When she was a young teen, my daughter had a few roles in Seussical Junior—a fun musical that incorporated several of Dr. Seuss’ stories, including Horton Hears a Who! At the end of Horton, a slacker named Jo-Jo, who had not joined his voice with the others in town to let the jungle animals know that life existed on the dust speck, at last joined with the others. His “yopp” finally make their presence heard. His voice made a difference. If he had not spoken up, the jungle animals would have destroyed the speck and all the Whos on it.
I thought about that scene this week when I went to my polling place for early voting. As I looked at the line winding out the door and down the sidewalk in front of the building, I felt relieved that these people were taking their civic duty seriously. As we know, many people choose not to vote in midterm elections. Maybe they think it’s not worth their time, that there’s no one “worthy” to vote for, that their vote won’t matter, or something else altogether.
But as we learned from Jo-Jo, one person can and does make a difference. One voice is never too small because it joins with others, and when we stand together, our voices speak volumes.
I encourage you to go out and vote in these midterm elections. Beat the crowds on election day and vote early. But vote. And vote for candidates who respect and cherish life, who do not advocate for abortion and euthanasia, who take love of this country seriously, who believe in democracy rather than socialism, who have the best interests of citizens in mind, who value the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, and who understand basic biology.
As you prepare to vote, keep in mind that a 2002 document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith advises, “A well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program or an individual law which contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals.” So before you go, research the history of the people running for office and educate yourself on ballot measures in your state. Take some time to do a bit of research so you know what a “yes” or “no” vote means. These measures are often deceptively worded to cause confusion so that those who have not done their homework may accidentally vote the wrong way. Don’t be duped.
Several states have abortion amendments on their ballots, and American Life League has created printable ballot cards to inform you what three are hoping to achieve.
The ballot cards explain that one proposal in Virginia would:
- Establish abortion and contraception as “reproductive rights” in Virginia’s constitution. This would enshrine preborn child killing as law of the land.
- Allow abortion on demand through the third trimester, which would lead to the additional evils of partial-birth abortion and infanticide.
- Allow lawmakers to regulate abortion in the third trimester without prohibiting abortion based on fetal abnormalities and the life or physical and mental health of the mother.
An amendment proposal attempts to redefine marriage as well. According to ALL’s ballot cards, the measure would “repeal Virginia’s current language that says that marriage is between one man and one woman” and “redefine marriage as lawful between ‘two adult persons’ regardless of ‘sex and gender.’”
Virginia residents should vote NO on both proposals.
People in Nevada will be voting for the second time on a ballot measure regarding abortion. State law requires that amendments be approved in two even-numbered election years, so Nevadans still have a chance to defeat this evil. ALL’s ballot cards explain that the measure would:
- Establish the murder of the preborn child through abortion as a “reproductive right” in Nevada’s constitution. This would enshrine preborn child killing as state law.
- Allow abortion on demand through fetal viability (24 weeks).
- Allow lawmakers to add exceptions for preborn child killing post viability (24 weeks) for the life and health of the mother, as determined by providers as a “necessity.”
Nevada residents should vote NO on this proposal.
In Idaho, the proposed amendment would:
- Allow abortion through fetal viability as a “right,” which the initiative states is a point in time that can be determined by the “physician’s good faith medical judgment.” This would permit preborn child killing as law of the land.
- Allow lawmakers to regulate abortion after fetal viability (though no concrete gestational period is listed), except for a “medical emergency.” Every human life matters, and every person must be protected.
- Prevent the penalization of those helping a woman obtain or coercing a woman into having an abortion due to a “right to privacy
- Permit contraception and IVF as a “reproductive freedom.”
Idaho residents should vote NO on this proposal.
But there are also measures on state ballots that have to do with victim rights, sex-based sports eligibility, citizenship requirements for voting, and more.
If we want to build a culture that respects life, protects our children, and values the difference between the two sexes, we must make our voices heard. Understand that voting is so more than a trip to the polling facility. Voting gives us an opportunity to participate in important decisions that shape our communities, our public institutions, and our shared future.
Just as strong families make strong communities, strong communities will make strong states, and strong states will make a stronger nation. We owe it to ourselves and to our children to build up our nation and not to tear it down. To do this, we must vote for the candidates and policies that will foster this strength.
No elected position is too menial. For example, those on your city council can affect your neighborhood safety. Those on your school board can influence education at your child’s school. And those in local law enforcement can affect how soft your city is on crime.
Our nation was founded on Christian principles that have been grossly eroded over time. If we want a solid Christian future for our children, we need to pay attention to the present and vote for leaders who hold these values dear.
Your voice does matter. And many state and local elections are decided by very few votes. Imagine what we could accomplish if all Catholics, all Christians, were to get out and vote our faith.
In 1908, St. Pius X said, “In our time more than ever before, the chief strength of the wicked lies in the cowardice and weakness of good men. . . . All the strength of Satan’s reign is due to the easy-going weakness of Catholics.” This is true in our time as well.
Do not succumb to this weakness or laziness. Vote with charity and a determination to make our country better, understanding that the Minnesota Catholic Conference once stated that “voting is an expression of love—love for God, love for neighbor, and love for the world we inhabit.”
Do you love our country and the values it was built upon? Do you want to see it grow stronger? Then vote your morals and do not sit silently by, like little Jo-Jo. He learned his lesson before it was too late. I pray America does too.
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