text:
"Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson struggled to name a single foreign leader when asked who his favorite was during an MSNBC town hall Wednesday night."
Wait. What? He cannot recall the name of a single foreign leader during an interview and THAT supports my own reasons for voting for him? How could that be?
Well, on any given day I could point out that Hillary Clinton is not the best choice for President of the United States because of her past decisions as Secretary of State, her experiences as First Lady, and her own words spoken in the past.
I could also point out that Donald Trump is equally unfit to serve as President of the United States because of his past decisions in business, his experiences as a candidate for this office, and his own words spoken in the past.
The one thing they both have in common, is misleading voters into believing they are fit to serve in this office, and lying to the American people when they are confronted with truths they do not wish to admit. Both of them have done this several times, live, on camera, in front of the American people. This is one commonality that they share equally, and we as responsible voters should not allow them to deny. Hillary Clinton is a liar, her words are on record. Donald Trump is a liar, his words are on record.
Whether you support a Democrat, a Republican, a Libertarian, an independent, or some other candidate, you have to remember that budgets, fiscal policies, foreign policies, national laws, and all the other decisions that come with being President are influenced, controlled, and manipulated by many different people, but honesty is owned by the person sitting in that chair, at that time.
I would prefer to have a President who I can trust. I would prefer to have a President who tells me the truth when I need to hear it. I would prefer a President who would rather look stupid on television because he or she could not remember the name of a foreign leader and rely on his or her Vice-President to help them remember, than one who would prefer to mislead me into believing his or her falsehoods just to make themselves look good on television. In fact, that is why the President of the United States has a Cabinet, advisors, and secretaries. I would prefer a President who is a good leader, and sometimes being a good leader means relying on the suggestions and guidance of those assisting you rather than "saving face" to make you appear more powerful.
If a candidate cannot tell the truth about the simplest of things, why should we expect them to tell us the truth when we need to hear it? And that my friends, is one of the many reasons I still support Gary Johnson for President of the United States.
Interview Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/gary-johnson-has-aleppo-moment-msnbc-town-hall-struggles-name-n656611
Detroit News Endorsement of Gary Johnson: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/editorials/2016/09/28/endorse-johnson-president/91254412/
Gary Johnson on the Issues: https://www.johnsonweld.com/issues]]>
The first reason is Trump's resume, where Botts says, "Of everyone running for president, Trump is the only one who has ever employed anyone". Well, that is not true. Gary Johnson started a handyman business in his junior year of college and built it into a 1,000 employee construction firm (Stein, 2012). Sure, that business was not on the "scale" of Donald Trump, but Johnson never filed bankruptcy once, let alone four times like Trump (Carroll, 2015), to save his business.
The second reason listed is Donald Trump's character. Say what? Have people forgotten the way he treated Megyn Kelly (Thompson, 2016), let alone the comments he made about nearly all of his opponents during the primary? Yeah, I will agree here, Donald Trump is definitely a character, so much so that he would have been the guy my parents told me to avoid because he would be a bad influence on my own character.
Reason #3, is his success. Honestly, I will give him this one. Donald Trump is better than President Obama and Hillary Clinton on re-writing history, just search YouTube for all of the comments he made on air during the primary, if you can still find them.
The fourth reason is that he is a great negotiator. I will give him this one too. It is no secret that Trump is great at negotiations. Four bankruptcies (Carroll, 2015) and his inane ability to convince the media to play lap dog should have you convinced of his ability to negotiate! But I digress…
Reason #5, is that Trump is a nationalist, not a globalist. The author goes on to state that Trump believes that our country comes first. Sorry, I do not care which side of the aisle you find yourself, but EVERY candidate would make this same claim. They may not approach it the same way, ie: building a wall across our entire southern border and alienating other countries while touting "nationalist" ideas. Fidel Castro, Augusto Pinochet, Slobodan Milosevic, Francisco Franco, Benito Mussolini, Chiang Kai-shek, and Ho Chi Minh were all nationalists too (Wikipedia, 2016), and don't forget that famous guy from Germany during World War II who shall not be named because referencing him is just too blasé. Thank you, but no thank you, I do not think being a nationalist is a plus that should be used to garner my support for a candidate.
The sixth reason lists Trumps great insincts. The author lists his prediction of the rise of Osama bin Laden and his opposition to the war in Iraq. Oh, and he mentions that Trump "got out of the gaming industry before it crashed". Well, that may be true but not before some trial and error since three of the four bankruptcies included The Taj Mahal Casino in 1991, Trump Hotels and Casinos Resorts in 2004, and Trump Entertainment Resorts (formerly Trump Hotels and Casinos Resorts) in 2009 (Carroll, 2015). Apparently Donald Trump's instincts only kick in after he has had several warnings, and real life experiences, that provide the information he needs before those darned instincts begin to kick in.
Number seven makes me laugh. "He is a natural leader". "He is respected internationally as well as in our nation". "He oozes leadership". Really? French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that Trump stokes hatred. London Mayor Boris Johnson says, "Donald Trump's ill-informed comments are complete and utter nonsense". Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, said that Trump would have difficulty cultivating successful relationships with other countries because of his rhetoric. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron critized Trump for his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States saying his remarks were divisive, stupid, and wrong. Even Pope Francis said, "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian" (Bukszpan, 2016). These comments are from some of our strongest allies, just imagine how other international leaders would show him their respect! How in the world will The Donald ooze leadership and earn respect from abroad if he is already offending our closest allies?
The eighth reason is Trump's ability to be a persuader and a great communicator. The author states that Trump completely understands the media and "built the most successful reality show in the history of television". Apparently the author of this blog has not heard of Survivor, The Real World, American Idol, The Bachelor, Project Runway, The Amazing Race, Real Housewives, Jersey Shore, The Biggest Loser, Hell's Kitchen, or Top Chef. Most "top reality show" sources list The Real World, Survivor, Big Brother, American Idol and The Amazing Race in their top spots, but ironically, The Apprentice (you know, the most successful reality show in the history of television) is 84th on IMDB's list of the most popular reality television shows (IMDB, 2016) and 34th at Complex (Gruttadaro, Reese, Barone, Aquino, & Sheldon, 2014), The Celebrity Apprentice is ranked 96th at tv.com (TV.COM, 2016). If being #34, #84, or #96 are "successful" rankings then Donald Trump must truly be a great persuader because the author of the blog is convinced that The Apprentice was the most successful reality show ever.
The author lists his ninth reason for supporting Donald Trump as "I have studied him". Well, so have I, but I chose not to wear the rose-colored glasses when I was looking at Trumps past, his record, his own words, and more importantly, his own actions. The author says Trump is "the real deal". Many people thought the same thing about President Obama. Years ago I wrote extensively about Mr. Obama's forked tongue and the words I wrote about Mr. Obama before he became President are still true today. It seems that Mr. Trump comes from the same lineage of forked-tongue human beings that honestly believe their own words no matter how many times they have contradicted themselves.
Finally, number ten. What motivates Donald Trump? His ego. I agree with the author when he states that Trump's legacy is important to him, but I disagree with him when he says Trump is not motivated by power. Donald Trump is a megalomaniac. He is obsessed with his own power. Trump quickly dismisses anyone who disagrees with him by exerting a false sense of authority and then quickly listing reason after reason for his expertise on any given subject being discussed. Trump claims to have information, usually from unknown sources, which he then spouts as undeniable fact with absolutely no evidence (Norcross, 2016). If someone disagrees with him he insults them and uses his "instincts" to make some wild accusation while attacking their character. If you do not believe me, just look for some of those videos on YouTube where he insulted Megyn Kelly, Carly Fiorina, Marco Rubio, and many, many, more.
Donald Trump's ego, and his own words and actions, are the top reasons why I am not voting for him. I have checked his record. I have listened to his words. I have watched his actions. Donald Trump is no more a conservative than Joe Biden, Rahm Emanuel, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, or Ted Kennedy, all of whom he has donated money. In fact, in 2007 he said, "I'm very much independent… I go for the person, not necessarily the party. I mean, I vote for Republicans and I vote for Democrats." (Norcross, 2016).
For my conservative friends who claim that Donald Trump is the savior of the United States of America, I simply ask you to wake up. The choices are not necessarily (R) or (D). Principles, morals, and character should be defining factors that shape each individual, especially those running for public office. Choosing the lesser of two evils is killing our great nation.
As citizens we deserve better. As voters we are expected to do better.
Botts, J. (2016). Honestly, Why Would Anyone Vote For Trump? Retrieved from https://josephbotts.com/2016/05/24/honestly-why-would-anyone-vote-for-trump/
Bukszpan, D. (2016), Here's What World Leaders Say About Donald Trump. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2016/02/24/donald-trump-nevada-critics/
Carroll, L. (2015). Fact-checking claims about Donald Trump's four bankruptcies. Retrieved from http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/sep/21/carly-fiorina/trumps-four-bankruptcies/
Gruttadaro, A., Reese, N., Barone, M., Aquino, T., & Sheldon, R. (2014).The 50 Best Reality TV Shows of All Time. Retrieved from http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2014/11/best-reality-tv-shows-all-time-1/
IMDB. (2016). Most Popular Reality-TV Series. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/search/title?title_type=tv_series&genres=reality_tv
Norcross, J. (2016). Donald Trump: A Fascinating and Terrifying Study in Megalomania and Irrationality. Retrieved from http://jonathonnorcross.com/post/5024418661/donald-trump-a-fascinating-and-terrifying-study
Norcross, J. (2016). Vile Propagandist Donald Trump Spews More Obama Conspiracy Theories. Retrieved from http://jonathonnorcross.com/post/4672753650/vile-propagandist-donald-trump-spews-more-obama
Stein, J. (2012). Who Is Gary Johnson? And Why Is the GOP So Mad at Him? Retrieved from http://swampland.time.com/2012/11/01/who-is-gary-johnson-and-why-is-the-gop-so-mad-at-him/
Thompson, K. (2016). Megyn Kelly on Donald Trump: 'I have done my level best to not make this story about me.' Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/megyn-kelly-preps-for-her-trump-interview-a-chance-to-go-to-a-different-place/2016/05/16/15e46206-187a-11e6-9e16-2e5a123aac62_story.html
TV.COM. (2016). Reality Shows. Retrieved from http://www.tv.com/shows/category/reality/
Wikipedia. (2016). List of figures in nationalism. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_figures_in_nationalism]]>
Anxious to maintain their military and economic power in the region the Japanese planned to cripple the U.S. fleet which would then allow them to attack the Philippines and Indo-China without opposition and acquire the raw materials they needed to maintain their position.
