The Michigan Catholic Conference of Bishops published this Focus document for distribution. Not satisfied with either the depth nor breadth of their coverage, I authored my own "addendum", which you can read below. I encourage you to share it.
More on the Issues, the Candidates, and Your Vote
We continue our focus on issues to think about when voting in upcoming elections.
The right to health care
As part of our pro-life stance, we value the health and quality of life of all people who are already born just as much as we do the unborn. Special attention should be paid to the safe and healthy delivery of babies by means of prenatal and post-natal well baby care. Some in today’s society wish to repeal a health care law that guarantees coverage to nearly everyone and replace it with... nothing -- which will likely result in tens of thousands of needless deaths annually.
- Where does the candidate stand on guaranteeing affordable health care to all people?
War and Peace
The gospel message teaches us to seek peace. Our church’s “Just War Theory” instructs that war should be a limited, last resort only after all peaceful means have been tried and failed. A recent president set a precedent by starting a war in Iraq on a preemptive basis, falsely claiming that weapons of mass destruction were imminently being targeted at the U.S.. One candidate has already stated that a war with Iran is desirable, and war with Russia likely as well, while another candidate has proposed a diplomatic solution should be maintained to the greatest extent possible.
There is a tendency among evangelicals and certain other protestants to view that, rather than peace, any war in the Middle East is desirable and necessary in order to sooner fulfill what they view as “end-time prophesies”, and bring about the second coming of Christ. At least one recent president, and many candidates and current legislators hold to this belief, whereas the Catholic Church considers it dangerous heresy.
- Where does the candidate stand on war, particularly in light of the Church’s teaching about the Just War Theory?
- What is the candidate’s position on so-called “preemptive” war?
- What is the candidate’s belief about so-called end-time prophecies, and how do they influence his or her outlook on peace in the Middle East.
Defense Spending
The U.S. spends more on defense than the next 13 countries combined. Much of this money is spent on weapons systems that military leaders do not want and say we do not need. Many experts believe that we can easily and safely make major cuts to defense spending to avoid cuts to programs for the benefit of citizens and to bring the nation’s budget under control, while others would retain current spending levels or even increase them, while further cutting spending for programs that benefit U.S. citizens, especially children, the elderly, the poor, and the disabled.
- Where does the candidate stand on defense spending and its relationship to the national budget and programs for U.S. citizens?
Environment
Pro-life means a healthy and safe environment. Some would like to eliminate all regulations protecting our air and water with the aim of maximizing corporate profits, without regard to the risks to health, such as cancers and respiratory disease. New hazards have been introduced in recent years by the unregulated practice of “fracking” to extract natural gas from underground rocks by breaking them up with chemicals that can leach into groundwater and contaminate the wells of millions of homeowners. Some have introduced legislation to require corporations to at least tell the public what chemicals they are using, so that risks can be appropriately assessed and mitigated, while others believe that corporations should continue to operate without oversight or regulation. Recent oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico and in Michigan rivers have demonstrated the risks of unregulated corporate activity, and have shown that real damage occurs to the environment and to people on a not infrequent basis.
- Where does the candidate stand on regulating pollutants?
- Where does the candidate stand on enforcing corporate accountability and providing rigorous oversight to prevent damage and to make full reparations for damage that does occur?
Global Climate Change
As conscientious stewards of the world that has been gifted to us, we recognize the importance of sustaining livable conditions for future generations. Some, though, wish to deny human responsibility for the consequences of our activities that are demonstrably warming the global climate and causing devastation and hardship. This issue is a matter both as a pro-life concern and a matter of justice, as the ones most likely to be impacted by the consequences of climate change will be the poorest among us.
- Where does the candidate stand on acknowledging responsibility for global climate change and taking steps to effectively address it?
Oil Subsidies and Renewable Energy
Oil companies made record profits of $137 billion in 2011, while
they receive $24 billion in taxpayer funded subsidies. Some believe this money should be put to better use investing in renewable energy and deficit reduction, particularly so that programs for the needy can be sustained.
- Where does the candidate stand on using taxpayer dollars to add to corporate profits?
- Where does the candidate stand on investing in clean, renewable energy sources that can lower environmental and climate impact?
Bank Reform and Regulation
Millions of people around the world have been financially devastated due to the abusive activities of large U.S. banks. Some leaders have tried since the recession to put reforms in place that would prevent future recurrences, but many resist the reforms and weaken their likely impact, or even work to remove the regulations entirely. To prevent banks from using depositors’ money for risky investments, financial experts propose that we restore the Glass Steagall act, and thoroughly and strictly regulate banks. This is a matter of justice because risky bank activity deprives individuals and families of their hard-earned income and savings.
- Where does the candidate stand on tough bank regulation to protect all depositors and the economy as a whole?
