Pray for Our Country

Okay, I’ve been around a while, and during those many years have lived in the South, the Northeast, the Middle Atlantic, and the always strange West Coast. I’ve also traveled extensively throughout the world and schmoozed with the natives in many European and Asian nations. During most of those years, I found that much of the world admired, and sometimes even feared, the United States, if not always publicly, certainly privately. And it wasn’t just our industrial and military power that caused others to envy America. For many, particularly those who understood us best, their admiration centered on our long history of governmental stability. Ours has always been a nation that, despite changes in political leadership, has managed to demonstrate a strong and abiding faith in its constitutional foundation. Although many nations in the world are older than the United States, very few have governments that have survived as long as ours.

Sadly, given what’s happening in our nation today, I fear this stability might not last much longer. We have become a divided nation in which a growing, vocal, and very active gang of radical socialists hope to effect permanent change in our nation and its government. They are feared by those in the Democrat party who need their votes for reelection, and consequently the so-called moderates agree to further the bulk of the socialists’ radical legislative agenda. Much of the nation, certainly most of those who usually exercise their right to vote, are inherently conservative, in that they see no need to change a system of government that has served generations of Americans rather well. For almost 250 years, despite occasional stupidity, mistakes, and moral and ethical lapses, as a nation we have done remarkably well. 

But the times are changing, so much so I encourage all Americans, regardless of political party, to turn to our loving, forgiving God and plead that He will bless and protect our nation, its future, and its people. As Catholics we are not locked into any political party. We look not to the vagaries of political machinations, but turn instead to the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, and to the timeless teachings of the Church. In the spirit of this hope, I offer the following thoughts, asking all to join me as we pray:

For the forgotten. So many in our nation, and throughout the world, are simply overlooked by all levels of government and, yes, even by churches. These forgotten included the abject poor who must survive at society’s depths, those who suffer from generational poverty, mental illness, and addictions, those who are somehow forgotten by governmental and other programs. So often we turn to government, assuming only it can address the problems of those in greatest need. But government programs are inherently inefficient and plagued by bureaucracy and its many failings. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must get our hands dirty and take a healing walk through our communities, providing the help, encouragement, and love that others need. And remember, Jesus healed the physically ill and cast out demons, but His primary focus was on the spiritual health of those He encountered. Pray for the conversion of the poor, the forgotten, those tossed aside by society. And pray for the wealthy, for the elites who actually believe they are better than the rest of us. Pray that they may learn the humility of the Son, who emptied Himself for our salvation. Oh, yes, and pray for yourself, that you will do God’s will in the tiny slice of creation In which He placed you.

For the Fragmented American Family. Far too many, including too many Christians and Catholics, have caved in to the evil of so-called same-sex marriage. Marriage is a sacramental reality, one given to us by God Himself, and as Sacred Scripture and 2,000 years of Church teaching remind us, marriage can exist only between a man and a woman. Divorce, too, is at a high, and perhaps even more disturbing, many couples are simply not getting married, preferring instead to live outside the marriage bond. Children, of course, suffer most from the dissolution of the family. Far too many couples have also accepted a contraceptive mentality, one that includes the travesty of abortion, simply for the convenience of their lives. Pray for the families of our nation, and pray especially that they will be accepting of God’s gift of life. And pray, too, for the unborn and for those who seek and perform abortions. Ask the Holy Spirit, the “Lord and giver of life,” to work within the hearts of our politicians, our judges, and our people.

For those who protect us. So many, today both man and women, willingly devote their lives to the defense of our communities and our nation. Many, far too many, are seriously injured or lose their lives in this selfless effort. Let us all remember that these are true American heroes, who along with their families suffer the physical, mental, and spiritual wounds that most Americans will never experience or even understand. As a nation, and as individuals, we owe these courageous men and women, especially our veteran warriors, our deepest thanks. 

For our Church. The Church throughout the world, but especially in our nation, is under attack, particularly by the political left. This, of course, is nothing new. The Catholic Church has been attacked by the Nazis or national socialists, and by the communists, the international socialists. Today, religious freedom, once considered the first of our freedoms, has been tossed aside by many politicians for whom ideology trumps all personal freedom. Pray that out nation holds fast to the God-given freedoms enshrined in our constitution, so that we may, as Catholic Christians, “make disciples or all nations.” 

Finally, the absence of faith is fear, so be not afraid! Keep the faith! The God who loves us, the God who gave His Son for our redemption, is in charge. He will bring all to completion. Our nation, like all nations, is nothing more than an ephemeral human society that will eventually fade away. But God remains and will be with us forever.