Several ships were sunk or damaged, the U.S.S. Oklahoma capsized, and the U.S.S. Arizona was completely destroyed. More than 2,300 Americans died in the attack.
The next day President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress, which declared war against Japan, and the United States officially entered World War II. The Japanese had no idea they were awakening a sleeping giant. December 7th, 1941 truly was a date which would live in infamy.
James Bradley, whose father was one of those who raised the flag on Iwo Jima, has studied the war and the reason Japan attacked us in the first place.
In a secret presidential cable to Tokyo, in July 1905, Roosevelt approved the Japanese annexation of Korea and agreed to an "understanding or alliance" among Japan, the United States and Britain "as if the United States were under treaty obligations." The "as if" was key: Congress was much less interested in North Asia than Roosevelt was, so he came to his agreement with Japan in secret, an unconstitutional act.
Bradley's op-ed in the New York Times is an excellent read for anyone who wants to know the real reason that Japan decided to attack us the way they did.
Take a moment today to remember all of those who died on that December morning in 1941.
Those Who Fell At Pearl Harbor:
AARON, Hubert Charles Titus, ABERCROMBIE, Samuel Adolphus, ADAMS, Jesse Leroy, ADAMS, John Kalauwae, ADAMS, Joseph Kanehoa, ADAMS, Robert Franklin, ADKINS, Howard Lucas, ADKINS, Marvin Birch, ADKISON, James Dillion, AGOLA, Mathew Joe, AGOLA, Mathew Joe, AGUIRRE, Reyner Aceves, AGUON, Gregorio San N., AHERN, Richard James, AKINA, August, ALBANESE, Salvatore J., ALBEROVSKY, Francis Severin, ALBRIGHT, Galen Winston, ALDRIDGE, Thomas Elwood, ALDRIDGE, Willard Henry, ALEXANDER, Elvis Author, ALEXANDER, Hugh R., ALLEN, Eric Jr., ALLEN, Moses Anderson, ALLEN, Robert G., ALLEN, Robert Lee, ALLEN, Stanley W., ALLEN, Thomas Benton, ALLEN, William Clayborn, ALLEN, William Lewis, ALLEY, Jay Edgar, ALLISON, Andrew K., ALLISON, Hal Jake, ALLISON, J. T., ALOIS, Ralph, ALTEN, Ernest Mathew, AMON, Frederick Purdy, AMUNDSON, Leo DeVere, ANDERSON, Arnold Leo, ANDERSON, Charles Titus, ANDERSON, Delbert Jake, ANDERSON, Donald William, ANDERSON, Garland C., ANDERSON, Harry, ANDERSON, Howard Taisey, ANDERSON, Irwin Corinthis, ANDERSON, James Pickins Jr., ANDERSON, Lawrence Donald, ANDERSON, Manfred Carl, ANDERSON, Robert Adair, ANDERSON, William T., ANDREWS, Brainerd Wells, ANGELICH, Jerry Mike, ANGLE, Earnest Hersea, ANNUNZIATO, Frank John, ANTHONY, Glenn Samuel, APLIN, James Raymond, APPLE, Robert William, APREA, Frank Anthony, AQUINO, Zoilo, ARAKAKI, Nancy Masako, ARBUCKLE, William Delanno, ARICKX, Leon, ARLEDGE, Eston, ARMSTRONG, Kenneth Berton, ARNAUD, Achilles, ARNEBERG, Harold Raymond, ARNEBERG, William Robert, ARNESEN, Robert Arne, ARNOLD, Claude Duran Jr., ARNOLD, Thell, ARNOTT, Robert Everett, ARRANT, John Anderson, ARTHURHOLZ, Marley Richard, ARTLEY, Daryle Edward, ARVIDSON, Carl Harry, ASHBY, Welborn Lee, ASHMORE, Wilburn James, ATCHISON, John Calvin, ATKINS, Gerald Arthur, AULD, John Cuthbert, AUSTIN, John Arnold, AUSTIN, Laverne Alfred, AUTRY, Eligah T. Jr., AVERY, Robert L., AVES, Willard Charles, AYDELL, Miller Xavier, AYERS, Dee Cumpie, BACKMAN, Walter Howard, BADILLA, Manuel Domonic, BAILEY, George Richmond, BAILEY, Gerald John, BAILEY, James Edward, BAILEY, Robert Edward, BAILEY, Wilbur Houston, BAIRD, Billy Bryon, BAJORIMS, Joseph, BAKER, George W., BAKER, Glen, BAKER, Henry Ernest Jr., BAKER, J. W., BAKER, Robert Dewey, BALL, James William, BALL, William V., BALLANCE, Wilbur Frank, BANDEMER, Harold William, BANDY, Wayne Lynn, BANGERT, John Henry, BANKS, Layton Thomas, BARAGA, Joseph, BARBER, Leroy Kenneth, BARBER, Malcolm John, BARBER, Randolph Harold, BARDON, Charles Thomas, BARGERHUFF, Benjamin E. Jr., BARKER, Loren Joe, BARKSDALE, James M., BARNCORD, Cecil Everett, BARNER, Walter Ray, BARNES, Charles Edward, BARNES, Delmar Hayes, BARNETT, William Leroy, BARNETT, William Thermon, BARRETT, Wilbur Clayton, BARRON, Thomas Noble, BARTA, Joseph, BARTEK, Frank Joseph Jr., BARTLETT, David William, BARTLETT, Paul Clement, BATES, Edward Munroe Jr., BATES, Harold Eugene, BATES, Tobert Alvin, BATOR, Edward, BATTLES, Ralph Curtis, BAUER, Harold Walter, BAUM, Earl Paul, BAYS, Donald E., BAZETTI, Michael Louis, BEAL, Albert Quentin, BEAN, Howard Warren, BEARDSLEY, Loren Leigh, BEASLEY, Leland V., BEATON, Freddie, BEAUMONT, James Ammon, BECK, George Richard, BECKER, Marvin Otto, BECKER, Wesley Paulson, BECKWITH, Thomas Stewart, BEDFORD, Purdy Renaker, BEERMAN, Henry Carl, BEGGS, Harold Eugene, BELL, Hershel Homer, BELL, Richard Leroy, BELLAMY, James Curtis, BELT, Everett Ray Jr., BELT, Walter Sidney Jr., BENFORD, Sam Austin, BENNETT, Gordon R. Jr., BENNETT, Robert James, BENNETT, William Edmond Jr., BENNION, Mervyn Sharp, BENSON, James Thomas, BERGIN, Roger Joseph, BERKANSKI, Albert Charles, BERNARD, Frank Peter, BERRY, Gordon Eugene, BERRY, James Winford, BERSCH, Arthur Anthony, BERTIE, George Allan Jr., BIBBY, Charles Henry, BICKEL, Kenneth Robert, BICKNELL, Dale Deen, BIELKA, Rudolph Paul, BIGHAM, Virgil Cornelius, BILLS, Mathew T., BILYI, Anthony, BINGHAM, James Robert, BIRCHER, Frederick Robert, BIRD, John Arthur, BIRD, John Arthur, BIRDSELL, Rayon Delois, BIRGE, George Albert, BISHOP, Grover Barron, BISHOP, Millard Charles, BISHO Regis James, BOEMER, Paul Louis, BOGGESS, Roy Eugene, BOHLENDER, Sam, BOLAN, George P., BOLEN, Albert James, BOLLING, Gerald Revese, BOLLING, Walter Karr, BOND, Burnis Leroy, BONEBRAKE, Buford Earl, BONFIGLIO, William John, BONNIE, Felix, BOOE, James Brazier, BOOTH, Robert Sinclair Jr., BOOTON, Charlie Vinton, BOOZE, Asbury Legare, BORGELT, Harold W., BORGER, Richard, BORING, James Bryce, BOROVICH, Joseph John, BORUSKY, Edwin Charles, BOSLEY, Kenneth Leroy, BOSWELL, Frank G., BOUDREAUX, Ralph McHenry, BOVIALL, Walter Robert, BOWDEN, Edward Daniel, BOWERS, Robert K., BOWMAN, Howard Alton, BOXRUCKER, Lawrence Anton, BOYD, Charles Andrew, BOYDSTUN, Don Jasper, BOYDSTUN, R. L., BOYER, Fred Hunter, BOYLE, Arthur F., BOYNTON, Raymond Devere, BRABBZSON, Oran Merrill, BRADLEY, Bruce Dean, BRADLEY, Carl Merrill, BRAGA, Charles Jr., BRAKKE, Kenneth Gay, BRANDT, Billy O., BRANDT, Oris Vernelle, BRANHAM, George Ohara, BREEDLOVE, Jack Asbury, BREKKEN, Evan Benhart, BREWER, Randall Walter, BREWER, Robert Leroy, BRICKLEY, Eugene, BRIDGES, James Leon, BRIDGES, Paul Hyatt, BRIDIE, Robert Maurice, BRIER, Claire Raymond, BRIGGS, Lyle Lee, BRIGNOLE, Erminio Joseph, BRITTAN, Charles Edward, BRITTON, Thomas Alonzo, BROADHEAD, Johnnie Cecil, BROCK, Walter Pershing, BROMLEY, George Edward, BROMLEY, Jimmie, BROOKS, B.J. Jr., BROOKS, Ennis Edgar, BROOKS, Robert Neal, BROOKS, William, BROOME, Loy Raymond, BROONER, Allen Ottis, BROPHY, Myron Alonzo, BROWER, Rennie V. Jr., BROWN, Benjamin Lee, BROWN, Charles Darling, BROWN, Charles Martin, BROWN, Clyde C., BROWN, Elwyn Leroy, BROWN, Frank George, BROWN, Pallas Franklin, BROWN, Richard Corbett, BROWN, Riley Mirville, BROWN, Robert S., BROWN, Walter Scott, BROWN, Wesley James, BROWN, William Howard, BROWNE, Frederick Arthur, BROWNE, Harry Lamont, BROWNING, Tilmon David, BROWNLEE, William John, BRUBAKER, Brooks J., BRUESEWITZ, William G., BRUMMWELL, Malcolm J., BRUNE, James William, BRUNNER, William Frank, BRYAN, Leland Howard, BRYANT, Claude L., BRYANT, Lloyd Glenn, BUBB, Eugene R., BUCHANAN, James Rufus, BUCKLEY, Jack C., BUCKLEY, John Daniel, BUDD, Robert Emile, BUGARIN, Feliciano Todias, BUHR, Clarence Edward, BURCH, Earl George, BURDEN, Ralph Leon, BURDETTE, Ralph Warren, BURGER, Oliver Kenneth, BURGESS, John Edwin Jr., BURK, Millard Jr., BURKE, Frank Edmond Jr., BURLISON, Weldon C., BURNETT, Charlie Leroy, BURNS, Edward J., BURNS, John Edward, BUSH, Joseph, BUSH, Samuel Jackson, BUSICK, Dewey Olney, BUSS, Robert P., BUTCHER, David Adrian, BUTLER, James