To the editor:
After listening to the bashing of the big bad Republicans at my family reunion this last weekend, I feel that I should point out the things you don’t hear on local news.
Category: Opinion
Congratulations to editor, staff
To the editor: […]
Free birth control? Does not provide real health care or protect conscience rights
Several things have been bothering me since I heard about the recommendation that the government require coverage of contraceptives in all health plans in our country.
On July 19, the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Preventive Services for Women made public a list of recommendations to the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This department has the responsibility to decide which health services will be mandated under the new national health reform law.
The 16-member panel said that all women of reproductive age should have access to “the full range of Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling.” If approved by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, these practices would be mandated for all insurance plans — both public and private — without any co-pays.
In other words, birth control will be provided free of charge. This recommendation is ill-conceived (no pun intended) on so many fronts. It boggles the mind!
It’s time to remember some manners: By practicing cell phone etiquette
Cell phones are really beginning to annoy me. They ring loudly at the most inappropriate times (during Mass is the worst), they interrupt conversations, and they keep people from face-to-face communication.
I have to admit it’s not the cell phones’ fault — it’s their users who are the problem. Some people seem to be addicted to their cell phones. They can’t put them down, even while they’re driving a car or pushing a cart in the supermarket.
Yes, cell phones are a handy means of communication. I initially got mine primarily to use in emergencies. I do use it more often now, especially since I can access my e-mail from my iPhone. However, my cell phone is not tethered to my ear. It’s not a life-support system. I turn it off when I’m in church and at most meetings. I don’t use it during get-togethers with family and friends.
We must stand up against efforts to weaken morality
To the editor:
Earlier this year President Barack Obama instructed his Attorney General and the Justice Department not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which recognized marriage as between one man and one woman. This piece of legislation was overwhelmingly passed in the House and Senate and signed into law by then President Bill Clinton in 1996.
Last month the New York State legislature passed a law legalizing same-sex marriage which was immediately signed into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a professed Catholic. As the push for same-sex marriage escalates in the weeks, months, and years ahead with the help of the media, Hollywood movie stars and musicians, the courts, and the intellectual elites of our country, with the blessing of many so-called Catholic and other Christian politicians, I wonder as we celebrate our “independence” as a country what God thinks of this nation as it continues its moral decay.
Golfer wins, NBC loses
It was so refreshing to see Rory McIlroy win this year’s U.S. Open golf tournament in Bethesda, Md.
Of course, we would always like to have an American win this coveted trophy. But being of Irish descent myself, I was pleased to see McIlroy triumph.
In his first win in a major golf tournament, he broke 12 records. He is the youngest player to win the Open since Bobby Jones in 1923.
Over the past 25 years: Catholic Herald has changed, but mission remains the same
In June of 1986, Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell announced that Msgr. Andrew R. Breines was retiring as editor of the Catholic Herald and he named me as the new editor. I am only the second editor in the 63-year history of the Diocese of Madison’s official newspaper, since Monsignor Breines served in that capacity for 38 years. I might not match his longevity!
My first editorial thanked my predecessor for his many years of faithful service. I said Monsignor Breines “was always cautious to avoid the easy labels of ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ often used in the secular media. His writing illuminated without polarizing and attempted to show various sides of complex issues while remaining true to those Church teachings which are clear and unambiguous.”
I pledged that our paper would continue “to enlighten and educate as it has done under his leadership.” Hopefully I have done that over the past 25 years in a time of continuing change in the Church, world, and publishing business.
Suggests more instruction on Catholic social teaching
To the editor:
After rereading Father Sirico’s column and all the letters published in your paper (Catholic Herald) concerning the growing financial and social gap in the United States, I have a suggestion. Please consider locating a writer who has in-depth knowledge of Catholic social teaching to develop a series on this topic that is currently so important in our diocese.
I have noticed short articles in the Catholic Herald over the past weeks on Archbishop Dolan’s comments on Rep. Ryan’s budget proposal, a conference on the currency of the encyclical Rerum Novarum, and a plea from two Catholic bishops to Congress and the White House to care for the “least of our brothers and sisters” in budget development. Perhaps someone from one of these sources such as Catholic University faculty could write such a column.
Thanks people of diocese for response to retirement appeal
To the editor: […]
Don’t forget fathers: They play such an important role in our lives
All of us have special memories of our fathers (at least I hope so). I especially treasure the memories of my own father, who died when I was just 16 years old.
Even though he had a busy job as a teacher, my dad always spent time with me and my sister. I can remember when he got down on the floor and played jacks with us. That was at a time when not many fathers played with their children!