Professor Richard Garnett of the Univeristy of Notre Dame Law School was interviewed on NPR on the Obama and Notre Dame controversy. He provides some very measured thoughts that I find helpful in thinking clearly about this issue.
Professor Garnett on Obama and Notre Dame
May 12, 2009
15 Comments | 
Education, Obama, Policraticus | 
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University of Chicago Faculty and Students Consider Housing and Financial Crisis
May 6, 2009Here’s a link to a Dutch video that examines the housing and financial crisis in the United States through the discussions of philosophy and law faculty students at the University of Chicago (among them are two of the most prominent political and legal theorist in the world today, Martha Nussbaum and Brian Leiter). From my view, it is a rather balanced look at things, and provides the sort of spirited, substantive discussion from several angles that tends to be absent from blogs and talk radio. Most of the video is in English. It’s long, but well worth your time.
University of Chicago Law School, by the way, is considered to be one of the best places in the country for the study of law and economics.
Comments Off | Capitalism, Economy, Policraticus, Politics | Permalink
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What is Judie Brown talking about?
May 5, 2009Recently, a comment showed up on Vox Nova signed by Judie Brown, linking to the American Life League. We have no reason to doubt that she left the comment, though we did attempt to contact her to verify. She did not return our emails. The comment is regarding M.Z.’s post on EWTN’s cowardice in not condemning torture and not affirming the clear teaching of the Catholic Church.
I am posting Brown’s comment in full along with my own interpolations:
Dear Friends and Foes, Torture of prisoners can be approved in some cases when there are specific reasons for doing so, but my belief is that in the case of torture, we have to examine first and foremost the case of the innocent preborn child. His limbs can be ripped off and noone calls that torture. His head can be crused with forceps and noone calls that torture.
I am not sure who Judie Brown’s foes are at Vox Nova or why she feels compelled to presume that there are, indeed, persons inimical toward her here. In fact, we have had a link to the American Life League since the Vox Nova was first initiated, and we certainly have made no effort to conceal it (it occupies the top place in our alphabetical list of Catholic Organizations, Institutes and Ministries in the right sidebar). Read the rest of this entry »
19 Comments | Human Rights, Morality, Policraticus, Torture | Permalink
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What is David Carlin talking about?
May 4, 2009I encountered one of the most confused attempts at justifying the Bush administration’s torture debacle courtesy of David Carlin at Inside Catholic. Not only does Carlin utterly fail to argue successfully for any of his points, his historical analogies are bizarre and his bald attack on the “American Left” will win him points only among those who, like Carlin, refuse to engage in critical, intellectual discourse with those who disagree politically.
Let’s start with some of the superfluous elements of Carlin’s article that have little to do with what he wants to establish. As a former middle school Latin teacher, I thought this was a rather comical line:
One of the unfortunate byproducts of the fact that, for many years now, nobody has studied Latin in school is this: Hardly anybody remembers Cicero and the conspiracy of Catiline. If we could remember this, it would be helpful in thinking about what those on the American Right call “enhanced interrogation” and those on the Left call “torture.” Read the rest of this entry »
23 Comments | Policraticus, Politics, Torture | Permalink
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Reflections on 1 Thessalonians
May 3, 2009One of my favorite Pauline epistles is 1 Thessalonians. In fact, I see the entirety of Paul’s theology and spirituality rooted in the words of this short encomium to the church at Thessalonica. Whenever I read any letter from the Pauline corpus, I always keep 1 Thessalonians in mind, often employing it as an interpretive key for the difficult passages found in Paul’s in more complex, theological letters.
1 Thessalonians, perhaps more than any other New Testament letter, portrays the life and teachings of the earliest Christian communities. I say this for a number of reasons. First, virtually all Pauline scholars agree that 1 Thessalonians was the first letter written by Paul that has survived. I have seen it argued in scholarly books that 1 Thessalonians was written as early as 43 AD, though most likely it was written between 49-51 AD. In any case, this is a very early date, which supports the impression that the letter preserves and conveys the genuine Gospel message of the apostolic church. Second, 1 Thessalonians was not written by Paul to respond to a crisis or heresy in one of the local churches as was the Corinthian correspondence and Galatians. Nor is 1 Thessalonians a letter introducing Paul to a community that he did not establish as Romans and possibly Colossians were intended to do. 1 Thessalonians bespeaks of an intimate familiarity between Paul and the community at Thessalonica. Third, Paul is writing to the Thessalonians to praise and thank them for their firm witness to Jesus Christ, declaring their church to be a model for other churches to emulate. This suggests the picture given of the Thessalonian church is one that depicts the true essence of Christian faith, practice and structure.
