To pray. To vote. To pray. Work. Pray more.

During political unrest listen to St. Augustine of Hippo, who witnessed the fall of the Roman Empire and wrote about it “…what are kingdoms (or nations) but gangs of criminals on a large scale? What are criminal gangs if not small kingdoms?”

That doesn’t make any government look too good. “A gang is a group of men under the command of a leader, bound by an association agreement, in which the loot is divided according to an agreed arrangement,” he wrote in his masterful work. The city of God.

History tells us that many of our Founding Fathers had such a skewed view of human nature. Some would say realistic. My spiritual guide and friend Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR, with fond memory, would say: “somewhat pessimistic. You must believe in the doctrine of original sin.” In a Jersey City accent, he added, “If you don’t believe in original sin, walk through Times Square and it’s all around you.”

Through this lens you can see more clearly that you are not going to vote for a saint, but for someone – and realistically an entire government – ​​who might do less harm to you than someone else. Don’t expect too much more.

Again, we choose imperfect people to work in an imperfect government, but we heap for some peace in our country and in the world. We heap our elected officials will protect us and our neighbors and allow others to deal fairly with each other.

What can you best hope for now?

Please don’t sit out this election.

Our nation needs you.

Our nation especially needs the votes of those who are moral and religious, as John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of another.” Morality and virtue are the foundation of our republic and necessary for a free society.

But should the People of America, once become capable of that deep, simulation towards one another and towards foreign nations, which assumes the Language of Justice and moderation while it is practicing Iniquity and Extravagance; and displays in the most captivating manner the charming Pictures of Candour frankness and sincerity while it is rioting in rapine and Insolence: this Country will be the most miserable Habitation in the World. Because We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by morality and Religion. Avarice, Ambition Revenge or Gallantry, would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

It is with great sadness – and truly heartbreak – that I watch the Democrats, as a whole, succumb to a “language of justice and moderation, while practicing iniquity and extravagance.”

It’s incredibly difficult for me now to imagine that the lesser of two evils is the only group telling me that “reproductive rights” means destroying the child in the womb. This freedom of religion means that religious sisters are forced to promote contraceptives. That parents can be happy that their child is secretly encouraged to go against their own mother or father. The list goes on.

Democrats wholeheartedly support using your tax dollars to fund unlimited abortion on demand. This party actively attacks – at national, provincial and city levels – people and organizations like me who help women choose life for their children. This party is putting peaceful protesters, like my wife Joan, in jail for trying to stop abortionists.

Democrats wholeheartedly support using your tax dollars to fund unlimited abortion on demand. Tweet this

That’s not the only reason not to vote for a Democrat at any level of government.

Criminals who destroy property, attack police officers and commit murders are released from prison or given little or no jail time if found guilty. Maybe the pendulum has swung to the hard side before, but now it’s way too smooth. And do you know who is most damaged by these actions? The poor in their own neighborhood. The Democratic Party supports all these efforts to reduce penalties for offenders.

Over the past three years, we see around the world that the whole world is on fire. Are we on the eve of a new world war? You see hot wars in Europe and the Middle East. China harasses its Pacific neighbors on a daily basis.

Our nation is still the most powerful nation in the world. If we have so much power and influence and don’t use it wisely, other countries will attack their neighbors – neighbors we have promised to help and support. But how much can we continue to help and support when the whole world is on fire?

Republican leaders are by no means perfect. I am deeply saddened and shocked by their willingness to now allow abortion to continue unchecked. But compared to the Democrats who have absolutely no limits on when an abortion can occur and who want to use our tax dollars to pay for everyone’s abortion, the Republicans look healthy.

I can at least call the Republicans and rationally discuss how we can help mothers and babies before and after birth. The Democrats don’t want to talk to me.

Furthermore, Democrats and those who think similarly act as if they are oblivious to every woman who says she is suffering after an abortion. Never is there a word that perhaps the father or one of the relatives suffers in silence – like that brother or sister, grandfather or grandmother. I know many are suffering because I have worked with such family members for almost forty years. I also know that many faith-based groups help men, women, and siblings find healing and hope after an abortion every day.

We always vote for an imperfect person. I would rather have an imperfect person who has some sense of justice for the most vulnerable and a desire to use American economic and military power wisely than someone who has none at all.

Finally, as the grandson of immigrants and someone who has worked most of my adult life to help young immigrants become citizens and find educational and employment opportunities, I know what can be done.

That’s not what any Democratic administration has done in this century. The real tragedy on the frontier is the slave trade. Not only adults but also children are brought into the country illegally and worked as slaves to pay off those who brought them in. This happens when there are few or no controls at the border with a country like ours, allowing vast freedoms to lure people who do not know how to find legitimate paths to education and work. That’s the benefit of border controls: really, to give people legitimate opportunities to get good help, not to be taken advantage of by scammers.

If you won’t vote for Donald Trump and the Republicans to help defend life, bring order, and stop at least some of the massive injustices in our country and around the world, please don’t encourage the other party to to continue this way. which certainly hurts our neighbor, both at home and abroad, and attacks those of us who act on our faith to defend life.

Please join me in praying that this most blessed nation of ours will once again defend and protect life from conception; justly defend and protect life on both sides of our border; defend and protect life by ending wars justly.