Civility and the Common Good
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Civility and the Common Good dear members NOTE TO ALL NETWORK MEMBERS: We have finished the first session of the 111th Con- NETW RK gress with the anguished Be sure to vote for new A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby struggle over healthcare. members of NETWORK’s NETWORK—a Catholic leader I know that many of you Board of Directors. in the global movement are as tired of the partisan for justice and peace— wrangle as we are! But in educates, organizes and Ballots can be found lobbies for economic the midst of the morass on the back page and and social transformation. of bickering there were a couple of bright spots for must be postmarked us. by March 15, 2010. NETWORK Board of Directors Mary Ann Brenden Barbara Lange We provided you, our Marie Clarke Brill Marie Lucey, OSF members, with the phone Simone Campbell, SSS Rhonda Meister Joan Carey, SSJ Kateri Mitchell, SSA number and e-advocacy Cathleen Crayton Mary Ann Nestel, CSJ tool for more than ten Contents Mary Ann Gaido Judith Braitmayer Sharpe Linda Howell-Perrin, LSW Sandra Thibodeux, MMB thousand messages to Mary Jo Iozzio Mary T. Yelenick envisioning Congress about what really Donna Marie Korba, IHM Peter J. Zografos Changes matters in this healthcare NETWORK Education Program 3 Simone Campbell, SSS, sees changes in reform. We were able to Board of Directors Washington—some good, some not—and Elizabeth Dahlman Kit Hinga, SSJ get a letter into the hands looks ahead to changes in how we will Katherine Feely, SND Dorothy Jackson, SCN of Senate negotiators, communicate with you starting this year. Jennifer Haut Kathleen Phelan, OP outlining some of our key cover story NETWORK Staff positions just as talks were Communications Coordinator/Editor— breaking down. We helped Civility and the Common Good Stephanie Niedringhaus 4 Coordinator of Annual Giving—Jeanell them find a way through. Former U.S. Representative Jim Leach addresses the increasingly partisan and Freeman We are being heard. rancorous tone of discourse on the Hill and Executive Director—Simone Campbell, SSS All of this activity is across the nation. If we are truly to govern for Field Coordinator—Jean Sammon made possible by the the common good, we need “thoughtfulness IT Coordinator—Joy Wigwe and decency of expression in the public Lobbyists—Marge Clark, BVM; CAPITOL CAMPAIGN Catherine Pinkerton, CSJ square.” What can we do to make this happen? that we launched in Spring Major GIfts Coordinator— John R. Price, D.Min. ’09. This is not about rais- voting record NETWORK Associates—Sarah Carey, David ing money for a building, Voting Record of the 111th Golemboski, Meghan Tighe but rather raising money 7 Congress, 1st Session Office/Membership Coordinator—Ann Dunn to work in the Capitol See how your legislators voted on issues that Articles in NETWORK Connection may be reprinted. Please include the following to renew the foundation mattered. on the reprints: “Reprinted with permis- of our nation. You have sion from NETWORK, a National Catholic made all the difference in making a differencee Social Justice Lobby, 25 E Street NW, Use NETWORK’s Voting Record Suite 200, Washington, DC 20001, this project. Because of 15 www.networklobby.org.” Please send us you, our voice continues. and Web Site to Foster Justice a copy of the reprinted article. Because of you, we are Here are some useful tools! First Quarter 2010—Vol. 38, No. 1 NETWORK Connection making progress. We are back page ISSN 0199-5723 deeply grateful for your Board Election Ballot for Published quarterly by support and urge you to 16 NETWORK NETWORK Members PHONE 202-347-9797 FAX 202-347-9864 continue in 2010! E-MAIL : [email protected] THANK YOU! WEB SITE : www.networklobby.org POStmaSter: Send addreSS CHangeS to NETWORK • 25 E Street NW, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20001 Annual dues: $50/$60 international. Copyright © 2009 NETWORK. Cover: Pediment sculpture from U.S. Capitol (House side), “Apotheosis of Democracy,” Take time today to invest in our work for justice. depicts Peace protecting the youthful winged Your support can help make this a better world! figure of Genius. Photo by Joseph C. Justice, Jr. Learn more at www.networklobby.org (click on NETWORK Capitol Campaign). Starting with this issue, the Connection will be published quarterly instead of Use the envelope in the middle of this magazine to send a every two months. We will also send contribution. (Write “Capitol Campaign” on the envelope.) out issue updates four times a year. Spread the word so others can invest in our mission of justice! Please see page 3 for more information. 