So what sort of faith does 1 Thessalonians present? Read the rest of this entry »
4 Comments | Bible, Policraticus | Permalink
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Obama’s first SCOTUS nominee arriving soon
May 1, 2009Supreme Court Justice David Souter, appointed by former president George H.W. Bush, will be retiring, which means the long-anticipated first Supreme Court nomination of the Obama administration is around the corner. I suspect President Obama will be predictable here, presenting to the Senate a non-originalist, pro-Roe nominee. Of course, I am open to being surprised.
39 Comments | Obama, Policraticus, Politics, Supreme Court | Permalink
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Postmodern Conservative
April 30, 2009In case you missed it, there is a new blogging iniative over at First Things called the Postmodern Conservative. Our own Jonathan Jones is an associate blogger over there, so be on lookout for his posts. Congratulations, Jonathan!
32 Comments | Blogs, Policraticus | Permalink
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A campaign promise worth breaking
April 29, 2009“The Freedom of Choice Act is not my highest legislative priority.”
-President Barack Obama, 4/29/09 press briefing
28 Comments | Abortion, Policraticus, Politics | Permalink
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Mary Ann Glendon refuses Notre Dame Award
April 27, 2009For me, it was not a matter of if, but when. Professor Mary Ann Glendon, who has worked closely with the USCCB and the Vatican, has decided to refuse the Laetare Medal and to skip the same commencement. I think her reasons are good, and I am pleased that she has made this decision. Below is her letter to Fr. Jenkins, which she released to the press, explaining her rationale.
I will begin my studies at Notre Dame this fall, and I cannot express how disappointed I am that a minority of administrative officials can so blatantly resist the authority of the bishops and the outcry of a large chunk of its student body. I have already expressed my thoughts on President Obama’s presence at Notre Dame’s commencement, so I will not reiterate those here.
April 27, 2009
The Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President
University of Notre DameDear Father Jenkins,
When you informed me in December 2008 that I had been selected to receive Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, I was profoundly moved. I treasure the memory of receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame in 1996, and I have always felt honored that the commencement speech I gave that year was included in the anthology of Notre Dame’s most memorable commencement speeches. So I immediately began working on an acceptance speech that I hoped would be worthy of the occasion, of the honor of the medal, and of your students and faculty. Read the rest of this entry »
74 Comments | Abortion, Education, Policraticus, Pro-Life | Permalink
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Newly Translated von Hildebrand Book
April 17, 2009Thanks to the efforts of the Dietrich von Hildebrand Legacy Project, we now have
for the first time an English translation of Dietrich von Hildebrand’s The Nature of Love. Love, affectivity, and marriage were favorite topics of von Hildebrand, who published many small works on these themes such as Man and Woman, The Encyclical Humanae Vitae (later reissued by Sophia Press as Love, Marriage, and the Catholic Conscience), Marriage, and The Heart. I am a huge fan of Dietrich von Hildebrand the philosopher, who was one of Edmund Husserl’s earliest students. Husserl had only just laid out the philosophical method of phenomenology when von Hildebrand became his student. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on von Hildebrand’s theory of affectivity, and my thesis director, John F. Crosby, is the translator of The Nature of Love and knew von Hildebrand personally. Read the rest of this entry »
4 Comments | Books, Philosophy, Policraticus | Permalink
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Introducing our Newest Contributors
April 14, 2009In the coming days, there will be several changes at Vox Nova. First among them is the addition of two exceptional bloggers, Joe Hargrave and Sam Rocha.
Joe comes to us from the “American Catholic” blog, and he is a writer for Inside Catholic (you can read his newest piece here). Joe earned a MA in Political Theory at Arizona State University, specializing in modern political thought. He is a man of the papal social encyclicals and advocates a contemporary form of distributism as a truly just economic model. We are very excited to have a specialist in political theory and Catholic social thought joining us. Joe’s first Vox Nova post can be found here.