Warren, BUTLER, John Dabney, BUTTS, Rodger Cornelius, BYRD, Charles Dewitt, BYRD, Theodore F., CABAY, Louis Clarence, CADE, Richard Esh, CALDWELL, Charles Jr., CALLAGHAN, James Thomas, CALLAHAN, Archie Jr., CAMDEN, Raymond Edward, CAMERY, Raymond Ralph, CAMM, William Fielden, CAMPA, Ralph, CAMPBELL, Burdette Charles, CAMPBELL, William Clarence, CAMPBELL, William Vane, CAMPIGLIA, Francis Edward, CANNON, George H., CAPLINGER, Donald William, CAREY, Francis Lloyd, CARGILE, Murry Randolph, CARLISLE, Robert Wayne, CARLSON, Harry Ludwig, CARLSON, Lawrence Robert, CARMACK, Harold Milton, CARNEY, Harold Francis, CARO, Joseph I., CARPENTER, Elmer Lemuel, CARPENTER, Robert Nelson, CARREIRA, John, CARROLL, Guy Wayne, CARROLL, Joseph William, CARROLL, Robert Lewis, CARTER, Burton Lowell, CARTER, Howard Frederick, CARTER, Lloyd George, CARTER, Paxton Turner, CARTER, William John, CASEY, James Warren, CASHEN, Malachy J., CASHMAN, Edward J., CASILAN, Epifanio Miranda, CASINGER, Edward Eugene, CASKEY, Clarence Merton, CASOLA, Biacio, CASTLEBERRY, Claude W. Jr., CASTO, Charles Ray, CASTO, Richard Eugene, CATSOS, George, CEBERT, Dean W., CHACE, Raymond Vincent, CHADWICK, Charles Bruce, CHADWICK, Harold, CHAGNON, Joseph J., CHAMBERS, Eugene L., CHANDLER, Donald Ross, CHAPMAN, Donal V., CHAPMAN, Naaman N., CHARLTON, Charles Nicholas, CHERNUCHA, Harry Gregory, CHESHIRE, James Thomas, CHESS, Patrick Lloyd, CHESTER, Edward, CHESTNUTT, George V. Jr., CHONG, Patrick Kahamokupuni, CHRISTENSEN, Elmer Emil, CHRISTENSEN, Lloyd Raymond, CHRISTIAN, William Garnett, CHRISTIANSEN, CLOUES, Edward Blanchard, CLOUGH, Edward Hay, COBB, Ballard Burgher, COBURN, Walter Overton, COCKRUM, Kenneth Earl, COFFIN, Robert, COFFMAN, Marshall Herman, COHN, Mitchell, COKE, George Anderson, COLE, Charles Warren, COLE, David Lester, COLE, Francis Eugene, COLEGROVE, Willett S. Jr., COLLIER, John, COLLIER, Linald Long Jr., COLLIER, Walter Leon, COLLINS, Austin, COLLINS, Billy Murl, COLLINS, James Earl, COLLINS, Thomas W., COMSTOCK, Harold Kenneth, CONANT, Clarence Albert, CONLIN, Bernard Eugene, CONLIN, James Leo, CONNELLY, Richard Earl, CONNER, Joseph Ucline, CONNOLLY, John Gaynor, CONNOLLY, Keefe Richard, CONRAD, Homer Milton Jr., CONRAD, Robert Frank, CONRAD, Walter Ralph, CONWAY, Edward Leroy, COOK, Grant Clark Jr., COOK, Joseph William, COOPER, Clarence Eugene, COOPER, Frank Bernard, COOPER, Kenneth Erven, COOPER, Kenneth James, CORBIN, Leon John, CORCORAN, Gerard John, COREY, Ernest Eugene, CORN, Robert Livingston, CORNELIUS, P. W., CORNING, Russell Dale, CORZATT, Beoin Hume, COSTER, Richard Lee, COSTILL, Harold Kendall, COSTIN, Louis Albert, COTNER, Leo Paul, COTTIER, Charles Edwin, COUHIG, John H., COULTER, Arthur Lee, COWAN, William, COWDEN, Joel Beman, COX, Gerald Blinton, COX, William Milford, COYNE, William Jr., CRAFT, Harley Wade, CRAIG, James Edwin, CRAIG, John William, CRAIN, John Reeves, CRAWLEY, Wallace Dewight, CREECH, William C., CREMEAN, Alva J., CREMEENS, Louis Edward, CRIM, Warren Harding, CRISCUOLO, Michael, CRISWELL, Wilfred John, CROFT, Theodore Wheeler, CROMWELL, Howard Don, CROSSETT, David Lloyd, CROW, Howard Daniel, CROWDER, Samuel Warwick, CROWE, Cecil Thomas, CROWLEY, Thomas Ewing, CRUTHIRDS, John E., CURRY, William Joseph, CURRY, William McKnight, CURTIS, Herbert S. Jr., CURTIS, Lloyd B., CURTIS, Lyle Carl, CUTRER, Lloyd Henry, CYBULSKI, Harold Bernard, CYCHOSZ, Francis Anton, CYRIACK, Glenn Gerald, CZARNECKI, Stanley, CZEKAJSKI, Theophil, DA TORRE, Otreste, DAHLHEIMER, Richard Norbert, DAINS, John L., DALY, Edward Carlyle, DANIEL, Lloyd Naxton, DANIK, Andrew Joseph, DARBY, Marshall Eugene Jr., DARCH, Phillip Zane, DASENBROCK, Louis H., DAUGHERTY, Paul Eugene, DAVENPORT, Ernest J., DAVENPORT, James Watson Jr., DAVIS, Allen Arthur, DAVIS, Billy Rex, DAVIS, Edward Hope, DAVIS, Frederick Curtis, DAVIS, John Quitman, DAVIS, Milton Henry, DAVIS, Murle Melvin, DAVIS, Myrle Clarence, DAVIS, Thomas Ray, DAVIS, Virgil Denton, DAVIS, Walter Mindred, DAWSON, James Berkley, DAY, Francis Daniel, DAY, William John, DE ARMOUN, Donald Edwin, DE CASTRO, Vicente, DE POLIS, Frank J., DEAN, Lyle Bernard, DEETZ, John Wesley, DEFENBAUGH, Russell C., DELLES, Leslie Phillip, DELONG, Frederick Eugene, DENNIS, Leroy, DENSON, Eugene B., DERITIS, Russell Edwin, DERRINGTON, Ralph Alva, DERTHICK, James H., DEWITT, John James, DIAL, John Buchanan, DICK, Francis Edward, DICK, Ralph R., DICKENS, Ernest Boggio, DICKERSON, Richard A., DIECKHOFF, Douglas R., DILL, Leaman Robert, DINE, John George, DINEEN, Robert Joseph, DOBBINS, Richard Henry, DOBEY, Milton Paul Jr., DOERNENBURG, Kenneth E., DOHERTY, George Walter, DOHERTY, John Albert, DOMPIER, Marshall Leonard, DONALD, John Malcolm, DONOHUE, Ned Burton, DORITY, John Monroe, DORR, Carl David, DOSICK, Stanley Daniel, DOSSER, William Hugh, DOUGHERTY, Ralph Mc Clearn, DOUGLAS, Norman W., DOWNING, Eugene Victor, DOWNS, Jack A., DOYLE, Bernard Vincent, DOYLE, Wand B., DREESBACH, Herbert Allen, DREFAHL, Elmer Edwin, DRIVER, Bill Lester, DRUM, Donald Landford, DRWALL, Stanislaw Frank, DUANE, William, DUCOLON, Fred John, DUCREST, Louis Felix, DUFF, Robert C. Jr., DUGGER, Guy, DUKE, Lee Herwin, DUKE, Robert Edward, DUKES, Billie Joe, DUKES, Lonnie William, DULLUM, Jerald Fraser, DUNAWAY, Kenneth Leroy, DUNHAM, Elmer Marvin, DUNN, George S. Jr., DUNNAM, Robert Wesley, DUPREE, Arthur Joseph, DUQUETTE, Donat George Jr., DURHAM, William Teasdale, DURIO, Russell, DURKEE, Edward Norman, DURNING, Thomas Roy Jr., DURR, Clement Edward, DUSSET, Cyril Isaac, DUVEENE, John, DVORAK, Alvin Albert, DYE, Tommy, DYER, Buford Harvey, DYER, Daniel A. 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A., GALAJDIK, Michael, GALASZEWSKI, Stanley C., GALLAGHER, Russell E., GANAS, Nickolas Steve, GANDRE, Melvyn Amour, GANNAM, George K., GANTNER, Samuel Merritt, GARA, Martin Anthony, GARCIA, Claude Ralph, GARCIA, Jesus Francisco, GARCIA, Robert Stillman, GARDNER, Arthur Joseph, GARGARO, Ernest Russell, GARLINGTON, Raymond Wesley, GARRETT, Orville Wilmer, GARRETT, Robert R., GARRIS, Eugene, GARTIN, Gerald Ernest, GARY, Thomas Jones, GAUDETTE, William Frank, GAUDRAULT, Joseph L.B., GAULTNEY, Ralph Martin, GAVER, Henry Hamilton Jr., GAZECKI, Philip Robert, GEBHARDT, Kenneth Edward, GEBSER, Paul Heino, GEER, Kenneth Floyd, GEISE, Marvin Frederick, GELLER, Leonard Richard, GEMIENHARDT, Samuel Henry Jr., GEORGE, George Themistocles, GHOLSTON, Roscoe, GIBSON, Billy Edwin, GIBSON, George Harvey, GIESA, George Edward, GIESEN, Karl Anthony, GIFFORD, Quentin John, GIFT, Kenneth Mace, GILBERT, George, GILBERT, George H., GILBERT, Tom, GILES, Thomas Robert, GILL, Richard Eugene, GILLETTE, Warren Clayton, GILLIARD, Benjamin Edward, GINN, James Blackburn, GIOVENAZZO, Michael James, GIVENS, Harold Reuben, GLEASON, James J., GLENN, Arthur, GOBBIN, Angelo, GOETSCH, Herman August, GOFF, Wiley Coy, GOGGIN, Daryl Henry, GOLDWATER, Jack Reginald, GOMEZ, Charles Clay Jr., GOMEZ, Edward Jr., GONSALVES, Emma, GONZALES, Bibian Bernard, GONZALES, Manuel, GOOCH, George Merton, GOOD, Josephá E., GOOD, Leland, GOODING, Robert Henry, GOODWIN, Clifford George, GOODWIN, Myron Eugene, GOODWIN, Robert, GOODWIN, William Arthur, GORDON, Duff, GORDO GRIFFITHS, Robert Alfred, GRISSINGER, Robert Beryle, GROSNICKLE, Warren Wilbert, GROSS, Edgar David, GROSS, Milton Henry, GROSS, Roy Arthur, GROW, Vernon Neslie, GRUNDSTROM, Richard Gunner, GUISINGER, Daniel L. Jr., GULLACHSON, Arthur K., GUMMERSON, Elwood R., GURGANUS, William Ike, GURLEY, Jesse Herbert, GUSIE, William Fred, GUTHRIE, James E., GUTTMANN, Joseph Herman, GUY, George Hormer, HAAS, Curtis Junior, HAASE, Clarence Frederick, HADEN, Samuel William, HAFFNER, Floyd Bates, HAINES, Robert Wesley, HALL, Hubert Preston, HALL, John Rudolph, HALL, Ted, HALLMARK, Johnnie W., HALLORAN, William Ignatius, HALTERMAN, Robert Emile, HALVORSEN, Harry John, HAM, Harold William, HAMEL, Don Edgar, HAMILTON, Clarence James, HAMILTON, Edwin Carrell, HAMILTON, William Holman, HAMLIN, Dale Reuben, HAMMERUD, George Winston, HAMPTON, J D, HAMPTON, Ted W Jr., HAMPTON, Walter Lewis, HANN, Eugene Paul, HANNA, David Darling, HANNON, Francis Leon, HANSEN, Carlyle B., HANSEN, Harvey Ralph, HANSON, George, HANSON, Helmer Ansel, HANZEL, Edward Joseph, HARADA, Ai, HARDIN, Charles Eugene, HARGRAVES, Kenneth William, HARKER, Charles Ward, HARMON, á William D., HARR, Robert Joseph, HARRINGTON, Keith Homer, HARRIS, Charles Houston, HARRIS, Daniel Fletcher, HARRIS, George Ellsworth, HARRIS, Hiram Dennis, HARRIS, James William, HARRIS, Louis Edward Jr., HARRIS, Noble Burnice, HARRIS, Peter John, HARRISS, Hugh Braddock, HARTFORD, Carlton H., HARTLEY, Alvin, HARTLEY, Kenneth Jay, HARTSOE, Max June, HARTSON, Lonnie Moss, HARVESON, Herold Aloysius, HASENFUSS, William E. 