What Are They Saying?

I keep hearing people say some very odd things, sometimes stupid things. I'm sure many don't realize how strange their words sound, but maybe if they actually thought about what they're saying, they'd stop saying it. For example:

"We're all in this together." 

No, we're not. The protected classes certainly aren't. These include the multi-millionaires and billionaires, the Wall Street denizens, most professionals, tenured academics, government bureaucrats at all levels, media talking heads, and of course, members of Congress, state legislators, mayors, and city council members...and so many more. All of these well-protected people are pretty much isolated from the more dire effects of the coronavirus panic...at least its short-term effects. These are also the people who make most of the decisions that affect the hard-working citizens of the USA.

Another group includes the non-working poor; that is, those who receive regular welfare payments, food stamps, Medicaid, and all the rest. They, too, have been largely unaffected by the pandemic, at least financially. Their checks have continued and they've even received a nice big bonus. I know this because I've spoken privately with a lot of these folks, my soup-kitchen friends, and most are very content with the current situation. Interestingly, several told me they are receiving even more meals and other food and household products since the pandemic, largely because charitable contributions and governmental assistance have increased dramatically. Yes, there are some exceptions, but they are just that, exceptions.

 
Another group includes me; that is, those of us who are retired and receive monthly checks from the U.S. Treasury. My income isn't very high, but it certainly didn't drop. Indeed, it experienced a nice rise when my bank account received that government bonus check. Other than experiencing a little "cabin fever," most of us have weathered the pandemic fairly well.

There are a few other unaffected groups, but let's turn our attention to those who have been hammered most by the coronavirus debacle: the working poor and the middle class. Also included here are the entrepreneurs, the folks who create jobs and keep our economy going. Unfortunately, these are the people who, disproportionately, have lost their jobs and income and may well lose their businesses. 

The leftist totalitarians, who demonstrate an insatiable desire to run every aspect of our lives, consider businesses, especially small businesses, so very non-essential. Big businesses are generous with campaign contributions, but most small businesses reinvest their profits where they will do the most good: in their businesses and employees. The fact that small businesses employ 50% of American workers means nothing. The left, you see, wants everyone to work for the government; that is, they want socialism. If you're a barber in Michigan, if you own a bar in Chicago, a gym in New Jersey, a restaurant in Manhattan, or a gun shop in LA, and if you decide to reopen your business, you can expect special treatment from the dictator wannabes who lead these states. How about a hefty fine or a cozy bunk in one of their jails? After all, they've made room for you because they've freed so many child molesters, rapists, and other criminals. Lifelong politicians don't have a clue. Remember that when you cast your next ballot.

Then there's this one:

"Join us in supporting America's essential workers."

I heard these words during a commercial aired by some company that wanted us all to know they provided material, moral, and emotional support to healthcare workers, fire and police, and other key "essential" workers. The commercial included a rapid-fire series of images of the kinds of people who fit their narrow criteria. It was one of those "pat ourselves on the back" commercials by a company that has furloughed a bunch of their own "non-essential" employees.

My problem relates to the essential vs. non-essential designation. It really boils down to decisions made by politicians or government bureaucrats who likely have never worked in the private sector or had to invest sweat equity in a business they owned. We see the result when power-hungry governors and mayors fine or order the arrest of owners of small businesses who actually believe the Constitution was written to protect them from tyrants. 

These same un-Constitutional decisions are too often influenced by political considerations. For example, why is a Walmart employee essential, but a local deli worker non-essential? Why is a Planned Parenthood abortionist essential, but an orthopedic surgeon who performs knee, shoulder, or hip replacements non-essential? Why is a news reporter more essential than a priest, minister, or rabbi? After all they're all protected by the First Amendment. And why is a member of Congress, who really does very little, essential, but a barber, who provides a needed service, non-essential? Believe me, my barber, a wonderful man named Salty, has done far more for me than my congressman. When it comes to the economy, pandemic or not, every job that feeds families and keeps people employed is essential...period!

And how about these words...

"You are violating the governor's orders..."

These were spoken by a police officer and addressed to the owner of a gym in Bellmahr, NJ. 

Colonel Patrick Callahan, New Jersey State Police Superintendent, stated that in addition to a summons for violating Governor Phil Murphy's stay-at-home order, the owners of Atilis Gym were charged with making a public nuisance. Gym owners Ian Smith and Frank Trumbetti had stated that they intended to remain open. They took every necessary precaution to protect their members from the coronavirus. They followed all the guidelines to ensure social distancing, as well as proper cleanliness and disinfecting of equipment. One of the owners correctly stated that it was primarily a Constitutional issue, that the governor's executive orders violated the Constitutional rights of American citizens. They had broken no laws. 

