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PAGE 4
The Georgia Bulletin
November 20,1980
On The March
The Real Reason For The Landslide
Dave McGill
It looks like the old sixties
coalition is back. And they’re on the
march once more.
We remember well the sweeping
street marchers for justice. Their
persistence broke down tired old
systems of suffering and gave us
liberty under the law.
They are at it again. Catholics,
Protestants, and Jews will join hands
on Sunday next and step out, fully in
public, to say the insidious doctrine of
fascism is unacceptable in our time.
The march of “People Against
Persecution” in downtown Atlanta
proclaims we are a vigilant people,
caring that the predominance of
brotherhood persists.
Thanks to men like J.B. Stoner, the
Neo-Nazis and the undying Klan, ugly
attitudes once again arise in our
communities.
Divisions have appeared.
Separation has taken place and nasty
judgments have been made.
Polarization is felt and community
segregation among all races is being
seen.
The silent march of Sunday next
says call a halt to our wicked ways
and create a new, fresh harmony of
hearts. Before the eyes of citizens who
watch - some caring, others caring not
- the march says we are Biblical
People, proclaiming the brotherhood
of mankind, always placing charity
and its many burdens first.
Prayerfully we say - on with the
march.
I was watching a local news broadcast a
few months ago, and two anchorpeople were
reporting something about nuclear energy. I
remember being embarrassed for my gender
when the lady repeatedly pronounced the
word “nuclear” correctly (nu’-cle-ar), while
the man kept saying it wrong (nu’-cu-ler).
Coincidentally, America’s most
mispronounced word popped up again last
week when 1 ran into my friend Acy
Magnolia, a loyal son of the South. Acy had
finally faced up to the reality that Jimmy
Carter had lost the election and would no
longer be serving as his President. As we
talked, I decided to see if Acy had any idea
why his man Jimmy had been beaten so
badly.
“Well, Acy, what did him in? Inflation?
Unemployment? The Russians? Gasoline
prices? The hostage crisis? Brother Billy?
Defense? Decline in American prestige?
Which was it?”
“It wasn’t any of those things.”
“Well then WHAT? I thought those were
the main issues.”
“Nope. It was a lil-ole seven-letter word
that done him in. During the debate, it
became clear to the American people that
Jimmy couldn’t say ‘nuclear’, and that cost
him re-election.”
“WHAAA-A-A-AT? ”
“That’s right. The American people like
their Presidents to use good English, and
even though most of them say nu-cu-ler,
they want the Chief Executive to pronounce
it right.”
“Hold on there, Acy. Carter doesn’t say
‘nu-cu-ler.’ ”
“True, but then he doesn’t say ‘nuclear,’
either. It grieves me to admit this, but the
President says ‘nukier.’ As in the sentence, ‘I
was talking to Amy and she said our biggest
problem was nukier proliferation.’ ”
“But what makes you think a little thing
like that produced the landslide?”
“Well, there were some who felt that he
had tried to make the switch from nu-cu-ler
to nu-cle-ar and never quite made it, and
that that was indicative of the way he might
fail to change his ways in a second term.
Others heard him occasionally refer to
himself as a nukier engineer, and felt that if
you can’t pronounce your own job title,
you’re in deep yogurt when it comes to
running the country. For example, would
you retain a person to defend you in court
who said he was an ‘attorney-at-law’? Or
hire someone to fix your water pipes who
called himself a ‘plumbler’? ”
“I see what you mean. Do you think this
affected Carter’s attacks on Reagan?”
“Definitely. There were many people
who just didn’t understand what he was
accusing Reagan of, when Jimmy started
spreading all that muck about his opponent
getting us into a nukier war. Now a nuclear
war, that would’ve scared folks, and so
would a nuculer one, but a nukier war didn’t
worry anybody because no one knew what it
was. And that’s how my man lost his job.”
“You’re worried that the best man may
not be sitting in the Oval Office much
longer, aren’t you, Acy?”
“Yeah. But what really bothers me is that
I won’t be going to any more Willie Nelson
concerts in the White House.”
