US Bishops, Bishop Malone and Franciscans Advice on Voting and Abortion Discussed at Holy Family Parish, Albion

One party is pro-choice and the party that calls itself “pro-life” has poor record on abortion and other life issues.

Ultimately we have to ask, which party is more apt to support other initiatives against abortion and the other “life” issues that the Catholic Church (and others) identify.

About two dozen people attended morning and evening sessions in the Msgr. McCabe Room at Holy Family Parish in Albion to discuss voting and Bishop Malone's statement as it appeared in the October issue of WNY Catholic, the Franciscans for Justice on Election, and a synopsis of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. Copies were distributed.

Golden highly recommended the Bishops' document, which he said provided guidance for not only voting, but for thought and action by all believers for the future.

He reviewed what he believed was the basic tenant from Forming Consciences: “Catholics often face difficult choices as to how to vote. This is why it is so important to vote according to a well-informed conscience that perceives the proper relationship among moral goods. A Catholic shouldn't vote for a candidate who favors a policy promoting an intrinsically evil act, such as abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, deliberately subjecting workers or the poor to subhuman living conditions, redefining marriage in ways that violate it essential meaning, or racist behavior, if it's the voter's intention to support that position. In such cases a Catholic would be guilty of formal cooperation in grave evil. At the same time, a voter should not use a candidate's opposition to an intrinsic evil to justify indifference or inattentiveness to other important moral issues involving human life and dignity.”

Both the Bishops and Bishop Malone, say that we “should vote for positive as well as negative issues.”

Abortion became a major issue:

“How can we vote for someone who would allow abortion?”

“How can we vote for someone, who isn't equally concerned about born children?” Golden queried back. “Out of greed, pride, desire to have power over others, or neglect, we allow practices that sicken, maim and kill children in this country and all over the world.”

From Golden's reflection on the Bishops' paper, he observed: “Although, all children are covered in the document, born children are not named among those 'most vulnerable.' Yet, a significant percentage are physically, sexually and emotionally abused, neglected, rejected, raised with violent and/or mentally ill parents, and even in this country illegally employed and exploited and murdered We need to be concerned about children out of the womb as well as children in the womb.

Also, we rank 30^th in infant mortality out of 35 developed nations.

The so-called “pro-life” candidate says he'll deny health care coverage to immigrants' and undocumented parents' children. How is that pro-life? Bishops say that “all” should get health care.

Bishops further: 'Children are to be valued, protected and nurtured.'”

Another a frequent marcher at DC rallies insisted that all issues are not “morally equivalent” echoing the Bishop and Bishops. He said: “Abortion, Euthanasia, Stem cell research are non-negotiable issues.”

Bishop Malone pointed to all “direct killing” as above and also included genocide, targeting of non-combatants, terrorism and racism.”

Pro-Life marcher: “I have to vote for the one party, because “pro-life” is in their platform.”

Golden pointed out one party says they're pro-life and therefore opposed to abortion. It's been in their platform for probably 40 years. But “By their 'fruits' you shall know them” (quoting our founder, Jesus Christ). Although they say they're opposed to abortion, and had a 40 year majority in the Supreme Court, and had control of Congress for 29 years of 35 years they've passed no law or made any change significantly limiting abortions. The chance to add a Hyde-type amendment (disallowing funding for abortions) to Affordable Care Act, was ignored because the party that says it's didn't want to give President Obama “a victory.” So stated by Senate leader Mitch McConnell and others. As far as this party seemed concerned, victory over Pres. Obama was more important than children in the womb, and 'the common good.'”

Further their last two presidential candidates were publicly Pro-Choice, until they decided to run for president on the “pro-life” party ticket. So power was(is) more important than abortion.

This party doesn't seem to support many of the other issues the Catholic Church cites as pro-life.

Christ the King seminarian, Justin Steeg provided an article from ETWN that the “pro-life” candidate has been “pro-choice” in the past. Further he's considering his sister for Supreme Court. She recently, as Judge, struck down a New Jersey law, which outlawed late term abortions.

So you have one party that says it's pro-choice. And the other major party says it's pro-life, but acts the opposite.