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Jr., HILL, Bartley Talor, HILL, Clifford Dale, HILL, Edwin Joseph, HILLMAN, Merle Chester J., HILT, Fred Albert, HILTON, Wilson Woodrow, HINDMAN, Frank Weaver, HINES, Arvel Clay, HIRASAKI, Jackie Yoneto, HIRASAKI, Jitsuo, HIRASAKI, Robert Yoshito, HIRASAKI, Shirley Kinue, HISKETT, Denis Hubert, HISLOP, William, HITRIK, Albert Joseph, HITTORFF, Joseph Parker Jr., HOAG, Frank Samuel Jr., HOARD, Herbert John, HODGES, Garris Vada, HODGES, Howard David, HOELSCHER, Lester John, HOFFMAN, Joseph Warren, HOLLAND, Claude Herbert Jr., HOLLENBACH, Paul Zepp, HOLLEY, Paul Elston, HOLLIS, Ralph, HOLLOWELL, George Sanford, HOLM, Kenneth Laurence, HOLMES, Harry Randolph, HOLMES, Lowell D., HOLMES, Robert Kimball, HOLZHAUER, James William, HOLZWORTH, Walter, HOMER, Henry Vernon, HOOD, Earl A., HOOD, Joseph Earnest, HOOKANO, Kamiko, HOPE, Harold W., HOPKINS, Edwin Chester, HOPKINS, Homer David, HORAN, John J., HORAN, Vincent M., HORD, Chester George, HORN, Melvin Freeland, HORNER, James Albert, HORRELL, Harvey Howard, HORROCKS, James William, HORTON, William David, HOSLER, John Emmet, HOUDE, Emery Lyle, HOUSE, Clem Raymond, HOUSEL, John James, HOWARD, Elmo, HOWARD, George F., HOWARD, Rolan George, HOWE, Darrell Robe HURLEY, Wendell Ray, HUVAL, Ivan Joseph, HUX, Leslie Creade, HUYS, Arthur Albert, HYDE, William Hughes, IAK, Joseph Claude, IBBOTSON, Howard Burt, INAMINE, Paul S., INGALLS, Richard Fitch, INGALLS, Theodore A, INGRAHAM, David Archie, INGRAM, George Washington, IRISH, Robert Clement, ISHAM, Orville Adalbert, ISOM, Luther James, IVERSEN, Earl Henry, IVERSEN, Norman Kenneth, IVERSON, Claydon Ignatius C., IVEY, Charles Andrew Jr., IZUMI, Robert Seiko, JACKSON, David Paul Jr., JACKSON, David William, JACKSON, Lowell Bruce, JACKSON, Robert Woods, JACKSON, William Clarence, JACKSON, Willie, JACOBS, Richard Fredrick, JACOBS, Richard William, JACOBSON, Dave, JACOBSON, Herbert Barney, JAMES, Challis Rudolph, JAMES, John Burditt, JANTE, Edwin Earl, JANZ, á Clifford Thurston, JARDING, George William, JASTRZEMSKI, Edwin Charles, JAYNE, Kenneth Lyle, JEANS, Victor Lawrence, JEDRYSIK, Joseph, JEFFREY, Ira W., JEFFRIES, Keith, JENCUIS, Joseph Herbert, JENKINS, Robert Henry Dawson, JENSEN, Keith Marlow, JENSEN, Theodore Que, JENSON, Jesse Bennett, JERRISON, Donald D., JOHANN, Paul Frederick, JOHANNES, Charles Homer, JOHNSON, Billy James, JOHNSON, Carl Andreas, JOHNSON, Carl Spencer, JOHNSON, David Andrew Jr., JOHNSON, Donald Walter, JOHNSON, Edmund Russell, JOHNSON, Edward Dale, JOHNSON, Flavous B.M., JOHNSON, George Edward, JOHNSON, James Rodman, JOHNSON, John Russell, JOHNSON, Joseph Morris, JOHNSON, Melvin Grant, JOHNSON, Olaf A., JOHNSON, Robert Henry, JOHNSON, Samuel Earle, JOHNSON, Sterling Conrad, JOHNSTON, Jim Hal, JOLLEY, Berry Stanley, JONES, Charles Alan, JONES, Charles William, JONES, Daniel Pugh, JONES, Edmon Ethmer, JONES, Edward Watkin, JONES, Ernest, JONES, Floyd Baxter, JONES, Fred M., JONES, George Edwin, JONES, Harry Cecil, JONES, Henry Jr., JONES, Herbert C., JONES, Homer Lloyd, JONES, Hugh Junior, JONES, Jerry, JONES, Leland, JONES, Leroy Henry, JONES, Quincy Eugene, JONES, Rodney Wallace, JONES, Thomas Raymond, JONES, Warren Allen, JONES, Willard Worth, JONES, Woodrow Wilson, JORDAN, Julian Bethune, JORDAN, Wesley Vernie, JOYCE, Calvin Wilbur, JOYNER, Theodore K., JUDD, Albert John, JUEDES, William Arthur, JURASHEN, Thomas Valentine, KAELIN, John Louis, KAGARICE, Harold Lee, KAHOOKELE, David, KAISER, Robert Oscar, KALINOWSKI, Henry, KAMPMEYER, Eric T., KANE, Albert Utley, KARABON, Joseph Nicholas, KARLI, John Albert, KATT, Eugene Louis, KAUFMAN, Harry, KEATON, Vernon Paul, KECHNER, Vincent John, KEEN, Billy Mack, KEENER, Arlie Glen, KEFFER, Howard Verne, KEIL, Ralph Henry, KEITH, George Richard, KEITH, George Richard, KELLER, Donald Garrett, KELLER, Paul Daniel, KELLEY, James Dennis, KELLEY, Joe Marion, KELLEY, Robert R., KELLEY, Sanford V. Jr., KELLOGG, Wilbur Leroy, KELLY, Robert Lee, KEMPF, Warren Joseph, KENINGER, Leo Thomas, KENISTON, Donald Lee, KENISTON, Kenneth Howard, KENNARD, Kenneth Frank, KENNEDY, William Henry, KENNINGTON, Charles Cecil, KENNINGTON, Milton Homer, KENT, Texas Thomas Jr., KENT, William Harrison, KERESTES, Elmer Tom, KERRIGAN, Raymond Joseph, KESLER, David Leland, KIDD, Isaac Campbell, KIEHN, Ronald William, KIESELBACH, Charles Ermin, KIM, Soon Chip, KIMMEY, Robert Doyle, KIMURA, Tomaso, KINDER, Andrew J., KING, Andrew, KING, Gordon Blane, KING, Leander Cleaveland, KING, Lewis Meyer, KING, Marion E. Jr., KING, Orvell Vaniel Jr., KING, Robert Nicholas Jr., KINNEY, Frederick William, KINNEY, Gilbert Livingston, KIRCHHOFF, Wilbur Albert, KIRKPATRICK, Thomas Larcy, KLANN, Edward, KLASING, William August, KLEIN, Otto C., KLEIST, Chester Fredrick, KLINE, Robert Edwin, KLOPP, Francis Lawrence, KLUBERTANZ, Roderick Otto, KNIGHT, Milton Jewel Jr., KNIGHT, Robert Wagner, KNIPP, Verne Francis, KNUBEL, William Jr., KOCH, Walter Ernest, KOENEKAMP, Clarence D., KOEPPE, Herman Oliver, KOHL, John J., KOLAJAJCK, Brosig, KONDO, Edward Koichi, KONNICK, Albert Joseph, KOSEC, John Anthony, KOVAR, Robert, KOZELEK, Leonard Joseph, KRAHN, James Albert, KRAKER, Donald J., KRAMB, James Henry, KRAMB, John david, KRAMER, Harry Wellington, KRAMER, Robert Rudolph, KRAUSE, Fred Joseph, KRISSMAN, Max Sam, KRUG Orville J., LANGO, Frank J., LANOUETTE, Henry John, LARSEN, Donald C. V., LARSEN, Elliott Deen, LARSON, Leonard Carl, LATTIN, Bleecker, LAURIE, Johnnie Cornelius, LAWRENCE, Charles, LAWRENCE, Edward Stephen, LAWRENCE, Elmer Patterson, LAWSON, Willard Irvin, LEARY, Thomas Francis, LEE, Carroll Volney Jr., LEE, Henry Lloyd, LEE, Isaac William, LEE, Roy Elmer Jr., LEEDY, David Alonzo, LEGGETT, John Goldie, LEGROS, Joseph McNeil, LEHMAN, Gerald George, LEHMAN, Myron Kenneth, LEIGH, Malcolm Hedrick, LEIGHT, James Webster, LEMIRE, Joseph Sam L., LEOPOLD, Robert Lawrence, LEPPER, Edmond Brayton, LESCAULT, Lionel W., LESLIE, George G., LESMEISTER, Steve Louie, LEVAR, Frank, LEVINE, Sherman, LEWIS, James I., LEWIS, John Earl, LEWIS, Theodore J., LEWIS, Wayne Alman, LEWISON, Neil Stanley, LIBOLT, Lester H., LIGHTFOOT, Worth Ross, LINBO, Gordon Ellsworth, LINCOLN, John William, LINDSAY, James E., LINDSAY, James Mitchell, LINDSEY, Harold William, LINDSLEY, John Herbert, LINTON, George Edward, LIPE, Wilbur Thomas, LIPKE, Clarence William, LIPPLE, John Anthony, LISENBY, Daniel Edward, LISH, Eugene Victor, LITTLE, John Grubbs III, LIVERS, Raymond Edward, LIVERS, Wayne Nicholas, LIVINGSTON, Alfred Eugene, LIVINGSTON, Richard E., LOCK, Douglas A., LOCKWOOD, Clarence M., LOEBACH, Adolph John, LOHMAN, Earl Wynne, LOMAX, Frank Stuart, LOMIBAO, Marciano, LONDON, James Edward, LONG, Benjamin Franklin, LONG, Guy Edward, LOO, Tai Chung, LOPES, Peter Souza, LORD, Harry W. Jr., LOUNSBURY, Thomas William, LOUSTANAU, Charles Bernard, LOVE, Carl Robert, LOVELAND, Frank Crook, LOVSHIN, William Joseph, LOWE, Robert S., LUCEY, Neil Jermiah, LUKE, Vernon Thomas, LUKER, Royle Bradford, LUNA, James Edward, LUNSFORD, Jack