Sam is a national award winning debater, a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, and a current Gates Millenium Scholar at The Ohio State University where he is finishing his Ph.D. in the Philosophy of Education. Sam is one of the smartest guys I know. Whether its Foucault’s account of power, Dewey’s theory of education and democracy, music and art, or Catholic spirituality, Sam brings a fresh perspective and voice to the most important ideas and movements in Western culture and society.
Welcome, Joe and Sam!
5 Comments | Policraticus, Vox Nova | Permalink
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Once more on Notre Dame
April 8, 2009Opinion is somewhat divided at Vox Nova on the University of Notre Dame’s plan to have President Obama give the university’s spring commencement address. M.Z., Blackadder (who attended Notre Dame Law), Katerina, and Morning’s Minion have written posts on the matter, looking at it from varying angles. I initially had no qualms whatsoever with President Obama giving the commencement address, for he is, after all, the President of the United States and, well, Notre Dame likes to have U.S. presidents–with their attendant sins–give commencement speeches. There is much to President Obama’s life and career worth emulating (as there is to the lives and careers of the other presidents who spoke at Notre Dame commencements). Given the fact that he would not be campaigning or promoting abortion rights, I did not see his presence at Notre Dame as problematic. Read the rest of this entry »
85 Comments | Education, Policraticus, Pro-Life | Permalink
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Pro-Life Moves in Unexpected Places
April 1, 2009Democratic Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia has signed a bill that blocks state funding for embryonic stem cell research. Money will not be provided to organizations or business that “research in Virginia on human cells or tissue derived from induced abortions or from stem cells obtained from human embryos.” Governor Kaine is a Catholic, and it will be interesting to see if other Catholic governors will follow his example. Also, he recently signed a bill that creates “Choose Life” license plates in Virginia.
The Spanish socialist group Solidarity has released a statement which reads: “We are socialists and we oppose abortion and its legalization. We oppose all attacks on life: the death penalty, torture, hunger, the arms race, war, slavery.” Notice that this statement actually encompasses much of the Catholic Church’s teaching on pro-life issues (as opposed to the right-wing American conservative doctrine), which extend to all stages of life.
Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, also a Catholic, signed the Women’s Right to Know Act which requires abortion providers to provide more information to women on fetal development and allows women to see an ultrasound and hear their child’s heartbeat before deciding to have an abortion. Abortion clinics will also be required to post signs inside that tell women that they cannot be forced to have an abortion. Governor Sebelius, also a Catholic, has been a stalwart in pro-choice politics. Nevertheless, her signing of this bill is certainly a positive move.
31 Comments | Abortion, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Policraticus, Politics, Pro-Life | Permalink
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Obama overturns stem cell ban (UPDATED)
March 9, 2009One of the few good elements of George W. Bush’s presidency was his ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, despite strong pressure from both ranking Democrats and Republicans in Congress to permit the funding. This past election cycle we had two pro-death candidates for president, and we knew that this ban would fall under both men. John McCain likely would have waited until another bill for funding passed through Congress (he supported the first two). President Obama had no such patience. Today, by executive order, the president lifted Bush’s ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
Will there be outcry from the Republican Party? If there is any, most of it will be describing the executive order as a “distraction.” The moral voices have faded in the GOP. There are virtually none in the Democratic Party. This is the world we live in now–conservatives and liberals willing to permit the experimentation on human persons for purely utilitarian ends.
UPDATE: Democrats for Life released the following statement today: Read the rest of this entry »
220 Comments | Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Obama, Policraticus | Permalink
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Archbishop O’Brien warns against joining Regnum Christi
February 25, 2009Confirming my own sentiments, which I have held since working for a Regnum Christi outfit for three years, Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore told the General Director of the Legionaries of Christ that he cannot in conscience recommend that any lay person join Regnum Christi. About Fr. Maciel, Archbishop O’Brien had the following to say:
“It seems to me and many others that this was a man with an entrepreneurial genius who, by systematic deception and duplicity, used our faith to manipulate others for his own selfish ends.”
11 Comments | Legion of Christ, Policraticus | Permalink
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Embargo on Cuba is Ineffective, says GOP Senator
February 23, 2009From the moral point of view, the late Pope John Paul II declared the U.S. embargo against Cuba to be “deplorable.” Today, from the foreign policy point of view, Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, labeled the embargo “ineffective.” Not only has the embargo had diasterous effects on the lives of millions of poor and needy Cubans, it has failed to realize the very end which its defenders cite as justifying it, namely, the conjuring up of democratic values in Cuba.
