Vulgarity

 

From crude t-shirts, to droopy pants and profane language, I've never had much tolerance for public displays of vulgarity. I am totally appalled at the gratuitous use of foul language on television, in movies, and especially, streaming platforms that seem to allow just about everything.

I hope you are equally irritated by these. I just think it says something about who we are.

That being said, I'm sure you will agree that this weekend was no exception. I watched the former President waste his precious time on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania highlighting-not policy--but Arnold Palmer's "manhood" and what other pros thought about "it."

See for yourself: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/video/trump-ramps-vulgar-language-campaign-trail-114982681

Disgusting, I know.

And if that wasn't enough, we've all heard him say that January 6th was "a day of love" when "nothing was done wrong."

But, even beyond all that, in an interview with Fox News, he actually denied the presence of guns on January 6th. 

He said "There was nobody killed here, nobody had guns here either." 

When challenged about his statement by the interviewer, the former President asked, "Really? I'd like to know. You mean in the rally or they had some guns in their home? Really? Well I have not heard that at all. I don't think so."

How could he possibly not know there were guns there? 

Check out the Facts First in this article:

(https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/05/politics/fact-check-rfk-jr-january-6-weapons/index.html)

What is particularly vulgar and profane is when someone lies, and contradicts himself, and expects an educated, intelligent populace to believe him, when the facts categorically prove him wrong.

We just can't have another January 6th.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy

 

Thinking about moving in?

 

I woke up with the thought "People need to marry." An odd early-morning thought I know, but here I am writing about it now.

My thoughts actually turned to the importance of marriage. 

Marriage is important for us as a society, and it is important for children. If you doubt that, just look around you at the state of families today.

Naturally, strong, healthy marriages is the ideal, where the spouses are both "in" when it comes to their values and lifting each other up, creating a family forged in love.

Unfortunately, not all marriages look like that. Sometimes people marry the wrong person, I get that.

Because of this danger, and for many other reasons, we have become a nation of live-ins. It seems that we have given up on marriage. That, quite honestly, is not a good thing.

Marriage contributes to the fabric of our culture in ways that may not be obvious to some. In marriage, a man and a woman give of themselves completely to one another. Their covenant, their vow, reflects the love God has for us, in a union that cannot be broken.  

Live-ins do not share the same bond that marriage offers, no matter how strong their feelings of love are for one another, nor how great the commitment their words may express.

It's just not the same.

And, before you say marriage is just a piece of paper, you couldn't be further from the truth.

Married couples stand as a model of permanence, commitment and unfailing love, and we need this. And, men and women deserve this. 

If you are in a live-in relationship that is less-than what you personally desire, listen to your inner promptings. You probably need to re-evaluate your relationship.

When it comes to their sexual union, which is the seal of a married couple's love and commitment, "The Church teaches that the sexual union of husband and wife is meant to express the full meaning of love, its power to bind a couple together and its openness to new life."

"Our culture often presents sex as merely recreational, not as a deeply personal or even important encounter between spouses. In this view, being responsible about sex simply means limiting its consequences—avoiding disease and using contraceptives to prevent pregnancy." (*Married Love and the Gift of Life)

Let's never give up on marrying. Pray before you take that step so that you can be confident that it is God's plan for your life. Take your time and don't rush. Too many people ignore the flags that tell them "this person is not for you" and move forward anyway.

Think long and hard before you move in--and before you marry, as well. Never settle for less than what God wants for you.

If someone is not suitable for marriage, then they are likely not suitable to move in with either.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy

*Married Love and the Gift of Life:  https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/catholic-teaching/upload/Married-Love-and-the-Gift-of-Life-New-USCCB-Website.pdf

A time of hysteria

I remember learning something in history about how people of Japanese descent were held in internment camps in the United States during World War II, just because being Japanese made people suspicious of them.

It didn't matter if they had any association with criminal activity; what mattered was how they LOOKED. This was made possible because of an Act the former President wants to invoke.

Recently he visited Aurora, Colorado and dropped quite a bomb during his event.

I received this link (see *below) as to what he said.

Apparently, if elected, he is going to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which is a "widely condemned immigration law that gives the president sweeping powers to bypass equal protection and due process while targeting foreign citizens. When it has been invoked, it has led to human rights crises that history looks down upon — but the law has not formally been repealed by Congress."

Yes, that's right, the same law that "In 1988, when Congress apologized and provided reparations for Japanese internment, it acknowledged that the policy was rooted in 'racial prejudice' and 'wartime hysteria,' not valid security concerns." 

Indeed, today, we are in a time of hysteria, where fear-mongering and racial prejudice is rearing its ugly head, thanks in large part to words coming directly from the former President.

In fact, he is stirring up so many people, we are in danger of actually electing someone who lacks sound judgment. No question that racism, anger and hate will be on the ballot this year.

The article continues:

"Though the Alien Enemies Act is intended to be used only in wartime, and apply only when official governments have threatened military action, Trump could conceivably weaponize the law to apply to people hailing from any country he deems to be "invading" the U.S. — which is how he has described several nations whose residents have sought refuge in the States."

The advancing of an extremely dangerous transnational Venezuelan gang is the reason the former President wants to invoke the Act. Certainly the criminal activity of this gang must be dealt with, but do we really want to go backwards? 

The idea that we are going to "purify our country" by throwing out all of the bad apples (assuming they could even be identified), is a ridiculous goal. 

Has history taught us nothing?

Last August, **"the pope sternly criticized those who obstruct migrants from finding peace and security in a new country. 'It needs to be said clearly: There are those who systematically work by all means to drive away migrants, and this, when done knowingly and deliberately, is a grave sin.'" 

Peace needs to be our goal. Love needs to rule the day. Let's work on those.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy

 EXTERNAL LINKS:

 *https://people.com/donald-trump-compared-hitler-vowing-invoke-alien-enemies-act-8727625

 **https://www.usccb.org/news/2024/migrant-morality-pope-doubles-down-message-acceptance