Tag: civil rights

On
Bill Dagnon

Americans must remember our founding beliefs

To the editor:

Thank you for your editorial, “We’re better than this!” in the November 1 Catholic Herald. The vision that all men are created equal anchors our respect for each other and inspires our behavior toward each other.

This belief moved our country’s founders to break away from the British Empire, to declare independence, and begin the process of developing a workable self-governing system. Neighboring Canada, for instance, did not have such an inspiration and remained a part of the British empire for decades.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Honoring Reverend King’s legacy

It doesn’t seem possible that it’s been 50 years since the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

It was on April 4, 1968, that James Earl Ray killed the civil rights leader as he stood on the balcony of his hotel room in Memphis, Tenn. Reverend King, a Baptist minister, was only 39 years old.

It seems as if we have made progress in many areas of our society since his death, but we still have a long way to go in ensuring an end to racism in our country.

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On
John Huebscher

Catholics have much to offer in firearms debate

Eye on the Capitol by John Huebscher

Popes Paul VI and John Paul II both described the Catholic Church as an “expert in humanity.” This term recognizes the truth that through its long history Catholicism has engaged and reflected on the fullness and complexity of the human experience.

The Church’s insights on human experience provide a valuable resource to any generation seeking to craft more humane policies and more just societies.

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On
John Huebscher

Will state Supreme Court take Brennan’s advice?

Eye on the Capitol by John Huebscher

For over 30 years, Associate Supreme Court Justice William Brennan was among the most influential members of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Appointed by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956, he and Earl Warren led the court’s “liberal wing” through the 1960s. Brennan’s background was somewhat unusual in that his prior judicial experience occurred not in the federal courts, but on the New Jersey Supreme Court.

As the U.S. Supreme Court became more conservative, Brennan began urging lawyers and other advocates of individual liberty to pursue what he called a “new Federalism.”

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On
Fr. Frank Pavone

Status of unborn children is key civil rights problem

To the editor:

It’s time for the minority of Americans who don’t yet embrace a pro-life position to realize that the status of children in the womb is the key civil rights problem of our day. Martin Luther King Jr. preached that “When we truly believe in the sacredness of human personality, we won’t exploit people, we won’t trample over people with the iron feet of oppression, we won’t kill anybody” (Christmas sermon, 1967).

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