The Elections...

                                                                        A Prudent Vote…

Amid the noise and insults, the lies and accusations, what’s a responsible Dominican to do as this election draws near? It is tempting indeed to simply say, “I’m just not going to vote.” Yet we all know this is an abdication of one of our most treasured rights and responsibilities as citizens. Dominicans preach first from the pulpit of their lives, so our lives must speak from the voting booth too.

The updated 2016 Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship from the American bishops can be of help to us. (USCCB website) The bishops call us to use prudence as we go to the poles. Simply speaking, prudence is Love’s fairness. It asks that we consider all that is at stake in an issue, leaving nothing out, or looking at only one part of an issue. Then we recall our Catholic values. Finally, we choose the person or policy that gets closest to realizing those values best, or more of them.

Even more helpful and practical, the bishops put before us four Social Justice principles that guide us in doing this prudent evaluation. With these principles in view, prudence has its work cut out for it. Using our intelligent laser beam, we examines the candidates and issues in light of all of these principles, and then makes our choices. The candidate or the issue may not be perfect on all the values we as Catholics, as Dominicans, hold dear, but the principles offer criteria to evaluate who best might get us close to them.

What are the four principles we can use as we make our choices? First, the bishops remind us of the dignity of human life at all its stages. How inclusive about this is the candidate? Second, we seek the common good of all, not just some of us by class, wealth, or position. Who does the candidate leave out in this “common good?” Who is invisible in his or her point of view? Third, subsidiarity. Simply put, whose voice is not being heard from the bottom of the ladder? Are we hearing only from those who speak from power? Finally, solidarity. We need to stand with each other, the very poorest with the richest. Who is being left out in the vision of the candidate? Who is being drawn in? Who is this candidate for? Which candidate wants to unite us?

In the final assessment, no candidate will shine on all these principles. But we will know, with a little thought and prayer, who comes the closest on all of them, not just settling for one of them. Using our prudence, and the study that is part of our Dominican charism, then we vote.