Listening to Bohislav Martinu's (pardon--don't even know the name of the accent mark over the "U" to try to reproduce) symphony No. 3 put me in mind of what most people are going through today. And it matches the Florida weather. Grey, somewhat oppressive, rising to a joy here and there that is brought back down to Earth and to its formative elements.
Zippy's reasoning provided ample justification for not voting; however, we are guided in part by our consciences and it simply isn't possible for me not to assume my part in the franchise. It is too terrible an abdication of responsibility. Moreover, I would have missed out on the opportunity to at least register my intention to give the boot to four supreme court justices who saw as the highest good the absolute sovereignty of husband over wife in the absence of any documentary evidence to support his assertions.
However, I did reconcile my doubts because in some races I simply didn't vote, and in others, the new touch-screen system has made it very easy to write in alternatives. NOTA won't mean much to very many, but it will register the fact that we need new and real choices--real men and women capable of leadership, not merely of kowtowing to the demands of a society that has lost its mind.
And I've spent time in prayer for all those going to make a choice today that they may be guided by the Holy Spirit. This afternoon, with the Divine Mercy, I intend to add to those intention the desire of my heart in politics--that God should give us worthy leaders, not the leadership we have come to deserve.
Congratulations on doing your best to do what is right, Stephen. That is all that any of us, and especially I, can do.
Dear Zippy,
And I hope that didn't read as a criticism of what you wrote. It wasn't so intended. In fact, I missed part of my point in saying that your reasoning provided me with ample justification in not weighing in on issues that I did not know enough about to weigh in on.
I just weighed your reasoning with everything else and decided that in my case I could not be justified in not exercising the right to vote. But, your line of thought was a very helpful guideline with regard to what to do once I was there. No more quandaries, no more, I must vote for one or the other. Now I can still do what my sense of duty impels me to without much concern about choosing one or the other if both are undesirable.
Thank you for that and for all you've done by putting forth your arguments.
shalom,
Steven
Didn't take it as a criticism. I think it is likely to be quite some time before the Magisterium gives definitive guidance as to what sort of act voting is. In the meantime we have to make do with our own limited noggins.