LETTERS.Refrigerator wisdom THIS MORNING I WAS BEMOANING A 45-MINUTE FLIGHT delay to a co-worker. Then I asked how her weekend went. She said her 22-year-old cousin was killed. A gunshot. Talk about putting things into proper perspective quickly. My petty complaint paled by comparison. Kathy Coffey's article "What parents might learn from Littleton" in the August issue puts life into proper perspective. Wars fill churches. We'd be foolish to wait for yet another school assault before getting our perspectives straight. I suggest we all wrestle a magnet from the fridge and post Coffey's five directives on that most frequently opened door in our homes, the place where we try to keep our kids in food--the refrigerator door. That way we won't forget them or ignore them or fail to practice them. Her words are nourishment for the heart and soul. Her directives for parents toward children assume the proper perspective and they are timely--at least for those parents who still have their children to hug, listen to, and pray for. If we ignore these directions or fail to put them into practice, we run the risk of forgetting history--even the tragedy at Littleton--and of having to relive it. Father Robert Pagliari, C.SS.R. New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of What's good for the gander Gander, town (1991 pop. 10,339), NE Newfoundland, N.L., Canada. Gander's airport, an important base in World War II, is a hub for international flights; it also attracts many refugees. It was the site of a Dec. ... Like most articles on the death penalty I've read, Kevin Doyle's article "No defense: A Catholic lawyer argues against the death penalty" in the August issue, dwells at length on racial disparities in executions while completely ignoring a far greater bias that permeates capital punishment capital punishment, imposition of a penalty of death by the state. History Capital punishment was widely applied in ancient times; it can be found (c.1750 B.C.) in the Code of Hammurabi. in this country, namely gender bias. The death penalty is almost entirely a male-only punishment. A man convicted of homicide is more likely to be sentenced to death than a woman. Not too long ago in Texas, a brother and sister were convicted of the same crime; not the same offense, or of similar crimes, but literally the same crime: Prosecutors first argued in the brother's trial that he had done the actual killing, she only assisted. Prosecutors then reversed their theory for her trial and said that she did the actual killing. Of course, he received the death penalty, she a prison sentence. Mark Lesmeister Pearland, Texas Pearland is a city located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area and is partially in Brazoria County, partially in Fort Bend County, and partially in Harris County. As of the 2000 U.S. Doyle's article should make many of us who claim to follow Christ very uncomfortable. I have in recent years become opposed to the death penalty for a number of reasons, one of which is the possibility of executing someone who is later proved to be innocent. Alvera M. Sams Findlay, Ohio Findlay is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hancock CountyGR6. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio approximately 50 miles (80 km) south of Toledo. The population was 38,967 at the 2000 census. Keep it simple--share The August Reader Survey, "Clearing out life's clutter isn't always so simple" by Heidi Schlumpf, is a good beginning. As members of God's big family we do need to simplify our lifestyles in order to be able to share resources with our less fortunate brothers and sisters everywhere. Justice is not being served when certain people and certain nations have an abundance of goods while many people, especially in Third World countries, have so little. Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI (Latin: Paulus PP. VI; Italian: Paolo VI), born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. in his encyclical encyclical, originally, a pastoral letter sent out by a bishop, now a solemn papal letter, meant to inform the whole church on some particular matter of importance. Benedict XIV circulated the first known encyclical in 1740. On the Development of Peoples challenges us when he states "no one has a right to superfluous things if his brothers and sisters lack essential things." Father Thomas Moran
Thomas Moran (February 12, 1837 - August 25, 1926) was an artist of the Hudson River School. , C.M.F. Oak Park, Ill. Misguided blame? I am writing to take Kevin Clarke Kevin Clarke grew up in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Originally a guitarist, he wrote and directed his first play The Jackpot at the Finborough Theatre in 1987; as a result he was invited to join the first BBC Television Writers training course and commissioned to write for a new series to task for his misrepresentation misrepresentation In law, any false or misleading expression of fact, usually with the intent to deceive or defraud. It most commonly occurs in insurance and real-estate contracts. False advertising may also constitute misrepresentation. of the American people An American people may be:
Clarke suggests that racism is why "African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. men aged 16 to 24 with a high-school education or less" have been shut out of the American workforce. However, he completely misses the primary reason they are unemployed but refers to it in his previous quote: "poor education." Corporate America does not exist to employ unqualified workers out of some altruistic belief in social justice, and they shouldn't be asked to do so. They'd soon be out of business if they did, hurting many others in the process. The public-education system is the true culprit here. If Clarke really wants to improve the lives of these young men he should demand increased teaching standards, a reduction in truancy, parental school choice, and allowing God back into our schools. Personal responsibility also plays a role here. Some blame for the current problems facing young African Americans rests on their shoulders, too. No one forces them to skip school, drop out, or commit crimes. They choose to do so. Nathan Kuhn Baton Rouge Baton Rouge (băt`ən r  zh) [Fr.,=red stick], city (1990 pop. 219,531), state capital and seat of East Baton Rouge parish, SE La. , La.Proceed with caution I enjoyed the article "Spiritual guides: How to stop and ask for direction" by Heidi Schlumpf in the July issue. I do, however, think that people should be aware that the inner journey entails looking at aspects of oneself that are hidden from our conscious mind and are very painful to face. While the article touched on that, I think people should be warned that long-repressed feelings such as anger, resentment, and envy will likely surface and can be overwhelming. The absolute necessity of having experienced oneself as loved unconditionally by God is obviously needed before people can do this kind of inner work without being harmed. Terri Mifek Bloomington, Minn. Don't be confused I am writing on behalf of the Marianist Conference in North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. concerning the May editors' interview with Michael Cuneo, "Is the pope Catholic?" Several times during the interview, Cuneo used the term Marianist to refer to certain types of reactionary and dissenting groups. We Marianists are quite attached to our name. Cuneo's use of the term has offended and confused members of the Society of Mary Society of Mary could be:
Virgin Mary immaculately conceived; mother of Jesus Christ. [N.T.: Matthew 1:18–25; 12:46–50; Luke 1:26–56; 11:27–28; John 2; 19:25–27] See : Purity that is integrating and life-affirming. We realize that neither your publication nor Dr. Cuneo intended to hurt or offend us or those close to us. However, we feel it is important to bring such matters to your attention. Father George J. Cerniglia, S.M. President, Marianist Conference Baltimore Conceptual differences Patrick Reardon and his mother had a unique concept on what was going on between the two thieves in his piece "The passion of two thieves" in the April issue. It always seemed to me that the cry of the bad thief was truly a cry of belief in the power of Jesus to save. This poor thief, in a very human way, wanted Christ to save Himself and the two of them. However, I truly liked Reardon's portrayal. Msgr. John Egan Chicago3 |
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