Leon, LUNTTA, John Kallervo, LUSK, Howard N., LUTSCHAN, William Edward, Jr., LUZIER, Ernest Burton, LYNCH, Donald William, LYNCH, Emmett Isaac, LYNCH, James Robert Jr., LYNCH, Kenneth Lee, LYNCH, William Joseph Jr., LYON, Arnold Eugene, LYONS, Lawrence P. Jr., MABINE, Octavius, MACY, Thomas Samuel, MADDOX, Raymond Dudley, MADRID, Arthur John, MAFNAS, Andres Franquez, MAFNAS, Francisco Reyes, MAGEE, Gerald James, MAGERS, Howard Scott, MALATAK, Joseph, MALECKI, Frank Edward, MALEK, Michael, MALFANTE, Algeo Victor, MALINOWSKI, John Stanley, MALSON, Harry Lynn, MANGANELLI, George Jay, MANGES, Howard Ellis, MANION, Edward Paul, MANLEY, Williamá H., MANLOVE, Arthur Cleon, MANN, Charles Willis, MANN, John H., MANN, William Edward, MANNING, Leroy, MANNING, Milburn Alex, MANNING, Walter Benjamin, MANSKE, Robert Francis, MARINICH, Steve Matt, MARIS, Elwood Henry, MARKLEY, Robert Harold, MARLING, Joseph Henry, MARLOW, Urban Herschel, MARSH, Benjamin Raymond Jr., MARSH, William Arthur, MARSHALL, John Andrew, MARSHALL, Thomas Donald, MARSHALL, William Earl Jr., MARTIN, Dale Lewis, MARTIN, George M. Jr., MARTIN, Herbert Benjamin, MARTIN, Hugh Lee, MARTIN, James Albert, MARTIN, James Orrwell, MARTIN, John Winter, MARTIN, Luster Lee, MARTIN, Wallace R., MARTINEZ, Rudolph Machado, MARZE, Andrew Michael, MARZE, Andrew Michael, MASON, Byron Dalley, MASON, Henri Clay, MASSEY, James Edward, MASTEL, Clyde Harold, MASTERS, Dayton Monroe, MASTERSON, Cleburne E. Carl, MASTROTOTARO, Maurice, MATA, Jesus Manalisay, MATHEIN, Harold Richard, MATHISON, Charles Harris, MATHISON, Donald Joseph, MATNEY, Vernon Merferd, MATTOX, Harell K., MATTOX, James Durant, MAULE, Joseph Keith, MAY, Louis Eugene, MAYBEE, George Frederick, MAYFIELD, Frazier, MAYFIELD, Lester Ellsworth, MAYO, Marvin William, MAYO, Rex Haywood, McABEE, William E., McALLEN, John Scott, McBEE, Luther Kirk, McCABE, Edwin Bonner, McCABE, Sr., Joseph, McCARRENS, James Francis, McCARY, William Moore, McCLAFFERTY, John Charles, McCLELLAND, Thomas Alfred, McCLINTOCK, James Jacob, McCLOUD, Donald Robert, McCLUNG, Harvey Manford, McCOLLOM, Lawrence Jennings, McCOMAS, Clarence William, McCUTCHEON, Warren Harrell, McDONALD, James Oliver, McFADDIN, Lawrence James, McGHEE, Lester Fred, McGLASSON, Joe Otis, McGRADY, Samme Willie Genes, McGRAW, George V., McGUCKIN, Edward L., McGUIRE, Francis Raymond, McHUGHES MENDIOLA, Enrique Castro, MENEFEE, James Austin, MENGES, Herbert Hugo, MENO, Vicente Gogue, MENZENSKI, Stanley Paul, MERITHEW, William W., MERRILL, Howard Deal, MESSAM, Horace Arthur, MEYERS, Victor L., MICHAEL, Charles O., MICHELETTO, Carlo Anthony, MIDDLESWART, John Franklin, MIGITA, Torao, MILBOURNE, Jesse Keith, MILES, Archie Theodore, MILES, Oscar Wright, MILLER, Chester John, MILLER, Doyle Allen, MILLER, Forrest Newton, MILLER, George Stanley, MILLER, J.B. Delane, MILLER, Jessie Zimmer, MILLER, John David, MILLER, Marvin Eugene, MILLER, William Cicero, MILLER, William Oscar, MILLIGAN, Weldon Hawvey, MILNER, James William, MIMS, Robert Lang, MINEAR, Richard J. Jr., MINIX, Orville Ray, MINTER, James Dewey, MIRELLO, Bernard Joseph, MISTER, Joe Eddie, MITCHELL, Edwin N., MITCHELL, John G., MITCHELL, Wallace Gregory, MLINAR, Joseph, MOLPUS, Richard Preston, MONROE, Donald, MONTGOMERY, Charles Andrew, MONTGOMERY, Robert E., MONTGOMERY, Wallace Alford, MONTGOMERY, William A., MOODY, Robert Edward, MOORE, Clyde Carson, MOORE, Douglas Carlton, MOORE, Fred Kenneth, MOORE, James Carlton, MOORHEAD, Lionel Jay, MOORHOUSE, William Starks, MOORMAN, Russell Lee, MORAN, George A., MORGAN, Wayne, MORGAREIDGE, James Orries, MORINCELLI, Edo, MORLEY, Eugene Elvis, MORRELL, Elmer R., MORRIS, Emmett Edloe, MORRIS, Owen Newton, MORRIS, William Francis, MORRISON, Earl Leroy, MORRISSEY, Edward Francis, MORSE, Edward Charles, MORSE, Francis Jerome, MORSE, George Robert, MORSE, Norman Roi, MOSER, Joseph G., MOSLENER, Louis Gustav Jr., MOSS, Tommy Lee, MOSTEK, Francis Clayton, MOULTON, Gordon Eddy, MRACE, Albin John, MUHOFSKI, Joseph Alexander, MULICK, John Mark, MUNCY, Claude, MURDOCK, Charles Luther, MURDOCK, Melvin Elijah, MURPHY, James Joseph, MURPHY, James Palmer, MURPHY, Jessie Huell, MURPHY, Thomas J. Jr., MYERS, Clair Clifton, MYERS, James Gernie, MYERS, Ray Harrison, NAASZ, Erwin H., NADEL, Alexander Joseph, NAEGLE, George Eugene, NAFF, Hugh Kenneth, NAGAMINE, Masayoshi, NAIL, Elmer Denton, NASH, Paul Andrews, NATIONS, James Garland, NATIONS, Morris Edward, NAYLOR, J D, NEAL, Tom Dick, NECESSARY, Charles Raymond, NEEDHAM, La Verne J., NEHER, Don Ocle, NEIPP, Paul, NELLES, Joseph F., NELSON, Harl Coplin, NELSON, Henry Clarence, NELSON, Lawrence Adolphus, NELSON, Marlyn Wayne, NELSON, Richard Eugene, NERMOE, Earl Tilman, NEUENDORF, William F. Jr., NEUENSCHWANDER, Arthur C., NEVILL, Sam Douglas, NEWMAN, Laxton Gail, NEWTON, Paul Eugene, NEWTON, Wayne Edward, NEWTON, Wilbur Francis, NICHOLS, Alfred Rose, NICHOLS, Bethel Allan, NICHOLS, Carl, NICHOLS, Clifford Leroy, NICHOLS, Harry Ernest, NICHOLS, Louis Duffie, NICHOLSON, Glen Eldon, NICHOLSON, hancel Grant, NICOLES, Frank Edward, NIDES, Thomas James, NIELSEN, Arnold Madsen, NIELSEN, Floyd Theadore, NIGG, Laverne Alious, NIGHTINGALE, Joe Raymond, NIX, Charles Edward, NOCE, Emile Salvatore, NOLATUBBY, Henry Ellis, NOONAN, Robert Harold, NORMAN, Donald Charles, NORMAN, Orris Nate, NORTHWAY, William M., NORVELLE, Alwyn Berry, NOWOSACKI, Theodore Lucian, NUSSER, Raymond Alfred, NYE, Frank Erskine, O'BRIEN, Joseph Bernard, O'BRYAN, George David, O'BRYAN, Joseph Benjamin, OCHOSKI, Henry Francis, O'CONNOR, Maurice Michael, ODA, Yaeko Lillian, ODGAARD, Edwin Nelson, OFF, Virgil Simon, OFFUTT, William H., OGLE, Charles Ralph, OGLE, Victor Willard, OGLESBY, Lonnie Harris, O'GRADY, Camillus M., OHASHI, Frank, OHTA, Hayako, OHTA, Janet Yumiko, OHTA, Kiyoko, OLDS, Clifford Nathan, OLIVER, Raymond Brown, OLSEN, Edward Kern, OLSEN, Eli, OLSON, Glen Martin, O'NEALL, Rex Eugene, O'NEILL, William Thomas Jr., ORNELLAS, Barbara June, ORNELLAS, Gertrude, ORR, Dwight Jerome, ORR, Willard C., ORWICK, Dean Baker, ORZECH, Stanislaus Joseph, OSBORNE, Mervin Eugene, OSTRANDER, Leland Grimstead, OTT, Peter Dean, OTTERSTETTER, Carl William, OUTLAND, Jarvis Godwin, OVERLEY, Lawrence Jack, OWEN, Fredrick Halden, OWENS, James Patrick, OWENS, Richard Allen, OWSLEY, Alphard Stanley, OWSLEY, Arnold Jacob, OWSLEY, Thomas Lea, PACE, Amos Paul, PACE, Joseph Wilson, PACE, Millard Clarence, PACIGA, Walter Joseph, PALIDES, James PECK, Eugene Edward, PECKHAM, Howard William, PEDROTTI, Francis James, PEERY, Max Valdyne, PELESCHAK, Michael, PELTIER, John Arthur, PENCE, John Wallace, PENCE, John Wallace, PENDARVIS, George E., PENNINGTON, Raymond, PENNY, Russell M., PENSYL, John Campbell, PENTICO, Walter Ray, PENTON, Howard Lee, PENUEL, George Ames Jr., PEPE, Stephen, PERDUE, Charles Fred, PERKINS, George Ernest, PERRY, Forrest Hurbert, PERRY, Hal H. 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I miss you Auntie. We all miss you.]]>
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for your kind words. Once again, following a tradition by which I feel honored, the Secretary General of the United Nations has invited the Pope to address this distinguished assembly of nations. In my own name, and that of the entire Catholic community, I wish to express to you, Mr Ban Ki-moon, my heartfelt gratitude. I greet the Heads of State and Heads of Government present, as well as the ambassadors, diplomats and political and technical officials accompanying them, the personnel of the United Nations engaged in this 70th Session of the General Assembly, the personnel of the various programs and agencies of the United Nations family, and all those who, in one way or another, take part in this meeting. Through you, I also greet the citizens of all the nations represented in this hall. I thank you, each and all, for your efforts in the service of mankind.
