The more Catholics know, the clearer the choice to vote Bush
By BRIAN P. GOLDEN
IN 1856, an American Catholic heading for the polls faced a no-brainer: Whatever you do, don’t cast your ballot for the Know Nothing Party.
The “know nothings” were part of the thriving Nativist movement, driven by anti-Catholicism and fear of immigration. Their platform promised, “war to the hilt, on political Romanism” and “hostility to all Papal influences.” As a Democratic legislator from Boston, who is also a Catholic, the following fact is especially troubling to me: By 1855, the governor of Massachusetts and all but two representatives in the Commonwealth’s House were Know Nothings.
Fortunately for Catholics and immigrants, the Know Nothing candidate, former President Millard Fillmore, was soundly defeated. In succeeding Presidential elections, Catholics traded their allegiances between the parties. When considering core values issues, the choice for Catholics has not always been clear. But this year is a dramatic exception.
The Democrats offer Sen. John Kerry, a professed Catholic. You may have heard that Kerry’s own Democratic colleagues, by some creative measure, call him the “most Catholic” senator. That’s like calling Tony Soprano a devout Catholic because he shows up at Mass most Sundays and throws some bills in the collection plate. Catholics know better.
For 20 years, on matters most fundamental to Catholics, Kerry has been consistently wrong. Kerry was one of only 14 senators to vote against the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. This year, he opposed the federal marriage amendment, which would give the American people a voice in the definition of marriage, rather than leave it to the whims of activist judges like those in Massachusetts. Kerry has even castigated church leaders for weighing-in on the marriage issue, calling it “inappropriate” and a breach of the “separation of church and state.”
In his first Senate campaign, Kerry promised that he would vote against “any restrictions on age, consent, funding restrictions, or any law to limit access to abortion.” That’s a promise he’s kept. He is among the most fervent supporters of abortion in the Senate, repeatedly voting for taxpayer funding of abortions, against parental notification for a minor’s abortion, and against a ban on partial birth abortion. He voted against the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which treats a violent crime against a pregnant woman as a crime against two people—the unborn and the mother. Even in Massachusetts, Kerry’s positions are far from the mainstream.
Kerry is the first Presidential candidate ever to receive the endorsement of Planned Parenthood. The group described electing Kerry as “crucial to preserving access to abortion.” To show his thanks, Kerry pledged to nominate to the Supreme Court “only supporters of abortion rights.”
Despite this record, Kerry states that he personally disapproves of abortion — even that “life begins at conception” — but that this is simply an “article of faith” for him, which he would not impose on others. Catholics with a little catechism and logic know better. They know that life is a basic human right, trumping all others, and that we must protect it through humane public policy. Kerry rejects this fundamental value, and his frequent declaration that he “was an altar boy” is not enough to dispel Catholics’ concerns.
In contrast, President Bush speaks of supporting the “culture of life” — the call to “uphold and affirm the dignity of every person, rich and poor, able and disabled, born and unborn” — and he has backed his words with action.
In 1960, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts inspired many first, second, and third generation Catholic immigrants. John Kennedy’s election was a final blow to the Know Nothings and their descendants. But, in those days, while Democrats and Republicans were debating the general direction of the nation, there was broad consensus on the central cultural issues. Now that the consensus has vanished, we must choose carefully. And while our faith should not direct our choice, it should certainly inform our choice.
This year, with another Democratic senator from Massachusetts running for President, many more Catholics will be avoiding the Democratic lever because the Democratic nominee shows little regard for what matters most to Catholics. This year, the more Catholics know, the clearer the choice becomes.
Brian P. Golden is a three-term Democrat representing Boston in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He is a major in the Army Reserves and served on active duty with the U.S. peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and at the Pentagon during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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