THE decision
i sit here with my absentee ballot lying on my desk. i'll have to make a mad dash in the morning to send it overnight mail back to lubbock. before that can happen, i still have one more bubble to fill in - my choice for president. this is the second presidential election i'll participate in and i have to say it's much harder this time around. during my first one i was an 18 year old conservative, fresh from home. don't get me wrong, i wasn't completely uninformed. it's just that all of my information was very one-sided. i mean come on, that was back when i still thought rush limbaugh was worth listening to.
but now i sit here as a much more well-informed 22 year old moderate. (this will be the first year i vote for any democrat. stenholm will be my choice for district 19 rep in the u.s. house.) speaking from experience, i know that knowledge does not always bring clarity. i've heard a lot of information from a lot of different sources - bbc, cnn, nbc, ny times, wall street journal and even the dreaded fox news. there are so many issues involved in this kind of decision that it almost makes my head hurt. national security, health care, education, civil liberties, war, abortion....abortion. it's the one thought that keeps popping up in my head. it's the issue, my issue. i'm not quite a one-issue voter, but i come pretty damn close.
so then i have to get an email throwing my catholic responsibility into that crazy pile of stuff. the u.s. conference of catholic bishops developed a list of ten questions catholic voters should be asking themselves in this election season. i think the list should be pretty universal and at least warrants some consideration by everyone.
1. after september 11, how can we build not only a safer world, but a better world?more just, more secure, more peaceful, more respectful of human life and dignity?
2. how will we protect the weakest in our midst--innocent unborn children? How will our nation resist what pope john paul II calls a "culture of death"? How can we keep our nation from turning to violence to solve some of its most difficult problems--abortion to deal with difficult pregnancies; the death penalty to combat crime; euthanasia and assisted suicide to deal with the burdens of age, illness, and disability; and war to address international disputes?
3. how will we address the tragic fact that more than 30,000 children die every day as a result of hunger, international debt, and lack of development around the world, as well as the fact that the younger you are, the more likely you are to be poor here in the richest nation on Earth?
4. How can our nation help parents raise their children with respect for life, sound moral values, a sense of hope, and an ethic of stewardship and responsibility? How can our society defend the central institution of marriage and better support families in their moral roles and responsibilities, offering them real choices and financial resources to obtain quality education and decent housing?
5. How will we address the growing number of families and individuals without affordable and accessible health care? How can health care better protect human life and respect human dignity?
6. How will our society combat continuing prejudice, overcome hostility toward immigrants and refugees, and heal the wounds of racism, religious bigotry, and other forms of discrimination?
7. How will our nation pursue the values of justice and peace in a world where injustice is common, desperate poverty widespread, and peace is too often overwhelmed by violence?
8. What are the responsibilities and limitations of families, community organizations, markets, and government? How can these elements of society work together to overcome poverty, pursue the common good, care for creation, and overcome injustice?
9. When should our nation use, or avoid the use of, military force--for what purpose, under what authority, and at what human cost?
10. How can we join with other nations to lead the world to greater respect for human life and dignity, religious freedom and democracy, economic justice, and care for God's creation?
in the end, i think my choice this year will be just that: my choice. i'm not going to tell you who i'm voting for or who i think you should vote for. just vote your conscience.
but now i sit here as a much more well-informed 22 year old moderate. (this will be the first year i vote for any democrat. stenholm will be my choice for district 19 rep in the u.s. house.) speaking from experience, i know that knowledge does not always bring clarity. i've heard a lot of information from a lot of different sources - bbc, cnn, nbc, ny times, wall street journal and even the dreaded fox news. there are so many issues involved in this kind of decision that it almost makes my head hurt. national security, health care, education, civil liberties, war, abortion....abortion. it's the one thought that keeps popping up in my head. it's the issue, my issue. i'm not quite a one-issue voter, but i come pretty damn close.
so then i have to get an email throwing my catholic responsibility into that crazy pile of stuff. the u.s. conference of catholic bishops developed a list of ten questions catholic voters should be asking themselves in this election season. i think the list should be pretty universal and at least warrants some consideration by everyone.
1. after september 11, how can we build not only a safer world, but a better world?more just, more secure, more peaceful, more respectful of human life and dignity?
2. how will we protect the weakest in our midst--innocent unborn children? How will our nation resist what pope john paul II calls a "culture of death"? How can we keep our nation from turning to violence to solve some of its most difficult problems--abortion to deal with difficult pregnancies; the death penalty to combat crime; euthanasia and assisted suicide to deal with the burdens of age, illness, and disability; and war to address international disputes?
3. how will we address the tragic fact that more than 30,000 children die every day as a result of hunger, international debt, and lack of development around the world, as well as the fact that the younger you are, the more likely you are to be poor here in the richest nation on Earth?
4. How can our nation help parents raise their children with respect for life, sound moral values, a sense of hope, and an ethic of stewardship and responsibility? How can our society defend the central institution of marriage and better support families in their moral roles and responsibilities, offering them real choices and financial resources to obtain quality education and decent housing?
5. How will we address the growing number of families and individuals without affordable and accessible health care? How can health care better protect human life and respect human dignity?
6. How will our society combat continuing prejudice, overcome hostility toward immigrants and refugees, and heal the wounds of racism, religious bigotry, and other forms of discrimination?
7. How will our nation pursue the values of justice and peace in a world where injustice is common, desperate poverty widespread, and peace is too often overwhelmed by violence?
8. What are the responsibilities and limitations of families, community organizations, markets, and government? How can these elements of society work together to overcome poverty, pursue the common good, care for creation, and overcome injustice?
9. When should our nation use, or avoid the use of, military force--for what purpose, under what authority, and at what human cost?
10. How can we join with other nations to lead the world to greater respect for human life and dignity, religious freedom and democracy, economic justice, and care for God's creation?
in the end, i think my choice this year will be just that: my choice. i'm not going to tell you who i'm voting for or who i think you should vote for. just vote your conscience.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home