When Election Day arrives, so do the traps that come with it. Be sure you avoid these pitfalls, and help others avoid them, too! 1. I’m a nobody — I only have one vote, and my vote doesn’t count! This trap overlooks the lessons of history that show how elections can be decided by a […]
I don’t watch The View. I tried a few times, many moons ago; but found that even with the presence of conservative Elisabeth Hasslebeck, I couldn’t stomach the show. I’m also a huge fan of Ann Romney. Huge. But even her guest spot on The View couldn’t entice me to tune in. Appearing the same […]
God did not send the Savior to a pacifist society in Nepal, or to some remote place eschewing military preparedness (like an ancient version of today’s Costa Rica). Instead he chose the world’s greatest and most literate empire at “the fullness of time.”[1] The Pax Romana, the Roman Peace, was maintained by training, equipping and […]
Federal judges this week have blocked two states, Indiana and Arizona, from enforcing laws barring Medicaid payments to abortion providers. As a result, taxpayers in both states will be forced to continue funding Planned Parenthood and other institutions that provide abortions, provided the payments are earmarked for “family planning” and not elective abortions. Both states […]
All of us are immersed in this politically charged atmosphere. Like lightning hitting dry brush, words can easily set off a firestorm. There are some who love this climate, mostly politicians I imagine, or perhaps those who have something to gain financially or otherwise in the process or outcome. The rest of us begrudgingly tolerate […]
Pro-life groups in Ireland fear that recommendations from a panel of experts appointed by Irish Health Minister James Reilly would be the first steps to introduce legal abortion in Ireland. The minister is expected to issue new regulations following the recommendations of an expert panel set up in January as a response to the European […]
The result of the Presidential Election was hardly a foregone conclusion, for while the “progressive” candidate won again, it was by a reduced margin. And there were moments when even his own most earnest supporters thought he might lose, given the bad shape of the economy. His opponent, a former state governor with a reputation […]
In these final few days of election season, wouldn’t it be a relief to read something informative, constructive, and positive? The political scene this year is filled with negativity and misinformation; yet, we are presented with two very clear choices, at least when it comes to the presidential race. The book Indivisible provides a positive […]
Editors note: This was given as a homily on Sunday, October 14th, 2012 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in New Brighton, MN. The gospel was for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B, Mark 10:17-30. Recently I spoke with a senior at a Catholic high school and he was telling me that […]
I only wear mascara for special occasions: Easter, Christmas, Sunday Mass, an evening out with hubby, lunch with friends. It isn’t a daily, automatic thing for me. So when I was getting ready to attend the Paul Ryan rally in our area this past week, I thought it odd that my instinct was to put […]
A generation ago, in the 1970s, the U.S. intelligence community possessed the technology to discern whether or not a U.S. consulate was under attack by terrorists or by rioters run amok. Moreover, no one in the community ever wanted a superior, especially at the highest levels, to point to an article in the Washington Post […]
Unless you’ve been living under the rock for the past month or so, you’ve probably noticed that the campaign season has kicked into overdrive. One of the critical voting blocks being targeted by Democrats are women. The airwaves are clogged and mailboxes stuffed with the message that the crusty old white men who comprise the […]
Last Wednesday’s startling remarks from the Ontario Liberal Government’s Minister of Education Laurel Broten prohibiting teaching against abortion in Catholic schools have caused an outpouring of calls for the Minister’s resignation and for the scrapping of the recently-passed “anti-bullying” law which she cited as necessitating the prohibition. Broten has been rebuked the Cardinal Archbishop of Toronto, and […]
Soon citizens in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington State will vote on whether to redefine marriage. Perhaps the following article will help deter some voters from playing an accessory role in waging war against “the laws of nature and of nature’s God.” In proportion as people plunge into practices which are, as the Catechism indicates, […]
For me, the most jaw-dropping moment of the vice presidential debate came when Vice President Joe Biden asserted that Obamacare’s contraception mandate simply did not exist. Said the VP: “With regard to the assault on the Catholic Church, let me make it absolutely clear. No religious institution — Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic social services, […]
If it weren’t so obvious, it might be ironic. On Monday, a USA Today/Gallup poll among likely voters in the top 12 battleground states revealed a startling demographic shift: Women are moving toward Republican Mitt Romney, thanks in large measure to the candidates’ respective performances in the first presidential debate earlier this month in Denver. […]
Joe Biden’s antics against Paul Ryan have taken a few days to sink in, and should take longer still. For starters, try to imagine being Paul Ryan last Thursday [Oct. 11th]: a young politician in the hot seat, the eyes of the world pressing upon him, as he tries to make succinct statements in a […]
The last few weeks have produced many intriguing political moments, but none as shocking as the revelation that President Obama has been absent from the vast majority of his daily intelligence briefings. According to a study by the Government Accountability Institute, Obama failed to attend a single Presidential Daily Brief (PDB) in the week leading up […]
While following political developments, I became nonplussed but could not name why. As I was puzzling-out my thoughts, I unexpectedly received assistance from the Servant of God, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. I would like to share my observations and reflect for a moment on the place of politics in society. Sheen said the following back […]
Most of the country has heard of the decision by one public school system in Rhode Island to amend its policy towards “gendered” activities for its students. Cranston hosts the typical middle school events — father-daughter dances and mother-son sports outings — which facilitate family and community bonding. Such light-hearted group activities provide memories and […]
In a recent article in The National Catholic Reporter Michael Sean Winters criticized vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan for failing to present a plan to help the poor, and purported to criticize Vice President Joe Biden for not presenting a way to protect the unborn. I found the usual obfuscation of Catholic moral teaching that […]
History offers insightful comparisons and contrasts between past and present. A generation or so before the birth of Christ, Rome lost her republic to political and cultural decadence. Although reformers emerged in the political and literary spheres, their efforts failed and ancient democracy faded into oblivion. Whereas in America, the game is not quite up. […]
Team Obama insists that next month’s presidential election is “a choice, not a referendum.” It sure seems to be with respect to the two candidates very different views on the Constitution. Mitt Romney makes plain at every turn his commitment to that document, while Barack Obama’s conduct in office has marked him as the post-constitutional […]
The mission statement of Philadelphia’s Charles Carroll High School, displayed prominently on its website, offers a hopeful vision of an educational institution: “Providing all students with the academic, technological & social skills needed to be productive & contributing citizens in our society.” This week, the specific mention of “social skills” and citizenship likely sounds like […]
