Unveiling the Light

It is too bad that legitimate political discourse cannot take place without someone like Mr. O'Neil going into hyperbole. I am always amazed that from the left point of view the only legitimate concerns are their own. All others are due to a fault of character against those who dare to stand up to their rhetoric. In my case, I stood against the President declaring that his policy was the moral course of action. Yes, I did point out that the President only looks to Christian values when it fits his agenda but since when did speaking the truth become a matter of character? I did not write against the President personally, only against his policies and attempt to take the religious pulpit into his own agenda.

Mr. O'Neal had good company. According to Jack Jamison, his neighboring columnist, Republicans have been taken over by the wacko fringe. After all, you have to be a wacko to oppose these far reaching policies or to disagree with Jack or Jaime ... at least from their point of view. Both would probably be unable to understand that I and many others standing against these policies are not Republicans. I quit supporting that party long ago, mainly because I believe both major parties have lost their way and are working for interests that have little to do with the common man or woman.

I never said that individuals are "on their own" regarding health care. I have no problem with people pooling their risk together (It's called insurance.) and I am especially an advocate of reaching out to those who are unable to help themselves. I am all for community helping community. I just realize that government usually brings about the deterioration of community and that many of those who claim to have nothing but the best of intentions in imposing policies can count among themselves such great people as Hitler, Stalin, Castro and a host of Chinese despots.

That does not mean that all those supporting government run health care are evil or stupid or in any way morally deficient. I count many who are politically opposite me as friends. No, they are simply wrong and I want to help point that out. I have nothing against them trying to point out that I am wrong from time to time but let us keep it at the policy and reality level and not try to undermine each others character or to claim to know each others agenda! It's too bad that Mr. O'Neal and Jamison concentrate on the people who oppose them instead of fighting for the policies they say they support. Theirs is a method of silencing critics rather than defending policies.

Being a Christian does not mean that we all walk in lock step and agree on all things. There are many ways to try to bring about the Kingdom of God in the world. I happen to be an advocate of the individual taking on this responsibility and thus saving themselves and they work to save others. Others tend to depend on the government to do God's work. I distrust this method as I believe it breaks the ties between those that need help and those that can help. It makes some people believe they are deserving of all things and allows others to forsake responsibility for others in the world. Such a world, even if it could work, would do little to bring about God's kingdom in the world. It breaks the ties of community and within humanity.

Even if we all work towards the goals of reaching out to the needy, of being a people of peace, granting forgiveness and working for the betterment of all; there will still be disagreements among us. We can still, however, be united in our cause if we keep the Master in mind as our true leader at all times. Then God will lead the way. I doubt that Saint Peter will be asking anyone for their party affiliation. In fact, I doubt that he will ask any one for their list of good intentions. All will have already been revealed by the actions of our faith. The lives we live are the true measure of the faith we hold.

President Obama has recently met with thousands of religious supporters where he declared that his plan for health care is the moral choice. There is a moral choice to be made but in this case he is on the wrong side and his attempt to use religion for his own political gain is simple theatrics. He has no standing to make such a declaration.

Morality is all about putting our desires and choices in line with the God's plan. It is our human attempt to fulfill the will of God in our lives. First we should be clear that morality is foremost a personal call. We cannot expect to impose morality on the world if we are not first living it out in our own personal choices. In this case we have a man who has only the weakest of ties to Christianity. By his own words he did not pay attention to what occurred in his old Church with the rantings of the Reverend Wright and he has yet to show indications of worshipping and practicing the faith he was so quick to make public when it suited his needs. It is clear that his Christianity is largely seen as something to check off on his way to the presidency. It is not reflected in his life.