25 Comments | Human Rights, Latin America, Policraticus, Politics | Permalink
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Republicans Pushing Obama to Overturn Stem Cell Ban
February 19, 2009It is well known that the Republican Party is deeply split over the issue of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. A large contingent of GOP officials in the Senate, including John McCain, support the funding. Now, some GOP officials in the House are aggressively pushing for President Obama to overturn the ban instituted by President Bush. CNN reports:
(CNN) – A group of six moderate House Republicans have written to President Obama urging him to lift President Bush’s ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
“We are writing to respectfully urge that you immediately lift the current federal restrictions on funding for embryonic stem cell research,” they wrote Wednesday, also requesting that the president ask the National Institutes of Health to issue “appropriate guidelines.”
The letter was signed by Reps. Fred Upton of Michigan, Charles Dent of Pennsylvania, Brian Bilbray of California, Michael Castle of Delaware, and Mark Steven Kirk and Judy Biggert of Illinois. Read the rest of this entry »
14 Comments | Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Obama, Policraticus, Politics | Permalink
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Pope Benedict XVI talks about respect for life with Speaker Pelosi
February 18, 2009Catholic News Agency has run a story, based upon a Vatican press release, indicating that there was no photo-op for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (closed meeting), and that Pope Benedict XVI addressed issues in natural law and respect for life that legislators ought to recognize:
Vatican City, Feb 18, 2009 / 10:18 am (CNA).- House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s photo-op with Pope Benedict XVI turned sour when the Pontiff used the 15-minute meeting to reaffirm the teachings of the Catholic Church on the right to life and the duty to protect the unborn.
No photo of Nancy Pelosi and the Pope will be forthcoming, since the meeting was closed to reporters and photographers. The two met in a small room in the Vatican just after the Pope’s weekly public audience.
Immediately after the meeting, the Holy See’s press office released a statement saying, “following the general audience the Holy Father briefly greeted Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, together with her entourage.”
“His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in co-operation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development.”
98 Comments | Abortion, Policraticus, Politics, Pope Benedict XVI, Pro-Life | Permalink
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Archbishop Chaput Warns Pro-Life Catholics in the U.S. over Aligning too Closely with Either Party
February 13, 2009Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver recently warned that aligning oneself too closely with a political party on life issues hurts the pro-life message. His suggestion? Pro-life Catholics need to stop bickering among themselves. We see this often, especially in the Catholic blogosphere and media. Some proponents of legal efforts to end abortion (e.g.) criticize those who think social programs can reduce abortions. Some proponents of social efforts to reduce abortions (e.g.) suggest the legal battle over abortion is a lost cause. This either/or dichotomy must end if we are to have any credibility, the Archbishop Chaput insists. These individuals who insist on a false dichotomy are crippling the pro-life movement because they divide it from within. Social programs and grassroots efforts can effectively reduce abortions while the longer, more tedious efforts to change abortion laws are continually initiated. It is one of the great ironies and tragedies that some pro-lifers are contributing to the culture of death, mostly unwittingly, by means of their partisanship and lack of hope. If one is truly pro-life, then one should not only vote pro-life, but should also be working in ones’s parish, community, and pregnancy clinics–Catholics especially. We are all about faith AND works…so let’s not just vote every few years and sound-off on our blogs–let’s get out there and WORK.
WASHINGTON (CNS) — The pro-life community must not become too closely aligned to one political party, waste energy on internal bickering or become diverted by false arguments, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver told an Irish audience.
Addressing the Irish chapter of Human Life International Feb. 8 in Dublin, the archbishop offered a list of do’s and don’ts on “building and promoting a culture of life” from the American perspective. Abortion is prohibited in Ireland, except to save the life of the mother. Read the rest of this entry »
25 Comments | Abortion, Policraticus, Pro-Life | Permalink
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Catholic Ethical Framework for Economic Life
February 10, 2009Drawing from official Catholic social teachings, which constitute part of the authoritative moral doctrine of the Church, the U.S. Bishops have delineated 10 ethical principles that are to be taken as the criteria for judgment of, and the direction for action in, economic life. As principles, these are not prudential judgments but are the very criteria by which judgments are made (i.e., they are not subject to the beliefs, preferences, and attitudes of the faithful).
