Year: 2012

On
Jane Tarrell

Right of conscience not protected in health care act

To the editor:

The Affordable Care Act, funded by half the Medicare budget, offers free condoms, free birth control, and free abortion for all ages. The right of conscience is not protected as it was before the legislation.

Medicare defunding will not be felt until after 2012. The Independent Advisory Board of 15 appointed by our president makes all decisions about who gets what and at what age without input from seniors or politicians. The board is also delegated to defund Medicare by another $200 billion in the next decade.

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Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Impact of Catholic schools felt by Miss America and many other faith-filled graduates

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

It was so nice to hear the new Miss America talking about the impact of her Catholic school education on her life and the development of her faith.

“My Catholic education has been so important in reach my goals. It gave me my foundation for my faith,” Laura Kaeppeler said in an interview with the Milwaukee Catholic Herald. “I praise God in how he’s rewarded me.”

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On
Karen Mahoney, Catholic News Service

Newly crowned Miss America is from Kenosha

Miss Wisconsin, Laura Kaeppeler, talks to second-grade students at Blessed Sacrament School in Milwaukee Oct. 6, 2011. The 23-year-old Catholic was crowned Miss America 2012 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas Jan. 14. (CNS photo/Ernie Mastroianni )

MILWAUKEE (CNS) — All smiles, Susan Kaeppeler, fourth-grade teacher at Kenosha’s St. Joseph Academy’s lower campus, was greeted with the red-carpet treatment when she arrived to class Jan. 16 after a whirlwind weekend where she saw her oldest daughter, Laura, crowned Miss America.

The 23-year-old brunette, a Kenosha native, won the Miss America title at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas Jan. 14.

“Some of the parents decorated her classroom, and made some posters and put them up in the gym as the school day began,” Pauline McTernan, St. Joseph development director, said in a telephone interview with the Catholic Herald, newspaper of the Milwaukee Archdiocese.

“We rolled out a red carpet, presented her with a crown, bouquet of flowers, and balloons and led her to the gym as the school day began. The teachers all wore T-shirts that said, ‘I teach with Miss America’s Mom.’ It was so exciting!”

Particularly touching to McTernan was Susan’s impromptu speech as she reminded students what her daughter had said to them when she visited the school last October, as Miss Wisconsin, a title she won last June.

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On
Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

Unconditional parental love

Making Sense out of Bioethics column by Fr. Tad Pacholczyk

Once I met a woman who had worked for years in fashion and modeling. Unsurprisingly, she was strikingly attractive.

She was accompanied by her teenage daughter who, by contrast, was rather unremarkable to look at, maybe even a plain-Jane.

After spending time with them, I began to sense that the mother, whose life had largely revolved around her appearance, seemed to look down on her daughter, perhaps unconsciously, because of her average appearance.

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On
Audrey Mettel Fixmer

Following the recipe for a good life

grand mom

During the holidays I love hearing from old friends, voices from my past; Charlotte, a “mother’s helper” who lived with us for her senior year of high school and now has grandchildren of her own; Tom and Betty, who taught with Bob in the ’50’s and shared our laughter and tears.

They were the short term relationships, the layers of love that add flavor and richness to our lives. The long term relationships were the foundation.

I thought of the analogy as I was making my seven layer taco dip for a New Year’s Eve party.

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On
Jean Mueller

What does ‘health care power of attorney’ mean?

Q. My father has just asked me to be his health care power of attorney. I am not sure what that entails and what my responsibilities would be. We have a good relationship and I am willing to help him (he is 78 and in fairly good health). In the worst case scenario what would this mean? (From a son in Dodgeville)

A. This is a great question because there is a lot of confusion about health care power of attorney and what that entails.

The power of attorney or “agent” is a person who has the permission to make health care decisions for the “principal” (in your case your father) in the event of incapacitation.

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