Of all presidents in recent history, this president has the poorest record of using his own funds to support the Church or give to any charitable organizations. He has shown zero regard for the unborn in his voting record and even in his personal comments. This is the man who when asked about contraception for his own daughter spoke of a pregnancy as if it were a disease and not the serious consequence of our own actions and an opportunity to cooperate with the creative power of God. This is also the man who promised a change in how Washington works but has shown great favor for his supporters, particularly large and often corrupt unions and who has put this country on a course of spending that will have major negative consequences for future generations. That too is a moral choice and in this case a bad choice was made. Bad choices were made by others before him as well but at least they practiced what they preached in their personal lives and the President has not brought about the change he so boldly promised.

Without the personal practice of morality the President has no right to invoke morality as being on his side. Health care is something all responsible people care about providing for those in need. What is clear is that there is great disagreement as to how to provide that care. Does that mean that the President has the only moral plan and all others are immoral? Of course not! After all, despite the existence of several versions of the health plan, no one is disputing that over 30 million people will be left uncovered in the new plan, in addition to all illegal aliens. In addition it is clear that there are serious problems with his plan. Perhaps what is most immoral in this situation is the attempt to ram it down the throats of the American people without proper review. Many in Congress had not read the plan and there is still disagreement as to which is the real plan being discussed.

One plan publically available does have a section where patients are counseled on their rights to end their treatment. A similar program is currently being implemented in the Veterans Administration. During this "counseling" the patient is asked to first to evaluate the quality of life they can expect for the future. Then they are asked to evaluate whether they feel they will be a burden to their family and friends! It is the job of a healer to help the patient to find hope for the future and if an ailing patient is seen only as a burden by their family and friends then it is the family and friends who have a big problem in their morality, not the patient. To give in to such greed and selfishness is immoral in itself!

Human life is precious. What is clear about the plans of the government is that human life will be valued on its benefit to society and not on any value in life itself. Yes there are times when one may decide that the consequences of undergoing treatment outweigh the potential benefits, but that decision should be based on the patient's well informed evaluation on the affects on their own life, not on the potential inconvenience towards others. The morality of a society is judged on how we treat the least among us. What does it say about us if we are so ready to discard those who no longer provide benefits for us or for society?

All too often a person awaiting treatment is in pain and has been demoralized by their experience. That is not the proper mind to make such decisions. This is why doctors, friends, clergy and family need to provide hope for the individual to see what is possible. If someone says they want to die or are ready to die, we should not take this as a decision on life. It is a judgment based on their current emotions and sufferings. We need to make sure they see the possibilities for the future and not simply agree with their current frame of mind. I have seen many demoralized patients recover enough to find happiness and fulfillment in life. What would happen if we had simply handed them a form and then discontinued treatment?

There are moral issues to be discussed here but they should not detract us from evaluating this health plan on its merits and the ways in which it opens us up to immoral criteria for action, especially by an impersonal government obsessed with counting costs. These are personal decisions that should be made with those involved in our lives. Do you really think that members of Congress or the White House will be given the same government options as your parents, yourself or your family? The issues now involved with having or not having health insurance will only be exchanged for issues of having or not having influence within the bureaucracy. The chances for immoral choices will only grow and be out of the hands of most Americans.

Yes there are moral questions involved with our national policy on health care. There are also moral questions regarding the tremendous debt we are building up for future generations, trading our betterment of life style for their enslavement to decisions made before their time. More importantly are the moral questions as to who will make decisions regarding our health care. Will it be based on the obligation we all have to uphold the sanctity of all human life or will it be based on the central government's need to cut costs and put in policies as to the winners and losers of the health care system. As for the President's declaration that his is the morally right way, this I can confidently disregard out of hand. His personal actions do not give him moral standing to make such judgments. He should stick to politics and try to make sound judgments regarding national politics based on facts. We can evaluate the moral issues without his help.

It appears that there is a fight going on in Congress about whether to regulate Federal Express as an airline or a national carrier. As a national carrier it would be easier to unionize Federal Express workers who make as much as more than their unionized competitor, UPS and have comparable benefits. This is a power play by the Teamsters. The United Auto Workers were given ownership of General Motors and now the Teamsters want unionization of this large company as their payoff for supporting Obama for President.

