Sunday, October 30, 2016

This Ugly Presidential Race


Each day seems to bring a new revelation about the major party candidates in this year's Presidential race.

Right now, it's Hillary Clinton getting hit the hardest with all the e-mail related releases and announcements. The race has been tightening with the continued flood of Wikileak and O'Keefe revelations, then there came the FBI announcement. Will this be a enough to tip it to Trump? Or will it fizzle?

Or will there be some new release involving Trump that will raise hackles?

Do some of those folks who already voted have voters regret? Will some of them try to change their votes (some states allow this)?

I've been pretty clear I support neither of these candidates - I'm voting for Mike Maturen of the American Solidarity party.

But the ugliness of this year's campaign has disheartened me.

One of these two unacceptable people will be the President. Barring the chance of impeachment (a Clinton family tradition?) that person will be leading this nation for the next four years.

I will continue to speak up as needed on public issues, but his just reinforces my belief that my ultimate focus needs to be on serving God and working on my own sinful nature.

Still, I wish Thomas More were around!

Thank God I can vote for Maturen with a clear conscience.


Pax et bonum

Saturday, October 15, 2016

The Democratic Party's Anti-Catholicism


Way back when groups like Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good were trying to have a say in the 2008 election - with a decided Democratic Party slant - some concerned individuals in the Catholic Church contended that the groups seemed to be Democratic shills, and were supporting candidates and policies in opposition to Church teachings on issues such as abortion and contraception.

Those concerned individuals were called misinformed, alarmist, delusional, even paranoid.

The recent Wikileaks revelations confirm, however, that those who were concerned were right to be.

In an exchange between John Podesta, currently Chairman of the Hillary Clinton campaign and a long-time Democratic Party operative, and Sandy Newman of liberal activist group Voices for Progress, Newman said. “There needs to be a Catholic Spring in which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages dictatorship and the beginning of a little democracy and respect for gender equality in the Catholic church.”

Podesta responded that such an effort was already underway.

“We created Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good to organize for a moment like this," he admitted. "But I think it lacks the leadership to do so now. Likewise Catholics United. Like most Spring movements, I think this one will have to be bottom up.”

This comes on top of earlier leaked documents involving Podesta in which Democratic Party supporters or operatives describe Catholics as "backwards" when it comes to gender relations (i.e. homosexual marriage, other sexuality issues, etc.) and as Jennifer Palmieri, the Clinton Campaign's communication director, said, “They can throw around ‘Thomistic’ thought and ‘subsidiarity’ and sound sophisticated because no one knows what the hell they are talking about.”

And, of course, Hillary last year when discussion abortions said, "deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed."

Really? Churches have to change their beliefs to fit her pro-abortion Democratic agenda?
 
Which brings us to this election.
 
Given these revelations, given the elitist and anti-Catholic attitudes present in the Clinton campaign (yes, VP candidate Tim Kaine identifies himself as a Catholic, but he long ago betrayed the teachings of the faith), can there be any doubt that a Clinton administration will target the Catholic Church and other people of faith to promote their pro-abortion, pro-contraception, pro-homosexual agenda? More attempts will be made to coopt Church groups and organizations, or to force them to capitulate. People of faith will increasingly find themselves threatened with loss of jobs, fines, lawsuits, and, I would not be surprised, arrest and jail.
 
Paranoid?
 
The evidence suggests otherwise.
 
Pax et bonum

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Napoleon Clerihew



Napoleon Bonaparte 
waited at the Tour de France's start.
He planned to throw a stale baguette
at the Duke of Wellington's bicyclette.

Pax et bonum

Saturday, October 8, 2016

At Planned Parenthood


at Planned Parenthood
crows cry as the staff arrives -
clouds heavy with rain

I went to hold vigil outside Planned Parenthood this morning as part of the 40 Days for Life campaign.

I got there at 7, picked up a sign (PRAY FOR AN END TO ABORTION), and took a position in front of the clinic. There are lines in the sidewalk based on an old court injunction prohibiting certain people and groups from protesting too close to the clinic's parking lot entrance. But I'm not named in the injunction, nor am I a member of any group named in it. So, I stood beyond the line, not blocking entrance in any way, but clearly visible.

I said a Rosary, and began to sing quietly a few pro-life songs and hymns, mixing in repetitions of "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

About 7:20, a vehicle pulled in to the parking lot. Crows in the trees began to call out. Over the next 20 minutes or so more cars arrived.

At about 7:45 a man from the clinic with a Planned Parenthood identification approached me. We exchanged a few pleasantries - good morning, are you a Red Sox fan (my hat), when I said yes he  "jokingly" said to get out of there, I laughed as said he must be a Yankee fan.

Then he said because of the court order I had to go back on the other side of the line.

I pointed out that I was aware of the old court order, but explained that the order applied only to certain named individuals and groups - and that I was not one of the named individuals and did not belong to any of the groups. I said I would not move.

He asked me to show him the court order. I replied that he had to show me the order (after all, he was the one demanding that I move).

He said he had a copy and would go get it.

He left.

He did not return, though, to be fair, I was only there for a few minutes more. 

I kept praying where I was until my shift ended at 8.

I then left.

I will be back.

Pax et bonum

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Three-parent babies?



three-parent babies -
somewhere Dr. Frankenstein
is shaking his head

Pax et bonum