God's Shepherd and the Gathering of People

Here's a little history tidbit to start: It was on this day, October 6, 1979, that now-Saint Pope John Paul II became the first Pope to visit the White House.

I take note of this historical event because of the recent Apostolic Visit of Pope Francis to the United States, "Love is our Mission".

Pope Francis has a demeanor that definitely appeals to people--so much, in fact, that I've only heard two people I personally know express criticism of him.  His appeal made his visit garner attention and hype as if he were some big-shot celebrity.

For me, the exciting aspect of his visit was to have the leader chosen by God to be shepherd of the Roman Catholic Church, in the succession of the Apostles, come to present to the people of the United States, sharing his insights with all, even to those beyond the Roman Catholic Church.

I had toyed with the idea of traveling to the East Coast for weeks to be present for parts of his visit.  While they ultimately didn't materialize, I watched two events live:  his speech before Congress, and the concluding Mass of the World Meeting of Families, as I made it my business to arrange my schedule so I could do so.  And I followed his visit all six days, taking in the coverage on NBC Nightly News, which afforded me the opportunity to watch live his arrival at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on Thursday, September 24.  I also looked over the text of some of the other speeches he gave.  Throughout them all, his shepherd's touch was present, as he spoke to us about how to live out the truth of God and the principles of faith.

In his speech before Congress, in addition to having that shepherd's touch, he also spoke to the United States experience.  He even acclaimed, at the start of the speech, how privileged he was to speak in "the land of the free and the home of the brave", which floored me.  He appealed to our highest values and ideals, as demonstrated in four individuals: Abraham Lincoln; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton, speaking on liberty, justice, the Golden Rule, respect for life, collaborating, and working together in difficult situations.  He truly spoke the wisdom of God that adds so much meaning to life.

It was amazing to hear these gracious words come from his mouth, and to think of the historic nature of the occasion.  Pius VI was Pope in 1789 when the first session of the US Congress was held, and here now, 16 pontiffs later, was the first Pope to address this body.  And how beautiful it was when he stepped out onto the balcony of the US Capitol, and in his remarks, spoke words of blessing upon the children, another touch of God's shepherd.  (It was also very notable to watch him pause at the statue of Padre Junipero Serra in the Capitol on his way to the balcony, a man he had canonized a day earlier.)

His shepherd's touch was present as he mourned and honored the victims of 9-11 during an interreligious service at the Ground Zero Memorial, as he also spoke of the resolve that this tragedy can bring us, the living, together to work for and live in hope for peace.

He spoke again to the American experience in his speech at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, especially the American value of religious freedom, that people of different beliefs can come together for the good of society, as each religion has principles that speak to doing good and focusing on the higher purposes in life.

Then there was the concluding Mass for the World Meeting of Families on Sunday the 27th.  It was amazing to see the thousands upon thousands gathered for Mass in Philadelphia along Benjamin Franklin Parkway.  Pope Francis truly demonstrated his role as Pope by calling for us to lay aside that which divides us and be united as God's people.  He furthermore stated how important this is to start in the family, the smallest unit of Church, which nurtures the faith that allows us to shine in the world, even in the small things, like a nice, warm supper, or a loving hug from a loved one, especially after a rough day.

Indeed, the Pope's role is to be a sign of the Church's unity, and that was further symbolized by how people came together upon the occasion of his visit to the United States.  This visit was memorable in how the people came and the Pope spoke to his flock, drawing from the principles of faith and the teachings of the Church, even as he embraced the opportunity to visit the people in the US with much gratitude, sentiments he so beautifully stated in remarks shortly before his departure on Sunday the 27th.  Now we go forth, like Saint Junipero Serra did, boldly proclaiming the Gospel and testifying to the power of God's reign in our world as we live out the principles of faith in which we have been instructed by God's shepherd on Earth.

Thank you, Holy Father, for coming and encouraging us here in the United States.  And as you, as a good and decent shepherd of the Lord, in the succession of St. Peter, humbly asked for our prayers, we shall certainly pray for you as you continue your work, even as you continue to pray for and shepherd us, that we may walk before God, unto Eternal Life.