1. The economy exists for the person, not the person for the economy.
2. All economic life should be shaped by moral principles. Economic choices and institutions must be judged by how they protect or undermine the life and dignity of the human person, support the family, and serve the common good. Read the rest of this entry »
11 Comments | Catholic Social Teaching, Economics, Policraticus, USCCB | Permalink
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A Question for our Lawyers and Legal Experts
January 28, 2009Is there a necessary, conceptual connection between law and morality or are all real connections between the two merely contingent?
Yes, this is the old legal positivism vs. natural law debate, but I am curious to hear from our Catholic lawyers and legal experts on this.
14 Comments | Law, Philosophy, Policraticus | Permalink
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Contraceptives Provision Removed from Stimulus Plan
January 27, 2009In an admirable move, President Obama has contacted Henry Waxman, whose committee was responsible for placing the contraceptives fuding in the stimulus package, and had him remove the provision. MSNBC reports:
From NBC’s Mike Viqueira
The provision within the stimulus that would allocate money for contraceptive programs through Medicaid will be pulled out of the package.NBC News confirms that the president called Henry Waxman, the chairman of the committee that inserted the contraception provision into the stimulus during the mark up last week, to ask him to remove the measure from the bill, according to a Democratic leadership source. Read the rest of this entry »
36 Comments | Contraception, Economy, Obama, Policraticus, Politics | Permalink
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Obama brings it
January 24, 2009
4 Comments | Humor, Policraticus | Permalink
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The Latest on the Mexico City Policy
January 22, 2009LifeSiteNews jumped the gun on Tuesday, informing the pro-life faithful that President Obama would “immediately” reverse the so-called “Mexico City Policy,” which bans federal U.S. dollars to non-governmental organizations that perform abortions or refer women to abortion providers. Kathleen Gilbert, the author of the LifeSiteNews story, tells us that “anonymous” sources confirmed Obama’s decision. Apparently, Gilbert’s shoddy reporting tricked one blogger at Catholics in the Public Square, who determined in the revelatory light of his laptop’s glowing screen that Obama would be “wasting no time” in abrogating former President George W. Bush’s executive enforcment of the policy exactly eight years ago. Just from whence their prescience is derived puzzles me. Read the rest of this entry »
82 Comments | Abortion, Policraticus | Tagged: Obama Administration | Permalink
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Universal Health Care, Immigration Reform, Respect for Life among the Catholic “priorities” raised by U.S. bishops
January 21, 2009The U.S. bishops sent a letter to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden which outlines the issues that most concern Catholics with respect to the new administration’s first term. Among those issues that are most important for Catholics are universal health care, strengthening the economy, immigration reform, and respect for life. The letter was signed by Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago and President of the USCCB.
54 Comments | Abortion, Economy, Education, Health Care, Immigration, Policraticus, Politics, USCCB | Tagged: Obama Administration | Permalink
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A poignant point for an outgoing administration
January 20, 2009Courtesy of James David Baker:
“When an American president leaves office with the Constitution more or less intact, and without a lot of dead American boys scattered around the planet, we out to give him a medal.”
-Charlotte Observer, July 11, 1985
10 Comments | Bush administration, Policraticus, Politics | Permalink
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The Catholic Church Remembers MLK
January 19, 2009
To commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, here are two passages from Church documents on his life and work. The first is taken from Pope John Paul II’s address at the Meeting with the Black Catholic Community of New Orleans in 1987. The second is taken from the Letter to National Committees for the Year 1998, The Holy Spirit and Ecumenism, drafted by the Ecumenical Commission of the Central Committee of the Great Jubilee Year 2000. Read the rest of this entry »
13 Comments | Human Rights, Policraticus, Racism | Permalink
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Why Israel stands to lose
January 17, 2009
48 Comments | Israel, Policraticus, war | Permalink
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New group blog
January 13, 2009In case you missed it, our friend Sam Rocha has a new group blog called RIMATARA. Looks like he’s putting together an interesting series on capitalism and socialism. Check it out.
4 Comments | Blogs, Policraticus | Permalink
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“The United States does not torture”
January 9, 2009President-elect Barak Obama made a heartening promise today on the occasion of the nomination of his choices for CIA Director and National Intelligence Director. MSNBC has the AP story:
WASHINGTON – President-elect Barack Obama said Friday his administration would not compromise its ideals to fight terrorism, adding at a press conference to announce his CIA and national intelligence nominees that he has told them to honor the Geneva Conventions.
