Editorial – Page 41 – Madison Catholic Herald

It’s happened again. The number of abortions in Wisconsin has dropped for the fifth straight year. Nine of the last 10 years have seen a decline in abortions in our state, making Wisconsin one of the most pro-life states in the nation, according to some commentators.

The state Department of Health Services reported that 6,462 abortions were performed last year, down from 6,927 the previous year and about 2,000 less than the 8,500 Wisconsin had in 2009.

Continued abortion decline

“Today is a fantastic news day for Wisconsin women and children,” said Heather Weininger, executive director of Wisconsin Right to Life, when the report was released.

“Our steep abortion decline continues with the release of 2013 abortion numbers which reveal there were 465 fewer abortions in 2013 than in 2012. This represents a 6.7 percent decrease in one year.”

Weininger added, “We are extremely grateful for each and every woman who gives life to her child and each unborn child saved from the violence of abortion. Wisconsin Right to Life will vigorously continue its multi-faceted programs which work to fuel the decline.”

Russell Wilson brings attention to domestic violence issue

There is more to Russell Wilson than his life as the star quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. Wisconsin Badger football fans got glimpses of Wilson’s character when he played quarterback in Madison.

On October 2, 2014February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Masterpieces of God’s creation: Every life deserves respect, including children with Down syndrome

Perhaps one of the saddest things I’ve heard in recent memory is what atheist Richard Dawkins said about children with Down syndrome.

On Twitter in August, Dawkins said that an unborn baby with Down syndrome should be aborted and that it would be “immoral to bring it into the world.”

Dawkins was debating this issue with some of his one million Twitter followers. When one of his followers tweeted, “I honestly don’t know what I would do if I were pregnant with a kid with Down’s syndrome. Real ethical dilemma,” Dawkins replied, “Abort it and try again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice.”

I first heard about Dawkins’ remarks on Facebook from someone I know who has a son with Down syndrome. She was horrified by what Dawkins said, since her son is a wonderful person and an important part of her family.

After delving into this matter further, I found some information about Down syndrome and what has been happening with the screening of pregnant women. I feel more people should be aware of these issues and talk about them with their family members and friends.

A nice problem: We have to fund the education of growing number of seminarians

In 2003, the Diocese of Madison had only six seminarians studying to be priests. With the number of ordinations decreasing and retirements of many active priests looming, the future didn’t look very promising.

On September 18, 2014February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Remembering the past: It is important to celebrate and to learn from history

Several articles in this week’s Catholic Herald made me think about the importance of history and why we should pay attention to it.

Many people today take life one day at a time. They don’t want to look back at the past or even think about the future. The here-and-now is all that counts.

The 18th century Anglo-Irish statesman Edmund Burke said, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.” By learning about previous mistakes, we can try to avoid them.

However, I’m not sure I totally agree with Edmund Burke. Not all history is bad. There are many good things that happened in the past that are worth remembering and celebrating.

On September 11, 2014February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

God in action: Cardinal reminds us that God is at work in our time

This week I happily relinquish most of the Editorial Page to a most distinguished writer: Cardinal Francis George of Chicago.

Cardinal George writes so eloquently about the evolution of the Catholic Church as it relates to society as a whole.

He discusses particularly what has happened in the United States in more recent years, when the Church — and its faithful members — have been forced to “swim against the tide” when the government and social pressure seek to impose their “own form of morality” on us.

On September 4, 2014February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Shame on us! Few Wisconsin voters go to the polls for primary election

Shame on Wisconsin voters! Approximately 12.7 percent of eligible voters turned out for the August 12 partisan primary, according to results certified by the state’s Government Accountability Board (GAB).

There were 552,342 votes cast in primaries for governor, which is 12.7 percent of Wisconsin’s 2014 voting-age population of 4,348,307, according to Census estimates.

Before I proceed, I have to confess that I am one of those citizens who did not vote in the August 12 primary. I could plead that I was too busy: I worked all day and attended the Diocese of Madison’s Lumen Christi Society event that evening.

But that is really no excuse. I could have left work to vote or even stopped by the polling place between work and the evening event.

A courageous journalist who knew the power of prayer

After hearing about the death of journalist James Foley, I learned that he was a graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee.

Marquette’s website (www.marquette.edu) has lots of information about James Foley. Perhaps the most moving to me was a letter he wrote to Marquette after his first capture in 2011 upon returning home safely from Libya.

In that letter, Foley talks about the strength he drew not only from his own prayers, but also from the prayers of his family and friends. He tells how he and his colleague, Clare, prayed together in captivity.

On August 21, 2014February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

Don’t miss this movie! Actor and producer put good values into When the Game Stands Tall

At this year’s annual Catholic Media Conference held in Charlotte, N.C., those of us attending were given the opportunity to watch a new movie called When the Game Stands Tall. After viewing the movie, we also had the privilege of talking with the film’s star, Jim Caviezel, and producer, David Zelon.

The program at our conference told us a little bit about the movie. The reason it was shown at a Catholic Media Conference — besides being a great film — is that the movie tells the remarkable real-life journey of a football coach at a Catholic high school in California.

Coach Bob Ladouceur (played by Caviezel) took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any sport. Ladouceur retired in January of 2013 after winning his last state championship in December of 2012.

The movie is based on a book of the same name by Neil Hayes, a former Chicago Sun-Times and Contra Costa Times sportswriter. The movie is scheduled to be released in theaters on August 22. I encourage everyone to see this movie.

On August 7, 2014February 15, 2022

Mary C. Uhler, Catholic Herald Staff

The state of our unions: We should be concerned about marriage in our country

In cleaning my office, I came across an article I saved from a magazine published in 2007. I admit I’m a packrat, but sometimes I’m glad that I keep things that give me a historical perspective on important issues.

This article was part of a series in the AFA Journal of the American Family Association. Its title is “End of Marria%e? Indicators All Point Down.” The percentage sign (%) in the title is not a mistake, because the story points to a key fact: In October of 2006, for the first time in the history of the United States, the percentage of American households that includes a married couple had slipped into the minority.

That discouraging fact was revealed by the American Community Service, released by the U.S. Census Bureau. It showed that 49.7 percent of more than 111 million households contained a married couple. That percentage was down from the 52 percent of households with a married couple in the year 2000.