Highlights from our election:
1) Racism is our national disease. No one can deny the progress Americans have made toward racial harmony, but at the same time, no one can claim that the subtle racism found in white privilege no longer exists. Barack Obama’s election to the Presidency is a brilliant example of what it means to be an American. We are less of an ethnic or national group, but a diverse people united by the common principle of honor for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If we consider other countries with substantial racial or ethnic minorities, could we imagine them electing a minority chief executive? What is the likelihood of a French Algerian becoming President of France or a British Pakistani as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom? Despite our original sin of slavery, our historical evolution has continued to broaden our belief that all men are created equal. That belief is potent. Our conscientious striving to be ever truer to that belief made Tuesday night possible
2) More pro-life Democrats will serve in Congress than ever before. Four more pro-life Democrats were elected to the House of Representatives - Bobby Bright of Alabama, Parker Griffith of Alabama, Kathy Dahlkemper of Pennsylvania and Steve Driehaus of Ohio - bringing the total number to 40. As the national Democratic Party hungered after a larger majority in Congress, they were forced to embrace pro-life candidates to run among socially conservative Catholics and Protestants in the South and Midwest and that is a gain for all who participate in the struggle for life. I hope these pro-life Democrats will help moderate their radical pro-abortion colleagues in the Democratic caucus.
Some concerns that arise from our election:
1) The continued struggle for legal recognition of the unborn is made harder with the election of Barack Obama and the Congressional leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. The possibility that frightens me the most is the so-called Freedom of Choice Act, which would overturn state laws that have chipped away little by little at unfettered access to abortion and force Medicaid to cover abortion services. Thankfully, the Democrats did not reach a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, but I call on pro-life activists to avoid compliancy, as there are three Republican Senators - Susan Collins of Maine, Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania - who are pro-abortion. We must continue to be vigilant of Democrats and Republicans. Our sojourn continues and I hope we all become more aware of the need to tackle the tougher challenge of evangelizing our culture with as much gusto as we put into political efforts.
2) One party government scares me. And it should scare you too. We do not have to go back very far to see the corruption and decadence that one party rule breeds. From 2001 to 2007, our Republic was greatly devalued as checks and balances broke down. We faced a Republican monolith in the White House and Congress that promoted cynicism and aggressive partisanship. We were lied to and spied on with abandon and the Republican machine fed itself on greed and hubris. I fear this will happen again under the new regime, but I will give the Democrats the benefit of the doubt - for now.
Mason Slidell
1) Racism is our national disease. No one can deny the progress Americans have made toward racial harmony, but at the same time, no one can claim that the subtle racism found in white privilege no longer exists. Barack Obama’s election to the Presidency is a brilliant example of what it means to be an American. We are less of an ethnic or national group, but a diverse people united by the common principle of honor for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If we consider other countries with substantial racial or ethnic minorities, could we imagine them electing a minority chief executive? What is the likelihood of a French Algerian becoming President of France or a British Pakistani as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom? Despite our original sin of slavery, our historical evolution has continued to broaden our belief that all men are created equal. That belief is potent. Our conscientious striving to be ever truer to that belief made Tuesday night possible
2) More pro-life Democrats will serve in Congress than ever before. Four more pro-life Democrats were elected to the House of Representatives - Bobby Bright of Alabama, Parker Griffith of Alabama, Kathy Dahlkemper of Pennsylvania and Steve Driehaus of Ohio - bringing the total number to 40. As the national Democratic Party hungered after a larger majority in Congress, they were forced to embrace pro-life candidates to run among socially conservative Catholics and Protestants in the South and Midwest and that is a gain for all who participate in the struggle for life. I hope these pro-life Democrats will help moderate their radical pro-abortion colleagues in the Democratic caucus.
Some concerns that arise from our election:
1) The continued struggle for legal recognition of the unborn is made harder with the election of Barack Obama and the Congressional leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. The possibility that frightens me the most is the so-called Freedom of Choice Act, which would overturn state laws that have chipped away little by little at unfettered access to abortion and force Medicaid to cover abortion services. Thankfully, the Democrats did not reach a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, but I call on pro-life activists to avoid compliancy, as there are three Republican Senators - Susan Collins of Maine, Olympia Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania - who are pro-abortion. We must continue to be vigilant of Democrats and Republicans. Our sojourn continues and I hope we all become more aware of the need to tackle the tougher challenge of evangelizing our culture with as much gusto as we put into political efforts.
2) One party government scares me. And it should scare you too. We do not have to go back very far to see the corruption and decadence that one party rule breeds. From 2001 to 2007, our Republic was greatly devalued as checks and balances broke down. We faced a Republican monolith in the White House and Congress that promoted cynicism and aggressive partisanship. We were lied to and spied on with abandon and the Republican machine fed itself on greed and hubris. I fear this will happen again under the new regime, but I will give the Democrats the benefit of the doubt - for now.
Mason Slidell
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