Christmas Eve Senate Vote

The Senate has the final round of voting to pass the Reid health care bill, on this, the eve of our Lord's birth. So far, this has been an incredibly interesting and insightful look into the workings of our government.

Being a future social studies teacher, I shudder to think how I'm going to explain this process to my future students. All of the lessons and diagrams of government I've had to go over seem a little lacking, even misleading to a great degree.

How do I start with this one?

I suppose it would be important to let them know that the "right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," as written in our Declaration of Independence, are really only suggestions. Whether or not you possess the right to life depends on who is in power at the time. And if you happen to fall under the category of those not possessing that right, others will be forced to pay for your execution, even if the majority of Americans don't think that should be the case.

What else? Oh yes, elected officials are not in Washington to represent the people who elected them. What is really important is how they further the agendas of those who finance their re-election. It's perfectly fine for them to sell out any "values" or "morals" that they might have used to get elected, as long as they get a good deal. Plus, it's okay for them to distort and misrepresent the faith community they claim to belong to, because "values" and "morals" are goods for sale, not to be protected and proclaimed. That sort of stuff needs to stay at home.

I know all this sounds really pessimistic. That's the point. But, the hope is that this won't be a lesson plan I'll have to make. I still have faith in our system, but I have infinitely more faith in God.

Merry Christmas!

John Paul II Declared Venerable!

The road to sainthood made major headway today for fans of one of the most beloved popes in modern Church history. Pope Benedict XVI declared Pope John Paul II venerable today at the Vatican, four years after the late pontiff's death.

The road to sainthood continues!

Obama Admin. Threatens Base Closure

It was reported yesterday in The Weekly Standard that Nebraska Democrat, Senator Ben Nelson, received a phone call from someone within in the Obama administration. Now remember, Senator Nelson is the same senator who proposed the amendment which would have stopped funding of abortion in the senate health care bill. He has mentioned that he would stand in opposition to the bill if abortion funding was included. He represents an important vote for Democrats if this bill is to move forward.

Now, back to the phone call. It is reported from sources in the Senate that a member of the administration called the senator and threatened to add Offutt Air force Base to the infamous BRAC list, which is the list of military bases up for closure. Spokes people within both senator Nelson's office and the Obama admin. are denying these charges. But, that's not really all that surprising, its Democrats protecting Democrats. This is simply another example of the trend this current government put into place of so-called "Chicago Style" politics.

So far in the health care marathon, there have been a couple examples. The senator from the great state of Louisiana, Mary Landrieu, was bought off in exchange for a yes vote, reportedly with $300 million of our tax money. Senator Nelson is, apparently, being strong armed with threats to get a yes vote, using our national defense as a poker chip. The president's administration is in bed with unions (SEIU), so these baseball bat tactics don't come as surprising. "Czars" of extremely questionable backgrounds are being appointed to high posts without congressional review, and definitely without public review.

This is what it looks like when a democracy becomes undemocratic and begins the journey to the state of being "something else." What that something else might be, I'm not sure yet. I can't help but look back to the Manhattan Declaration and its call to Christian conscience. I honestly don't know what the situation might be in a year. American history has very few precedents for us to look back on and take wisdom from in regards to the possible complete erosion of the American system. Not only is the political system being severely compromised, but the philosophy which that system is based.

Kelly Takes Reins at Golden Dome

On the lighter side of things, Notre Dame introduced Brian Kelly as their new head coach yesterday. Kelly, formerly the head of the Cincinnati Bearcats, appears to be a pretty good pick for the Irish job. But, this position tends to be one of the great humblers in the college ranks.

Prior to his hiring at ND, Kelly led Cinci to two Big East titles and won two national titles with NCAA Division II Grand Valley State. So, the resume is definitely there.

Kelly is calling this his "dream job." It very well could turn into a nightmare, just ask Mr. Weis, Mr. Willingham, Mr. Davies...well, just ask every Irish coach since Lou Holtz.

Catholics Should NOT Support Senate HC Bill

The Nelson Amendment, which would have prevented the tax payer funding of abortion in the Senate bill, has been voted down in the Senate. This means that any future vote is either a vote for life or for abortion. From what I've heard, these votes could happen as early as Christmas.

