The Gadfly Vol. XV, Iss. III
“To persuade and reproach” - Socrates, The Apology
October 18, 2011
The Seven Unknown Wonders ofFranciscan University Franciscan University has more secrets than it lets on. It is not the open, nothing to hide school it lets on to be. Mysterious myths have been passed on through the classes and generations of students over the years. Stories of hidden hot spots and tall tales about wise old beings make their way around campus. You may think you know everything there is to know about the port, right? It’s a replica of the real Portiuncula in Assisi. But have you heard of the myth that comes with it? Here are seven of the secret wonders of our dear old Franciscan campus.
mense beauty and value to the Franciscan heart. One, because it is a nature reserve for the time being, filled with cute squirrels and birds and helps the visitor get in touch with his inner Franciscan. Another reason: it acts as a remedy for those who are home sick for the hills of Gaming. They just have to put on a their dirndl and go frolic in the grass singing the Sound of Music at the top of their lungs. Just be careful you don’t sing so loud you scare the wildlife!
2) Egan Dungeon - You can hear a dun-dun-dun theme song in the background as you creep 1) The Golf Course - Yes it’s that down to see your advisor in the big overgrown field behind the ground floor of the Egan Acaphysical plant, which holds imdemic Building. Skulls from the
Anthropology department watch you from their glasses cases at the bottom of the stairwell. They observe everything that moves and stare hard as if to warn you of certain quirky beings beyond. Pictures of ten nuns holding legit rifles and a life size painting of a man dressed in Shakespearian garb welcome you. Seeing the papered windows and doors of the offices, you wonder if there is a living soul brave enough to work behind them. But should you be courageous enough to brave the gloom and dark, you will discover professors with some of the most brilliant minds and keenest senses of humor you can find! Continued on page 5
Why are we Hiding from Sex? Throughout the course of this turbulent life of mine I am often smacked with the realization that other people think differently than I do. Recently it occurred while I was musing through class. Advertised in one corner of the chalkboard was an upcoming talk by Damon Owens, entitled “God Sex and Manhood.” I first noticed it because the mandatory comma was missing*, and I was forced to stare at this grammatical blaspheme all through class (the professor seemed to favor standing near that end of the chalkboard). Natu-
rally, I edited it on the way out and returned class later in the week, looking forward to seeing my handiwork, anticipating the satisfaction of grammatically correct pride. However, I found to my distaste that while the new comma remained, someone had carefully erased the word “Sex” from the board. This upset me of course, firstly because “God, and Manhood” is incorrect, secondly, because there isn’t any reason why the word “Sex” should not be in plain view to a room full of mature Catholics. So I was forced to edit the advertisement
again. But low and behold, I return for the next class to discover “Sex” missing again. I can come to but one conclusion: someone really does not want to see this word, and more so does not want to reflect upon the subject. I can come up with three reasons why any individual would not want his peers to look at the word sex, all of which point to the same end—that we are supposed hide from sex. The first reason is the notion that somehow sex is wrong, that it ought Continued on page 6
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St. Moses the Black, pray for us!
Letter From the Editor:
Staff: Dear Readers, Writers: Keith Michael Estrada (K.M.E.) Sarah Hartung (S.H.) Mary Kineke (M.K.) Jacob Popcak (J.P.) Alexander Pyles (A.S.P.) Joseph Stallings (J.S.) Anne Tulloch (A.T.)
Business Manager: Alexander Pyles (A.S.P.)
Layout Editor:
Over the past couple of weeks I have been bombarded by questions about who is eligible to write in The Gadfly. I want to make it clear. Any student of Franciscan University (both undergraduate and graduate) is eligible to write for The Gadfly. This does not mean, however, that every article submitted to The Gadfly will be published. There are certain rules and guidelines that must be followed in order to be published. Although, ultimate discretion about what is published in The Gadfly belongs solely to myself, as the editor.
Anna Schiedermayer
Assistant Editor: Victoria Bonutti
Editor in Chief:
As an editor, I do not simply publish articles that I agree with. In reality, the contrary is usually true. There have been many times during the course of my tenure as editor of The Gadfly when I have published
articles that I have blatantly disagreed with. However, as an editor, I attempt to curb my natural biases in the name of free speech and intellectual authenticity in order to best serve the students at Franciscan University. I ask you, the readers of The Gadfly, to join our cause and to take a stand. Let us together, in the spirit of Socrates, “bite the sleeping horse” of those issues that we see in our day-to-day lives. Topics ranging from philosophy, to theology, to student life are equally relevant and inline with the mission statement of The Gadfly. To conclude, I would like to thank all of you who read The Gadfly, it is for the betterment of the student body at Franciscan University that my staff and I work for this fine editorial. In Christ, D.R.D.
