The mid-Atlantic region is being pounded by record snow falls this week and last week. Being from a region that would routinely get snow falls, it is amusing to me to see how people are handling it. It is also illustrative of a people that depends on the government to fulfill its needs. A couple of examples:
First, many people in my apartment complex spent a day or two complaining that our parking lot and walkways had not been plowed. They stand there decrying their situation, but they don't lift a finger to change it. They want somebody else to come and change it.
To be fair, there is also a group of neighbors that took whatever shovels they could find and started shoveling the parking lots and cleaning off the vehicles. Well, they actually carved a pathway through the parking lot to the road rather than shoveling the whole lot. The point is, they saw a problem and came together to solve it. They acted. Still some them complained about the lack of help they got from the city or the complex, but they decided to be self-reliant.
Finally, a news story this morning was asking a question about plowing roads. The area is obviously not prepared for weather like this, so the city governments are having a difficult time clearing the roadways. The news story was asking the question whether or not citizens with plows "should" plow the the roadways. This is the most ridiculous question I have ever heard. "Should citizens act neighborly?" The answer is "YES!" People asking the question were worried they might be breaking the law. If so, that is a silly law. It does nothing but put the countries (states, counties, cities, etc.) citizens in fear. Here are citizens that see a problem and are willing to act, but are paralyzed by fear of the law. Where I grew up, this was common place. During storms like this you help each other out. Here, people are afraid to help because of a silly law. A law like that forces dependency on the government and perpetuates the mentality of the first kind of individual I mentioned: the kind that does nothing to help themselves and nothing to help their neighbors.
One more point: please stop using the word "snow" in various puns, for example "snowblivion," "snowpocalypse," "snowtorious," etc. Please stop. You're not funny. It is a snow storm. Albeit a bad one, but people in other parts of the country deal with things like this every year. You'll live.
Update: Apparently the city has seen the error of their ways and are looking to employ those with private plows. Probably only have to make a phone call... then go in and fill out two days worth of paper work. (Yes, I'm still skeptical.)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Life
Today, thousands of people will gather on our nation's National Mall to give witness to a part of our nation that lives in darkness. This gathering will be ignored by all media outlets. The liberal media will dismiss them as a group of uninformed, hate-filled people clinging to an archaic ideology. The conservative media have given up hope and would rather not be called names by the liberals. Our country wishes we would remain silent, that we would "respect the rights of others," and that we would "open our minds" to understand the other way of thinking.
Abortion has plagued this country for many years. Currently, 3500 babies are killed everyday in this country alone. That figure does not account for the number that are conceived each year, but are not given the chance to develop because they are unable to attach themselves to the mother's uterine wall thanks to some form of birth control like the pill. The death will continue, and because the individuals being killed cannot be seen and at the moment, lack voice, it will go largely forgotten and unnoticed. But not entirely. Though it is an uncomfortable truth, it is a truth nonetheless. That truth will be given a voice again today.
As a male, it is often difficult to speak about such things. Arguments that this is a women's issue are often used to quiet a voice like mine. Those arguments are appealing because men often want to comfort and protect women. I've watched a man walk his partner into an abortion clinic with his arm around her in an attempt to do just that. The skewed notion of protection is disturbing, evil in its subtlety.
Men have been happy to leave this as a women's issue. But this slothfulness is just as disturbing. Abortion is not the root problem. Abortion is merely a fruit of the tainted tree of our twisted sexual desires. Christopher West said, "Behind every abortion in this country is a man who went looking for an orgasm." Rather blunt, but to the point. The creation of every child requires two individuals. Men who have been consumed by their sexual desire rather than mastering it are one of the roots, and I would argue the root of this problem. Every man who has allowed himself to view a woman as object for his pleasure shares the blame for this insidiousness.