This is nothing more than utilizing the government as a club to get what you can't gain in the open market and it is a club supported by UPS which is already unionized. It smacks of the anti Wal-Mart forces that ignore the growth and impact of Home Depot and other large stores because they are unionized and Wal-Mart is not. What is really disgusting is that the American Conservative Union, supposedly a bulwark of American conservative causes, offered its services to Federal Express for nearly 4 million dollars. When FedEx turned them down, they turned around and offered the same services to UPS to fight against Federal Express.

This simply points to the corruption that was always a part of any government but that now has almost completely corrupted our process. Our government is for sale and in most cases, has been bought. It has been purchased by large companies, big labor unions, public employee unions and others who now depend on that government for their success and survival. Lost in all of this are the needs of the people this government is supposed to be serving, any sense of doing what is right for the country and any attempt to keep a level playing field so that capitalism or any competitive system can work. The individual is helpless when the titans of power and money embrace this struggle. This makes our government dangerous and puts us on the edge of disaster.

Nobody is being served well by this government except those with their hands out for contracts, competitive advantage, and unfair profits. This leads to the government overpaying for services and commodities, such as a recent purchase of millions of pounds of pork for double the market price, while those with true needs are lost in a bureaucracy that is only interested in serving itself. Are there caring people involved in government? Of course there are but against the power of the major influence peddlers, the government agencies self serving interests and the corruption that is readily visible in transactions such as those above, they have little chance to do the good they seek.

The state of California is willing to do almost anything to feed these influential players. We now have legalized gambling throughout the state at Indian Casinos, often owned by those with only bare relations to actual tribes and controlled by non tribal interests. We have the state itself bringing gambling to every citizen through it numerous lottery and scratch off games, and now the government is eying the complete legalization of marijuana, not because it is good for the state but because it will raise revenue. This revenue will be used to feed the greed of the big interests and will have no impact on improving the lives of Californians.

This state is loosing its most productive members who have thrown up their hands and have moved to states like Nevada, Idaho, Washington and others who have been invaded by displaced Californians. Meanwhile our legislature is on the hunt for more funds, wherever it can get them, without considering the consequences of its actions. The federal government is following suit. In the end we are all losers in this game as productivity slacks off and profits are drained off by corrupt players in league with corrupt politicians. Much of this corruption now takes place openly through legal but unethical means as politicians using "campaign funds" to employ relatives and grant contracts that result in personal gain.

It is time for the people to get fed up. The economic reality is that this cannot continue. We cannot keep on racking up trillions in public debt while we spend money on everything except what government should be doing. Our roads deteriorate, our energy systems are inadequate, or infrastructure is crumbling, the poor are given just enough to keep them dependent and we keep feeding money to those who have the power to buy votes and influence. The day of reckoning is upon us. It is up to the voters to start throwing out so called leaders of any party that refuses to see economic reality and to look out for the needs of the people. The time of influence peddling has to come to a close and that influence needs to be reclaimed by the man and woman in the voting booth who is willing to look beyond the continued false promises of easy gain and to embrace the need to pay and earn our own way.

Think of what we could do and how we could help each other if this money now being squandered was returned to those who earned it and the economy was allowed to reach its potential. It is time to quit looking to government to help those in need and to take that responsibility on ourselves. We need to scale back the government while it is still possible. It is not working as it should and this is largely caused by it taking on too much power and influence in too many parts of our society. The individual is left looking out for him or her self and the sense of community and shared responsibility is being lost.

The government should make it possible for the people to fix their problems and attack poverty and other issues for change but it has shown itself incapable of fixing problems or enacting change within itself. We should never have given it the responsibilities which belong to us all individually. It has failed, is failing and will fail in meeting these responsibilities. It is time for the individual to step up to the plate.

Fr. Steven Foppiano

Here is a puzzler for you. What do Cap and Trade and Michael Jackson have in common? Both are signs of a culture that lives in the shallows while it is destroyed from the depths. Both indicate an obsession with pop culture and political correctness and a near total disregard for facts and defining issues.

