as did Jesus

I refer you to a prayer from Teilhard de Chardin:  ‘Trust  in the Slow Work of God’  (see google)

Friday, May 15, 2020

Without Leadership

America was once referred to as a beacon of hope for the world; the shining city on a hill—having pride in what went before and with hope, proudly anticipating what is ahead.  That vision has been greatly dimmed and it has to do with leadership.  Only a strong leader can steer the ship of state in the right direction amid the relentless challenges in the contemporary world.

What is a strong leader?  It is Not one who equivocates on important issues, paints false pictures and denies responsibility; Not one who wields power to punish all who disagree and tears down others to enhance his self-image.  But a strong leader is one who honestly faces challenges, accepts responsibility, gives credit to advisors and acknowledges his mistakes. 

We’ve had many strong  leaders in our past . . . it showed in JFK’s admitting his mistake regarding the Bay of Pigs and learning to surround himself with people having different perspectives; it was Woodrow Wilson meeting with an array of foreign powers to begin work for international cooperation; it was Barack Obama carrying the country forward without insulting and disparaging the hostile stonewalling from the other party; it was Harry Truman proudly displaying the sign on his desk ‘the buck stops here’; it was FDR’s ability to mobilize every man, woman and child to support the Nation’s war efforts during WWII.

To be a true leader requires character and moral fiber.  A leader is one who goes ahead of others leading by example while relying on accurate information, proven knowledge and having the willingness to adapt if the facts determine another approach is necessary.  It is a leader’s courage that becomes an inspiration to others.

Dictators are not ‘strong leaders’, they are in fact iron-fisted megalomaniacs who cruelly wield their power to single-handedly demand blind allegiance to their words without recourse to facts, reason or openness to proof.  They instill fear in their followers.

At present, the man we have in America’s seat of power, is closer to a dictator than a strong leader.  By aggrandizing his personal image while disparaging all other sources of democratic leadership he has weakened the nation’s respect for law and order.  He has seeded widespread disrespect for the underpinnings of our democracy by repeatedly insulting and defaming these institutions upon which democracy stands: the free press, intelligence agencies, news media, the voting process, military leadership and scientific findings.

He has failed to deal with this pandemic with decisive action, giving mixed messages, disputing scientific findings, using insulting and disparaging remarks to all who voice a contrary opinion and firing key people who challange him, and even his blatant refusal to wear a face mask shows a level of disrespect for all authority but his own.

His failure to face the coronavirus crisis is but the final demonstration of his incompetence to lead a democratic nation.  And his bungling portends a danger to our democracy.  

Without strong leadership we watch the demise of our nation in in the eyes of the world and within our country, the crumbling of respect for law and order, inching more and more toward anarchy.