P.S. To find the text of the speeches and homilies Pope Francis gave, as well as other resources for his visit, please visit this page on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Rethinking Banned Books Week

This week marks Banned Books Week, an effort sponsored by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom.  It brings awareness to the many books that have been challenged in, and removed from, libraries.  The ALA is a major advocate of people's freedom to read, view, and access whatever materials they please, and considers any removal of books a matter of censorship that violates citizens' 1st Amendment rights.

I think there's validity to the principles advocated by the American Library Association (ALA).  Libraries have removed books because one person objects to even so much as a small detail in the book, like a dictionary that can allow a child to look up an expletive.  And if such actions are taken unchecked, things could get out of control, as one's persons objections could remove all manner of materials, even something like a book that contains images of the Sistine Chapel.

But I strongly feel the ALA should rethink its whole approach to book challenges.

The reality is that librarian professionals are not supposed to cast judgment on material people want to access based on its content.  Yet the ALA gets uptight when someone wants to challenge a book based on what is sometimes a legitimate concern.  For example, it's clear that pornography affects the mind of the person viewing it.  Some people, like in the ALA, would claim such a statement is just someone's opinion, and is not sufficient reason to remove a pornographic item from the library, and a similar line of reasoning is used to advocate against barring access to pornography on public library computers, even for children.  Furthermore, library policies on book challenges are set up in such a way so that a challenge would never be accepted, but pretty much always denied.

Librarians are also not supposed to judge patrons' reference questions.  Even a seemingly silly question usually has a legitimate purpose behind it, like in this tutorial video when a woman asks if birds can fly because she wants to take her pet bird with her on a commercial airplane flight.  A good librarian is supposed to take the time to discern that purpose through a reference interview.

I feel the community of librarian professionals should approach objections to books in the same way.  Instead of having a hands-off approach, they should take the time to communicate with the person making the objection, and understand what's behind it.  Challenges to library material could then be turned into a great opportunity to open up a community forum to discuss how best to address difficult issues, like how to limit pornography's devastating effects in society, or how to teach children to avoid using inappropriate language in a society where it has become more commonplace.

So while it may not be in the best interests of libraries to remove books on a whim because of one objection, the idea of belittling people's objections through something like Banned Book Week is not any more acceptable in my mind.  It's unfortunate that both sides on this issue are taking past each other, rather than dialoging about the larger issues at stake.

I feel Banned Book Week would be more meaningful if it aimed to foster healthy dialogue about making our society a better place.

In Celebration of 1783

It's once again that momentous day, September 3, which was the day when the Treaty of Paris 1783 was officially signed, formally ending the American Revolution, by which Great Britain recognized the independence of the United States of America.

On this high patriotic occasion, I offer some thoughts, as I think back to the July 4 ceremony I attended at the Chicago History Museum a couple of months ago.

The keynote speaker was Ron Gidwitz, who is active in Republican politics in Illinois, and ran for the Republican gubernatorial nomination back in 2006, and is a frequent attendee of this event.  He said that so many people sacrificed for the good of this country, even making the ultimate sacrifice.  We owe to them to be involved in the process of our government.  It all starts with voting.  He rebutted the idea that "my vote doesn't matter", noting that in the recent Chicago municipal elections, one of the aldermanic races was won by less than 100 votes.  He further noted that the turnout was less than 50% of the population of that ward, so that a relatively small number of people selected the alderman.

Personally, while I recognize special interests dominate the political process, that's no excuse to not vote.  Not voting doesn't change anything.  The only hope we have for changing anything is to vote.

Mr. Gidwitz then said we should be involved by communicating with our elected officials.  Our form of government is about their being accountable to us, and dialoging with us.  So we should speak up, and let our officials know what's on our minds.

 I hold dear in my heart these actions and the principles behind them.  We are fortunate to have this form of democratic republican government in this country, even if it's not perfect, which no government is.  We should make good of it by being involved in the process.

So on this day celebrating our country, I urge you to get out and be involved.

Points for Considering a Vulnerable Population

August means its recess time for the members of the United States Congress, when they leave Washington, DC, and spend time in their home districts.  Many hold town halls for constituents.

My Representative, Danny K. Davis (D-IL-7) held a town hall at Oak Park Village Hall back on the evening of Thursday, August 6.  When it concluded, I approached him, and said I had a burning question to ask him, which he agreed to field.  In this blog post, I relate, to the best of my memory, what happened during the course of our conversation.  It started in the Village Board Council Chambers, and proceeded through the hallways of Village Hall out into the parking lot--so we were talking as we walked along, over the course of 5 minutes or so.

