Stuff On The Windshield

With the election less than a month away, many of us are already tired of the barrage of political campaign ads that seem to follow one after the other on television and the radio.  Within one four-minute commercial break the other evening there were eight different political ads.  Each ad featured dark images of the evil one candidate, or another, represented. Many of these ads were not endorsed by any particular candidate, but were offered by various entities on behalf of their own agenda.

Much of the same is happening in the parking lots of parishes throughout the city and the nation as different interest groups leaflet cars.  The 70 million Roman Catholics in the United States represent a sizeable voting block; a block of voters that any candidate or party would like to have in their pocket.  So, the leafleting continues.

Many of you call and ask the parish to put a stop to the practice.  We wish we could.  The parishes of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, and their grounds, are private property and no outside group has permission to distribute materials.  The simple fact of the matter is that many of these groups arrive in teams and within minutes have left their leaflets and have moved on to another parish.

Bearing in mind that the Church endorses no candidate or party, and that neither party represents the fullness of truth as taught by the Roman Catholic Church, we consider leafleting to be an insult to the Church and to you, our parishioners.  We ask you to remember that the materials left on your cars may not represent the teachings of the Church, even if they claim to.  Remember, no truth in advertising laws apply to political campaign material.

What can you do?  First, do not confront anyone you may find placing material on cars.  There are numerous instances where parishioners have been assaulted by those whom they have caught leafleting.  Once material has been placed on a vehicle that material no longer belongs to the one who placed it.  We encourage you to throw the material away, but please do not litter the parish parking lot.  Finally, instead of calling the Church, contact the groups or candidates whose material you find on your vehicle and let them know that you do not appreciate their effort.

The important thing to remember is that each of us is called to form our own conscience about who we vote for.  In a few weeks someone will win and someone will lose in elections all over the country, and we are called to support our elected officials whether we voted for them or not.