Mortgage Justice and Protection
Millions of people have seen their investments in their homes diminished unfairly by the consequences of risky bank activities, and many have lost their homes entirely. In fact, sloppy bank record-keeping practices have even led to foreclosures on homes that are fully paid up, are paid on schedule, or were never mortgaged in the first place. In the absence of tight regulation and enforcement, financial institutions resist correcting their errors or extending reasonable assistance to homeowners. To ensure justice, swift due process and regulation are needed, and people unfairly harmed through mortgage fraud of financial institutions need to be helped by adjustments to make their mortgages affordable again.
- Where does the candidate stand on regulating mortgage banks and requiring corrective actions to make homeowners whole?
Voting Rights
Many states are implementing laws, ostensibly aimed at preventing voter fraud, that will require government issued picture ID, despite the fact that this will pose significant hardships to the poor, seniors, the disabled, and students, and will result in their being deprived for the right to vote -- a fundamental right in the United States. It is important to note that there is no evidence showing that voter fraud is a significant problem or threat, so the need for such laws is non-existent, and the laws do more harm than good. If a problem with voter fraud were to actually exist, one simple solution often ignored would be for all voters to be allowed to cast ballots provisionally, subject to challenge after the fact. Other changes in some state laws make voter registration more difficult and eliminate early voting.
- Where does the candidate stand on ensuring that all persons have the right to vote without impediment or undue hardship?
Worker Rights and Just Wages
While corporate profits reach record highs, even during the worst recession in generations, worker wages are losing purchasing power, workers who have jobs are increasingly reporting being cheated in their pay checks, and many are subjected to unsafe working conditions. In addition, many workers are denied the right to organize to protect their rights and work with management to address concerns; in other instances, corporations engage in union-busting activity.
Pope Benedict reaffirmed the dignity of workers and the valuable role of unions.
- Where does the candidate stand on ensuring just wages?
- Where does the candidate stand on ensuring union representation to those who desire it?
Jobs and Unemployment Benefits
No society can survive without jobs for its workers. Particularly in recent years, many people who wish to work are forced to remain unemployed for months or years. While some in public office have tried to introduce legislation to promote higher rates of employment, they are often resisted by others. For many people, unemployment benefits have run out because of the length of their unemployment during the recession.
- Where does the candidate stand on taking action to directly increase hiring in the short and long term?
- Where does the candidate stand on providing unemployment benefits to those who need them due to lengthy unemployment through no fault of their own?
Campaign Finance Reform
The power of citizens in a democracy to determine their government assumes all individual voices of citizens are equal. In recent years, the voice of the individual has been diluted by a Supreme Court decision that treats corporations as people and allows virtually unlimited amounts of money to flow to support candidates, without reasonable accountability. In fact, under current rules foreign governments, corporations, and individuals with large sums of money to donate can actually have a greater say in the outcome of elections than our own citizens.
- Where does the candidate stand on reforming election financing to ensure that government reflects the will of individual citizens?
Palestinian State
The root cause of much tension in the Middle East is that Israel occupies land that once belonged to Palestine, from which its people have been forcibly evicted, leaving Palestinians to look at their former homes, now occupied by Israeli families, from a distance. To ensure justice and peace, a solution that provides security for both Palestine and Israel is required, and this may mean the U.S. must use its influence to ensure both parties cooperate in a two-state solution.
- Where does the candidate stand on ensuring equitable treatment of Palestinians and a Palestinian state?
Senior Hunger
Hunger among our nation’s elderly has reached epidemic proportions and programs to assist have been cut. Our pro-life position mandates we provide for proper nutrition.
- Where does the candidate stand on addressing senior hunger issues?
College Tuition and Job Training
The prosperity of our nation as a whole, and of its individual citizens, depends upon our having large numbers of well-educated. In order to compete with other nations in the modern world, tuition must be affordable, but in recent years, college tuition and job training have become increasingly unaffordable. Some work to promote low cost or free tuition assistance, while others promote higher profits for private banks at the expense of students.
- Where does the candidate stand on addressing the costs and availability of secondary education?
Catholic Attitudes Toward Homosexual Men, Women, and Youth
The
Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph
2358:
The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God’s will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord’s Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition. (Emphasis added.)
According to a 2002 Gallup Poll, every fifth person or so in this country is gay. This, of course, includes our children and our family and friends. And,
90% of gay teens are harassed and assaulted, and 34,000 gay teens die from suicide each year.
- Where does the candidate stand with promoting policies that ensure homosexual men, women, and youth are accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity, as our Church teaches?
- To what extent does the candidate support Catholic teaching that every sign of unjust discrimination in regard to homosexual men, women, and youth should be avoided?
- What are the candidate’s views about policies and programs that prevent harassment, assault, and bullying of youth?
- To what extent do the candidate’s policies and programs help prevent teen suicide, including gay youth?
Other Resources
For more perspectives and discussion of issues that matter when voting, you may wish to consult the Web site of
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good --
http://www.catholicsinalliance.org/2012cacgvoterguide.html. For questions about this document, contact me.
