tvc.dsj.org | February 19, 2019
15
COMMENTARY
A State of the Union Address for the Poor and Vulnerable
By Tony Magliano
Internationally syndicated social jus-
tice and peace columnist
[email protected]
My fellow Americans and fellow citizens of the
world, the greatness of a nation is not measured by
its military or economic power, but to the degree it is
willing to help the poor and vulnerable.
Tragically, however, to a very signifi cant extent
the United States continues to ignore the poor and
vulnerable.
Since the 1973 legalization of abortion in the U.S.,
approximately 60 million unborn babies have been
brutally dismembered and killed through this bar-
baric practice. A civilized society does not kill babies.
And so tonight I urge the Congress to completely
defund Planned Parenthood – the nation’s largest
abortion provider – and to move quickly in passing
an amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting full
protection to every human being from conception to
natural death.
Over 40 million Americans live below the poverty
level – including 13 million children. Many impov-
erished families have at least one adult working full
time for very low wages.
Therefore, I urge the Congress to pass legislation
raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15.00 an
hour.
Over 27 million Americans do not have health
insurance. To remedy this ill, I ask Congress to make
Medicare available to every person residing in the U.S.
The famous Trappist monk Thomas Merton said,
“The God of peace is never glorified by human
violence.” Yet, many in the U.S. and world glorify
violence instead of God.
Gun homicide rates are far higher in the U.S. than
in any other high-income country. Therefore, I call
upon the Congress to pass universal gun registration
and background check legislation.
Over 40 million Americans
live below the poverty level –
including 13 million children.
Many impoverished families
have at least one adult working
full time for very low wages.
Terrorism is being fueled by the countless deaths
of innocent civilians caused in many instances by the
ongoing wars America continues to fi ght; as well the
presence of U.S. military forces in many countries
where such forces are often viewed as supporting
American corporate interests like oil.
Tonight I put before my fellow citizens a far better
response to terrorism than fl exing military muscles
and waging war. Instead, let us undertake the highly
Reverse Mortgage FHA
Respecting Our Processing System
By Father Eugene
Hemrick
Catholic News Service
As we conversed, I
sensed something was
wrong. My 90-year-old friend’s con-
versation was all over the place. When
I left him, I shared my concern with
his wife. “He is not processing well,”
she confi ded.
We need not be old to lose our pro-
cessing capacity. Some people are born
slow processors, and some lose it due
to illness or an accident.
Studies have shown we can process
ideas and images in milliseconds,
which is truly an incredible gift of God.
As awesome as it is, too often we do
not give it a second thought and take
it for granted.
We must wonder how much anxi-
ety would be avoided if we took our
processing system more seriously and
moral and good-will creating cause of the total elimi-
nation of global poverty and hunger by 2025.
Therefore, I urge Congress to annually transfer
$100 billion dollars from the astronomical $700 bil-
lion military budget to be used for this life-saving
endeavor.
And I am issuing an executive order halting all
sales and gifts of weapons abroad, the closing of the
800 military bases around the world, and the complete
withdrawal of all U.S. forces worldwide.
Also, I have instructed our ambassador to the
United Nations to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition
of Nuclear Weapons which is designed to eliminate
all nuclear weapons from the face of the earth. And I
urge the Senate to quickly ratify it.
Desperate people fl eeing violence and poverty
are at our southern border begging for help. As Pope
Francis teaches, let us build bridges instead of walls.
Congress needs to pass just, comprehensive immigra-
tion reform legislation this year.
Nearly all climate scientists agree that the cata-
strophic dangers of global warming are caused over-
whelmingly by human use of oil, coal and gas.
Therefore, I urge Congress to pass a Green New
Deal bill designed to move America toward totally
clean energy – provided by wind, solar and geother-
mal renewable sources.
Let us ask God for the courage to move form
nationalism to global solidarity, from militarism to
multi-lateral disarmament, and from greed to an
equitable sharing of the world’s resources.
God bless America and all the people on planet
Earth!
checked its intake better. We must also
wonder how many sleepless nights
are the result of not employing our
processing system more profi tably in
understanding the causes of a gnaw-
ing problem.
We live in a new age of mind-grab-
bing images like never before. When,
for example, we watch a sporting event,
we are suddenly tossed into a swirling
world of split-second images. Dur-
ing intermissions, clever ads further
bombard us.
If we think of our processing system
in terms of a food processor, valuable
lessons can be learned on prudently
treating it.
Nothing is more precious than our
ability to process ideas and images.
Wisdom dictates we not take it for
granted.
Its advice is to be selective in what
we are processing and to rest the pro-
cess every so often so we can enjoy a
peaceful rest.
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maintain property as primary residence and remain current on property taxes and
insurance. These materials are not from HUD or FHA and the document was not
approved by HUD, FHA or any Government Agency.