In the online version of my local parish bulletin for April 06, 2008, there appeared dry notice that all lay ministerial and RCIA classes would be cancelled until the FAll; following said date, Obama (D-IL) was in media as saying people who are bitter cling to religious faith; today, as my wife and I were flipping between Weather Channel "local on the 8's" and CLTV "weather on the 1's" circa 6:00 AM, we saw our first CLTV report several Chicago Catholic universities and a grade school would be closed today due to alleged graffiti which said people would die or be harmed. By happenstance, a Pope some Democrats have said is in a Crusade against Islam, and whose catechism isn't controlling in the archdiocese due to same's claims it no longer has power over religious edifices of education, will be in the USA this week; it appears Pope Benedict's photo and related EWTN network generally are kept at low profile in this archdiocese.

 

There are therefore four natural types of suspects, if true: those who oppose the Iraq war or Mid East presence of troops (takes in foreign and domestic, those who say Pope a Crusader, those who say are foreign terrorists boasting the USA won't beat them); those opposed to other Christian confraternity with the Vatican (those in Roman Catholic Church as well as Protestants against "collusion with Rome"); those opposed to "different" catechism and faith being taught (subsets abortion opponents, gay marriage or union opponents, supporters of Christ's divinity, and so forth); and ala Columbine, Virginia Tech, NIU, et al, nutcase students or randoms.

 

I mention because, assuming any graffiti exists as alleged made, lack of popularity of Papal reference and appearance archdiocese survives quite well on donations alone, and parish cancellations amid Obama's remarks, there is unspoken inference at first blush anyone siding with the Pope on ANYTHING from social justice for immigrants to theology may find themselves "of interest" as but one collectivization of suspects; ditto other traditional political people. I should think even Democrats would want to avoid image of possibility Vatican Catholics "get slogged through first" (instead of all, all together) while some say Iraq is but a Crusade and "Bush made up 9/11 against Qaeda"...so "who wants to say they're FOR the Pope this election year?". What if, like me, someone believes, for example, that gay civil unions are within the power of the State...they just don't seem appropriate for Catholic sentiment (akin to pols passionately or obsessively demanding gay marriages, but not indulging in gay acts themselves nor browbeating their own children into doing so; I minus attitude of some to further then withhold society FOR being gay)?

 

There is a tendency today to jump on ANY public threat or tragedy, imply the school of suspects is large, let the story fade away calling the issue "open", and thus alienating many from ANY expressions whatsoever. My own only Church-State issue is, as Pelosi's objection to religious control and oppression re China, what foreign leaders  may make over State funding of religion at all (and ala China, appearance State influences faith texts, dogma, and clergy appointments); and the other month even PFAW objected to waste of faith funds, if accusing only the GOP of it, and surely no one wants Pelosi, PFAW, or me to clam up "or else"...including threats from beneficiaries of any such funding largess.

 

As to security, I myself would like to see inter-governmental forward action on the CLTV story. No one, absolutely no one, should feel they better do or not do something normal, participate or not in traditional political processes, or otherwise not go about routine life, because they might get hurt and there's nothing government can do about it.

 

Just this year, despite claims of "tighter than a tasering tick" security, there's been the easy access violence at Virginia Tech, NIU, an Illinois Lane Bryant; and on Easter Sunday protesters of Iraq war splashed attendees of Holy Name Cathedral with fake blood (story's died down, after one report weeks ago protesters then went to Episcopal Church for bail request, leaving impressions hang for THAT Church)...and now Jimmy Carter even thinks all you can do is make nice with foreign terrorists and keep your fingers crossed, and boo-hoo folks clam up after tragedy/threats never stopped...as if to say the idea is at least killers overseas have no reason to "act up" and if they do afterward, well, next election's four years off, we'll think of something.

 

Wherefore, as I and all persons in my relevant geography, if not the whole USA, could be subject to random attack(s) based on third-party religious or political interest(s), I respectfully submit that all levels of government should work together in identifying truth or falsity of graffiti and any related, if any, and if true swiftly crushing whoever makes threats such as CLTV represented.