Miscellaneous Rambling
Okay, I'm a bad Catholic. I wasn't able to muster hardly any enthusiasm for Pope Francis' trip. I was looking forward to it, but then I turned on the EWTN coverage when he arrived. I saw him shaking hands and smiling with President Obama, the architect of a health insurance plan that has inflicted enormous costs on me, the supporter of Planned Parenthood (which no decent person can sincerely support after revelation of those tapes), the promoter of the gay lifestyle. I turned it off and never watched another minute of coverage. I've read various news stories and caught snippets on Catholic radio, but that's about it. * * * * * * * Don't get me wrong: Pope Francis really had no choice but to be cordial with President Obama. But it still nauseated me. * * * * * * * What exactly is Pope Francis' prudential position on immigration? Surely he doesn't want the U.S. to become the welfare state for the entire world, does he? He can preach leniency, mercy, and compassion--and he should--but a line must be drawn. We know Vatican City draws its immigration line at virtually zero (for good reasons, I'm sure). Isn't it reasonable for us to draw the line at 1,000,000 legal immigrants a year (plus 1,000,000 illegals that take advantage of our half-hearted enforcement attempts)? * * * * * * * I realize, of course, that the Pope is not here as a statesman, with concrete--prudential--proposals. That's not his role, but the mere fact that he keeps bringing up immigration indicates he thinks the U.S. is unreasonable at 2 million a year. So what is the number? * * * * * * * To preach compassion toward the masses who want to come in but give us no guideposts for reasonable implementation, that seems to emphasize the lofty to the neglect of the earthly, which is something the Church has never done. The Church has never said to the poor, "Pray more," and left it at that. It has helped them by providing food and other necessities, implementing prudential means to help concretely. It's the spiritual and material approach. To preach leniency, mercy, and compassion, but without consideration to prudential issues, seems to consider the spiritual/ideological to the exclusion of the material/concrete. * * * * * * * Maybe Pope Francis is giving concrete advice behind the scenes. In fact, I suspect he is, but that just supports my visceral reaction not to watch the coverage. If the "real" stuff is happening behind closed doors, why waste time watching the theatrics? * * * * * * * And by the way, I lean toward clemency and even toward a large degree of amnesty, mostly because of the good experience I've had with the Mexicans in my town. Even though I loathe the Ted Kennedys and Obamas of the world who have used and continue to use immigration to bolster the Democratic Party's political clout, good Latino immigrants ought to be welcomed. * * * * * * * And as long as I'm speaking frankly, I'll admit: Our immigration policies ought to deny free stuff to immigrants and their children (yes, even the children!). It also ought to exclude Muslims, unless an applicant can show we could really use the special skills he possesses. I believe Latinos can have a worldview consistent with the American. Not so the vast majority of Muslims from the Middle East. * * * * * * * I loathe the children!. I love kids and have loved raising my seven, but I hate the ideological abstraction known as the children!. It has done more harm to the United States than any other ideology. "We have to do it for the children!." * * * * * * * Screw the children! * * * * * * * And I really hate the children! because they don't include babies in the womb. I said above that no decent person can support Planned Parenthood now that those tapes reveal what the organization does. I realize no decent person could support Planned Parenthood even before those tapes came out, but many people didn't appreciate just how wicked Planned Parenthood is. As late as just a year or two ago, I remember talking with pro-life people who had no idea Planned Parenthood was an evil organization, but now that those tapes have been publicized? I can scarcely tolerate being around someone who supports Planned Parenthood (I suppose I could sit at a table with a child molester, but my disgust at the proximity would ruin my lunch). I can get along with pro-choice people just fine, but I doubt I could stomach being around them if they support Planned Parenthood.
