Editorial

	Related items: New Since the Print Edition ... (posted 6/8/2006)   • Marriage needs support, not redefinition   • Marriage amendment: Fails in U.S. Senate

This week the U.S. Senate is debating - and hopefully voting affirmatively - on a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as only the union of a man and a woman.

Secular media negative. It has been interesting to see how the secular media treats this issue. Almost all the newspapers, radio, and television have called this a "gay marriage ban." Rather than emphasizing the positive - that this is a measure defending and protecting traditional marriage - the media continues to take a negative approach.

Opinion polls have shown a majority of citizens support the traditional definition of marriage. Most states (45, I have heard) have laws on the books right now defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

Thank you, Catholic Herald readers! Editor's note: In my editorial in the May 18 issue of the Catholic Herald, I asked concerned readers to call WMTV, Channel 15, in Madison, to ask why they did not plan to air the documentary, Jesus Decoded. In response to many calls from Catholic Herald readers, WMTV did decide to televise the documentary, Jesus Decoded, at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 21, and Sunday, May 28. The documentary, produced for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, brings authentic Catholic teaching about Jesus Christ into focus in light of the release of the movie, The Da Vinci Code. Information on the WMTV decision was posted on the Catholic Herald Web site on May 18. We hope interested readers were able to watch (or at least tape) Jesus Decoded. We thank our readers for their response. This proves that you DO have an influence! We hope you continue to make a difference in our local communities, nation, and world.

As concerned citizens, we must take positive action to defend traditional marriage. Marriage is the foundation of society. It helps satisfy our deepest human longing for connection with each other and helps create and care for the next generation.

Social scientific research affirms the importance of marriage for the common good. There are so many reasons why marriage is important. Here are just a few from an article called Why Marriage Matters (Institute for American Values):

• Marriage protects children's physical and mental health.

• Both men and women who marry live longer, healthier, and happier lives.

• Marriage reduces the risk of poverty for children and communities.

• Boys whose parents divorced or never married are two to three times more likely to end up in jail as adults.

These are just a few reasons why we must protect traditional marriage. We must work for a cohesive national policy through a constitutional amendment. Otherwise it will be up to judges or individual states to make decisions about who can marry.

Citizen action. If you have not contacted our Wisconsin senators, please write to them. Encourage them to support this constitutional amendment defining marriage. Contact them at their state offices rather than at the Washington, D.C., offices (mail takes much longer there). Write to:

• Senator Russell D. Feingold, 517 E. Wisconsin Ave., Room 408, Milwaukee, WI 53202-4504

• Senator Herb Kohl, 310 W. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 950, Milwaukee, WI 53203

Please support this national effort to protect traditional marriage. Remember, too, to work for passage of the state referendum to be voted upon in November of this year.

Mary C. Uhler

Mailbag

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Could start evening group

To the editor:

In response to Amy's letter in the May 11 issue of the Catholic Herald, I would like to begin by pointing out that I resent her insinuation that working women are not welcome to join our organization, the Catholic Daughters of Americas (CDA), Court Madison.

We do hold our meetings during the working hours of most working women and will not change those hours while we have women who have been members for 50 or more years. Madison is a large city and older women do not feel safe driving or walking about at night. Would it be fair to those women to change our meeting time to the evening hours so working women could attend those meetings?

As to Amy's comment about there being a problem having two of the same organization makes no sense. Our CDA court is not affiliated with a Madison parish. Our meetings are held at various churches in Madison which has a population of almost 200,000. Certainly a city of that size could have two or more CDA courts. The Knights of Columbus has three councils in Madison.

There is another good reason that our CDA court has chosen to meet in the daytime. We are able to attend Mass at every meeting! We would not be able to do that as easily at a night meeting.

Most of our members at one time were working women, which is why they had to meet at night. You say we do not welcome working women at our meetings. That couldn't be farther from the truth. If there are any women who could take time off from 10 a.m. to about 2 p.m., we would welcome them with open arms.

Kathy and Amy, I invite you to call me to find out how to start an evening CDA court for working women. For any working women who read this who are able to take time off from work, please feel free to call me. The women of Court Madison would be most happy to have you join our group.

Charlotte S. Carey, Madison

A modern-day holocaust

To the editor:

With recommendations from my Franciscan Community in La Crosse, I watched an Oprah Winfrey show. Elie Wiesel, a Auschwitz survivor, with Oprah visited the horrible "Holocaust" death camp in Poland. When Oprah asked Elie, "Why is this relevant for today?" Elie responded, "Because the truth cannot be forgotten." When asked, "How does this make you feel?" referring to millions of people killed by the Nazis, Elie responded, "Angry" and "We must do something." "When I'm angry." he said, "I use words to shout."

The entire program reminded me of the present day "holocaust" which occurs 4,400 times daily in the United States. As in Auschwitz, Birkenau, Dachau, and other "death camps" in the 1940s, in Madison, Milwaukee, Rockford, Ill., in 2006 "death camps" exist as abortion clinics (mills). The deliberate death of one child makes no sense. So, what sense do the daily deaths of 4,400 human babies make?

As pro-life people, feeling our powerlessness, our inability to soothe the pain, to comfort babies being killed at abortion mills, we, too, use our anger. We "shout" with our silent prayers, we witness, we counsel, we are present, because we care for the mothers, the fathers, the babies. And to those who have chosen death for their baby, we offer counseling services at the Rockford Pregnancy Center and/or at the Beloit Pregnancy Clinic at 345 W. Grand Ave, where not only free pregnancy tests are offered, but also ultra-sounds.

Sr. Rosalia Bauer, Beloit