Daniel Romeyn Davis (D.R.D.) Interested in joining our staff?
Letter to the Editor:
Email us at notestothegadfly@gmail.com
~Mission Statement~ The Gadfly is an attempt to “bite the sleeping horse” in the spirit of Socrates. It is a student publication whose purpose is to facilitate discussion concerning campus and cultural issues as they pertain to students of Franciscan University. It aims to be a forum for open, wellthought out, and honest discussion towards the end of knowing and loving truth in its most robust sense.
Advisor:
Dr. John White Advisor Extraordinaire
A Response to: What Not to Talk about at Franciscan University, by K.M.E. I'll make this nice and short. In response to "What Not to Talk about at Franciscan University." I will not bother to try arguing with the author because it seems it would be futile as he has made up his mind on the subject. I would only ask one question to the author of this piece: if you are so disappointed in the views and beliefs of the student body here and choose to so publicly denounce all that the University has done and all that the area of Steubenville has done, why do you remain here? No one is forcing
you to stay, no one is holding you back from moving on from a school that "pretends to care only enough to get you to come" to it. Because you make it sound like you really do not like it here. While you take jabs at conservatism (which does have members who do not uphold its aim), it seems to me that you support a leader, a political party, that openly advocates for abortion, that wants people to be dependent completely on the government and so much more. So please, enlighten me. — Laura
St. Felicity, pray for us!
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Response to Letter to the Editor etc. Imagine if everyone fled from Thank you for your response. I appre- places that were, for example, ran by ciate that you were able to pick up a piece tyrants and had a Nazi majority. Some people leave because they have too of enlightening reading material to start much to risk, other lowly people like this semester off right! Your question myself, manage to hang on for the troubles me for two reasons: 1) It is unwild ride. fortunate that my writing of satire is not In response to the last part of your good enough for readers such as yourself to understand that it really was satire, and response, where you talk about what I support, we'll that entails a whole dif2) Why would I leave here? You're not the only one who has made ferent article. But, I do like it here. I like the teachers I have had and a lot such suggestions; people in various of the people I work with. As far as households on campus have done so alwho it is that I may support: I support ready. But my being flabbergasted is due people, I support individuals. I'm proto the fact that you would recommend life and my party is called 'Keith Mileaving campus only because of the nega- chael Estrada'. If you like tea, I'd be tive things, prejudices and lack of free happy to discuss this with you and any others who are perturbed. Cheers! thought that goes on here. If anything, I am forced to stay and help enlighten young minds, provide alternative views, ~ K.M.E. Dear Reader,
Don’t be Squished.
Have your say.
Professor Quotes of the Week:
Tales of a Rebel Franny A friend recently asked me if I would write an article on fashion. My initial thoughts were that firstly, fashion articles are by definition, useless puff pieces, because as Coco Chanel said, “Fashion fades; only style remains”. Therefore an article on something that will fade is by definition, fleeting and ultimately a waste of time and energy. Secondly, what in the world could I say of worth about fashion? Thinking on the issue a bit more (specifically, at 2 am while procrastinating on a large mountain of homework), I remembered what I was wearing when the idea of writing an article was presented to me: boots, tights, and a vintage-inspired knit tunic dress. Sounds modest and cute right? What
strikes me the most about this outfit is the array of reactions I got from the people around me that day. Occasionally, I was given a complimentary statement or glance. More often however, were scathing glances and looks of dismay or outrage. Why is this? My entire body was covered in clothing except for approximately 5 inches of each arm. Nothing in the outfit was sheer, revealing, or overly formfitting. The hem came to mid-thigh and was snug, preventing the risk of the tunic moving out of place throughout the course of the day. Yet still I received glare after glare. I pondered on this strange fact for a large part of the evening. Then I realized: my outfit was outside the Continued on page 7
“You know what Woodstock is, right? You’ve studied ancient history.” ~Dr. Burgsma
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St. Etheldreda, pray for us!
