Tag: voting

On
Patrick Hardyman

Consider ‘intrinsic evil’ of abortion in voting

To the editor:

In June 1963, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the great civil rights leader, wrote a letter to eight white clergymen explaining why he was in Birmingham, Ala., fighting racial discrimination. Dr. King wrote this letter from his jail cell, thus it has been famously known as the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

In the letter Dr. King talked about just and unjust laws. “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law . . . an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.”

Since 1973, almost 55 million surgical abortions have taken place in this country because seven unelected men serving for life decided they were above God’s eternal law. Of course, I am speaking of the seven men on the nine-member body of the United States Supreme Court who voted to strike down the abortion laws in all 50 states with its 1973 decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton.

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On
Deacon Jack Fernan

We must vote when consequences are so great

To the editor:

This election produces a worst case scenario. We must pray without ceasing that worst case pro-abortion candidates don’t get elected, that the American people don’t get so turned off that they don’t vote. It is a great moral negligence, a sin of omission, an evil, not to vote when the consequences are so great.

Christians in particular MUST hold on to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (not political parties or candidates) and that the end government result is not a government that mandates killing babies by abortion and the frail person with dementia or disability or non-terminal life conditions by “murder by morphine.”

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On
Deacon Jack Fernan

We must vote when consequences are so great

To the editor:

This election produces a worst case scenario. We must pray without ceasing that worst case pro-abortion candidates don’t get elected, that the American people don’t get so turned off that they don’t vote. It is a great moral negligence, a sin of omission, an evil, not to vote when the consequences are so great.

Christians in particular MUST hold on to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (not political parties or candidates) and that the end government result is not a government that mandates killing babies by abortion and the frail person with dementia or disability or non-terminal life conditions by “murder by morphine.”

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On
Jane Tarrell

Vote for culture of life cannot be a mistake

To the editor:

Consider voting for the candidate who will legislate policies that will protect the vulnerable. A war against our own citizens is sadly ignored in the big picture. To quote Swift, war is “that mad game the world so loves to play.”

Abortion is madness. Abortion is a war against the unborn. Killing the unborn child is indefensible and we allow the vulnerable (the teenager) to make this decision. Abuse of anyone, even animals, is indefensible.

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On
Jane Tarrell

Vote for culture of life cannot be a mistake

To the editor:

Consider voting for the candidate who will legislate policies that will protect the vulnerable. A war against our own citizens is sadly ignored in the big picture. To quote Swift, war is “that mad game the world so loves to play.”

Abortion is madness. Abortion is a war against the unborn. Killing the unborn child is indefensible and we allow the vulnerable (the teenager) to make this decision. Abuse of anyone, even animals, is indefensible.

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On
Jeff Davis

Church gives guidance on how to choose a candidate

To the editor:

For whom to vote????

As the level of negativity, untruths, and confusion escalates, it becomes harder and harder to choose the proper candidate for whom to vote. Some people lack a moral compass and others a moral authority to help them with their decision. We who are Catholic have the compelling moral authority of our Church to give us direction.

The guide on Faithful Citizenship was first drafted from the Catechism of the Catholic Church by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2000. Even though it is published every four years before our November elections, it is primarily meant to give us direction in forming our conscience on important issues.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Moving on from here: In a renewed kind of politics based on faithful citizenship

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

Now that the Wisconsin recall election is over, some people are rejoicing and others are disappointed in the outcomes. However, I think almost every citizen in our state is happy to be moving on, away from the incessant political ads, phone calls, and media hype.

Now that the recall is in the history books, the question is: Where do we go from here? I think most Wisconsinites want to live and work together peacefully, yet the climate in our state — and in our nation, for that matter — has been so contentious.

Steps towards healing

Governor Scott Walker took one step by inviting legislators and staff members of both political parties to what was called the “Brat Summit” at the governor’s mansion. The governor himself grilled the brats, and it seemed that those attending enjoyed themselves.

Spending time talking with each other might be a first step in the process of healing in our state. If we listen to what people say, we might start understanding their point of view. It doesn’t mean we have to agree with everything they say, but we might be able to find some common ground and ways to work together.

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On
Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Recall rules: Issues involved in Wisconsin’s first statewide recall primary

Editor's View by Mary C. Uhler

On Tuesday, May 8, Wisconsin will be experiencing its first statewide recall primary. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, the recall election is happening and state citizens should be paying attention.

Faithful citizenship resources

The Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) encourages  Catholic voters to visit its Faithful Citizenship voter education page for resources on Catholic teaching (www.wisconsincatholic.org/faithful_citizenship.cfm).

There you will find  a letter from the bishops of Wisconsin written prior to the 2010 elections. In that letter, the bishops admit that “being a faithful citizen is never easy.” Yet, they encourage Catholics to “remain engaged, not just politically but also culturally,” since there is “so much good that we will contribute to our nation and to our world.”

The WCC Web site also includes the latest edition of its Guidelines for Church Involvement in Electoral Politics as well as a question card voters can use when questioning candidates running for state office.

Information for state voters

Also helpful is information provided by the state’s Government Accountability Board (GAB), which issued a press release with information for state voters about the primary recall rules (http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/recall).

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