Franciscans for Justice: “We believe that only by defending against all threats to life and creation will Catholics be able to credibly make the case for the culture of life and inclusion.”

US Conference of Catholic Bishops: “The right to life implies and is linked to other human rights to the basic goods that every human being needs to live and thrive. All life issues are connected for the erosion of respect for any individual or group in society necessarily diminishes respect for all life.”

Golden: Passing a law outlawing abortion is nowhere near enough. His religion prof at Holy Cross, in 1958, told us that there are an estimated ½ million abortions annually in the US, despite its being against the law. The rich and powerful would get abortions for their daughters, based on some medical “need,” and the desperate poor, in back alley clinics. Simply passing a law will not stop abortions. The rich will continue to get them and the poor will take the risks.

We have to do more to stop abortions, for instance:

a. Seek to eliminate the sexual abuse and exploitation of women and, therefore, also “unsought” pregnancies.

b. Support women who choose to have the child. The Buffalo Diocese Pro-Life Program provides great examples of doing just that.**

c. Make adoption easier and more affordable.** Rosanne Golden Leach, member of several Parish activities and anti-domestic violence advocate, told that her granddaughter's lawyer wanted $40,000. for an adoption.

d. Support adoptive parents and the adopting-out mother.**

*Note the number of other crimes that are committed: homicides, thefts, fraud, and hiring of “undocumented” immigrants, all of which are against the law.

**Information on these activities and how you might support them are available through Buffalo Right to Life Unit and suggestions from this writer: goldenjazz59@gmail.com.

Again, ultimately we have to ask, which party is more apt to support these four things and the other “life” issues that the Catholic Church (and others) identify: proper food, water and air, health care, especially for children and elderly, stopping pollution and global warming, protection of children from abuse and death, acceptance of immigrants and just enforcement that doesn't break up families, no racism and genocide, physician-assisted suicide, slave labor, trafficking and death penalty, and paying a “just wage.”

In the interest of space, the other discussions are not included. You can email or call for those discussions at goldenjazz59@gmail.com or call 585-682-4821.

The author notes that he writes from his own lens, which involves 16 years of Catholic education, with continued vigorous religious education and practice. He's been active at the parish, diocesan, community, state and national levels, which includes 43 years in criminal justice, 50 years of work and involvement with battered women and their batterers, and 52 years with migrant and immigrant farm-workers and farmers.

Robert E. Golden additionally is a graduate of Holy Cross(Jesuit), has a Master's Degree in Counseling, was a chair of a Pres. Reagan advisory committee, a member of the Bishop Kmiec's Justice and Peace Commission, who has written several articles for WNY Catholic and Buffalo, Rochester and other newspapers, and journals, and reviewed over 50 books at local libraries.

One concern: Justice; But, Many Issues

“As Catholics...Not Single Issue Voters”

Open Letter to Catholic Church, AMA and Local Government on Health Care Costs

(This article appears in the November 2016 WNY Catholic)

The Catholic Church is taking up a special collection for the health care for priests. One major reason: Health care is so expensive in this USofA. Unnecessarily expensive.

In the second Presidential debate, Sunday, October 9^th, Don Trump and Hillary Clinton were asked how to reduce health care costs.

I plead with the Catholic Church, the American Medical Association, Rite-Aid Pharmacy(our pharmacy) and all pharmacies*, local government, and both political parties to call out the health insurance companies, big pharma and medical implement companies on their greed-driven costs.

We know of patients who don't take certain prescribed medicines because they can't afford it, even if “covered” by insurance. We know people who don't go to the doctors because their spend-down and/or co-pay is so high and they can't afford it. We know people that still can't afford health insurance, despite the ACA, and chose the lesser penalty tax instead.

We see the ads for medical implements, “which will cost us nothing,” except as tax- and premium payers. Will cost us “nothing” except reduced police protection, education, health, mental health and veteran care, because government, saddled with unnecessarily high insurance and medicaid costs, can't afford adequate essential services.

In the meantime, insurance CEO's earn $10's of million, even, in one case $102 million/per year. That's not a million dollars per year, folks. That's 102 million dollars in one year. Not for producing a cancer cure. For taking our money, gambling with it and then doling our money back to us, sometimes stingily.