Decrying the Abuses Among Us: A call for Pokémon rights Many years ago, Abraham Lincoln took a stand that shook our great nation at its foundation. With the Emancipation Proclamation, he brought elation to the slave population. Slavery was abolished in our country after the Civil War, but one class has been abused like no other. This class has humbly served, without complaint, only to be pummeled asunder by a careless stray bullet seed. As a form of entertainment for children, these individuals among us are forced to do battle with each other, bringing themselves within inches of death. About whom do I speak? Whom do I here defend? I speak for the Pokémon. I choose you, Pikachu! But did Pikachu choose you? I think not.
In this article, I will attempt to demonstrate how the abominable synthesis of the slave trade, torture, drug use, and animal abuse is the foundational element of the destruction of the moral fabric of our society, eating away at our collective national conscience one child at a time. What does it mean to be a Pokémon master? It is the goal of every Pokémon trainer to find, injure nearly to the point of death, capture and enslave, and force into arranged battles as many Pokémon as he or she can. Most of these battles involve bets and monetary prizes. Have you ever noticed that when you defeat a Pokémon trainer in battle, you get money! In addition, the only way to make one's Pokémon stronger is to brutalize
wild Pokémon, none of whom are ever nursed back to health after the battles. It is a wonder that Pokémon as a species are not endangered as it is, with the rash of unconscious or dead Pokémon lining the trails of the Kanto and Johto regions as a result of overzealous Pokémon trainers sharpening the skills of their trained monsters. One establishment in particular is outstandingly abusive to Pokémon freedom. There is, in the Kanto region, an institution known as the “Safari Zone”, several acres of land from which Pokémon cannot escape. For a price, Pokémon trainers are allowed a limited amount of time to Continued on page 7
Stigmatize Welfare! Remember the Principle of Subsidiarity! Why would you “describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval,” something that is economically assisting tens of millions of people throughout our country? This question is one that I ask here at Franciscan University, the school that is passionately Catholic, because I have encountered several students who claim that being a welfare recipient is being a person who is the equivalent of a leech to society. Moreover many fine young people here tend to believe that any type of assistance our government has been providing violates our Catholic principle of subsidiarity. I disagree with the two propositions mentioned, and so does the Church. Naturally one would be led to believe that, while being surrounded by so many ardent conservatives, republicans and idolaters of Ronald Reagan, government aid is a ‘no no,’ and it should be done away with immediately. Any contradicting claims
are then purported to be very socialistic, very much sounding to be in line with the democratic party, or too communistic, however this need not be the case, instead we should reexamine what a lot of the Church has said in its great tradition about the person in need, and how it fits with the person receiving government aid. Biblically speaking, we refer to almsgiving. The way the church defined almsgiving in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia is as follows, “Any material favour done to assist the needy, and prompted by charity, is almsgiving... [A]lmsgiving implies a material service rendered to the poor for Christ's sake.” Tobit 4 reads, “Alms are a worthy offering in the sight of the Most High for all who give them” (7-11). Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth reads, “Every one give as he has determined in his heart, let him give not with sadness or of necessity [compulsion]: for
God loves a cheerful giver” (9:7). Now though we notice that at times, giving is not a matter of giving, but simply submitting to what you ought to do, to what is ‘just,’ “…according to your ability stretch out your hand, and give to the poor. Before your death work justice; for in hell there is no finding food” (Eccls. 14: 13, 17). Now a few gentlemen decided to speak up against poverty. One of those men was St. Basil the Great. He was a bit more direct, “Care for the needy requires the expenditure of wealth: when all share alike, disbursing their possessions among themselves, they each receive a small portion for their individual needs. Thus, those who love their neighbor as themselves possess nothing more than their neighbor … for the more you abound in wealth, the more you lack in love.” And, if you have little to begin with, it is no excuse to not give, Continued on page 8
St. John of the Cross, pray for us!