“I was clear throughout this campaign and was clear throughout this transition that under my administration the United States does not torture,” Obama said, when asked at the news conference whether he would continue the Bush administration’s policy of harsh interrogation. “We will abide by the Geneva Conventions. We will uphold our highest ideals.” Read the rest of this entry »
14 Comments | Policraticus, Torture | Permalink
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President Vasquez of Uruguay leaves party over abortion
December 6, 2008The president of Uruguay, Tabere Vazquez, has left his socialist party over disagree
ment on the legalization of abortion in the nation. President Vazquez drew the ire of many in his party after he vetoed a bill that would have legalized abortion during the first twelve weeksmonths of pregnancy. He claims that providing support and aid to pregnant women is a more appropriate response to crisis pregnancies than permitting access to abortion.
Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez has resigned as leader of the ruling Socialist Party amid a row over his vetoing of an abortion bill.
The controversial bill would have decriminalised abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Mr Vazquez was said to be angry by criticism of his opposition to bill, which many in his own party had backed.
Several leading party members have said they will try to persuade him to reverse his decision. Read the rest of this entry »
10 Comments | Abortion, Election, Latin America, Policraticus, Politics | Permalink
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Looking for a good gift? How about a Planned Parenthood gift certificate?
December 4, 2008Planned Parenthood is offering gift certificates for everything from contraceptives, to breast exams, to abortions…just in time to celebrate the birth of Christ! With a slumping economy, they have to maintain their profit margins somehow, so now they are calling on us to keep the death mills running. The idea, I suppose, is to encourage you to look away from those Starbucks and Best Buy gift cards and to consider giving a gift to your loved one or friend that takes and keeps on taking. CNN has the story.
21 Comments | Abortion, Holidays, Policraticus | Permalink
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Help out ProWomanProLife
December 2, 2008Look, I could care less about blog awards. However, I think it is important that the fantastic blog, ProWomanProLife, gets as much exposure as possible. So take a moment and vote for ProWomanProLife for best new blog in the Canadian Blog Awards.
1 Comment | Blogs, Policraticus, Pro-Life | Permalink
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They need to go back to India
November 12, 2008So I was standing in line at the pharmacy last night in Houston behind a young married couple who were paying for their items. The man asked the cashier, who was probably in her late fifties, if a rebate form was in the box of one of his items or if the pharmacy had the form. The cashier grew a bit impatient and shoved a book of coupons in front of the him and told him that he’d have to look for the form himself. He perused through the booklet and replied that there were no rebate forms. The cashier then called for the store manager to come to the front for customer assistance. My turn to checkout…
I presented my one item to her, and as she scanned it she mumbled what I thought was, “I need to go home.” “You need to go home?” I asked. “No, they need to go home,” she said a little louder. I looked behind me and noticed that the couple was only a few feet away from us waiting for the manager. “Are you tired of helping them?” I asked. The cashier stopped what she was doing and looked at me intently. In a serious manner and with what I suspected was an expectation of my agreement, she declared loudly, “They need to go back to India.” The couple, I believe, heard this. They were, indeed, foreigners with mild accents who spoke fine English and were dressed in t-shirts and jeans. I asked the cashier why they would “need to go back” to anyplace. I told her that, for all we know, they had as much of a right to be here at the pharmacy as the two of us. “No,” was all she said back to me. I then told her that I married a woman from Venezuela and that I didn’t want her to go back home. The cashier gave me a look of disgust, shook her head, and helped the next customer. I left the store. The manager hadn’t come to help yet.
I’m not sure that what I witnessed was racism. I’m not sure that what I witnessed was xenophobia. I am sure that what I witnessed was intolerance.
16 Comments | Immigration, Policraticus, Racism | Permalink
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The world reacts to Obama’s election
November 5, 2008Two weeks ago Jonathan and I sat down for lunch with Pascal Bruckner, a leading French intellectual, novelist, and proponent of neo-conservative ideology. He surprised, I think, both of us when he stated that Americans just do not realize that Obama is not only looked at as a candidate for the United States, but as a the candidate for the world (similar to Reagan, FDR, and Wilson, I suppose). Despite being a strong supporter of the Iraq War and of Donald Rumsfeld, Bruckner relayed to us that he hoped that Obama would win.
