Money or votes in politics?

Breaking News: Tonight the City Council of Greenfield, WI voted 3–2 to deny a special use permit to create a St. Vincent De Paul Thrift store in this suburb. The spokesperson for the SVDP store turned out to be a real estate developer who would profit handsomely from the 1.8 million dollar purchase and maybe from the $600,000 renovations needed. There were only five of us from the City of Milwaukee opposing the permit but some members had collected 154 petitions, mostly from Milwaukee residents in opposition to the store. Everyone present for the SVDP store in the suburb was a suburban person. We, the poor and city residents were outnumbered by suburbanites but won the day.

I still will pursue my efforts for people to understand the Mission of the St. Vincent De Paul Society so this tragedy will not happen again. The fact that this kind of proposal could have gotten so far is unbelievable but in this age, sadly, it is believable. We have gotten so far off target in our moral values that this and other worst things could happen.

Some years ago it was hard to believe that someone could buy an election. But now, after over 95% of politicians with the most money winning elections, it is not so unbelievable. In 2101, in the Citizens United decision of the Supreme Court, the court held that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting political independent expenditures by corporations, associations, or labor unions. If that was not enough, today the Supreme Court in another 5–4 vote eliminated limits on how much money people can donate in total in one election season. Money matters much more than voting. Give me a break!

Yesterday, I heard that Paul Ryan, a congressman from Wisconsin had issued a proposed Federal budget, not because he had to, but one that “he says will come into balance by 2024, in large part through steep cuts to Medicaid and food stamps and the full repeal of President Obama’s health care law, just as millions begin to see its benefits.” Today, I heard that a Catholic University, Marquette University, was holding a special award ceremony and luncheon for Paul Ryan in Washington D.C. where tickets and sponsorship where going for up to $25,000. The group that sent me this information, Faithful America was asking us to sign a petition to Tell Marquette University: Don’t keep any money from Paul Ryan fundraiser - give it to the poor. (You too can sign this petition)

Today, another soldier at Ft. Hood went out a shooting spree killing and injuring persons before killing himself. The media and president are asking all kind of questions of why this is happening. But no one will talk about how military training, like at Marquette University, teaches young men and women to kill reflexively, to kill without conscience and the effects that this way of killing has on the brain.

A Society to serve the needy buying a 1.8 million building in the suburbs; the Supreme Court eliminating limits on much people can donate in one election season; Paul Ryan, a Congressmen who seeks to take from the poor and give to the rich receiving an award from a Catholic University;and, the sad tragedy of soldier trained to kill without conscience turning his gun on other soldiers and himself, is too much to handle in one day. We scream: “Give Us a Break” but there is no break. We in our hearts that it us that must “Break the Silence”… and end-this-madness.

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