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3) Did you know that Trinity Hall is home to big screen TV’s in its lounges? Well, it does! Great for watching the latest Disney movie that has just come out or getting the full effect of The Passion on Good Friday. But to get to this secret wonder of Trinity Hall, you may need a friend who resides in the Hall. Make friends with a Pre-The today!! (Excuse me, a PDP.) 4) A great secret to those students living in most dorms is the swing-set in Assisi Heights. Never heard of it? Well just hike over to the Heights, go to the Community center and right behind it you’ll find it. The swings are a great place to go to on a fine fall day and catch up with friends. It’s also helpful when you need to revive you fried brain or just blow off steam. Take Note: the fence next to the swings is not a rock-climbing wall! 5) The Port is not excluded from the secret wonders. Besides the fact that it’s a Franciscan Tradition to get engaged here, there is an ancient myth found in the most unlikely of places. Have you ever wondered why students walking to and from the
Port touch the top of one of the lampposts at the entrance of said chapel? Some tap it and make the sign of the Cross as they walk by. Others just rub the side. Well legend has it that two great Angels sit atop each of the pillars to guard those coming and going as well as the Portiuncula itself. Wouldn’t you like to touch where you know an Angel had sat? Those stones are practically relics!! Another myth says that when the builders were looking for a place for the Port, they saw two 20-foot Angels standing where the pillars are now. Pretty cool, huh? (P.S. There is also a small bench behind the crèche; great place for quiet study or observation of nature.) 6) Coming Soon! The best sledding hills in Steubenville! Yes, Steubie does include some great sledding free of charge, like the scent of smog in the morning and rusty buildings. As soon as the snow comes, grab some friends and troop up to the hill behind Louis and Elizabeth Hall for the best sled ride you’ve ever had! Should you find yourself without a sled, an RA of household brother might have a saucer or blade runner in a closet. If not, Kroger is only a car ride away. (Hint: Make
friends with an upperclassman with a car!) But don’t expect to jump up out of bed the next day without some trouble-let’s just say you will feel the snow jumps your buddies made and pushed you off of last night! 7) Ever wonder how the PDP’s make it to up the hill in time for 6:30 am Mass? Some say that in an unknown shed at the bottom, they keep battery operated rocket boosters left over from the NASA program experiments. All they have to do is strap them on and levitate up the hill, no problem. And if the PDP’s run out of these rocket boosters, their lessons in bi-location (household commitment) come in handy so they can go to mass and get work done at the same time. (I actually got this from a real PDP!) It also saves numerous trips up the hill. So the next time you experience a lull in the schoolwork or need a fast occupation during a study break, think about investigating one of the seven secret wonders of Franciscan. I can promise you a good time and some memoryworthy experiences. ~ Anne Elizabeth Tulloch
WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! Tell us what you think by emailing: notestothegadfly@gmail.com
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to be tabooed, and that the word is not appropriate. First off, it makes no sense to be offended by the just the word, sex. This is the natural, even respectful, name for a fully natural act. And like all other natural things, the process is partially of the nature of this earth and, like all other natural things, was created by God (the part that isn’t natural is supernatural, which God made also!). We’ve all heard the rhyme, “God made dirt so it don’t hurt.” One could point out that dirt carries germs, and when it gets in the wrong places can cause infection or rot or all manner of ugly things. Clever people will notice my metaphor. But, to clarify, I offer a better one. We could say that fire is bad. When used wrongly, fire can harm people, families, the entire world. But that doesn’t mean we don’t mention fire. That doesn’t mean we are obligated to extinguish it each time it occurs, or blush whenever someone mentions it. This is because fire can be beautiful. Now, go back and replace each “fire” with “sex.” There is definite beauty in both. Image the warm, golden life in each church, the one that tells us Jesus is present. Now imagine the exuberant joy between a young man and woman who have just been married. It don’t hurt. Now, this mention of people being married brings me to the second excuse someone might give for wiping the word sex from our sight: that sex is sacred. It is a common ideal, especially in Catholic circles, that people shouldn’t discuss sex because, as I’ve established, God created it,
St. Raphael the Archangel, pray for us!