-NCB
Remembering JFK
Joan Cassels
A Special Grandmother
Teresa Gernazian
The year was 1960. For the first time
many of America’s young people began to
take an interest in the political scene. The
reason was a dynamic young senator from
Massachusetts -- John F. Kennedy. We were
too young to notice Harry Truman, too
bored to be interested in Ike, but when
Kennedy spoke, we listened. Those of us in
parochial schools were especially aware of
the significance of electing the first Catholic
President of the United States. Never again
would religion be a barrier to that office.
John Kennedy’s inaugural speech did not
lull us into complacency, but challenged us
to be of use to our country and to put our
talents to work for a land which had given us
much. On that cold January day almost
twenty years ago, a change occurred in many
of our hearts as we watched and listened to
our new President. He had stirred something
within us that no one, save his brother
Robert, has done since.
THE KENNEDY CHARISMA
In November 1963 the National Catholic
Youth Organization held its convention in
New York. One particular morning there was
a panel discussion in a room in the United
Nations Building. Unknown to the CYO, the
President was also in the building. He was
told by a Secret Service agent not to exit a
certain way “because there’s a bunch of
CYO kids having a meeting in there.”
That was all it took. Suddenly, out of
nowhere, the President was standing by the
dais where dazed participants looked up in
disbelief, while a crowd of nuns, priests, and
teenagers cheered and screamed. One girl
recalled: “At first I thought a movie star had
walked in, the way everyone was going wild.
Then I looked to my left and there stood the
President about ten feet from me. It was the
biggest thrill of my life.”
The president spoke to them off the cuff
for about fifteen minutes. The Kennedy
humor was evident as he wryly suggested
that all Bishops were Republicans and all
nuns were Democrats. This brought a great
cheer from the audience which was devoid
of Bishops, of course. With his charming
style and sincere delivery, the President
engraved his image in their memories
forever. Concluding on a serious and
inspiring note, Kennedy said; “I congratulate
you not only on what you have done, but on
what you are going to do.” It was
comforting to know that in a world where
youth received a lot of criticisms and
reprimands that the President of the United
States had faith in us, that he believed we
would somehow be a significant part of the
future world.
After speaking, the President shook hands
with some of the kids and bowed
respectfully to the Sisters. Waving and
smiling that most engaging Kennedy smile,
the President was gone. The entire room was
in chaos and nobody there ever recovered
enough to continue with the meeting.
Exactly one week later our President was
dead.
THE TORCH IS PASSED
Shocked and disbelieving, the cheering
youth of JKF’s era quickly grew to
comprehend the enormity of their loss.
Within five years two other heroes of both
Black and White young people would be
assassinated. These shattering events
triggered a number of different reactions
among us: bitterness, aggression, apathy,
anger and hopelessness. Not since John F.
Kennedy has there been an elected leader
who so inspired America’s young people. In
search of something needed but not
understood many of us lost ourselves.
But those of us who loved and admired
John F. Kennedy can still remember the way
we felt almost two decades ago as our new
leader beckoned us to “truly light the
world.” Our greatest disappointment could
be that we may never feel that way again.
With Thanksgiving approaching and the
Year of the Family coming to a close, I’d
like to focus this column on a lovely lady
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in my
parish. Martha Gilsdorf has not only a
delightful personality but a delightful family
story as well.
Martha was born in Greenleaf, Wisconsin
and after an eight-year nursing career,
married Joseph Gilsdorf in 1928. They
raised seven children on their farm home in
Hilbert, Wisconsin and all are now married
except Sr. Josephine, a social worker at St.
Charles Borromeo Parish in Minneapolis.
Joseph Gilsdorf, Kathryn Orth Wahlmeir,
Mary Pable and James are in other states.
Leo Gilsdorf and Therese Stogner live in
Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish where they
and their families are active and well known
in the community.
If anyone asks Martha how her
grandchildren are, they’d better have plenty
of time to hear her answer. Yes, Martha
happily proclaims 43 grandchildren and
three great-grandchildren. Although she’ll be
84 in June, she can name them all and each
one receives a little gift from her at
Christmas time.
A unique situation in the family came
about when Kathryn was widowed with nine
children and later married Bob Wahlmeier
from Hays, Kansas whose wife had died
leaving him with eleven children. Kathryn
and Bob - in “Yours, Mine and Ours,” style
- soon had a child of their own. Jacinta is
her name and she’ll be two in August.