On one hand this administration has passed a far reaching Cap and Trade bill through the House of Representatives that will have far dire consequences for small businesses, household budgets, jobs and the economic health of this country. Not one member of the House could have read this entire bill as over 300 pages were introduced in the last hours before it was passed but its inevitable effect will be to raise energy prices, push marginal businesses out of existence and increase unemployment with no evidence that it will have any effect on global warming, a concept that many deny even exists. Our only hope is that the Senate will see the truth of this bill and vote it down.

Meanwhile we are subjected to near continuous coverage of the Michael Jackson death and funeral. It is fine to mourn the death of a popular singer but this coverage seems to have gone a bit over board and ignores the controversies of a man who paid $30 million to have a child drop molestation charges while admitting to having shared a bed with adolescents, entered a sham marriage for publicity only to insist and pay for sole custody of his children, one of whom he once hung by his feet out over his balcony for his fans and who has a history of self mutilation and apparent drug abuse.

We all have problems and issues but what has Michael done to receive such adoration? He has a shallow history of humanitarian service. I have only heard of two instances, one a visit to a burn unit and the second his paying for a dying child to see his family. For a man who spent so much money on his own indulgences, this is hardly an effort at all. Meanwhile, family of recently killed U.S. soldiers complain that the deaths of their loved ones were hardly mentioned at all and no in depth coverage was given to these true heroes, people who put their lives on the line and gave up their own hopes so as to help others and be of service to their fellow Americans. One who thought only of himself is immortalized while those who gave up all they had for others are forgotten. All of this points to a culture that is obsessed with how things look and too distracted by its self to look in depth at issues that are vitally important and which have far reaching effects.

Small businesses, the ones who put everything on the line to product goods, provide services and create jobs in this economy, are aghast at what Congress is about to do to them. All of this is being done on the hope of somehow creating new "green" jobs, despite the facts that wind and solar power cannot provide this nation's needs and have so far proven to be unviable alternatives. It sounds good though, so let's ignore the facts and economic reality, let's ignore the bankruptcies, hardships and chaos that Cap and Trade will cause, and let's do it because it makes us feel good. Never mind that in the end it will make us all feel a bit foolish, a lot broke and cause more harm than good.

Those who do seek honor, who make sacrifices and who seek to do right with their lives and serve others, are ignored, often ridiculed and largely unappreciated. I can fully understand the pain of family who hear nothing of the sacrifice of their sons and daughters and cannot get away from news about someone who was rewarded immensely for his talents and who died in debt because of his lack of self restraint and who used his wealth to buy exemption from the law. We adore the wrong people and show little appreciation on those to whom we owe are very existence.

Hopefully this will be a wake up call for families and leaders and especially for our young people. Is this really what we want to be about? Are we to exist only for our own self gratification and for the ability to think we are good when in fact we are acting wholly selfishly and destructively? The real problem is not in a Congress that thinks of themselves as Hollywood stars and not with a talented entertainer who allowed his self indulgence to destroy himself. The problem is in all of us who refuse to see the world as it is instead of how we want it to be and who like to think that we are part of the cultural elite who in fact are themselves nothing more than the pampered, uneducated and inexperienced lucky few who look or sound good. We need to look at this world for what it is and decide what we can really do to improve the lives of those who depend on us and of those generations to follow.

We need to adore those who have learned the value of self sacrifice, of giving to others and of being united with those around them. We need to clean up our environment but to do so in a responsible way that understands the effects one action can have on so many people and our responsibility to those around us. We need to take action only after really studying the issues, ignoring political correctness and rhetoric and taking action based on real facts, with a realistic view of what can be done and the effect one action can have on so many. We should never act on hope but should hope that our efforts to act on facts will have the results we expect, an expectation based on real science and real consequences. We should never attach our love to someone because of their popularity but should be careful to lovingly appreciate those who make sacrifice so that we can live better. It is time to get out of the shallows and take the plunge into the depths. That is where our actions have real meaning.

Father Steven Foppiano