thus it is holy. It is reserved especially between married couples and is a very serious subject that is often abused—thus, we shouldn’t talk about it. And I agree with this statement—except until those last five words (five and a half if you count the contraction). I do agree that it is very possible to mock the sexual act to the point of revulsion, and that this happens daily in modern culture. But this does not have to be the case. We can talk about the sacred, what it means to us, and how it affects us, because sacred things are often awesome things. Example? Jesus Christ, coming to each of us personally in the form of bread and wine. What is more sacred to us than the Eucharist? Certainly not sex, yet we treat the subject of procreation with more hesitance. Our Lord and Master, Emmanuel, our Savior and King, the lover of each and every soul, ought to be the most precious, most holy aspect of our lives. Could we abuse Him, receiving Him wrongly, or slander His name? Of course. But do you hesitate to talk about Him? Do you shush your friend who mentions the word “host”? Would you erase the word “Eucharist” from the chalkboard just because it is something so radically special? Of course not. So far as I have pondered, the last reason one would have to hide from sex is guilt. I understand the urge to remove those three letters from the chalkboard if someone does not want to be reminded of past mistakes. But we are all fallen men, and because of the ultimate loving nature of our faith, each error is not the end of us. If
anyone of us has engaged in sinful sexual intercourse, this does not mean he can never love or understand this gift. Christ knows our flawed nature, and he is forgiving. Any sinner, at any moment, may turn his back on what he has done and rejoin in union with Christ. We can come back to Communion, and come back to a more virtuous sexual life. The love of Christ knows no shame. In the end, what are we left with? Love. The love of God as seen through Him, and as seen through our fellow man. Sex, like the Eucharist, is an invaluable gift given to us by God. We need to learn to accept it, love it, and recognize it for what it is. It makes no sense for us to hide it in a dark closet, and the struggle to silence those who would mention it. I, for one, want to know what God has to say about sex, because every day in my life prepares me for the next and one day I’ll need to be prepared to suffer the sacrament of holy matrimony. So why aren’t we learning and loving what God has given to us? ~ Kathleen Monin * The missing comma referenced by the author is commonly known as the “Oxford Comma.” Its usage has been threatened by many institutions including, but not limited to, The New York Times. Please join The Gadfly in its efforts to preserve the use of the Oxford Comma.
St. Anthony, pray for us! Continued from page 3
norm of a female “Franny”. Despite being clothed very modestly, it was still considered inappropriate because it was different. The sad truth is, on this campus often the term “modest” is used to actually mean “blend in” or “look like me!”, rather than “self-respecting” or “chaste”. No one bats an eye when a girl is out running in extremely short shorts, because those are “exercise clothes”, somehow gaining the ability to ignore mod-
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hunt Pokémon. One has three choices in the safari zone: to bait the innocent creatures, to try to capture them, or to throw rocks at them! Yes, one has an option in the “Safari Zone” to actually throw rocks of varying size and shape at Pokémon. This is encouraged by the administrators of the facility! The career of a Pokémon trainer is also occasioned by performance enhancing drugs and other questionable materials. When a Pokémon is not performing to expectations, many trainers have been known to supply them with Carbos, Iron, or Protein, which increase their abilities significantly and permanently. Other supplements include Xspeed, X-attack, and X-defend, which provide a quick jolt of power to heighten the Pokémon's performance in battle. When a trainer's Pokémon is severely injured in battle, rather than allowing it to rest, the trainer will inject it with a stimulant known as a “potion” which surely is composed of adrenalinelike hormones that keep the Pokémon going. Some more privileged trainers will feed their Pokémon a special edible drug known as a “rare candy”, which increases the Pokémon's overall performance on every level-sometimes used in anticipation of an evolution. Many may argue that these supplements are natural and do no harm to the Pokémon's bodies, but I present two points in
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esty. Daily wear, however, often needs to be so to the extreme of “modest” that they are frumpy or unoriginal. Like in middle school, your clothes must coincide with the style of the group, and if it does not, not because it is any less modest, but because it looks slightly different, you are met with moderate to severe disapproval. Because I was not wearing a household t-shirt and a kneelength, A-line skirt, my clothing choices were suffered rather than
condoned by the members of our campus. Therefore ladies, beware. Make sure you only wear those skirts knee-length or longer, because even if you are wearing tights or leggings, if it’s any shorter, you’re just not modest enough. (I, however, have already been condemned to the land of dirty looks, and therefore will continue to wear what I please.)
response to this argument. A “rare candy” increases a Pokémon's level and slightly increases vital statistics. However, had that Pokémon made a natural progression to the next expected level of experience without using a “rare candy”, his or her vital statistics would actually have improved at a higher rate. Also, regardless of the nature of these drugs, their purpose remains the same: to augment the fighting ability of creatures destined to do battle. What about the treatment of Pokémon who are no longer considered useful? The glorious side of Pokémon is seen in the coliseums, where great and powerful Pokémon duel for fame and glory. What about the four Rattata, two Digletts, the Snorlax, and others consigned to “Poke-storage?” The sad majority of Pokémon find themselves trapped in that plasmic, in-between state of matter which lends itself to easy storage in the cramped space of a Poké Ball somewhere in the mysterious electronic space known as Bill's PC. These Pokémon are destined to be trapped for the rest of their existence. The trainer cares only for the six powerful Pokémon in his party, and forgets the Dugtrio that helped him defeat Lt. Surge, but now serves no further purpose. This is the world of Pokémon
that no one knows. The world just below the surface. Many simply look the other way. What can be done about the unspeakable crimes that have been perpetrated right under our noses, in many cases, committed by our very selves? Write to your state representative, tell them about these terrible crimes against nature. Tell your representative to bring the rights of Pokémon to the forefront, and to enact legislation to stop it. Speak out against friends who are Pokémon trainers. In the spirit of the reformed gym leader Brock, encourage trainers to consider Pokémon breeding rather than training. What we can do on a personal level is this. Open up your account on Bill's PC. Go through your endless lists of Pokémon. Release them. Send them back into the wild. They deserve independence! This will not end quickly. People will scoff at you for your beliefs in Pokémon freedom, but you must persist. Continue to speak out, and one day, we just might see a new era of liberty as glorious as a Hooh flying over the rainbow into the sunset, majestic and free.