Other issues, such as the lack of any protection of conscience, also looms large within the bill.

Please contact your elected officials and remind them who they work for. Also, give your support to your local bishop and let them know that they don't stand alone on this critical issue.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has an excellent news release that was published on Dec. 9 on the bishops website. Cardinal George made a striking remark near the end of the release that needs to be a rallying cry.

Go to www.usccb.org to find out more regarding the healthcare debate. It's vital that everyone is educated and knows the ramifications of what might be on the horizon.

Seth's Project

I love it when young Catholics take it upon themselves to make a difference in some way, instead of just sitting at home waiting for someone else to rock the boat. Seth DeMoor is definitely one of them. Seth is a soon-to-be graduate at the University of Colorado who is preparing to set out on a journey across the southern U.S. via bicycle, interviewing Catholic faithful along the way to find out what makes the Catholic faith...well, the faith.

Check out his site OneBillionStories.com to see what its all about.

He'll be kicking off the trek in January of 2010, so you still have plenty of time to check it out and see how you can help. His route will stretch from Florida, along the gulf coast, through Texas and up into Colorado. There's several videos already on the site explaining his plans and what he hopes will happen with God's help.

Give Seth a shout if you live along the trek path (or if you don't) and give him some support!

Senate Votes Down Life

The weekend held a lot of promise. For college students like me, finals week was right around the corner. For Catholics like me, the celebration of the Immaculate Conception was right around the bend. And for those looking in on politics and the struggle for life (in more ways than one) in the Senate health care debate, a huge vote was around the corner.

It almost seemed like all these things were coming together at an oddly conspicuous point. The outcome couldn't have been anymore contrasting. Just as Catholics across the globe were remembering the birth of the Mother of God, men and women in the Senate of the United States voted down a bill that would have prevented tax payer funding of abortion in the Senate health care bill.

Could there be a more striking cry out to the faithful?

Nevermind college finals. I'm doing fine in that department. The question is whether or not the people we chose to represent us are passing that test.

More Examples of MSNBC Anti-Catholicism

Is MSNBC anti-Catholic? Suppressing Religious Freedom?

This is a great article written up by The St. Michael Society concerning the anti-Catholic bias of MSNBC, quite possibly the worst "news" network on tv.

Manhattan Declaration

Finally, we're seeing some cooperation among Christians towards a moral good this country needs more than even a morbidly expensive health care reform bill. Over the last 3 months, leaders in the Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical communities came together and formulated the Manhattan Declaration, a well written statement concerning the dire need for Christians to stand up to the culture of death that has engulfed the country. It outlines the grievances concerning abortion, the attack on traditional marriage and the erosion of religious liberties.

This is a declaration that's has been needed for the past 30 years, but, better late than never. Its a good thing, a very good thing. I bet there's at least a few people in the White House and the Capital building frowning after this came out.

Check it out and sign it, if you're a serious Christian: The Manhattan Declaration

Italians Steadfast Against EU

This is a definite bright spot in the news. Italians are standing tall for the faith, and with attitude! It's awesome! Check out this article from Catholic.org to see how not only are Italians disagreeing with the EU ruling against Christians, but they're hanging up even more crucifixes and getting ready for Christmas by preparing nativity scenes.

Senate healthcare bill and Rep. Stupak

I have to admit, I haven't been watching the coverage of the Senate version of the health care bill nearly as closely as I did the House coverage. I think that says a lot on its own. The coverage by pretty much every media outlet has been much more subdued and seemingly less interested in this round. 60 votes for the bill is all that's needed for passage in the Senate. The limited coverage I have seen makes it seem like passage is a 50/50 possibility. The Senate's version of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, talks confidently about getting the 60 needed, but he admits that they're currently a handful of votes short.

What I've been trying to find out is the status of any pro-life amendments that could make their way into the Senate bill. Luckily, rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich) is putting the Obama adms. feet to the fire regarding the House's passage of abortion funding restrictions. White House advisor David Axelrod said the president would intercede and remove any abortion restrictions from the House bill. Rep. Stupak then brought up a great point...the bill already passed the House!

Is Planned Parenthood a little ticked about the situation so far? Maybe...could that be getting the Obama admin. a little nervous? I sense a little bird in Mr. Axelrod's ear.

