Some of the choices I made were more difficult than others. That occurs when both candidates take positions on issues that I cannot support. In such cases, I did my best to judge which candidate would best serve the community. In making that judgment, I took most seriously their positions on the full range of life issues, with particular attention to their stance on the protection of the unborn.
Here's my favorite Election Day anecdote, which I've shared with you before:
My grandfather owned a service station from the late forties to the mid-seventies. One election day forty-odd years ago, my grandfather came home around lunchtime in his work clothes, showered, put on his best suit, and headed back out the door. "Dad, why are you getting so dressed up just to vote?" my uncle asked. "Voting is a privilege, and a man ought to show it respect." My uncle told me Papa returned home in twenty minutes, changed his clothes again, and drove back to the station to finish the day's work.
Update. In the comment box, Lee Strong highlights the following:
"It is the rare candidate who will agree with the Church on every issue. But as the U.S. Bishops' recent document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship makes clear, not every issue is of equal moral gravity. The inalienable right to life of every innocent human person outweighs other concerns where Catholics may use prudential judgment, such as how to meet the needs of the poor or to increase access to health care for all." - N.Y. State Catholic Bishops (including Bishop Clark), 2008
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11 comments:
That story about your grandfather has stuck with me since the first time you wrote about it. If I don't remember any other thing that you've ever written here, I'll always remember the story about the Italian-American man coming home from work and putting on his finest suit to go cast his ballot.
Wait! Did H.E. Clark state that he gives great attention to abortion?
Thanks, Jay. If you knew the man, it would stick with you even more. He had this big, beautiful baritone voice and personified what a dignified gentleman should be. He was a giant in my youth and I still miss him terribly, sixteen years after he went to his eternal reward. I wore a suit to the polls today in his honor.
I dressed up today to vote. It must be one of those subconscious things for me, because I don't remember my parents actually ever saying that you should. But... they usually did (in good clothes, though not in their best clothes), and somehow I find myself doing the same.
Apparently one of the old Notre Dame presidents called voting "a civic sacrament". And I dressed up for potential jury duty, too. So it must all live in the same mental box of duty, privilege, and sacred honor.
I vote across the street from my apartment - I literally must be the closest residence to the polling place entrance - so I ran over in jeans and a sweatshirt while my coffee brewed!
I voted absentee because I just moved, and I am sort of glad I did so only because I avoided the lines. But I do feel like I missed out a bit. There's something special about heading down to the polling place and stepping into the booth to cast a ballot. You really feel like part of the process.
I hope everyone found the McCain lever so easy to push as I did.
~Dr. K
"It is the rare candidate who will agree with the Church on every issue. But as the U.S. Bishops' recent document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship makes clear, not every issue is of equal moral gravity. The inalienable right to life of every innocent human person outweighs other concerns where Catholics may use prudential judgment, such as how to meet the needs of the poor or to increase access to health care for all." - N.Y. State Catholic Bishops (including Bishop Clark), 2008
Spot on, Lee. It's a great document -- I mentioned it in a post somewhere -- and I am thrilled Bishop Clark signed it. He also has a terrific pro-life activities coordinator:
http://richleonardi.blogspot.com/2008/10/its-participating-in-creation-with-god.html
Lee, I am so happy that Bishop Clark signed that statement. The problem is most Catholics in the pews didn't read it and it got no attention at my church. In fact, you would never know an election is taking place by what has been talked about in my church. One Respect Life Sunday, we were treated to the CMA video. Not even a prayer intention was stated for the sanctity of human life.
I wish Bishop Clark and all of our priests in Rochester would be more courageous in their preaching. We have so many sheep wandering and in need of good shepherds.
During the last election people came down from the Diocese to give a Theology on Tap session. I don't know if they were from the prolife office or the social justice office, but they were entirely clothed in the seamless garment. They would not even allow it to be said that some issues had a higher priority. I managed to say it by interrupting their attempt to interrupt me, but they managed to make me look rude and fanatical. I don't know if the person you speak of was responsible for this or not, and it was 4 years ago. I know that as of when I was last attending mass in that parish there were never any true prolife prayers offered; everything was strictly seamless garment, so that abortion could not be mentioned except after the death penalty and war and poverty and global warming ...you know, all the "life" issues.
Susan Peterson
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