The Colber Report

I don't know that the Catholic blogosphere will make of this. As we know, Doug Kemic took a lot of heat last year for endorsing Obama. It seems like Kemic has been disowned by his political party, but he seems to be a very inteligent, pragmatic man and I think he makes sense in this video clip. Anyway, I'm posting here. I posted at the LJ too, unlocked, just to see if I even get any interest.

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I Did It

It's important that all Americans eligible to vote exercise that right, whether it's voting for a major party candidate, a third party candidate or even leaving it blank. There were a couple of places on my ballot which I considered leaving blank but I didn't in the end. I voted my conscience. Enough said.

Today at Mass, our priest made a comment about divisiveness. He said this election, as most elections usually do, has divided people. He said that if he separated the Republicans, Democrats and Independents in the pews and we talked about the election instead of celebrating Mass, it wouldn't take long before the hymnals started flying and getting tossed across the room at each other. I believe he's right. Never before have I see such divisions between people, such anger and animosity toward people over an election.
I think I can understand it, but I don't like it very much.

Last night at the volunteer dinner, we talked a bit about the election, no one revealed how they were going to vote. Actually, I was the only one at the table who had voted, but even at a table of six, you could feel the tension in the air and the fact that we were all different despite all being Catholic was obvious. We all said that we were struggling with our vote this year and talked no more of it.

I think that's what all Catholics are struggling with. Some more than others. I hope that when the results come back on November 4th, we can all come together as a nation, heal, stop fighting with each other and pray that God's will is done no matter who is elected. Then somehow work on change.

I also updated an older entry I posted with that Catholic vote video, which I posted with slight reservation. I added a few other links to the post, which is here.

Religion, Politics, and the Media

Rachel Maddow really impresses me. I've been enjoying her on Air America and her appearances on MSNBC. I'm glad she has her own show, though I miss watching the cute Dan Abrams. Anyway, right now I'm listening to her being interviewed on the show "State of Belief", a show that airs on Air America about Religion in America. I caught part of this interview on her show the other day and was really intrigued to hear her take on religion and politics in America. It's definitely well worth the listen.

Voting Nun

A 106- year-old American nun living in Europe is going to vote for the first time in 50 years. She lives in a convent in Rome and is voting Democratic. I wonder if the blogosphere will pick up on this. Article from the BBC.

106-year-old voter chooses Obama

By David Willey BBC News, Rome Sister Cecilia has lived in the convent in Rome for 50 years A 106-year-old American nun living in a convent in Rome could well be the oldest person to vote in the 2008 US Presidential election. Sister Cecilia Gaudette, who last voted for President Eisenhower in 1952, has registered to vote and says she will vote for Democrat Barack Obama. Although hard of hearing, she keeps herself informed by reading newspapers and watching TV at the convent. "I'm encouraged by Senator Obama," she says. "I've never met him, but he seems to be a good man with a good private life. That's the first thing. Then he must be able to govern," she adds. Sitting in her modest office in the convent where she has lived for the past 50 years, the diminutive nun appears uninterested in the row inside the American Catholic church over Senator Obama's support for pro-choice policies on abortion. Asked about her hopes for the US under an Obama presidency, she says: "Peace abroad. I don't worry about the Iraq war because I can't do anything about it. Lord knows how it will end." "It is very complicated," she said. "Those Eastern people are not like we are." But despite taking part in the 4 November election, Sister Cecilia does not intend to return to the US. "I have no plans for the future. I am too old to go back to the US. Life has changed too much." But she still watches "very important events" on TV. The election comes under this category.