I have contacted Representative Davis several times on defending one of the most vulnerable populations in our society, the unborn.  Once, when I called his office regarding legislation before Congress addressing abortion, the staff person who picked up the phone told me that Representative Davis "supports a woman's right to choose".  So when I was talking with Representative Davis himself this evening, I told repeated this sentiment, and he acknowledged that is indeed his stance on the issue of abortion.

Then I told him that I believe when a human embryo is conceived in the womb, it has its own unique DNA, and thereby is a human person with human rights, deserving protection.  I then told Representative Davis that it would appear that he would not agree that human rights begin at the moment of conception.  So then I pressed the question:  If human right don't start at the moment of conception, when do they begin?

Representative Davis responded, "I really don't know", and then continuing his answer so as to suggest that there needs to be more discussion to arrive at an answer to the question of when human rights begin.  He then reiterated his opinion in supporting a woman's right to choose what to do with her body.  He mentioned something about how he was raised to adhere to the principles of the Bible, in which God created people, and somehow, though I don't remember exactly, that led to his reiteration of his stance on abortion.  I then asked, "Does that include an unborn woman's right to choose?"  He started his reply saying that he's not really sure if there is such a thing as an unborn woman.

As we neared the door leading out to the parking lot, I then pressed the matter further, saying that the Declaration of Independence speaks of the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  If a human person is aborted, his/her life is taken away, and is thereby denied the right to life, as well as being denied the rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Representative Davis said that there would need to be more discussion to sort out the issues of when and where one person's rights stop, and where another person's rights begin.

There's a lot to consider in Representative Davis's responses.  For starters, let's go back to his response to my initial question, that if human rights don't begin at the moment of conception, when do they begin?  As I told Representative Davis, at the moment of conception, the embryo has a unique DNA, distinct from that of the mother and father, and so it's only logical to say at that moment, the embryo is a human person, and so the protection of human rights begins at the moment of conception.  If it doesn't begin at the moment of conception, there's really no other logical moment at which human rights would start.  It doesn't make sense to say human rights begin at birth, because the fetus shows signs of being a human person even before birth, signs which are staggered throughout the pregnancy.  So Representative Davis, in a way, aptly states that he doesn't know when human rights begin if not at the moment of conception, because there's no other logical moment to fix as the starting point for the protections of human rights if not at conception.

(Representative Davis's answer reminds me of the answer then-US Senator Barack Obama gave at a forum during the 2008 presidential campaign moderated by Pastor Rick Warren.  When posed with the question of when a baby has human rights, Mr. Obama said that it was a matter "above his pay grade".  In my mind, that reflects how there's no other reasonable answer to give if not at the moment of conception, as Senator McCain straightforwardly stated in his answer to that same question.)

And then there are the comments Representative Davis offered toward the end of our conversation, when, in pressing the matter, I evoked the idea of the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  The advances of modern medicine have unleashed the horrors of abortion:  The scariest part of it is that an abortion is done in the name of the rights of a woman, so as to relinquish any rights the unborn person has.

Throughout history, people have asserted power in such a way that quashes the rights of others.  In the past, people were denied rights and other opportunities based on characteristics like the color of skin, ethnicity, or religion.  And although our society has progressed to allow people the greater realization of their God-given rights, the medical ability to perform abortions has opened Pandora's box, allowing for a denial of the rights of people simply because they aren't yet born, even the basic right to live.  Abortion, therefore, is like a step backward in the progress of fuller realization of our God-given rights.  While I have many reasons to oppose abortion, this idea of the denial of a basic right is an important one, the starting point that addresses the big picture for why I am pro-life, and believe the sanctity of human life commences at the moment of conception.

If you disagree with me, I encourage you to consider the points I have mentioned in this blog post based on how Representative Davis responded to my pressing the issue of abortion on him.  If you agree with me, I hope the points I give in this blog post help you in seeing the big picture of why we believe in the sanctity of human life.

Master of My Destiny: Installment 4

This post is part of my "Master of my Destiny" series of blog posts in which I share about my happenings in graduate school.

