It has been eight weeks since my hip replacement. During that time I watched in horror as three American cities experienced the trauma of a mass shooting - Gilroy, California, El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. During the time since my surgery I watched as Jeffrey Epstein was arrested again and then committed suicide. I watched two Presidential Debates by Democrats and I lost my status as a 'Keyboard Warrior' by attending my first ever Town Hall meeting with Josh Harder, my Representative in the House. While there I handed out flyers for the American Solidarity Party and, to my delight, only one person turned it down. Everyone else there took one and listened to my little sound-bite pitch (Formed by people who are not happy with the stance held by either main political party, we are a group who believe in being Pro-Life for the WHOLE Life and would love for you to check us out) and were surprised. They had never heard of us - except for a group of about five people who said, "Hey, aren't you Leslie K.? I read your stuff in the Modesto Bee all the time!".
Interestingly enough, no one there at that Town Hall Meeting was satisfied being a registered Democrat or a registered Republican. Many were there simply to hold the feet of Mr. Harder to the fire of the issues that affect our community - Health Care, Immigration, Education, Jobs - which is exactly what the American Solidarity Party feels is important. If we are going to eradicate the need for women to have an abortion we cannot simply make abortion illegal; rather, we have got to create a society where women do not make that choice because they do not feel the need to do so.
As a post-abortive woman (one who was forced to abort her children by threat of violence and later because I thought I was already damned to hell so who cares) I am very aware that we are cock-eyed in this culture today. We scream that women must have control of their bodies but we do nothing to insure that - case in point, looking the other way when a 26 year old man drives his teenage girlfriend to an abortion clinic. We make dopey statements about 'my body my choice' which not only fly in the face of science but also in the face of logic. Men are not allowed to do anything they want with THEIR bodies - what makes us so special? A man who uses his body to assert power or control over another human being is committing a criminal act. He should be prosecuted for that and if he is not the issue is not to make the act non-criminal; rather it is to properly apply the law.
The other reason I went to that Town Hall Meeting is because I am deeply disappointed in my fellow Catholics. The number who said, "Oh no, I am not going because he supports abortion" was staggering. What this tells me is that these people have no clue what their role in our society is and they are content to listen to Relevant Radio and flash pious FaceBook Memes on their pages but they are not willing to plant themselves right in front of that representative and say, "We don't want Abortion On Demand. We are your constituents. We are here to make sure our voices are heard".
Now, maybe I am wrong in my determination of why they don't show up at these meetings. Maybe they are not attending because they are, like me, shy about speaking up in public. It is difficult to do it, and easier as a KeyBoard Warrior. It is tough to take a microphone and ask a question and do so with kindness and with clarity. Maybe they are simply afraid. Maybe it is just easier for them to say they don't support the person so that is why they aren't taking the time to get in the car and drive to wherever that representative is so he can see the face of the Pro Life Catholic. I don't want to judge them too harshly - but it is time for them to get out from behind their laptops and get to work.
I would suggest to them that I understand. It is difficult and it is scary and it can mean getting WAY out of your comfort zone. It can also be the way for us to imitate the Martyrs that walked the path before us and now wait for us in the heavenly Jerusalem. They were asked to do a lot more - this may be our chance to be Catholic Out Loud.
Let's not let the horrors and sadness of the past few weeks dictate how we meet the world. Let's not drop our armor or our sword; let's continue the fight. Let's let the people in charge see our faces, our bright and loving and sweet faces that we turn deliberately toward the Light of Christ each day.
Let's show up....and BE CATHOLIC OUT LOUD.
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