This is the fifth time that a Pope has visited the United Nations. I follow in the footsteps of my predecessors Paul VI, in1965, John Paul II, in 1979 and 1995, and my most recent predecessor, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in 2008. All of them expressed their great esteem for the Organization, which they considered the appropriate juridical and political response to this present moment of history, marked by our technical ability to overcome distances and frontiers and, apparently, to overcome all natural limits to the exercise of power. An essential response, inasmuch as technological power, in the hands of nationalistic or falsely universalist ideologies, is capable of perpetrating tremendous atrocities. I can only reiterate the appreciation expressed by my predecessors, in reaffirming the importance which the Catholic Church attaches to this Institution and the hope which she places in its activities.
The United Nations is presently celebrating its seventieth anniversary. The history of this organized community of states is one of important common achievements over a period of unusually fast-paced changes. Without claiming to be exhaustive, we can mention the codification and development of international law, the establishment of international norms regarding human rights, advances in humanitarian law, the resolution of numerous conflicts, operations of peace-keeping and reconciliation, and any number of other accomplishments in every area of international activity and endeavour. All these achievements are lights which help to dispel the darkness of the disorder caused by unrestrained ambitions and collective forms of selfishness. Certainly, many grave problems remain to be resolved, yet it is clear that, without all those interventions on the international level, mankind would not have been able to survive the unchecked use of its own possibilities. Every one of these political, juridical and technical advances is a path towards attaining the ideal of human fraternity and a means for its greater realization.
For this reason I pay homage to all those men and women whose loyalty and self-sacrifice have benefitted humanity as a whole in these past seventy years. In particular, I would recall today those who gave their lives for peace and reconciliation among peoples, from Dag Hammarskjöld to the many United Nations officials at every level who have been killed in the course of humanitarian missions, and missions of peace and reconciliation.
Beyond these achievements, the experience of the past seventy years has made it clear that reform and adaptation to the times is always necessary in the pursuit of the ultimate goal of granting all countries, without exception, a share in, and a genuine and equitable influence on, decision-making processes. The need for greater equity is especially true in the case of those bodies with effective executive capability, such as the Security Council, the Financial Agencies and the groups or mechanisms specifically created to deal with economic crises. This will help limit every kind of abuse or usury, especially where developing countries are concerned. The International Financial Agencies are should care for the sustainable development of countries and should ensure that they are not subjected to oppressive lending systems which, far from promoting progress, subject people to mechanisms which generate greater poverty, exclusion and dependence.
The work of the United Nations, according to the principles set forth in the Preamble and the first Articles of its founding Charter, can be seen as the development and promotion of the rule of law, based on the realization that justice is an essential condition for achieving the ideal of universal fraternity. In this context, it is helpful to recall that the limitation of power is an idea implicit in the concept of law itself. To give to each his own, to cite the classic definition of justice, means that no human individual or group can consider itself absolute, permitted to bypass the dignity and the rights of other individuals or their social groupings. The effective distribution of power (political, economic, defense-related, technological, etc.) among a plurality of subjects, and the creation of a juridical system for regulating claims and interests, are one concrete way of limiting power. Yet today's world presents us with many false rights and – at the same time – broad sectors which are vulnerable, victims of power badly exercised: for example, the natural environment and the vast ranks of the excluded. These sectors are closely interconnected and made increasingly fragile by dominant political and economic relationships. That is why their rights must be forcefully affirmed, by working to protect the environment and by putting an end to exclusion.
First, it must be stated that a true "right of the environment" does exist, for two reasons. First, because we human beings are part of the environment. We live in communion with it, since the environment itself entails ethical limits which human activity must acknowledge and respect. Man, for all his remarkable gifts, which "are signs of a uniqueness which transcends the spheres of physics and biology" (Laudato Si', 81), is at the same time a part of these spheres. He possesses a body shaped by physical, chemical and biological elements, and can only survive and develop if the ecological environment is favourable. Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity. Second, because every creature, particularly a living creature, has an intrinsic value, in its existence, its life, its beauty and its interdependence with other creatures. We Christians, together with the other monotheistic religions, believe that the universe is the fruit of a loving decision by the Creator, who permits man respectfully to use creation for the good of his fellow men and for the glory of the Creator; he is not authorized to abuse it, much less to destroy it. In all religions, the environment is a fundamental good (cf. ibid.).
The misuse and destruction of the environment are also accompanied by a relentless process of exclusion. In effect, a selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity leads both to the misuse of available natural resources and to the exclusion of the weak and disadvantaged, either because they are differently abled (handicapped), or because they lack adequate information and technical expertise, or are incapable of decisive political action. Economic and social exclusion is a complete denial of human fraternity and a grave offense against human rights and the environment. The poorest are those who suffer most from such offenses, for three serious reasons: they are cast off by society, forced to live off what is discarded and suffer unjustly from the abuse of the environment. They are part of today's widespread and quietly growing "culture of waste".
The dramatic reality this whole situation of exclusion and inequality, with its evident effects, has led me, in union with the entire Christian people and many others, to take stock of my grave responsibility in this regard and to speak out, together with all those who are seeking urgently-needed and effective solutions. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the World Summit, which opens today, is an important sign of hope. I am similarly confident that the Paris Conference on Climatic Change will secure fundamental and effective agreements.
Solemn commitments, however, are not enough, even though they are a necessary step toward solutions. The classic definition of justice which I mentioned earlier contains as one of its essential elements a constant and perpetual will: Iustitia est constans et perpetua voluntas ius sum cuique tribuendi. Our world demands of all government leaders a will which is effective, practical and constant, concrete steps and immediate measures for preserving and improving the natural environment and thus putting an end as quickly as possible to the phenomenon of social and economic exclusion, with its baneful consequences: human trafficking, the marketing of human organs and tissues, the sexual exploitation of boys and girls, slave labour, including prostitution, the drug and weapons trade, terrorism and international organized crime. Such is the magnitude of these situations and their toll in innocent lives, that we must avoid every temptation to fall into a declarationist nominalism which would assuage our consciences. We need to ensure that our institutions are truly effective in the struggle against all these scourges.
The number and complexity of the problems require that we possess technical instruments of verification. But this involves two risks. We can rest content with the bureaucratic exercise of drawing up long lists of good proposals – goals, objectives and statistical indicators – or we can think that a single theoretical and aprioristic solution will provide an answer to all the challenges. It must never be forgotten that political and economic activity is only effective when it is understood as a prudential activity, guided by a perennial concept of justice and constantly conscious of the fact that, above and beyond our plans and programmes, we are dealing with real men and women who live, struggle and suffer, and are often forced to live in great poverty, deprived of all rights.
To enable these real men and women to escape from extreme poverty, we must allow them to be dignified agents of their own destiny. Integral human development and the full exercise of human dignity cannot be imposed. They must be built up and allowed to unfold for each individual, for every family, in communion with others, and in a right relationship with all those areas in which human social life develops – friends, communities, towns and cities, schools, businesses and unions, provinces, nations, etc. This presupposes and requires the right to education – also for girls (excluded in certain places) – which is ensured first and foremost by respecting and reinforcing the primary right of the family to educate its children, as well as the right of churches and social groups to support and assist families in the education of their children. Education conceived in this way is the basis for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and for reclaiming the environment.
At the same time, government leaders must do everything possible to ensure that all can have the minimum spiritual and material means needed to live in dignity and to create and support a family, which is the primary cell of any social development. In practical terms, this absolute minimum has three names: lodging, labour, and land; and one spiritual name: spiritual freedom, which includes religious freedom, the right to education and other civil rights.
For all this, the simplest and best measure and indicator of the implementation of the new Agenda for development will be effective, practical and immediate access, on the part of all, to essential material and spiritual goods: housing, dignified and properly remunerated employment, adequate food and drinking water; religious freedom and, more generally, spiritual freedom and education. These pillars of integral human development have a common foundation, which is the right to life and, more generally, what we could call the right to existence of human nature itself.