It is ironic that I write this little note on the internet, whose very creation and growth was fueled by a man's lust for pornography and his desire for easy access to it. The objectification of women is a sin that man... men, will have to answer dearly for. But in the midst of all this evil is hope. Christ did not abandon us to wallow in our sin. We have hope of overcoming this evil. We have hope of untwisting those desires. We have hope of redemption of our bodies. We have hope! "Evil had made itself unmistakably manifest... in the exploitation of one human being by another, economically, politically, or sexually. But evil did not have the final word, because at the center of the human drama is Christ, whose entry into the human condition and whose conquest of death meant that hope was neither a vain illusion nor a defensive fantasy constructed against the fear at the heart of modern darkness." (-George Wiegel)
We have hope. We have voice. We have determination. And we have the power of life supporting our cause.
Abortion has plagued this country for many years. Currently, 3500 babies are killed everyday in this country alone. That figure does not account for the number that are conceived each year, but are not given the chance to develop because they are unable to attach themselves to the mother's uterine wall thanks to some form of birth control like the pill. The death will continue, and because the individuals being killed cannot be seen and at the moment, lack voice, it will go largely forgotten and unnoticed. But not entirely. Though it is an uncomfortable truth, it is a truth nonetheless. That truth will be given a voice again today.
As a male, it is often difficult to speak about such things. Arguments that this is a women's issue are often used to quiet a voice like mine. Those arguments are appealing because men often want to comfort and protect women. I've watched a man walk his partner into an abortion clinic with his arm around her in an attempt to do just that. The skewed notion of protection is disturbing, evil in its subtlety.
Men have been happy to leave this as a women's issue. But this slothfulness is just as disturbing. Abortion is not the root problem. Abortion is merely a fruit of the tainted tree of our twisted sexual desires. Christopher West said, "Behind every abortion in this country is a man who went looking for an orgasm." Rather blunt, but to the point. The creation of every child requires two individuals. Men who have been consumed by their sexual desire rather than mastering it are one of the roots, and I would argue the root of this problem. Every man who has allowed himself to view a woman as object for his pleasure shares the blame for this insidiousness.
It is ironic that I write this little note on the internet, whose very creation and growth was fueled by a man's lust for pornography and his desire for easy access to it. The objectification of women is a sin that man... men, will have to answer dearly for. But in the midst of all this evil is hope. Christ did not abandon us to wallow in our sin. We have hope of overcoming this evil. We have hope of untwisting those desires. We have hope of redemption of our bodies. We have hope! "Evil had made itself unmistakably manifest... in the exploitation of one human being by another, economically, politically, or sexually. But evil did not have the final word, because at the center of the human drama is Christ, whose entry into the human condition and whose conquest of death meant that hope was neither a vain illusion nor a defensive fantasy constructed against the fear at the heart of modern darkness." (-George Wiegel)
We have hope. We have voice. We have determination. And we have the power of life supporting our cause.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Surprised
I've always been a big fan of Law & Order. I know the stories are unrealistic and the dialog treats the viewers like idiots. Also the show has been pushing more and more liberal viewpoint, some to the point where I get really offended. But I check the show out every so often.
I'm going to spoil this weeks episode, so stop reading if you're interested in watching it. Tonight the story centered around the murder of an abortion doctor. Surprisingly, very surprisingly actually, the show actually seemed to give a good pro-life argument, not a stupid one. Nor did they make fun of the pro-life argument. The show did its standard, where one or two characters take one side of the argument, and the others take the opposing side.
This show brought up more of the disturbing sides of this argument as well. It described in detail the horror of what is actually done in a late term abortion. It also gave a description of how a baby was killed after being delivered from a failed abortion attempt. I was shocked. I thought pro-choice people would not want to even touch that subject. Especially since our president voted to oppose a bill that would have required medical attention be given to such babies in Illinois. Finally, a woman testified about giving birth to a terminally ill baby. She described how blessed she felt for having the opportunity to hold her baby for 21 hours before she died. It was a very inspiring story that had a beauty to it, the kind of beauty found in the cross. The acting left something to be desired, but the effect the show was going for at this point was blatantly pro-life.
Finally, there were a few statements made that made it seem that Roe v. Wade was an 35yr old out of date court decision. They also made the statement that "most Americans are pro-life now."
There were arguments for the other side, but they didn't seem as effective. They were weak though, they could have portrayed it differently, but they chose not to.