MSNBC: Fairness in News?

I was just winding down tonight when I thought to myself, "hey, I wonder whats going on with the coverage of the health care bill?" I flipped past MSNBC and saw a little interview with a high ranking spokesperson for NARAL, one of the leading pro-abortion groups in the country. Then I took a look at the MSNBC website and wasn't too surprised. Quotes referring to the action of bishops as getting senators and representatives "to fix these bills with pro-life amendments," were common. As if this is a diabolically demented act. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is portrayed, unashamedly, as an underhanded, evil organization of Washington insiders bent on controlling helpless politicians like Nancy Pelosi. And this is one of the same stations that criticizes more conservative stations, like Foxnews, for pushing a view.

Great job MSNBC! You have officially called all Americans stupid with a semi-straight face.

Just in case you want to check out this little example, here's the story

Italian ruling: Is it far reaching?

A couple of days ago, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that it was illegal for Italian public schools to have crucifixes in classrooms. The ECHR, a body of the European Union, is an outside body "apart" from the individual nations of the EU. While it can't enforce the removal of crucifixes from Italian schools, it can force the Italian gov't to put together a report on how they plan to address this perceived "problem." Which, in this case, would mean the removal of Christian symbols from the public sphere.

I think its the Lisbon Treaty that makes the decisions of this court binding on all members of the EU. Is the crucifix situation in Italy the only target with this type of decision? Ireland and Poland have both become targets of legislative (if you can call what the EU does legislative) and judicial (see prior statement) bullying by big money groups trying to force abortion on every member of the European Union. These two nations alone have defended their sovereignty by refusing to accepted that abortion is a universal "right," preserving restrictions on this barbaric practice.

The EU has done a successful job at spreading a philosophy of moral relativism across lands that once were the bastions of Christendom. This has created a vacuum of sorts. If you have basic knowledge of biology, you're aware that nature abhors a vacuum. A moral vacuum has been created in Europe, and there's two groups vying to fill it. The newest group filling this void is Islam, fueled by north African and Middle Eastern immigration. The older kid on the block filling this void is the Catholic Church. I'm pretty sure that our current Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, is greatly aware of this situation. His controversial address several years ago at Regensburg, a criticism of modern Islam, proves it. Islam, namely the militant type, has demonstrated its readiness to fill this void in Europe.

Now, the thing I'm trying to get at is the question of whether or not this EU mindset will, or already has made its way across the pond and infiltrated the American mindset. 27 nations gave up their basic national sovereignty when they joined the EU, with more knocking on the door, seemingly oblivious to what they're sacrificing. In many ways, I think the EU philosophy of state enforced amoralism disguised as political correctness has been at work here for a few decades. I try not to be partisan, but lets face it, I am. When bigtime liberals gain influence in American government, they look to one of their favorite overseas examples, post-WWII Europe. Europe was bled white by WWI and WWII, challenging their belief in what they were. The powers that be in Europe ever since have failed to live up to that challenge and have pretty much forgotten what made Europe...European.

Will America face this challenge head on with conviction, or fold like our neighbors across the pond?

Pelosicare AND Stupak Passes the House

Big weekend in politics. Democrats actually managed to get a vote started on Saturday for the Pelosicare bill. The surprising thing isn't that it passed. With the Democratic majority, it would have been a demostration of pure incompetence if it hadn't. The event that struck me as important (as a Catholic and a tax payer) was the passage of the Stupak amendment, which prevents the tax payer funding of abortion. Dems and their supporters were fighting tooth and nail trying to keep the Stupak Amendment out of the equation. The argument was that the bill didn't concern abortion, so an amendment preventing the funding of abortion was unnecessary. Kind of a funny thing to get so worked up about, don't you think? If its not in the bill, why the worry about an amendment that would make sure funding couldn't get slipped in? Perhaps thats what the plan was all along? Kudos to Mr. Stupak for following through. Time to see what the Senate has to offer!

Good Place to Start: First Posting

Where to start, where to start...This blog isn't meant to be anything big or mind wrenching. Simply, its just a commentary on faith, society, and culture from my perspective. My perspective is that of a lower middle class, married, college student in small town Oklahoma. Plus, I'm a devout Catholic, hence the blog title.