The ecological crisis, and the large-scale destruction of biodiversity, can threaten the very existence of the human species. The baneful consequences of an irresponsible mismanagement of the global economy, guided only by ambition for wealth and power, must serve as a summons to a forthright reflection on man: "man is not only a freedom which he creates for himself. Man does not create himself. He is spirit and will, but also nature" (BENEDICT XVI, Address to the Bundestag, 22 September 2011, cited in Laudato Si', 6). Creation is compromised "where we ourselves have the final word… The misuse of creation begins when we no longer recognize any instance above ourselves, when we see nothing else but ourselves" (ID. Address to the Clergy of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone, 6 August 2008, cited ibid.). Consequently, the defence of the environment and the fight against exclusion demand that we recognize a moral law written into human nature itself, one which includes the natural difference between man and woman (cf. Laudato Si', 155), and absolute respect for life in all its stages and dimensions (cf. ibid., 123, 136).
Without the recognition of certain incontestable natural ethical limits and without the immediate implementation of those pillars of integral human development, the ideal of "saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war" (Charter of the United Nations, Preamble), and "promoting social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom" (ibid.), risks becoming an unattainable illusion, or, even worse, idle chatter which serves as a cover for all kinds of abuse and corruption, or for carrying out an ideological colonization by the imposition of anomalous models and lifestyles which are alien to people's identity and, in the end, irresponsible.
War is the negation of all rights and a dramatic assault on the environment. If we want true integral human development for all, we must work tirelessly to avoid war between nations and between peoples.
To this end, there is a need to ensure the uncontested rule of law and tireless recourse to negotiation, mediation and arbitration, as proposed by the Charter of the United Nations, which constitutes truly a fundamental juridical norm. The experience of these seventy years since the founding of the United Nations in general, and in particular the experience of these first fifteen years of the third millennium, reveal both the effectiveness of the full application of international norms and the ineffectiveness of their lack of enforcement. When the Charter of the United Nations is respected and applied with transparency and sincerity, and without ulterior motives, as an obligatory reference point of justice and not as a means of masking spurious intentions, peaceful results will be obtained. When, on the other hand, the norm is considered simply as an instrument to be used whenever it proves favourable, and to be avoided when it is not, a true Pandora's box is opened, releasing uncontrollable forces which gravely harm defenseless populations, the cultural milieu and even the biological environment.
The Preamble and the first Article of the Charter of the United Nations set forth the foundations of the international juridical framework: peace, the pacific solution of disputes and the development of friendly relations between the nations. Strongly opposed to such statements, and in practice denying them, is the constant tendency to the proliferation of arms, especially weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear weapons. An ethics and a law based on the threat of mutual destruction – and possibly the destruction of all mankind – are self-contradictory and an affront to the entire framework of the United Nations, which would end up as "nations united by fear and distrust". There is urgent need to work for a world free of nuclear weapons, in full application of the non-proliferation Treaty, in letter and spirit, with the goal of a complete prohibition of these weapons.
The recent agreement reached on the nuclear question in a sensitive region of Asia and the Middle East is proof of the potential of political good will and of law, exercised with sincerity, patience and constancy. I express my hope that this agreement will be lasting and efficacious, and bring forth the desired fruits with the cooperation of all the parties involved.
In this sense, hard evidence is not lacking of the negative effects of military and political interventions which are not coordinated between members of the international community. For this reason, while regretting to have to do so, I must renew my repeated appeals regarding to the painful situation of the entire Middle East, North Africa and other African countries, where Christians, together with other cultural or ethnic groups, and even members of the majority religion who have no desire to be caught up in hatred and folly, have been forced to witness the destruction of their places of worship, their cultural and religious heritage, their houses and property, and have faced the alternative either of fleeing or of paying for their adhesion to good and to peace by their own lives, or by enslavement.
These realities should serve as a grave summons to an examination of conscience on the part of those charged with the conduct of international affairs. Not only in cases of religious or cultural persecution, but in every situation of conflict, as in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Libya, South Sudan and the Great Lakes region, real human beings take precedence over partisan interests, however legitimate the latter may be. In wars and conflicts there are individual persons, our brothers and sisters, men and women, young and old, boys and girls who weep, suffer and die. Human beings who are easily discarded when our only response is to draw up lists of problems, strategies and disagreements.
As I wrote in my letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 9 August 2014, "the most basic understanding of human dignity compels the international community, particularly through the norms and mechanisms of international law, to do all that it can to stop and to prevent further systematic violence against ethnic and religious minorities" and to protect innocent peoples.
Along the same lines I would mention another kind of conflict which is not always so open, yet is silently killing millions of people. Another kind of war experienced by many of our societies as a result of the narcotics trade. A war which is taken for granted and poorly fought. Drug trafficking is by its very nature accompanied by trafficking in persons, money laundering, the arms trade, child exploitation and other forms of corruption. A corruption which has penetrated to different levels of social, political, military, artistic and religious life, and, in many cases, has given rise to a parallel structure which threatens the credibility of our institutions.
I began this speech recalling the visits of my predecessors. I would hope that my words will be taken above all as a continuation of the final words of the address of Pope Paul VI; although spoken almost exactly fifty years ago, they remain ever timely. "The hour has come when a pause, a moment of recollection, reflection, even of prayer, is absolutely needed so that we may think back over our common origin, our history, our common destiny. The appeal to the moral conscience of man has never been as necessary as it is today… For the danger comes neither from progress nor from science; if these are used well, they can help to solve a great number of the serious problems besetting mankind (Address to the United Nations Organization, 4 October 1965). Among other things, human genius, well applied, will surely help to meet the grave challenges of ecological deterioration and of exclusion. As Paul VI said: "The real danger comes from man, who has at his disposal ever more powerful instruments that are as well fitted to bring about ruin as they are to achieve lofty conquests" (ibid.).
The common home of all men and women must continue to rise on the foundations of a right understanding of universal fraternity and respect for the sacredness of every human life, of every man and every woman, the poor, the elderly, children, the infirm, the unborn, the unemployed, the abandoned, those considered disposable because they are only considered as part of a statistic. This common house of all men and women must also be built on the understanding of a certain sacredness of created nature.
Such understanding and respect call for a higher degree of wisdom, one which accepts transcendence, rejects the creation of an all-powerful élite, and recognizes that the full meaning of individual and collective life is found in selfless service to others and in the sage and respectful use of creation for the common good. To repeat the words of Paul VI, "the edifice of modern civilization has to be built on spiritual principles, for they are the only ones capable not only of supporting it, but of shedding light on it" (ibid.).
El Gaucho Martín Fierro, a classic of literature in my native land, says: "Brothers should stand by each other, because this is the first law; keep a true bond between you always, at every time – because if you fight among yourselves, you'll be devoured by those outside".
The contemporary world, so apparently connected, is experiencing a growing and steady social fragmentation, which places at risk "the foundations of social life" and consequently leads to "battles over conflicting interests" (Laudato Si', 229).
The present time invites us to give priority to actions which generate new processes in society, so as to bear fruit in significant and positive historical events (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 223). We cannot permit ourselves to postpone "certain agendas" for the future. The future demands of us critical and global decisions in the face of world-wide conflicts which increase the number of the excluded and those in need.
The praiseworthy international juridical framework of the United Nations Organization and of all its activities, like any other human endeavour, can be improved, yet it remains necessary; at the same time it can be the pledge of a secure and happy future for future generations. And so it will, if the representatives of the States can set aside partisan and ideological interests, and sincerely strive to serve the common good. I pray to Almighty God that this will be the case, and I assure you of my support and my prayers, and the support and prayers of all the faithful of the Catholic Church, that this Institution, all its member States, and each of its officials, will always render an effective service to mankind, a service respectful of diversity and capable of bringing out, for sake of the common good, the best in each people and in every individual.
Upon all of you, and the peoples you represent, I invoke the blessing of the Most High, and all peace and prosperity.
Thank you.]]>
"At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a culture which pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future. Yet this same culture presents others with so many options that they too are dissuaded from starting a family" (Pope Francis, Historic Address to U.S. Congress, 2015).
The following is the text of the Pope's address:
Mr. Vice-President,
Mr. Speaker,
Honorable Members of Congress,
Dear Friends,
I am most grateful for your invitation to address this Joint Session of Congress in "the land of the free and the home of the brave". I would like to think that the reason for this is that I too am a son of this great continent, from which we have all received so much and toward which we share a common responsibility.
Each son or daughter of a given country has a mission, a personal and social responsibility. Your own responsibility as members of Congress is to enable this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation. You are the face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. A political society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerability or risk. Legislative activity is always based on care for the people. To this you have been invited, called and convened by those who elected you.
Yours is a work which makes me reflect in two ways on the figure of Moses. On the one hand, the patriarch and lawgiver of the people of Israel symbolizes the need of peoples to keep alive their sense of unity by means of just legislation. On the other, the figure of Moses leads us directly to God and thus to the transcendent dignity of the human being. Moses provides us with a good synthesis of your work: you are asked to protect, by means of the law, the image and likeness fashioned by God on every human face.
Today I would like not only to address you, but through you the entire people of the United States. Here, together with their representatives, I would like to take this opportunity to dialogue with the many thousands of men and women who strive each day to do an honest day's work, to bring home their daily bread, to save money and –one step at a time – to build a better life for their families. These are men and women who are not concerned simply with paying their taxes, but in their own quiet way sustain the life of society. They generate solidarity by their actions, and they create organizations which offer a helping hand to those most in need.
I would also like to enter into dialogue with the many elderly persons who are a storehouse of wisdom forged by experience, and who seek in many ways, especially through volunteer work, to share their stories and their insights. I know that many of them are retired, but still active; they keep working to build up this land. I also want to dialogue with all those young people who are working to realize their great and noble aspirations, who are not led astray by facile proposals, and who face difficult situations, often as a result of immaturity on the part of many adults. I wish to dialogue with all of you, and I would like to do so through the historical memory of your people.
My visit takes place at a time when men and women of good will are marking the anniversaries of several great Americans. The complexities of history and the reality of human weakness notwithstanding, these men and women, for all their many differences and limitations, were able by hard work and self-sacrifice – some at the cost of their lives – to build a better future. They shaped fundamental values which will endure forever in the spirit of the American people. A people with this spirit can live through many crises, tensions and conflicts, while always finding the resources to move forward, and to do so with dignity. These men and women offer us a way of seeing and interpreting reality. In honoring their memory, we are inspired, even amid conflicts, and in the here and now of each day, to draw upon our deepest cultural reserves.
I would like to mention four of these Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton.
This year marks the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, the guardian of liberty, who labored tirelessly that "this nation, under God, [might] have a new birth of freedom". Building a future of freedom requires love of the common good and cooperation in a spirit of subsidiarity and solidarity.