We took a cruise, about 15 years ago down the Miami Beach Intercoastal waterway. The tour guide pointed out a $32 million dollar winter home, and said “that's owned by a drug dealer.” The passengers gasped. “He's a vice-president(not president or CEO) of Pfizer Chemical.” We had a friend, with a PhD. in chemistry, who worked for a drug company. He told about staying at the Waldorf Astoria and eating at top NYC restaurants on his employer expense account.

Meanwhile, seniors and children and poor and middle class are suffering and even dying, because they can't afford their medications, doctor visits or insurance, which even then covers only a portion of the cost of care.

How did Trump and Clinton answer? Trump didn't. He went on a tirade against “'Obama' Care,” and went back to “Voodoo” (George H. Bush phrase) economics: competition will bring down costs, which might work if we didn't essentially have mainly monopolies and “price-fixing.” These are the same economics that failed Reagan, who promised to balance the budget, but instead doubled our debt, and multiplied the deficit. Trump never gave specifics as to how he'd reign in costs. By the way, it's the ACA (Affordable Care Act) not “Obama Care.” Obama Care would have been a single payer system, which would have halved the cost of health care, or at least Public Option, which would have forced Big Insurance to compete with government insurances, so they couldn't afford these huge salaries and their exorbitant expense accounts. So what we have is the Republican-modified ACA.

Then, Clinton answered with such a complicated answer, I had trouble following it. She stayed clear of the excesses of the Insurances and Pharmaceuticals. She had good reason. She'd learned from, when, as First Lady, she proposed universal health care, the huge financial power of the health insurances and pharmaceuticals blasted her out of the water.

The Catholic Church is concerned about “Justice” and “Life.” The AMA and Rite-Aide (and other pharmacies) are concerned about their customers' health and care. Local governments are concerned about their citizens.

If the Catholic Church, the AMA, Rite-Aid Pharmacy, local government and the NYS Association of Counties (NYSAC), and National Association of Counties (NACO) spoke out and acted out against the unfair costs of health care, it should have a positive impact.

There are solutions. Many have been proposed. Thusfar, they've been blocked by big insurance, big pharma and their publicity/advertising power. Many politicians, because of the ridiculous costs of campaigns, are beholding to these businesses, or fear the backlash from their fabulously deep pockets.

With the backing of the Catholic Church and other Churches, and others mentioned, maybe big business would do the right thing and/or our politicians would withstand the influence and vocal power of big business and take just actions.

Forming Consciences, the six Encyclicals on “Just Wage,” and Laudato Si, among many other Catholic and Christian articles I read, recommend: studying, acting, joining others in acting, in order to effect “justice” and change.

There's news that Affordable Care Act costs are rising considerably, but the increases are less than the CBO estimated in 2009 and much less than the annual increases in health care costs before the ACA. Further the costs are most caused by Big Insurance and Big Pharma, among other private for profit providers. We obviously need Public Option, as Pres. Obama proposed and we need to change the sweet-heart deal we made with Pharma12 years ago, as Nobel Prize economist, Joseph Stiglitz has so often argued.

So if we work together in our parishes, doctors, with our pharmacists and our local governments, we can support our churches and service providers to speak out and act.

*Rite-Aid, after buying out three other pharmacies, is now being bought out by Walgren's. Sounds like close to monopoly especially in our Western New York area. Maybe pharmacists would join in the effort to eliminate predatory pricing.

We also might consider in voting, which party is more apt to try to control these costs.

Robert E. Golden, 9 years(most as an officer) on a health center board, 4 years on President Reagan's Migrant Farmworkers Health Advisory Commission (2 as its Chair), 43 years in Criminal Justice; Republican (until 10/4/16), served on the Legislative and Executive Committees of NYSAC, and the Criminal Justice Committee of NACO. 16 years of Catholic education, Eucharistic Minister, a decade of doing CCD, Pre-Baptismal Dialogues and Pre-Cana, served on the Buffalo Bishop' Kmiec's Justice and Peace Commission, chairs his parish Social Justice Committee. Has published six prior articles for WNY Catholic. (Bob can be contacted at 585-682-4821, goldenjazz59@gmail.com)