~ The Messenger
Yours truly, The Pokéfriend, Dan McNally
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says the great Saint of the East, for even still, someone has less than you. Of course many would like to ask about this idea of giving what is “rightfully” yours, the possessions that belong to you. Many people take to heart the concept of private property as one which gives the owner license to do with it as he or she wills, whether it be keeping, discarding or giving away. However, a friendly neighborhood Spanish philosopher, theologian, and priest, saint* Francisco Suárez, S.J., went on to explain that with our common notion of private property, we tend to forget the fact that it merely explains who it is that might be the administrator in charge of distributing the excess possessed. So go ahead and call yourself the owner of the private property, let us know when it is, if ever, that you shall start distributing your excess to those in need. The Church today plainly asserts that everything is to be directed towards the common good. What is so hard to understand about that? The Church explains that the state has a positive moral function in society. One of the ways we can test the morality in our society is by examining the ways we treat the poor, needy and marginalized. Needless to say, denying them assistance would probably not be a sign of a ‘job well done.’ But what are we supposed to do about it? Keep the government out of what should be the affair of individuals and non-forced charity? Let me explain.
St. Idisdore the Farmer, pray for us!
It seems that I have shown you the morality behind taking care of the poor and needy. It seems that I have shown you the importance behind taking care of them. The Church, as I just mentioned, finds that the state should have the role of influencing public morals and having society take care of the common good, especially the poor and needy. However many dispute this, asserting that the state need remove itself from this area of life, let people donate freely, not use public funds and most importantly, respect the principle of subsidiarity: “A community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to coordinate its activity with the activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good" (J.P. II, Centisimus Annus). I wish I could explain how the government has not violated its proper role and overstepped its boundaries in few words. I wish I could show you, dear reader, how it is that the principle of subsidiarity has not been tossed aside. Rather, I invite you to recognize that the government, you can take the US government for example, tried for many years to simply allow the individual citizens, charity organizations and churches to take care of the poor
and needy, thus respecting the principle of subsidiarity. Although this did not work, so it is now fulfilling its role by stepping in. Please consider reading either Trattner’s “From Poor Law to Welfare State,” or any other book on the history of social welfare and find that the government is only doing the work that we, as a society, are failing at. Certainly, there have been at times many defects to Social Welfare policy, though there has been millions of people in the United States alone who have benefited from it when we could not step up and fulfill our moral obligations to give. We need to stop insisting that the giving to the poor stop, if we choose to complain about the spending of our tax dollars on the poor, we may first consider complaining about tax dollars going to pay for wars, foreign occupations, for-profit military contractors and more anti-life causes. The poor are not leeches, or parasites. They are only receiving what is theirs. It is called Social Justice because it is just that, just. K.M.E.
* Francisco Suárez has never been beatified by the Roman Catholic Church
The Classics?! "What are men to rocks and mountains?" ~ Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us!
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cÉxàÜç VÉÜÇxÜ The Fall To once see light But no longer Where there was once a spirit But no longer Among friends and the ones who loved But no longer The hope of dreams But no longer A happier soul But no longer. In a dark pit Forever With only shades for company Forever Laying in its own failures and vices Forever In an emaciated form Forever Unable to realize its insanity Forever In a place elapsed Forever.
The Last Thirst The Dry Chipped and Craggy Lips grating Breath comes, leaves, Like a gasping fish. Until there is a ledge And the soul plummets. To drown. Immersed. Swallowed by sensation, In depths of Affection never received Passionate energy that restores The essence of beauty that enthralls An all too long vanished urge of hope Wounds seal after bleeding for years. To emerge from all that elated, Glistening as a new born, Alight with purpose For New Life.