All of us are quite aware of, and deeply worried by, the disturbing social and political situation of the world today. Our world is increasingly a place of violent conflict, hatred and brutal atrocities, committed even in the name of God and of religion. We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms. But there is another temptation which we must especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners. The contemporary world, with its open wounds which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we confront every form of polarization which would divide it into these two camps. We know that in the attempt to be freed of the enemy without, we can be tempted to feed the enemy within. To imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place. That is something which you, as a people, reject.
Our response must instead be one of hope and healing, of peace and justice. We are asked to summon the courage and the intelligence to resolve today's many geopolitical and economic crises. Even in the developed world, the effects of unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and thus promoting the well-being of individuals and of peoples. We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.
The challenges facing us today call for a renewal of that spirit of cooperation, which has accomplished so much good throughout the history of the United States. The complexity, the gravity and the urgency of these challenges demand that we pool our resources and talents, and resolve to support one another, with respect for our differences and our convictions of conscience.
In this land, the various religious denominations have greatly contributed to building and strengthening society. It is important that today, as in the past, the voice of faith continue to be heard, for it is a voice of fraternity and love, which tries to bring out the best in each person and in each society. Such cooperation is a powerful resource in the battle to eliminate new global forms of slavery, born of grave injustices which can be overcome only through new policies and new forms of social consensus.
Here I think of the political history of the United States, where democracy is deeply rooted in the mind of the American people. All political activity must serve and promote the good of the human person and be based on respect for his or her dignity. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776). If politics must truly be at the service of the human person, it follows that it cannot be a slave to the economy and finance. Politics is, instead, an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good: that of a community which sacrifices particular interests in order to share, in justice and peace, its goods, its interests, its social life. I do not underestimate the difficulty that this involves, but I encourage you in this effort.
Here too I think of the march which Martin Luther King led from Selma to Montgomery fifty years ago as part of the campaign to fulfill his "dream" of full civil and political rights for African Americans. That dream continues to inspire us all. I am happy that America continues to be, for many, a land of "dreams". Dreams which lead to action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest and truest in the life of a people.
In recent centuries, millions of people came to this land to pursue their dream of building a future in freedom. We, the people of this continent, are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. I say this to you as the son of immigrants, knowing that so many of you are also descended from immigrants. Tragically, the rights of those who were here long before us were not always respected. For those peoples and their nations, from the heart of American democracy, I wish to reaffirm my highest esteem and appreciation. Those first contacts were often turbulent and violent, but it is difficult to judge the past by the criteria of the present. Nonetheless, when the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past. We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our "neighbors" and everything around us. Building a nation calls us to recognize that we must constantly relate to others, rejecting a mindset of hostility in order to adopt one of reciprocal subsidiarity, in a constant effort to do our best. I am confident that we can do this.
Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the Second World War. This presents us with great challenges and many hard decisions. On this continent, too, thousands of persons are led to travel north in search of a better life for themselves and for their loved ones, in search of greater opportunities. Is this not what we want for our own children? We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation. To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Mt 7:12).
This Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us. The Golden Rule also reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.
This conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty. I am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is sacred, every human person is endowed with an inalienable dignity, and society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes. Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty. Not only do I support them, but I also offer encouragement to all those who are convinced that a just and necessary punishment must never exclude the dimension of hope and the goal of rehabilitation.
In these times when social concerns are so important, I cannot fail to mention the Servant of God Dorothy Day, who founded the Catholic Worker Movement. Her social activism, her passion for justice and for the cause of the oppressed, were inspired by the Gospel, her faith, and the example of the saints.
How much progress has been made in this area in so many parts of the world! How much has been done in these first years of the third millennium to raise people out of extreme poverty! I know that you share my conviction that much more still needs to be done, and that in times of crisis and economic hardship a spirit of global solidarity must not be lost. At the same time I would encourage you to keep in mind all those people around us who are trapped in a cycle of poverty. They too need to be given hope. The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes. I know that many Americans today, as in the past, are working to deal with this problem.
It goes without saying that part of this great effort is the creation and distribution of wealth. The right use of natural resources, the proper application of technology and the harnessing of the spirit of enterprise are essential elements of an economy which seeks to be modern, inclusive and sustainable. "Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving the world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the area in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good" (Laudato Si', 129). This common good also includes the earth, a central theme of the encyclical which I recently wrote in order to "enter into dialogue with all people about our common home" (ibid., 3). "We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all" (ibid., 14).
In Laudato Si', I call for a courageous and responsible effort to "redirect our steps" (ibid., 61), and to avert the most serious effects of the environmental deterioration caused by human activity. I am convinced that we can make a difference, I'm sure and I have no doubt that the United States – and this Congress – have an important role to play. Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies, aimed at implementing a "culture of care" (ibid., 231) and "an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature" (ibid., 139). "We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology" (ibid., 112); "to devise intelligent ways of… developing and limiting our power" (ibid., 78); and to put technology "at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral" (ibid., 112). In this regard, I am confident that America's outstanding academic and research institutions can make a vital contribution in the years ahead.
A century ago, at the beginning of the Great War, which Pope Benedict XV termed a "pointless slaughter", another notable American was born: the Cistercian monk Thomas Merton. He remains a source of spiritual inspiration and a guide for many people. In his autobiography he wrote: "I came into the world. Free by nature, in the image of God, I was nevertheless the prisoner of my own violence and my own selfishness, in the image of the world into which I was born. That world was the picture of Hell, full of men like myself, loving God, and yet hating him; born to love him, living instead in fear of hopeless self-contradictory hungers". Merton was above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the Church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions.
From this perspective of dialogue, I would like to recognize the efforts made in recent months to help overcome historic differences linked to painful episodes of the past. It is my duty to build bridges and to help all men and women, in any way possible, to do the same. When countries which have been at odds resume the path of dialogue – a dialogue which may have been interrupted for the most legitimate of reasons – new opportunities open up for all. This has required, and requires, courage and daring, which is not the same as irresponsibility. A good political leader is one who, with the interests of all in mind, seizes the moment in a spirit of openness and pragmatism. A good political leader always opts to initiate processes rather than possessing spaces (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 222-223).
Being at the service of dialogue and peace also means being truly determined to minimize and, in the long term, to end the many armed conflicts throughout our world. Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade.
Three sons and a daughter of this land, four individuals and four dreams: Lincoln, liberty; Martin Luther King, liberty in plurality and non-exclusion; Dorothy Day, social justice and the rights of persons; and Thomas Merton, the capacity for dialogue and openness to God.
Four representatives of the American people.
I will end my visit to your country in Philadelphia, where I will take part in the World Meeting of Families. It is my wish that throughout my visit the family should be a recurrent theme. How essential the family has been to the building of this country! And how worthy it remains of our support and encouragement! Yet I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without. Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family. I can only reiterate the importance and, above all, the richness and the beauty of family life.
In particular, I would like to call attention to those family members who are the most vulnerable, the young. For many of them, a future filled with countless possibilities beckons, yet so many others seem disoriented and aimless, trapped in a hopeless maze of violence, abuse and despair. Their problems are our problems. We cannot avoid them. We need to face them together, to talk about them and to seek effective solutions rather than getting bogged down in discussions. At the risk of oversimplifying, we might say that we live in a culture which pressures young people not to start a family, because they lack possibilities for the future. Yet this same culture presents others with so many options that they too are dissuaded from starting a family.
A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to "dream" of full rights for all their brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton.
In these remarks I have sought to present some of the richness of your cultural heritage, of the spirit of the American people. It is my desire that this spirit continue to develop and grow, so that as many young people as possible can inherit and dwell in a land which has inspired so many people to dream.
God bless America!]]>
For example, in 1882 the hostility toward Catholic immigrants and the policies in place to discriminate against them were so vile, that Father Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in an effort to show that allegiance to our country did not conflict with our faith and to to unite men of Catholic faith in order to help provide for those less fortunate and the families of deceased members (Knights of Columbus, 2015). Also in 1882 Congress passed, and President Chester A. Arthur signed into law, the Chinese Exclusion Act. The Chinese Exclusion Act prevented any Chinese immigrants from entering our country for ten years, thereby creating government policy to exlude entry to our country by a specific ethnic group (Harvard College, 2015). This act was the first major law restricting immigration to the United States, but it was also the beginning of a long history of governmentally authorized prejudicial and discriminating views about those who wished to seek a better life in America. By 1896, journalists were labeling immigrants "a hopeless burden" that would breakdown and destroy the very fabric of our nation (The Atlantic, 2015).
The Immigration Act of 1903 prevented people with epilepsy and beggars from entering our borders, while the Immigration Acts of 1906, 1907, 1917, and 1918 further tightened restrictions by focusing on disabled people, undesirables (aka Catholics, Irish, etc), and those who could not speak English. The Immigration Acts of 1921 and 1924 introduced the idea of immigration quotas, thereby restricting or even freezing all immigration from any particular country based on the ethnic disctribution of that population within the United States at the time (U.S. State Department, n.d.). Since 1903, there have been more than 23 pieces of legislation designed to limit, restrict, control, or even completely stop immigration to our nation. Most of these laws were created out of indifference, hatred, discrimination, fear, and loathing of a particular ethnic group.
As you can see, our current situation with the need for "immigration reform" is not a new one. In fact, we have been instructed how to handle immigration for a very long time. The greatest commandments instruct us to love the Lord, our God, with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind, and to love our neighbor as ourself (Matthew 22: 37-39), and God promises judgment against those who swear falsely, those who oppress the widow and the fatherless, those who cheat the wage earner, and those who deny justice to the foreignor (Malachi 3:5). Archbishop Cordileone concluded his statements by saying, "Such reform, long overdue, should preserve family unity, ensure the due process of law, protect those fleeing persecution and ensure the integrity of our nation's borders" (EWTN News, 2015). We still have a lot of work to do when it comes to immigration reform, and maybe it should begin with a reform of our own hearts.
EWTN News. (2015). Archbishop Cordileone to Congress: Immigrants Are Not All Guilty by Association. Retrieved from http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/archbishop-cordileone-to-congress-immigrants-are-not-all-guilty-by-ass/#ixzz3gjF9hftx.
Harvard College. (2015). Chinese Exclusion Act (1882). Retrieved from http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/exclusion.html.
Knights of Columbus. (2015). History: 1882-1899: The Founding. Retrieved from http://www.kofc.org/un/en/about/history/.
The Atlantic. (2015). Racist Anti-Immigrant Cartoons From the Turn of the 20th Century. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/11/racist-anti-immigrant-cartoons-from-the-turn-of-the-20th-century/383248/.
U.S. State Department. (n.d.) Milestones. Office of the Historian. Retrieved from https://history.state.gov/milestones.]]>