Thank You MCC for hurting Catholic Education.

In a recent article in the Catholic Standard (“State funding cut for text books to non-public schools” Feb. 21, 2008 Page 7), funding for the Maryland Nonpublic Textbook/Technology Loan program has been cut by about 10% or $400,000.

For those of you who do not know, the program provides non-religious textbooks, software, and hardware to non-public schools. For example, you can purchase English books or at least defray some of the cost on a per pupil basis.

Now, you may ask why do you blame the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC)? The answer is very simple. They are supporting a number of programs which call for increases in funding, such as in-state tuition rates for illegal aliens.*

In fact, if you go to this week's paper copy of the Catholic Standard (Feb. 28 Page 6), Julie Varner the MCC's point person on support for illegal aliens, testified in front of the Maryland Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee in opposition to the denial of instate tuition for illegal aliens.

Personally, I just love her comment that illegal aliens are "in full compliance with federal immigration law." I guess entering the country without a visa or Green Card or overstaying your visa constitutes full compliance with federal law. As my friend would say: "What the heck have you been drinking?"

By lobbying for these other programs, they are only causing our legislators to cut current programs. For not announcing and targeting the lawmakers who do not support our issues, it only increases their attacks upon us, knowing that nothing will happen.

These cuts only hurt our ever stretched Catholic schools by driving up the costs and driving away students. St. Ignatius in Ft. Washington, MD will close in the Fall because there are simply not enough students and the parish cannot afford to pump another $250,000 plus into it.

So, I offer my congratulations to Julie Varner, Dick Dowling (Executive Director) and Mary Ellen Russell (Dep. Director for Education & Family Issues) of the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) on helping Catholic school families’ pay just a little bit more in tuition and fees next year.

Soon there won’t be any Catholic elementary schools and you put more focus on helping illegal aliens.


*For those of you in Annapolis, you call it “undocumented workers.” It means those who have either entered the country illegally or have overstayed their visas.

An Open Letter to Sr. Mary Ann Walsh

I was wondering if the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) would respond to Joe Feuerherd’s article in the Washington Post, or if it would be up to the hundreds of bloggers by myself to defend the Church.

Then, I saw on another blog that there was a response. I was excited. I was elated.

I went to the Washington Post on-line, and read your response. I read it twice. I printed it out and took it home with me and read it again.

Let’s just say that the excitement and elation were not quite my feelings after I read your letter.

Why?

First, and I don’t know how many times I and many others must say it, we are not anti-immigrant. We are anti-illegal immigrant. If you come to this country by completing the proper paperwork, paying the necessary fees, I know of no-one (with the exception of the Klan) who will not welcome you into the country.

However, what really deflated that excitement and elation was the following line:

That this is especially curious given that the U.S. government is building a fence along our southern border to keep out brown people – not along the northern border, where whites reside.

So, Sr. Walsh, let me ask you a question:

Most illegal aliens enter the United States through which border? The North or the South?

Now, this is not a trick question and you have a 50-50 chance of getting it right.

(Jeopardy theme begins to play.)

Times up! If your answer is: “What is the southern border?” Then you are correct.

Now, if most people enter the US illegally through the southern border, would it not make the most sense to build the fence at the southern border? It’s kinda like saying that we will build a levee near the river to protect a town when it floods, instead of in the middle of Death Valley.

But what this points out is something that is much more sinister and that I have believed since the start of this debate: That the USCCB, like the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC), is willing to accuse those of us who believe that illegal aliens should be prosecuted for breaking our federal laws of RACISM. And, you will do it by innuendo.

No, you don't want to dirty yourselves by saying it outright, because it will show up that your arguments are based on emotion, so you do what all those who cannot argue the facts – you throw out the race card.

I expect this sort of statement from Al or Jesse but not the Director of Media Relations for the USCCB.

All I can say is: SHAME ON YOU and the USCCB.

A Take on Joe Feuerherd's WaPo Article (Part 2)

He continues on with the statement that most American Catholics and Americans in general have rejected the Church’s approach to abortion, women’s ordination and birth control. If true, I would like to point out that the Church is not Bill and Hillary Clinton, who seem to change their stance on what the polls are saying. Either you uphold certain truths or you do not. Oh, and whether this war is just or not is not a matter of faith.

With great wonderment, he also lays the blame on the pedophile scandal at the feet of John Paul the Great. According to Joe, JPII did not care about management, only fire and brimstone. So, as soon as JPII became Pope in October 1978, we had pedophiles. As last I heard, the issue with pedophile priests goes back hundreds of years. But what the heck do I know.

But note, he makes no mention of the Lavender Mafia. He is okay with that because it would come under Social Justice and his next major comment about the 2004 election in Ohio.

Yes folks, it is that evil right wing lurch that helped to bring George Bush into office because of the “anti-homosexual” legislation on the ballot in Ohio. But every liberal democrat has told me that it was Karl Rove who did it. I guess you can substitute Catholic bishops for Karl Rove in this instance.

So, what is a member of the Catholic left to do? Well, there is only one thing, vote for Obama.

