With only days before the election, a desperate President is using a wide range of divisive tactics to scare and confuse voters. Most recently, President George W. Bush stopped through Georgia giving last minute stump speeches. When his rhetoric of fear wasn't working, the President pulled an all-too-common trick out of his bag: attack gays and lesbians in the hopes of courting voters. Why should we care as a Notre Dame community? Because it's time that Catholics stand up for families and reject this ongoing campaign of divisiveness and hate.
All too reminiscent of the segregated 1950s, the President is using wedge issues and attacking a large segment of Americans to appeal to his base. However, using biblical scripture to justify discrimination and religion to rationalize bigotry only mocks the faith of millions. Americans, of all religions, races and sexual orientations, deserve better. Here in Virginia, many politicians are strategically trying to mislead voters on the so-called "marriage amendment," an amendment that goes far beyond same-sex marriage and civil unions. But a recent poll found that most Virginia Catholics are against the amendment and don't believe the undermining of families and writing hate into the constitution is morally right. Virginia Catholics rightly realize that marginalizing minorities and supporting policies of inequality rip at the moral fiber of this country.
It is time for all Catholics to reject the deafening rhetoric of bigotry and stand up for the moral dignity and rights of all Americans. Maybe then, this campaign and the agenda of our leaders might return to the more important issues of uninsured children, global warming and the faltering economy.
Ken Seifert
alumnus
class of 2003
Nov. 1
