Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Flynn calls it. It is.
Q: Your party, that of the Democrats, has on the whole drifted toward the
left since the late 1960s, embracing abortion, for instance. Can a
practicing Catholic find a place, and a voice, in the Democratic Party
today?
Flynn: Not unless Catholic voters decide to get politically involved once
again.
Catholics have become politically homeless in the United States. Neither
the Democratic nor the Republican Party represents the values and
principles of the Catholic faith. At one time, the Democratic Party fought
for social and economic justice and was the party of blue-collar,
working-class Catholic families.
Today, the Democratic Party is controlled by wealthy left-wing activists
whose extreme political agenda, for the most part, excludes loyal,
faithful and patriotic American Catholics.
These political activists who now control the nominating process have
forced Catholic politicians to change their positions on key moral and
political issues, or they won't be recognized or appreciated in the party
organization.
But it's not just the Democratic Party. The Republican Party has also not
been willing to give working-class Americans a seat at the table, either.
When I was mayor of Boston, a reporter called me the Lech Walesa of Boston
politics. I was also called a John Paul II Democrat. It's too bad they had
to go all the way to Poland and the Vatican to define how many millions of
American Catholics like me feel today.
Wouldn't it be nice to hear that voice of social and economic justice once
again in the Democratic Party? So far, the Democratic Party has shown no
openness to Catholics who believe in the values and principles of their
faith.
Perhaps they ought to hoist a big banner outside where the Democratic
National Convention will be held in July that reads: "No Catholic
politicians who support Catholic values and principles welcome." Maybe the
Democrats could loan the same sign to the Republicans when they host their
national convention in New York City later on in the summer.
left since the late 1960s, embracing abortion, for instance. Can a
practicing Catholic find a place, and a voice, in the Democratic Party
today?
Flynn: Not unless Catholic voters decide to get politically involved once
again.
Catholics have become politically homeless in the United States. Neither
the Democratic nor the Republican Party represents the values and
principles of the Catholic faith. At one time, the Democratic Party fought
for social and economic justice and was the party of blue-collar,
working-class Catholic families.
Today, the Democratic Party is controlled by wealthy left-wing activists
whose extreme political agenda, for the most part, excludes loyal,
faithful and patriotic American Catholics.
These political activists who now control the nominating process have
forced Catholic politicians to change their positions on key moral and
political issues, or they won't be recognized or appreciated in the party
organization.
But it's not just the Democratic Party. The Republican Party has also not
been willing to give working-class Americans a seat at the table, either.
When I was mayor of Boston, a reporter called me the Lech Walesa of Boston
politics. I was also called a John Paul II Democrat. It's too bad they had
to go all the way to Poland and the Vatican to define how many millions of
American Catholics like me feel today.
Wouldn't it be nice to hear that voice of social and economic justice once
again in the Democratic Party? So far, the Democratic Party has shown no
openness to Catholics who believe in the values and principles of their
faith.
Perhaps they ought to hoist a big banner outside where the Democratic
National Convention will be held in July that reads: "No Catholic
politicians who support Catholic values and principles welcome." Maybe the
Democrats could loan the same sign to the Republicans when they host their
national convention in New York City later on in the summer.