2 Connection First Quarter 2010 www.networklobby.org envisioning Changes HARRIS SHAWN BY SIMONE CAMP B ELL , SSS This issue of Connection contains the voting record for the first session of the 111th Congress. It has been an intense Tyear of both great change and small shifts. There have been so many votes this year that it was difficult to decide which to include. In fact, as we are put- ting this issue together, the healthcare debate is still raging in the Senate. Looking back over the year, I see one shift that has worried me. In Janu- our carbon footprint. And, of course, in mail,” let us know and we will send you ary 2009, there was a great expression these challenging economic times, we a print version. of bipartisanship, of working together are looking for ways to save money. We hope that this new service of for the American people. But since then So, starting this month, we are mak- quarterly updates provides an addi- there has been a shift from concerns ing the following changes to be more tional incentive for all of us to be more about policies to strictly the political effective in our mission to bring your engaged in this struggle “to form a more game. Members of Congress have got- voice to Capitol Hill and to provide you perfect union.” The issues before us in ten into their separate corners, and each with timely and thoughtful values-based 2010 do not call for retreat, but rather side is trying to paint the other as unin- information. This magazine is chang- for renewed engagement. We must com- terested in the needs of the people. The ing from a six-times-a-year to a quar- municate to our elected representatives country is suffering because the focus terly publication. You will receive this that we expect them to confront the is not on governing, but rather on the informative and beautiful periodical in problems of our time and find solutions 2010 election and “scoring points.” January, April, July and October. At the for the Common Good. We must face I had thought that after the 2008 elec- mid-point of each quarter we will be our broken system of immigration and tion a message had been sent that “We e-mailing either a Hill update or a reflec- change it. We must really end the war the People” were not going to stand for tion on what is happening politically in Iraq and create true peace in Afghani- this anymore. We were going to demand in Washington and the perspective of stan. We must reform Temporary Assis- that our leaders address the issues of our Catholic Social Teaching. PLEASE MAKE tance for Needy Families (TANF) so that time and work for 21st century solu- SURE THAT WE HAVE YOUR CORRECT the poor people in our country live in tions. But this apparently was not to be. E-MAIL ADDRESS SO THAT YOU DON’T dignity. We need to create smart fair This year has confirmed that “We the MISS ANY OF THESE UPDATES!* If you trade agreements. And we must be con- People” still have a lot of work to do. wish to receive our update by “snail scious of the need to live in a sustainable To be more effective in this rapidly way “for us and for our posterity.” changing environment, we are making *To receive our quarterly updates, As Pope Benedict says in Caritas In some changes. We realized that many send your updated email address to Veritate, “Love — caritas — is an extraor- of you, our members, often see this [email protected]. dinary force which leads people to opt magazine and get your news about the If you prefer a “snail mail” version, for courageous and generous engage- Hill weeks after the update is written. please email your name and ment in the field of justice and peace.” We know that many of you utilize our address, or send it to: Let us engage with courage and generos- e-advocacy tools and receive up-to-the- Jean Sammon ity for the sake of our country and our minute information in our weekly or tar- NETWORK planet. geted alert system. At the same time, we 25 E Street NW, Suite 200 have been examining ways that we can Washington DC 20001 Simone Campbell, SSS, is NETWORK’s “go green” here at NETWORK and shrink Executive Director. www.networklobby.org First Quarter 2010 Connection 3 Civility and the Common Good BY JIM LEA C H Few subjects seem duller than concern tion implicit in slavery and indentured assessment of his character by merci- for manners, especially public manners. servitude “hallmarked” more than a little lessly gunning him down. FBut few are more important because they of 19th century American thought and So, uncivil behavior is nothing new. affect how individuals inter-relate in many of our social structures. What is new are transformative changes community and how societ- in communications tech- ies make decisions that can Isn’t it a citizen’s obligation to apply perspective nology in American poli- affect life on the planet.