Kathryn is extremely active in the Right
to Life group in Hays and writes a weekly
pro-life column in the local paper. Martha is
pleased that her daughter Kathryn is active
in this apostolate because as she puts it: “If
they don’t stop killing off all the babies,
there won’t be anybody left to run the
country.”
An interesting side note in this family
story is the fact that Mary and Martha Orth,
Kathryn’s 20 year old twins from her first
marriage, live here in Atlanta and attend
Georgia Tech.
Lots of prayer, discipline and love seem
to be Martha’s recipe for good family life.
She and her husband had the Enthronement
of the Sacred Heart in their home when the
children were growing up and Martha is
especially devoted to Our Lady of Fatima.
Martha lived alone after her husband died
in 1966 until three years ago, at which time
she moved to Atlanta and now resides with
her youngest, Therese. She enjoys baking
and plans on doing a good bit for Christmas.
She belongs to the Senior Citizens, Women’s
Guild and Dorcas Guild and until recently
attended Mass several days a week.
A lady of strength sparked by a flame of
faith, Martha Gilsdorf is a special
grandmother who deserves a word of praise
in the Year of the Family.
Working Women
Sheila Mallon
Resound ... Resound ... Resound ...
To the Editor:
Four years ago I left the Archdiocese of
Atlanta and moved to Lake Ridge, Va.,
which is in the Diocese of Arlington. I left
behind many wonderful friends that I had
made at St. John the Evangelist Church in
Hapeville and at Blessed Sacrament Church
in Atlanta.
These friends helped me grow spiritually.
While at St. John’s I had the great
experience of participating in the “From
Ashes to Easter” program, where Sister
Catherine Donegan and Father John
Adamski especially helped my spiritual
growth. These experiences and friendships
helped me here in Woodbridge.
Through the Georgia Bulletin, I can stay
close to the Church in Georgia. It makes me
very happy to read about all the good things
my old friends are doing. Catholic press
unifies us in a common family no matter
where we live in the world.
Keep up the inspiring work Georgia
Bulletin and all my friends in Georgia!
Mrs. Kristin Bladek
Lake Ridge, Va.
* OKAV, FATHER 1 . GIVE IT TO US
STRAIGHT'" CO ANGELS EAT SPINACH.
CARROTS, AND BROCCOLI ?"
To the Editor:
It is impossible to remain silent when
public dissenter to the Magisterium such as
Monika Hell wig and her fellow travelers on
the road of doctrinal pluralism (GB
(10/23/80) attempt to misuse St. Catherine
of Siena as a front for their dubious
activities.
In his Apostolic Letter (AL) on the Sixth
Centenary of the Death of St. Catherine of
Siena, Pope John Paul II wrote in the
introduction, “I am happy ... to hold her
up again as an example for the faithful, not
only of Italy, but of the whole world.” Her
life was a living testimony of fidelity to the
Magisterium and the Pope whom she called
the “sweet Christ on earth” . . .
On the same page of the Bulletin, another
public dissenter to the Magisterium, Fr.
McBrien says that “someone must have the
scholarly competence and the pastoral
responsibility to exercise critical judgment
toward official teachings . . . ”. On his recent
trip to Australia to promote his book
“Catholicism,” it was apparent that he
considers theologians to be a separate
teaching authority. His remarks on talk
shows, disparaging Humanae Vitae and
priestly celibacy, drew numerous protests.
The Australian hierarchy in September
issued a strong warning to Catholics about
Fr. McBriens’ book, stating in part,
“Catholicism... puts side by side two
things which cannot be equated: the
Church’s authentic teaching and the
opinions of theologians - some of them
quite radical ones. The result can easily be
confusion about what the Church really
teaches.”
In his address at Catholic University on
October 7,1979, the Holy Father quoted his
predecessor, John Paul I who, on the day of
his death stated: “Among the rights of the
faithful, one of the greatest is the right to
receive God’s word in all its entirety and
purity ...” Pope John Paul II then
continued: “It behooves the theologian to
be free, but with the freedom that is
openness to the truth and the light that
comes from Faith and from fidelity to the
Church.
