Thursday, December 24, 2009

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!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

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!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

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.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

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.

Friday, December 11, 2009

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.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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.