After having a focus during my first term on the fundamental matters of library and information science, this summer term, my second semester in the program, was an opportunity to take the next steps by delving into more specifics and do more practical work. 

Library User Instruction class was notable for its educational focus, tailored to those studying library and information science.  There were some lectures, and the content touched upon topics like learning theories, student behaviors, and human mentality, topics that undoubtedly are the focus of entire courses for those studying education, but were covered in just a few minutes in this class.  (During one lecture on human mentality and perceptions people have, I did something very dangerous that I wouldn't normally do:  I openly told others how I honestly feel about President Barack Obama, without even feeling out their political views first.  Fortunately, within the context of this part of the lecture, my strong feelings stayed contained without opening a can of worms.)

The main focus of this class was engaging in actual instruction, in the form of presentations. For the first two, which were individual, we taught how to use a tool.  The third one was a group presentation in which we taught a concept, and then, in our groups, we transferred the content of the presentation into an electronic learning object.  Not only did we have to explain the ideas, but we had to work on effectively conveying the information, and engaging the audience, involving them in the learning process, as well as assessing their understanding.

I had an adjunct professor for this class.  His regular job is working as a librarian at Moraine Valley Community College.  He was able to bring good insights from his work in instruction to enhance what we were learning in this class.

Another class I had was Collection Management.  The collection is the core part of a library, and the big take away from this class was the importance of a plan to guide the library in knowing what to include, and then how to discard items that are no longer useful in the collection, all to serve the needs of the users.  (If you're interested, here is an example of a collection policy, that of the Oak Park Public Library: http://oppl.org/about/policies/collection-strategy-statement)

In learning about managing library collections, we looked at library collection policies and discussed them in class.  We also did practical exercises to get a feel for how to manage a collection:  Our first big assignment was to create a seed collection for a library in a specific geographical area.  The second big assignment was the weeding assignment, which involved examining the books on two different sections of shelf in the Dominican University Rebecca Crown Library to determine if each was worth keeping, or should be removed from the collection.  The final big assignment was working in pairs to create a library user survey, which is a process that isn't as easy as it might seem.  It’s difficult to use just the right wording for the survey questions to get at the information needed, as well as keeping it concise to ensure high response rate.

For this class, I also had an adjunct professor, who is the director of the Berkeley Public Library, a suburb at the west edge of Cook County, just to the east of Elmhurst.  (I visited her library, and though it's quite small in comparison to what I'm used to about Oak Park's library, they have a lot available there in the items, programs, and amenities.)  All the time in class, she drew from her many job experiences, past and present, in sharing insights about library work, never afraid to share her opinions about the good, the bad, and the ugly of libraries.

I was fortunate to have another class with this same professor this semester: Government Information Resources, which met once in person, and then the rest of the work was online.  She showed much enthusiasm for the material, having once been a government documents librarian.  The focus of this class was learning about the resources produced by the US government, which is the largest producer of information in the world.  We focused mostly on resources from federal agencies, although there were some resources we looked at from state governments and even international governmental organizations.  The first resource we looked at was the US Government Manual, a 600-page book that details all the agencies of the US government.

From there, we looked at different types of resources, like law codes, and those pertaining to the environment, health, and business.  For each type, we completed exercises, searching for specific items, like President Theodore Roosevelt's personal correspondence, wild burro adoption schedules in Wyoming, recreation areas in Illinois, information on doing business in foreign markets, the president's daily schedule, information on lyme disease, and government regulations.  It could be tricky to find certain things, but in general, I enjoyed the opportunity to look around government websites, which I enjoy doing anyway on my own for fun.

In both of my in-person classes, we had many opportunities to critique each other’s work, and I welcomed the chance to have such discussions in a respectful, collaborative environment.  It was certainly helpful for the second presentation in Library User Instruction for the feedback I received and offered, and it got pretty involved when discussing the user surveys in Collection Management.

Indeed, I kept active during these summer months, delving into specifics of library and information science, and having a good dose of fun along the way.  And now, I am halfway through obtaining my degree--kind of like getting the "M" and "L" of my MLIS.  There's much I've been enjoying about this program, and it's great that I enhance it now that I've started an actual library job.