Yes, folks, he will end the war in Afghanistan and Iraq and bring the war to the shores of the US where it rightfully belongs.

He will give us socialist health care, so that everyone can suffer equally under a poor medical system.

He will give us immigration reform, which will continue to help corrupt and inept governments stay afloat by getting rid of people who they do not care to lift out of poverty.

So, Mr. Feuerherd, please do not insult me and many of those like me by calling your self a Catholic. Please go down the road and join the United Church of Christ, like the man you envision to be our savior – Obama. Then you can debate the resolutions such as “Jesus Christ is the One True Savior” at the next UCC General Conference.

A Take on Joe Feuerherd's WaPo Article (Part 1)

There has been a great deal made about Joe Feuerherd’s piece in the Washington Post’s Outlook section.

Now, let’s take a look at this from the perspective of regular guy in the pews. And just as important, someone who lives in the Archdiocese of Washington.

First, Joe (and I don’t know him on a personal level) comes out swinging saying that the Catholic bishops have said that pushing the button for a pro-abortion candidate is sending his soul to hell. Now, no where have I heard that statement being made (although I wish they would) but as we all know, the bishops have a moral obligation to say when there is something intrinsically evil, we must not do anything to aid and abet it. Each of us has a free will and if Joe wishes to continue to promote evil, then he has put his soul in that position, no one else.

Second, if you are even slightly familiar with the National Catholic Reporter, you will know that it is what many of us would view their reporting as on the left. The key word is his use of the word “independent” which in this case means "we follow what we want." Kinda like the Maryland Catholic Conference, on occassions.

Having gone thru all of that, then he really ratchets up the volume by claiming he is against liberal abortion laws. Note that he does not say he is opposed to all abortion laws, just liberal ones. Of course, he makes certain to throw in that this is not Nazi Germany. Well, then Joe, I guess that just makes it all the more palatable.

(Do you ever notice that those on the left love to throw in the Nazi Germany analogy somewhere along the way. I guess it is a requirement or something. Could you imagine the conversation between Joe and his friend? “Hey Joe, you know, the article is missing something. What is it, what is it? I know, you forgot to do a comparison with Nazi Germany. That will make the piece perfect.")

Joe continues on with the term “wafer wars.” What a wonderful way for a Catholic to refer to the Holy Eucharist. My how that must warm the hearts of Sr. Joan Chittister and Fr. Greeley.

To be continued...

The Congressional Candidate Survey by the MCC

Editor's Note: I had written this a while back but for some reason never published it. So, I thought I should publish it, even it is late. Mea Culpa.



The Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) has conducted a survey of the congressional candidates who are currently on the primary ballot. Now there is nothing wrong with this, but once again, would you guys (that means the MCC) stop with some of your radical left ideas.

With Question 3 you are asking these candidates to put the safety and security of the US in danger. You are probably the same people who said 9/11 was our fault.

In Question #4 you use the term “undocumented” and not “illegal aliens.” These are people who have entered the US illegally. No matter how you try to sugar coat it, they have broken the law. I guess we should call pedophile priests, “members of the clergy who love children in an adult way.” Let’s see you use that phrase the next time.

Question #6 calls for socialized medicine. Have you taken a look at Britain’s hospital system? It is a mess. We need to go back to the days before HMOs. Oh, and if you did not know it, Ted Kennedy was one of the primary sponsors of the legislation that brought us HMOs.

I still do not believe that the MCC adequately represents the views of the average Roman Catholic in the Archdiocese of Washington.

It is time for the Archbishop to fire Richard Dowling and the rest of the crew at the MCC.

USCCB - What are these guys thinking?

From the USCCB, here is their latest press release:

WASHINGTON – The Justice for Immigrants Campaign of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) named Antonio B. Cube Jr. as its new national director.

Cube is presently the legislative director for the Washington State Catholic Conference and has extensive experience as a public affairs consultant and in community outreach programs. He has over five years experience as a legislative assistant and has lead coordination of staff work activities on immigration, anti-poverty, social justice and minority issues. He also has served as a government affairs, communications and public relations consultant to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

“The selection committee chose Mr. Cube for the position because of his extensive and broad experience working with a wide range offices and organizations. He was also selected because of his work in fields related to the kind of work carried out by the National Director of the Justice for Immigrant Campaign. In addition, the committee felt that his entry on duty now will enable him to further energize the campaign and have a positive impact on our efforts to put Comprehensive Immigration Reform again at the center of the debate on immigration,” said Young.

Even with our Catholic schools closing (there are at least 7 or 8 here in the Archdiocese of Washington DC starting in June), Dioceses' are going into bankruptcy because of the pedophile scandal, the family is under attack by pro-homosexual groups (here in State of Maryland and Montgomery Country Maryland it is a real problem), the "lavendar mafia" in our priesthood, many of our bishops refuse to stand-up for faith and morals in the public arena (hint, hint Archbishop Wuerl), and they are worried about illegal aliens?

What are these guys thinking? As usual, they are not.