Finally, the jury convicted the man who shot the doctor of murder, which I was happy about. Most people (not all) in the pro-life movement would not condone such violence.
So thank you Law & Order. I am shocked by NBC, I can't believe that episode actually aired.
I'm going to spoil this weeks episode, so stop reading if you're interested in watching it. Tonight the story centered around the murder of an abortion doctor. Surprisingly, very surprisingly actually, the show actually seemed to give a good pro-life argument, not a stupid one. Nor did they make fun of the pro-life argument. The show did its standard, where one or two characters take one side of the argument, and the others take the opposing side.
This show brought up more of the disturbing sides of this argument as well. It described in detail the horror of what is actually done in a late term abortion. It also gave a description of how a baby was killed after being delivered from a failed abortion attempt. I was shocked. I thought pro-choice people would not want to even touch that subject. Especially since our president voted to oppose a bill that would have required medical attention be given to such babies in Illinois. Finally, a woman testified about giving birth to a terminally ill baby. She described how blessed she felt for having the opportunity to hold her baby for 21 hours before she died. It was a very inspiring story that had a beauty to it, the kind of beauty found in the cross. The acting left something to be desired, but the effect the show was going for at this point was blatantly pro-life.
Finally, there were a few statements made that made it seem that Roe v. Wade was an 35yr old out of date court decision. They also made the statement that "most Americans are pro-life now."
There were arguments for the other side, but they didn't seem as effective. They were weak though, they could have portrayed it differently, but they chose not to.
Finally, the jury convicted the man who shot the doctor of murder, which I was happy about. Most people (not all) in the pro-life movement would not condone such violence.
So thank you Law & Order. I am shocked by NBC, I can't believe that episode actually aired.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Does this surprise anyone?
I saw one of those law commercials that fish for clients today, the kind where they say, "Have you had x happen to you, these people may be to blame and they might owe you money. Call us." They were looking for clients who have taken Yaz, Yasmin, and/or Ocella which are drugs for birth control. They say these may have caused a heart attack, stroke, pulmonary embolism, gallbladder problem, and/or deep vein thrombosis.
I'll leave aside my feelings of the litigiousness of our culture today. Does it surprise anybody that if you taking a drug to alter the way your body is supposed to work, it would cause problems? There is no need for such a drug. I'm sure there is a want, but no need. Changing the way your body is supposed to work is probably a bad idea.
I'll leave aside my feelings of the litigiousness of our culture today. Does it surprise anybody that if you taking a drug to alter the way your body is supposed to work, it would cause problems? There is no need for such a drug. I'm sure there is a want, but no need. Changing the way your body is supposed to work is probably a bad idea.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Thank you Bishops
Praise God for courageous men and women who speak out against the evils of abortion. For this reason I'm thankful for our Catholic bishops who wrote this letter to Congress.
USCCB Letter to Congress, 2009-10-08
Dear Member of Congress:
On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), we are writing to express our disappointment that progress has not been made on the three priority criteria for health care reform that we have conveyed previously to Congress. In fact, the Senate Finance Committee rejected a conscience rights amendment accepted earlier by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. If final legislation does not meet our principles, we will have no choice but to oppose the bill. We remain committed to working with the Administration, Congressional leadership, and our allies to produce final health reform legislation that will reflect our principles.
We continue to urge you to
1. Exclude mandated coverage for abortion, and incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights. No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. It is essential that the legislation clearly apply to this new program longstanding and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience. No current bill meets this test.
2. Adopt measures that protect and improve people’s health care. Reform should make quality health care affordable and accessible to everyone, particularly those who are vulnerable and those who live at or near the poverty level.
3. Include effective measures to safeguard the health of immigrants, their children and all of society. Ensure that legal immigrants and their family members have comprehensive, affordable, and timely access to health care coverage. Maintain an adequate safety net for those who remain uncovered.
We sincerely hope that the legislation will not fall short of our criteria. However, we remain apprehensive when amendments protecting freedom of conscience and ensuring no taxpayer money for abortion are defeated in committee votes. If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously. Catholic moral tradition teaches that health care is a basic human right, essential to protecting human life and dignity. Much-needed reform of our health care system must be pursued in ways that serve the life and dignity of all, never in ways that undermine or violate these fundamental values. We will work tirelessly to remedy these central problems and help pass real reform that clearly protects the life, dignity and health of all.