-Alexander Pyles
-Alexander Pyles
The Love Tree Love is like a tree, and I call it the Love Tree because of the following: The roots, trunk and branches of the tree, as we can see and imagine, are made out of what we would call wood. This wooden part of the tree, is solid at its base. It thrusts itself into the ground, spreading through the earth in order to remain firmly planted and also to gain all it needs and can receive from the (earths) soil. While the 'wooden' part of the tree is strong and solid, all the while, deep and firm, it must shoot up towards the sky, towards the heavens, spreading itself thin as it reaches, yet only reaching as high as its roots are deep. All the same, these 'branches', not only reach towards the heavens but are only naturally inclined to spread out to others. This most delicate part of the tree's 'wood' is what spreads into, what is at first, little buds. From which, grows little leaves, of different
colors, shapes and sizes, moods and intensities. What is sorrowful, yet, realistic about the leaves is that they are in a very particular way what makes a tree a tree, no one can imagine a tree, or draw a tree on demand without including leaves. Yet, they always, at one point or another, whether they are due for being released because of the Fall season, or are blown away by harsh winds, or are eaten at by small bugs, they eventually die. One cannot pick up the leaves, and use the sap to stick them back on to the branches. These leaves are not living leaves. At the same time, if one tries to patch up destroyed leaves, eaten or picked at, it will not be the leaves as they used to be. Though one can always hope, that within months of being destroyed or having fallen away, small buds will appear on the branches yet again, grow into leaves, and
once again show the beauty of what the tree is. In this same fashion I say that love is like a tree because the 'wooden' part of the tree is the act of the will and the 'leaves' are like the emotions. As such, I assert that the act of the will must always be firmly grounded into the reality in which it resides, all the while is yearns for the heavens and others, yet is never satisfied in its attempt. For it is only the love of God which can satisfy all love and desire, and fulfill the wants of our love. Moreover, the leaves, an intrinsic part of the tree, come and go, just like emotions, yet all love must by default have emotions, which will eventually come back, assuming, that the will is constantly reaching towards the heavens, for the Divine, for more, for others, all the while remaining firmly grounded into reality.
Humilis Vir
j|Çx? j|à tÇw jtzzxÜç When life gives you lemons… It would seem as if there are three responses to life handing over a bushel of lemons: despair, make lemonade, or cure scurvy. I say this in lieu of life handing me a rather sour predicament: a daily 4 AM wake up call. As I currently know no scurvy patients, the only other logical option is to turn this ungodly hour into an opportunity rather than a curse. Check out these sweet perks: You can get your manly choir fix. Though the Beatitudes are no longer (moment of silence), it turns out there are other ways to hear the sweet nothings of male a capella! And by that I mean you can listen to the honeyed melodies of cadet cadences that echo from ROTC training. You can to appreciate 6:30 Mass smog. Because at 6:30, you can see approximately one foot farther in front of you than you can at 4 AM, and that’s a welcome addition to my field of vision.
You can spend quality time with your physics book and nobody will interrupt you. Not to say it makes any more sense at 4 AM than it does at 4 PM, but quality time is quality time. You can talk to your Austria friends at a normal time in Austria! Except on Tuesdays. For they do not get Internet on Tuesdays. You can start to realize what it’s like to be pregnant… Because you eat two breakfasts. You can have silent raves to Matt Maher without people looking at you funny. Not that those looks should stop you, but it’s a perk. You can learn the art of crummy-cup-of-coffee appreciation. Confession: in a totally vain expedition to make myself a coffee snob this summer, I took to drinking only Dunkin Dark and freshly ground Mystic Monk brews. While I maintain that those brews are exquisite, at 4am I could care less what’s in my cup,
so long as it involves a xanthine core. So I’ve been decoffee-snobbed. It was humbling, but then again humility is a good thing. You can make saints out of your roommates. As I have yet to be murdered for elephanting around in the wee hours, I can only assume that it is because all three of my roommates are so full of grace that they hear me, forgive me, and go back to sleep. Heck, with all these perks, I don’t see why I should ever sleep in again. If you’re inspired to try it out, feel free to stop by my height for a cup o’ joe. It won’t taste very good, but the ambiance of smog coupled with the masculine chorus of “Yellow Ribbon” will make the experience quite sweet if I do say so. That’s lemonade for ya’. Peace and Blessings, M.K.
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