My father and I had a disagreement. The year was 1972, the first time I was
eligible to vote in a presidential election.
Dad believed in Richard Nixon and supported his candidacy for president
of the United States. For me, Viet Nam
was the major issue. I drew a high
number in the very first draft lottery and was not drafted, but many of my
friends were. Nixon’s opponent, George
McGovern, seemed like the best candidate to quickly end the war, at least in my
eyes. We had respectful conversations
about out differences, but agreed to disagree.
Nixon won the election handily, but I know my father was very
disappointed in him when the Watergate scandal came to light. Dad died a year after Nixon resigned.
Today, I would reject McGovern as a liberal, but I didn’t
think that way when I was 22 years old. I grew
up a Catholic who saw the first Catholic president get elected and then
assassinated. Most Catholics considered
themselves Democrats and my Protestant father was a Republican. That is just the way it was. Shortly after Nixon’s election, however,
things changed. In 1973, the Supreme
Court decision in Roe v Wade made abortion legal, and the Democratic Party took
a ride down a very slippery slope.
I eventually switched parties because of abortion. How can any faithful Catholic support a party
that promotes legally killing unborn children?
Abortion is a deal-breaker that trumps all other issues. Loss for respect of life requires a spiritual
depravity that comes from ignoring the existence of God. Lack of self-discipline and personal
responsibility, marital infidelity, and immoral behavior become palatable when
a person comes to rationalize killing the unborn. Marriage, families and religious freedom
become vulnerable. This mindset harbors
a tendency to carelessness, conflict, and violence. I believe there is a direct correlation
between violence perpetrated on an innocent child and violence in our inner
cities.
So, as a Catholic, how do I cast a vote in a presidential
election where both candidates are extremely flawed? I must cast my vote based on party principles
and not particular personalities. Promoting
the right to choose abortion by Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party is completely
unacceptable. Supporting a platform that
promotes evil makes one an accessory. Casting
a vote for Hillary Clinton would be a mortal sin for me. I would not risk my salvation even if I
agreed with her on other issues. That
means I have no other choice but to vote for Donald Trump, despite knowing he
is defective. Yes, I could refrain from voting altogether, but doing so could
aid Clinton’s election, and I cannot take that chance. I hope
my Dad would agree.
