Today is for Hope

Today I sprung out of bed before 7 at the order of a certain boy under the age of 2 and rolled down to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.  You cannot imagine my consternation when I turned on the tap and discovered that the water had turned to blood.  Now how am I going to get a cup of coffee?

That’s when I knew for sure it’s true, Barack Obama is the new President Elect of the United States of America. 

As a parent, as a citizen, as a Christian, as a conservative, I have many worries and concerns about what this will mean.  But there is time for that.  I’ve got nothing but time for that.  Today is about hope.

When our country elects a new President, he is not just the President of those who voted for him.  He is the President of all of us, the entire country.  In the midst of all of my concern and dismay, I also have hopes for this man.

I hope–that President Obama will be safe. 

I hope–that President Obama will continue the healing between the so-called races in this country.  I watched a very emotional Fox News commentator last night talk about watching those two little girls in the Rose Garden, and what it means to our country to have a black family in the White House.  It is moving to look into our not distant past and see the kind of vile hatred that has been poured out toward our black citizens.  I have hopefor them, and hope for us all, that President Obama and his family will bring about even more change in these attitudes.  I am glad that my 3 young sons will never remember a time when there wasn’t a black President.  I just wish it were a conservative black president!  Maybe next time!

I hope–that President Obama truly understands the HOPE this country has put into his hands.  I hope he does not let them down with scandals and infidelity, by lies or by cheating.  Not so long ago in NY, we elected a governor with over 90% of the vote.  He was given a mandate to change corruption in government.  Not two years later he was caught buying prostitutes.  When you have the people’s love, don’t squander it.  Don’t throw it back in their faces.

I hope–and pray, for your wisdom. 

Today is for hope.  The hopes in the negative can wait for tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow…..

First Tuesday in November, 2008, USA

 Nothing under the sun is new, neither is any man able to say: Behold this is new: for it hath already gone before in the ages that were before us.  There is no remembrance of former things: nor indeed of those things which hereafter are to come, shall there be any remembrance with them that shall be in the latter end. –Ecclesiastes 1:10-11

I turned myself to other things, and I saw the oppressions that are done under the sun, and the tears of the innocent, and they had no comforter; and they were not able to resist their violence, being destitute of help from any.  And I praised the dead rather than the living:  And I judged him happier than them both, that is not yet born, nor hath seen the evils that are done under the sun.

Again I considered all the labours of men, and I remarked that their industries are exposed to the envy of their neighhour: so in this also there is vanity, and fruitless care. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh, saying: Better is a handful with rest, than both hands full with labour, and vexation of mind.  –Ecclesiastes 4:1-6

Today my own words fall short, because all I can think about 4 days after Halloween is writing an ode to peanut butter cups.  So I’ll let wiser words fill this tiny space in the Web.

This essay is taken from Elena’s blog, My Domestic Church.  She kindly gave me her permission to reprint it here.

Why this Election matters

Tomorrow is finally election day. I just want to take the opportunity to encourage everyone to vote pro-life. When I walk into that poll tomorrow I am taking two things in with me – the recommendations of the Beacon Journal (because most of the time I vote against their endorsements)and the Pro-Life picks from www.ohiovotesforlife.org.

A couple of people have expressed the idea that abortion isn’t the main issue in this election. I vehemently disagree. I think whenever life is demeaned and devalued by the state,  the very culture and society start to fail. My family is not well off, but we get by. But I sure as heck would rather have my kids challenged to make something of themselves than have it all handed to them while living in a society that has morally degraded itself to the point that we easily and systematically kill the smallest and most defenseless in our society.

I was watching a nature show a few weeks back about how some females in different species will eat their own young. The narrator talked about how brutal and viscious this was. In this society, because we kill our young behind the professional sterile doors of a hospital or abortion clinic it makes it seem more civilized. That we hide the act doesn’t hide our own brutal and viscious  reality.  We kill our young. 

A few years ago I listened to a priest talk who had just come back from serving the poorest of the poor in South America. He talked about the struggles that these people face in their day to day lives, but he also mentioned that he rarely saw unhappiness, depression, and anxiety. These people, for the most part, were happy with their lives, with their families and with their communities. In many ways they taught him much!

And that is really want I want for my own children. I want them to be happy to have their needs met, but not necessarily every little want. I want them to be able to work hard and be rewarded for that work. And regardless of what we have, I want them to be willing to share their time and talent and treasure with others believing full well that it is these grass roots charities and organizations like St. Vincent De Paul, Salvation Army and others who are the best at helping the poor – certainly better at it than an artificially set up government agencies.

I believe in the Joe the Plumbers, and the Pete the repair technicians, and Bob the carpenter, and Mary the secretary and that all of us have an abundance of opportunities because or the hard work of the people that came before us and our own hard work – not because our government handed us an entitlement.

Catholics morally cannot vote for a pro-abortion candidate. In this election that is Senator Obama. You can twist it anyway you like, but it is not in keeping with the teachings of the church or even the thoughts of the current American Bishops. And the “following my conscience” clause doesn’t cut it this time. If your conscience is truly well-formed, you have no choice but to vote against this man. True conscience demands it.

Lastly, I understand that some very good Christians and others are disgusted by both parties and would rather vote for a 3rd party or a right in. I would tell those people quite respectfully that staying home would have about the same effect. A vote for anyone other than McCain is a vote for Obama, a vote for socialism and a vote that will doom thousands of babies to death. Obama has promised to sign the Freedom of Choice act if he is elected. He will also change the balance on the Supreme court. Decisions will be made that will affect all of our lives for decades to come, even if he only gets one term. I don’t see how you can risk it. How will you live with yourselves if it all goes wrong? If you truly want to make a difference, the only vote is for the pro-life ticket of McCain/Palin.

May God have Mercy on all of us. God Bless America.