Stay in the Fight

Tonight, I am struggling to find the words to say, again. As this election season comes to a close, I feel sadness that this is where we are, and fear that by the end of the week we will be in a war. Donald Trump and his followers are fighting to keep as many people from voting as possible, and so many of my loved ones follow in line.

I watch as publications and leaders who are supposed to impart Catholic teaching manipulate documents to say what they want them to say. While they condemn anyone who disagrees with them. It’s easy to do, I struggle with understanding those I disagree with right now. Still, if you are going to argue against Biden, do it with honor. Speak the truth of Church teaching, all of it. Don’t select the bits and pieces that look pretty to you. When I write about Biden I am honest about the problematic pieces about his agenda, but when you write about Trump you make him sound like the savior of the world.

Trump is not the savior of the world. Jesus is, and Jesus cares about the people who are freezing at Trump’s rallies, He loves the people in the blue states, He cares about the immigrants dying, and he cares about the babies dying too.

Can’t we fight for life AND refuse to let Trump run the country in fear and hatred? Couldn’t we fight for a government and society and laws that fight abortion, but not have this cruel man at our head?

I understand voting pro-life when the issues are less dire, and I would. In fact, I did in our gubernatorial election. I preferred many things about the democratic candidate, but the republican candidate is a huge crusader against abortion in our state-we have almost NO abortions here at all, and he is not Trump, so I was able to vote for him.

Please tell me you see why Trump is too much. He is not fighting hard enough against abortion to be worth this. He has not instituted a law to make it illegal, he is not even running on that platform this year AT ALL. He has barely spoken of it, except to exaggerate accusations of Biden, made no promises except to say that Biden is the most pro-abortion candidate ever which is a ridiculous lie. He wasn’t even the most pro-abortion option the Democratic Party had this year. In fact, he was possibly the least pro-abortion of the candidates. For the first time in my memory, they prayed for the unborn at the DNC, can you tell me that this is the most pro-abortion candidate ever?

Catholics, please see these manipulation tactics that are being used on you. The people who are writing these articles are full of dishonesty and confusion, they use terrifying words to make everything sound scary so you feel like you have to listen tot hem, and they twist anecdotes into sinister dealings to frighten you. Stop. If you are going to argue for Trump do it with some integrity and if not, then ask yourself why? Why do people feel the need to twist the truth to defend him? Why do they want to keep people from voting? Why do they believe it is ok to intimidate campaign buses? Why do they believe it is ok to insult and denigrate anyone who thinks even slightly different than them.

Have I treated you with kindness? Trump followers in my life, I have strived to treat you with charity, and with the peace of Jesus, and I have apologized to you when I have hurt you. Did you? Before you insulted me and called me a Nazi, did you make an effort to think of me as Jesus does? Did you pray for me before you wrote to me? After?

I am not perfect. I am so angry at you, and I am constantly trying to figure out and make sure I know when the anger becomes sinful and when it’s not, but I am trying, so hard.

Please, see the difference between sides in this fight. See kindness and love and peace and justice vs cruelty, intimidation, and lack of compassion. See the bold-faced lies that Trump is telling you over and over and over again, and hear the dishonesty in him. Listen to Biden as he explains his reasoning for things, and the limits of the presidency that are there to protect us, and as he fights to be kind in situations where the only response that makes sense is rage.

Biden is NOT perfect, but he is not evil. With him, we could still fight against abortion. With Trump, racism, hatred of the poor, destruction of love and compassion and mercy in our country, have already grown, we can’t afford another minute of this. Please.

And if you do vote for Trump anyway, please pray for all of those who will suffer for your choice.

Whatever you choose, as hard as it is for me to say, and trust me it is hard, may the peace of Christ be with you, ALWAYS. Amen and amen.