Now I know a little bit of what Bruckner means by “world candidate.” CNN has a collage of video clips of the world’s reaction to the election of Barack Obama to the office of President of the United States. It’s worth a look.
19 Comments | Election, Policraticus, Politics | Permalink
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Colorado voters to decide on “personhood” amendment
October 30, 2008Colorado is an important state in this election not only in terms of the the presidential race, but also for the pro-life movement in the United States. Colorado voters will vote on a “personhood” amendment that seeks to legally attribute the status of “person” to the unborn. NPR has the incredible story of the genesis of this amendment and some of the implications it holds. Let’s pray this thing passes!
All Things Considered, October 29, 2008 · Colorado is one of several states facing a controversial ballot measure this fall that could have far-reaching impacts on abortion law. Amendment 48 would define “personhood” as beginning at the moment of conception, giving fertilized human eggs the same constitutional rights as a person.
The first of its kind in the U.S., the amendment is the brainchild of 21-year-old Kristi Burton, who says she wants to establish a concrete definition of when life begins to protect unborn children. On a Sunday in October, Burton drove three hours from her home near Colorado Springs to speak at Life Church, an evangelical congregation in Fort Collins. Read the rest of this entry »
15 Comments | Human Rights, Policraticus, Politics, Pro-Life | Permalink
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CNN says “no” to Obama
October 29, 2008This caught my attention: CNN has refused to air Sen. Barak Obama’s campaign “commercial,” which is set to air on major media outlets including NBC and FOX Television. So if you are trying to escape Obama’s victory speech tonight and you still want the news, you know one place you can turn.
10 Comments | Election, Media, News, Policraticus, Politics | Permalink
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Lost in the News: President Lugo visits the White House
October 28, 2008Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, a former Catholic bishop, visited President George Bush at the White House yesterday. CNS has the story.
3 Comments | Latin America, News, Policraticus, Politics | Permalink
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Why I cannot, will not vote for Barak Obama for president
October 23, 2008A good friend of mine sent this video along to me, which further solidifies my decision to not vote for Sen. Barak Obama for president. The difference in rhetoric between Obama and McCain specifically on abortion is stark. And while the video is a bit deceptive on McCain’s true feelings on abortion (for instance, in the last presidential debate, McCain admitted that he would consider nominating pro-Roe justices to the Supreme Court), nevertheless the difference between the two candidates is brought into high relief. There is no redeeming value, I think, in Obama’s social and medical aid proposals for young woman and pregnant mothers when his rhetorical measures are so clearly antithetical to the State’s duty to secure justice for all its citizens.
37 Comments | Abortion, Election, Policraticus, Politics | Permalink
Posted by Policraticus
The Palin candidacy and the new vulgarization of politics
October 18, 2008Peggy Noonan’s the real thing. A conservative, to be sure, but one that actually thinks critically rather than ideologically. So while many conservatives lie to themselves and seek to delude others by insisting that Palin is a good and qualified candidate for Vice President of the United States, Noonan talks straight. In the world of American politics, we have learned twice in the past 20 years what happens when we elect someone to high office whose understanding of the country, its citizens, and its place in the world borders on high school social studies and the vacuous assertions of the Limbaugh Letter. Noonan recognizes that, just as many others of various political stripes have. Palin is, in the words of Noonan, a representative of the “new vulgarization of politics.” This is not about slander or smearing. It’s about honesty among ourselves, concern for the common good, and confidence in our leaders.
Here are some of highlights of Noonan’s article, “Palin’s Failin’,” today in the Wall Street Journal:
Here is a fact of life that is also a fact of politics: You have to hold open the possibility of magic. People can come from nowhere, with modest backgrounds and short résumés, and yet be individuals of real gifts, gifts that had previously been unseen, that had been gleaming quietly under a bushel, and are suddenly revealed. Mrs. Palin came, essentially, from nowhere. But there was a man who came from nowhere, the seeming tool of a political machine, a tidy, narrow, unsophisticated senator appointed to high office and then thrust into power by a careless Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose vanity told him he would live forever. And yet that limited little man was Harry S. Truman. Of the Marshall Plan, of containment. Little Harry was big. He had magic. You have to give people time to show what they have. Because maybe they have magic too. Read the rest of this entry »
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Posted by Policraticus
