Unveiling the Light

This has been an interesting election so far and I believe the fireworks have only just begun. The Hillary/Obama race is a surprisingly close struggle with a win for either having historic implications. The Republican race is wide open. Although I think Huckabee is beginning to fade he still has a strong candidacy. McCain probably lost his momentum and chances in Michigan. If he can’t win the elections with a large crossover of moderate voters, he hasn’t a change in conservative states. Romney, Thompson and Giuliani are all gaining strength but I don’t think anyone can confidently look ahead and predict a winner.

For a Christian this race holds a lot of fascination and some problems. Hillary would be the first woman nominee which would be a positive sign of social progress but has so much baggage she would probably be more a hindrance to the nation than an asset. Obama, whatever his political positions, and it is really hard to figure that out sometimes, would be a great change in politics and certainly a healing figure for many. Win or lose the Presidency, he would be a great sign of progress in our society. On the Republican side we seem to have a variety of choices as to which ideals we want to support but as the process moves along the candidates seem to be finding their conservative voice. Each of the possibilities of both sides seem to hold some promise but there are many pitfalls as well.

As a Christian we have to look at the issues with our mind as well as our heart. Good intentions don’t account for much if the end result causes human suffering and moral decay. The Great Society was a program with the best of intentions but can we really see any overall improvement in our society? Giving people a helping hand and minimal living standards has also disrupted the family unit and given us a permanent underclass which is often filled with despair. Everyone is an environmentalist and who is to say that this is bad? But then look at some of the results! The banning of DDT may have saved some eggs of the Bald Eagle but it is also responsible for the death of millions of human beings in third world countries who are unable to control mosquitoes. The current push for mosquito nets for the world’s poor is almost a joke compared to what the continued use of this chemical could provide. Everyone wants to save and conserve energy but you can’t get by the fact that any growing economy requires an abundant and affordable source of energy.

England just passed the U.S. in per capita income and the Canadian dollar is about to surpass the U.S. dollar. Meanwhile, we haven’t built a refinery in 35 years and are paying over $3.00 per gallon as a result. We won’t drill off our shores but we now have foreign countries drilling just off the 12 mile limit, presenting the same danger but with less control. We won’t drill in Alaska because of the potential threat to the environment but even the worst disasters with oil tankers are largely unnoticed within a few years. Nature cleans up things rather well. We invented nuclear energy but refuse to use it. France receives 75% of their energy from nuclear plants without incident. What have we gained by our concerns compared to the trouble and economic hardship these limits cause? How many unemployed, lost industries, and underemployed are paying the price for idealistic concerns not backed up by good science..

We have to use our heads as well as our heart and have to think past the feel good platitudes of the media. You might ask why the U.S. has to be an economic powerhouse and what good does that do for the people of the world? You might want to consider where the world would be without this country standing in the way of tyranny and putting forth freedom. No, we have not exactly been angels in our dealings with the world but who has done it better? Who is it that feeds the poor of the world, has stood against aggression, and, most recently, has become the exporter of democracy?

I am not going to take a public stand on the candidates but I do think we need to look at the reality of the world we live in and the real actions that can be taken to improve things. We need to look at the results of our actions, no matter the good intentions. There are consequences for our actions and perhaps even more so for our inactions. Who we vote into office this year and the policies they implement or don’t implement will affect our lives and will affect the world. We need to use our heads as much as our hearts. Lives and the extent of human suffering depend on it.

Father Steven Foppiano