Sincerely,
Bishop William F. Murphy
Diocese of Rockville Centre
Chairman
Committee on Domestic Justice & Human Development
Cardinal Justin Rigali
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Chairman
Committee on Pro-Life Activities
Bishop John Wester
Diocese of Salt Lake City
Chairman
Committee on Migration
USCCB Letter to Congress, 2009-10-08
Dear Member of Congress:
On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), we are writing to express our disappointment that progress has not been made on the three priority criteria for health care reform that we have conveyed previously to Congress. In fact, the Senate Finance Committee rejected a conscience rights amendment accepted earlier by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. If final legislation does not meet our principles, we will have no choice but to oppose the bill. We remain committed to working with the Administration, Congressional leadership, and our allies to produce final health reform legislation that will reflect our principles.
We continue to urge you to
1. Exclude mandated coverage for abortion, and incorporate longstanding policies against abortion funding and in favor of conscience rights. No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion. It is essential that the legislation clearly apply to this new program longstanding and widely supported federal restrictions on abortion funding and mandates, and protections for rights of conscience. No current bill meets this test.
2. Adopt measures that protect and improve people’s health care. Reform should make quality health care affordable and accessible to everyone, particularly those who are vulnerable and those who live at or near the poverty level.
3. Include effective measures to safeguard the health of immigrants, their children and all of society. Ensure that legal immigrants and their family members have comprehensive, affordable, and timely access to health care coverage. Maintain an adequate safety net for those who remain uncovered.
We sincerely hope that the legislation will not fall short of our criteria. However, we remain apprehensive when amendments protecting freedom of conscience and ensuring no taxpayer money for abortion are defeated in committee votes. If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously. Catholic moral tradition teaches that health care is a basic human right, essential to protecting human life and dignity. Much-needed reform of our health care system must be pursued in ways that serve the life and dignity of all, never in ways that undermine or violate these fundamental values. We will work tirelessly to remedy these central problems and help pass real reform that clearly protects the life, dignity and health of all.
Sincerely,
Bishop William F. Murphy
Diocese of Rockville Centre
Chairman
Committee on Domestic Justice & Human Development
Cardinal Justin Rigali
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Chairman
Committee on Pro-Life Activities
Bishop John Wester
Diocese of Salt Lake City
Chairman
Committee on Migration
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
What?!
Hey, Jimmy Carter, if you want to enter the Health Care debate, try having an argument first. Try "listening" to the oppositions argument and engaging it. This may not be as easy as calling President Obama's opponents racists, but using your brain is usually more difficult than name calling. I am not a racist. I oppose the Health Plan. I haven't heard any response to the (decent) arguments presented against it. You're infuriating!
Continuing to call people like me stupid, irresponsible, racist, and whatever other name you want to use, without responding to our arguments, only makes you look childish.
I spoke with some educated people today on the other side. At the end of the day, we disagreed, but they had some thought behind their arguments. I know there are people like them out there. Why do I not hear your voice? Why do I only hear people who call me names? People like me are not stupid. People who are undecided are not stupid. If you don't present a good argument, you will continue to lose support for your cause.
Continuing to call people like me stupid, irresponsible, racist, and whatever other name you want to use, without responding to our arguments, only makes you look childish.
I spoke with some educated people today on the other side. At the end of the day, we disagreed, but they had some thought behind their arguments. I know there are people like them out there. Why do I not hear your voice? Why do I only hear people who call me names? People like me are not stupid. People who are undecided are not stupid. If you don't present a good argument, you will continue to lose support for your cause.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Catholic Guilt
Stupid decisions and a lax tongue sometimes get me into trouble. This week has not been good for me so far. Going to try and make the rest of the week better, starting with confession today. Guilt sucks, but it is a good reminder that I am still a work in progress.
I am more like Valentine than Peter.
I am more like Valentine than Peter.
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