I’ve also been able to see how my participation in LIS connects with the higher purposes of life.  Nothing could have better underscored this than the discussions in the first session of Library User Instruction class.  Instruction is a process, especially in how we constantly work to improve our abilities, a major take-away from the entire class.  Part of this process is assessing where we are in the liminal space moving from where we are to our ultimate goal.  In the midst of this process, there are Kairos moments, a sense of time when something critical happens--different from the sense of chronological time.

The ideas my professor was talking about during the first session made me think about my own experiences teaching Religious Education at my home parish.  I knew this summer class would be valuable not just for my possible career goals, but also to enhance my ability to teach in that capacity, too, as teaching is part of many aspects of life.  So I felt challenged to really work at enhancing my abilities, while I also also felt excited at the opportunity to do so.

Indeed, through such lofty insights, I can see how this degree program is driving me toward a career that fits in with the larger picture of my life’s overall vocation, which I feel I have been led to by the One Who is really the Master of my Destiny.

Celebrating a Special Friendship

This day, Friday, August 7, six years ago was a very memorable day indeed.

In just over 2 weeks from this date, I would be off to move in at Valparaiso University (ValpU).

But this day, around 9 AM, I was at Chicago Union Station, to start a friendship with the remarkable Zachary (Zach) Mashburn.  We were assigned as roommates, to share a space together for our first year.  We decided to meet ahead of time, and so we spent this day ambling around in Chicago, in the downtown area, and then getting out to some neighborhoods on the near Southwest Side.

We began a great relationship that day, getting along so well that we ended up spending nearly three years together as roommates during our shared time at ValpU.  We would enjoy many other moments together, from Lankenau Hall to Wehrenberg Hall, and then some, especially as we shared the experience of the meteorology major.  And there were some less than savory experiences that we would commiserate over together.

There are only a few people in my life who I would consider very close friends--many of which started in college, in fact--and Zach is among them.  From the start of our time together, he would demonstrate himself to be a friend like no other--true "kindred spirit" as my Grandma might say.

When being more or less randomly assigned a college roommate can certainly open up a range of possibilities, some of them not so good, to put it lightly, I was incredibly fortunate to be placed with Zach.  It certainly helped that we shared similar perspectives on the often controversial topics of politics and religion.  We certainly shared a number of laughs cracking jokes on certain politicians--who, for the purpose of this blog, shall remain unnamed.  I also appreciate the godliness Zach has shown, which was an encouragement to me during my college years, when many positive influences bolstered my faith.

I would also always be amazed at how Zach is so accommodating, as he sought to ensure I was comfortable in the space we shared.  And he's polite, drawing from his Southern upbringing, addressing other adults as "ma'am" and "sir", even the waitress at the restaurant we went to once, who we found out was younger than both of us.

I've furthermore appreciated the support Zach has shown me.  He's helped me really open up by being present with a listening ear whenever I have a problem or some other issue I'm facing.  It was a big help throughout our time in college, with all the stresses, both academic and personal, even after the time we ceased being roommates.  Plus, he's a great person just to spend time with, and I've been glad to have opportunities since graduation to do just that.  He also has an interesting sense of humor, with phrases like, "Sleep is for the weak", and "Pencils are for people who make mistakes", always spoken with a smirk.

We certainly forged a special bond, and it's one I still feel to this day, as it transcends time and space.  And that's why I'm celebrating the gift of friendship this day with Zach.

Master of My Destiny: Installment 3

I think of the adage, "Time flies when you're having fun" to describe this summer term.  I've been in such a flurry of activity with my classes that I haven't found the chance to sit down and do an update yet.

This summer term, I'm getting beyond the required core classes and more in-depth with library studies.  The three classes I have are Library User Instruction, Collection Management, and Government Information Resources.  The second two are with the same professor, one face-to-face, and the other one mostly online, though we did meet in-person once.  My two professors are both adjunct, and they have jobs elsewhere, and they bring with them the sense of what it's like being out in the field doing this work.  And I enjoy hearing their perspectives and working with them.

We've had the opportunity for some great discussions in class--especially the first class sessions back in May--and the assignments involve very practical work, like instructional presentations and building a library collection.  I've also had fun surfing around government websites looking for information like 1790 census information and the President's Daily Schedule.

Upon the conclusion of the term, I'll give a more detailed update, with more about all the fun I've been having.