At this point I intend to write something that will upset many of my readers, but I really don't care, because it is the truth.

The gym owners, because they are willing to sacrifice their livelihood and their freedom, to place it all on the line in support of their Constitutional rights, are men of courage. As someone who wore the uniform of the United States Navy for several decades, I swore an oath "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic..." I also swore to obey the orders of those "appointed over me." But if an order violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice -- i.e., if it were illegal -- I could not legally obey it. The New Jersey State Police also take an oath and it too requires that they defend the Constitution of the United States; indeed, that's the very first element of their oath.

Although the governor has shown himself to be a power-hungry little dictator, the people of New Jersey can handle him through the electoral process, assuming they are wise enough to discern what's he's doing to their freedoms. My real problem, though, is with the police. The police, according to the NJ State Police General Order #1, may arrest or issue a summons only when someone has violated the law. The governor's orders, however, are not laws. Laws can only be enacted by the state legislature. Why, then, are the police acting as they are? I can think of only two reasons: (1) They are simply ignorant and don't realize what does and does not constitute a law. In other words, they do not understand the U. S. or New Jersey Constitutions and the rights of citizens; or (2) They fear the consequences of disobedience, should they fail to summons or arrest those who violate the governor's illegal order. In other words, they don't want to be fired or otherwise punished by the governor.

The upshot? The gym owners have shown themselves to be courageous men with a deep respect for our Constitutional freedoms. And the police who are involved in this injustice? Watching some of the interactions between police and those asserting their freedoms, one senses the officers are somewhat embarrassed to challenge these law-abiding citizens. One also hopes they are merely ignorant, because I'd hate to think of them as cowardly.

I have always had tremendous respect for our law enforcement officers at every level, local state, and federal. But when they encounter corruption at the highest levels, they are faced with a choice. They can go along, hoping it will go away. Of course, it won't, not until it is openly confronted. They can refuse to take part and either be fired or perhaps allowed to resign. Or they can fight it using whatever means available to them. Sadly, most seem to choose the first option.

Many of these governors are currently being sued for taking such draconian, un-Constitutional actions. As these suits move through the courts I expect the U.S. Supreme Court to rule against the governors. I simply can't imagine the justices agreeing to set aside the Bill of Rights because of a virus.

"You can't save everyone. You're gonna lose people. That's life."

No, Governor Cuomo, that's death. 

New York's governor, Andrew "Liveshot" Cuomo, uttered these words when questioned about his order demanding nursing homes accept patients infected by COVID-19. This order, which the average 10-year-old would realize was idiotic, resulted in the unnecessary deaths of thousands of New York's senior citizens, those most vulnerable to the effects of this virus. I actually take this decision by the governor personally because, at the age of 75, I'm right there in the mix with all these elderly people who are no longer with us. 

Why did this happen? The governor told us: "You're gonna lose people." And if "you're gonna lose people," I suppose you might as well lose those who count the least. This is how today's leftists think. Sanctity of life means absolutely nothing to them. Not only are some jobs more essential than others, so too are some lives. 

The unborn, for example, are essentially meaningless. They simply don't count. For some on the left, who strive to limit the effects of humanity on the planet, the best approach is to stop humans from being born. If contraception doesn't do the job, just snuff 'em out in the womb. The aged, too, have become unnecessary. Not only do they no longer contribute much to society, but it also costs far too much to keep them alive. The numbers tell the story. They're living so much longer now. Social security, government pensions, Medicare...it all adds up. Just send a bunch of infected folks into those nursing homes and let nature run its course.

Of course, creating a culture of death that supports abortion and euthanasia also helps undermine the left's most powerful enemy, organized religion, especially those faiths that actually cherish God's gift of life. And while I'm on the subject, thank you, Mr. President, for encouraging the states to open up our churches. It's about time. Let's hope they listen.

Some church leaders have been courageously defying governors' orders that blatantly violate the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, the amendment that bars government from prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Here's a recent article addressing the issue: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/religious-leaders-weigh-defiance-if-theyre-asked-to-close-church-doors-again

And kudos to the Catholic Bishops of Minnesota who decided to allow parishes to celebrate Mass with parishoners present despite the order banning services by Governor Tim Walz. Their action obviously put the pressure on the governor who then rescinded his order. See the story: https://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/after-minnesota-bishops-plan-to-defy-mass-restrictions-governor-eases-rules