Safe Haven

Sorry to disappoint some of you. There is no meaning behind the word "conservative" any more. Better said, there are no concrete solutions behind it. We have been defined by what--or whom--we hate. And the party of Abraham Lincoln is lining up behind an intellectual midget, and worse, the most morally vacuous and repugnant person I have seen in my entire life. Absolutely, Hillary is better, for what that's worth, and it's not much. Nevertheless, it must be said. A few judges people like--even ones I'd like--are not going to make me forget what's happened here. Hillary Clinton belongs in federal prison, and she's still the better choice. That's what you did, angry white men. That's what you did, and I won't let you off the hook for it. Don't talk to me about abortion. If you're not out there on the sidewalks and in the pregnancy resource centers, (or some equivalent level of engagement) you don't get to tell me about the duty to ho...

I am a total bro. By that I mean that in some ways, I am a stereotype: I love sports, I love Tom Cruise, (especially between the years of 1986-1992) and I don't need an invitation to eat steak. And I guess that the very idea of sports, and men talking about it, is upsetting to some people. They could after all be talking about whatever is in The Atlantic, or on NPR right now. Non-bros satirize things; they talk ironically; they drink craft beer. I drink Budweiser, for 2 reasons: I don't like taste explorations in food or drink, and the Busch family owned the Cardinals for who knows how long. Done, and done. Sure, I'm deeper than that. I'm actually curious about what's in The Atlantic right now. With regard to sports, though, it's pretty simple: Men want to feel useful, connected, and alive. The next time you are tempted to dismiss 2 guys talking about sports, don't. Aside from the ways the sport accomplishes those three things in its limited way, realize w...

I was in a discussion today, and somebody basically made a meme--and it was for humor's sake--of that moment from Dead Poets' Society, after the boys stand on the desk and begin to recite the famous poem. Keating looks, and pauses, before saying, "thank you, boys," and departing. Anyway, it got everyone sort of wistful for Robin Williams, even though its usage had nothing whatsoever to do with him, or the film. I realized that for me personally, he impacted me several times, and in several ways, and I had not acknowledged it or realized it until he died. Let's give ourselves a break on self-condemnation for so-called "celebrity worship," because for many of these people, to continue working and entertaining is their way of serving, and for us to continue watching is the way we thank them. No one plans on dying, for the most part, and we never think that perhaps the time to say thanks is growing short. That's how death is. Family, friends, neighbors...

It's my reality. It's also a good tune from the short-lived indie Christian supergroup, Kerosene Halo. [And honestly, that is one of the best band names ever.--ed.] I agree. But I'm getting more comfortable just walking around the neighborhood without fear of getting lost. In daily life, and in matters spiritual, this makes a big difference. When we know we are safe and loved, we grow bold; we find ourselves and our place. It is true that human experience is only an analogy to life with God. Analogies break down. But we wouldn't and couldn't use them at all, unless they were true.

I used to get mad when political liberals accused conservatives of bigotry and racism. I felt something  very close to rage when I read books in college littered with that accusation. We Republicans have a narrative as equally compelling to us as that of any Democrat's. We deplore bigotry in all its forms. Still, the beginning of the fight against "political correctness" was actually about masking political arguments as factual ones, and using whatever power that was available to silence dissenting views offered in good faith and goodwill. Now, some vociferous non-progressives--for they do not appear to be conserving anything--deplore "political correctness" as anything that does not confirm them in whatever they happen to already believe. Ignorance masquerades as courageous free thought, for those who lack the character and humility to tell the difference. Let me "tell it like it is," in the form of a question: Have we as conservatives been reflex...

On the one hand, I really appreciate being able to share experiences with people whose disability is similar to my own. I appreciate also many friends who advocate for persons with disabilities, and where our interests intersect, I'm happy to help. Bottom line here, though: A beautiful woman is a beautiful woman. We're pretty much the same here, dudes. You could say that having a disability, and knowing others who may share common experiences creates a culture. Well and good. But it isn't an impenetrable barrier to me. For others with other characteristics, culture plays a bigger role in that decision-making process. But my role in the disability culture is not such that I need a woman to share that part of my life in common. I worry about how my limitations will affect me as a faithful Catholic father, more than anything. And we all must consider whether we have been given the grace to fulfill that vocation. At bottom, I'm just a guy. "Is she faithful?...

It begins with the theoretical: knowledge is a common good, so the wide dissemination of that knowledge is in the purview of the civil authority. That purview or jurisdiction is by no means exclusive, or even primary, but it's real. Therefore, it is not an injustice per se to make the dissemination and acquisition of true knowledge a matter of public concern. Of course, the problem increasingly is that the public schools are teaching a defective morality or anthropology to the students they serve. That is, from my perspective as a Catholic, the problem is ethical and moral, not ideological. Or, I might say, political, except where those areas by necessity intersect. There are some people who argue that non-public school options are more successful or efficient, and it's at that point that we need a definition of terms, because "efficiency" (or success) can be understood in purely economic or technocratic terms. If so, that paradigm is as much contrary to Christian...