Nancy Molesky
Chamblee
Sex Education has become a synonym for
“fight” in our society. Get six people
together and mention “sex education” and
you’ll probably get six different ideas about
how it should be handled - from those who
feel it should be left completely out of the
school curriculum to those who would force
the most extreme versions into the schools.
Certainly the figures on teenage
pregnancy cannot be ignored but attempts
to deal with it by the dissemination of more
and more sexual information, contraception
and easy access to abortion without parental
consent or even knowledge have not seemed
to put even a dent in the problem.
In fact recently the Atlanta City School
System, acknowledging that they had an
escalating teenage pregnancy problem with
which they were unable to cope, launched
a month long “Let’s Talk” campaign. This
they hoped would involve the parents and
churches as well as schools in the recognition
and hopefully the solving of the dilemma.
The Committee for Pro-Life Activity of
the National Conference of Catholic Bishops
publishes a soft cover book each year,
entitled “Respect Life.” This year the book
contains an excellent article on “Teenagers
and Sexuality” by Sr. Paula Vandegaer,
S.S.S.
She begins by speaking of the concern of
many people today about the proliferation
of abortion, contraception and irresponsible
sexual activity among teenagers. She warns
that it is the symptom of another deeper
problem.
Sr. Vandegaer points out that it appears
“that our age is typically producing
personality disorders - exemplified in people
who casually write bad checks, or who leave
spouses and children with little guilt or
remorse. As for intimate relationships, their
status in our society is seemingly so
precarious that many people spend the
greater part of their time not on getting
involved with people, but on efforts to
achieve self-protection and comfort.”
It seems that in this approach to life
other people are essentially “persons for my
pleasure.” It is not surprising perhaps that
our society is experiencing difficulty
teaching its members to become involved
with others faithfully, intimately, and
caringly on a long term basis.
The origins of this problem lie, Sr.
Vandegaer suggests, in the successive and
repeated disruptions and breakdowns in
relationships. The origin of the problem lies
first within the family and later in the
teenage years, when a youngster begins to
experiment with intimate relationships
during puberty. Our society in both subtle
and overt ways teaches the young to
experiment sexually. Out of wedlock
pregnancy is one result.
While society offers young girls
contraceptives when they become sexually
involved, and abortion when they get
pregnant - neither is an acceptable solution.
Both in fact are psychologically and
physically harmful to the girl. Sister points
out that while “it is argued that
contraception and abortion prevent
unwanted teenage pregnancies ... exper
ience shows just the opposite: where
contraception and abortion have become
standard practice, the teenage pregnancy
rate has risen.”
Among the most common, unconscious
motivations for teenage pregnancy are: A
very poor self image, a desperate need to
love and be loved and hostility toward
parents.
As a society we are producing large
numbers of young people who have been
hurt in their family relationships and later in
their teen age sexual experiments. We teach
them to have pre marital sex, guilt free, and
abortion without repercussions. We offer
contraceptives and abortion instead of loving
support and guidance. Without realizing it
we are producing a generation incapable of
deep, intimate, permanent relationships.
The solutions, Sr. Vandegaer believes, lie in
the kind of family life a child experiences.
She believes that the Church must have a
pre-eminent role and a primary
responsibility for the protection of family
life. There are many movements afoot which
recognize the importance of family life and
are attempting through their various
programs to strengthen it.
Next, teenagers need to be guided in the
development of their sexuality and love.
Sexuality and love are not taught in
classrooms Sister points out; they are taught
through lived experiences.
In conclusion Sister Paula states that
“outside the home today, teenagers are
subject to many powerful influences from
school, media, and peers. They encounter
many forces urging them in the direction of
destructive sexual experimentation. Many
adults in our society have moved away from
basic counseling of young people in chastity.
They offer abortion and contraception
instead . . . We must take a different
approach to the problem, guiding young
people toward respect, intimacy, and the
deepening of their interpersonal
relationships with family, child, boy friend,
and everyone else whom God has made part
of their world.”
~\The
V Gentry ia
Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Most Rev. Thomas A. Donnellan — Publisher
Rev. Monsignor Noel C. Burtenshaw — Editor
Gretchen R. Keiser — Associate Editor
Thea K. Jarvis — Contributing Editor
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