European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 04, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday August 4, 1994 commentary  and stripes Page 17 Cardinal acting according to tenets of his Faith William f. Buckley question is Cardinal John o con nor of new York a member of the religious right his statement that he would close Down the Catholic hospitals in new York City before submitting to any Federal Law requiring Catholic doctors and nurses and administrative personnel to collaborate in abortions would seem to put him in the ranks of what the socially sensitive class would shrink from As fanatical. The kind of people known As Funda mentalists Primi Tives the types rep. Vic Fazio the head of the democratic con Gressional Campaign committee was bemoaning As also Bill Clinton the chief Democrat now o Connor is bound by the Cano Law of the Catholic Church and this Law stipulates that anyone who effects a abortion or is complicit in effecting one is excommunicated from the  really ought not to Surprise anyone Given that the Church regards the removal of the fetus As Homicidal in nature. If that s what you believe it is appropriate to act accordingly. And o con nor has taken the Only position he can honorable take pending a new incarnation in which our lord tells us that he was Only kidding about protecting human life -.__now, a Catholic running for political office is free of the constraints of his Reli. Gion to the extent of saying that he will never impose distinctly Catholic codes on the population at Large on the preposterous Assumption that he d have the Power to do so. Needless to say opposition to abortions not an exclusively Catholic position. Before the supreme court moved in 50states imposed restrictions on abortion none of which traced to Catholic ecclesiastical pressure. But a Catholic who is in office of running for office should Stop Short of to reducing his own Faith which is very different from attempting to bind others into it. Consider John Larson. He is a state senator in Connecticut who is leading therace for democratic nominee for Gover Hea insurance nor. He designates himself As a Catholic but there Are a few problems. He favors euthanasia in some circumstances. His opposition to Aid to private or parochial schools is perfectly Okas far As Church Dogma is concerned although in Days gone by would be something on the order of a jewish candidate simultaneously running for office and opposing any Aid to Israel. But it gets especially interesting on the question of abortion. Larson is difficult to understand unless you say Flat out that he is in favor of abortion. In an interview with a Catholic news paper he uttered the witticism if men could be pregnant abortion would be a  some of those who read or heard about this found it less funny than Larson whose spokesman revealed that the crack was not original with Larson rather it came from Florence Kennedy the Savonarola of us. Feminism Well what exactly or. Larson is your position one journalist asked to which the candidate gave the illuminating answer that As governor he would refrain from imposing the doctrines of the Cath Olic Church on Public policymaking a declaration about As informative As that As governor he would not go in for Tor Turing non catholics. The journalist was t quite satisfied and asked him could he schedule an interview on the question to which the answer was in a word no. Somebody should write an essay on How to become an ex-Catholic., it in t really very hard. To become an sex jew is a problem because on the question of whether someone is jewish the most re fined answer to the question who is a jew is whoever considers himself to be one. Still somebody like of Elie Wiesel say would be thought of As jewish even if tomorrow he forsworn jewishness. But Larson or for that matter " other Catholic politicians whose names Spring to mind really bought to Cross that Little aisle he finds so troublesome. Inc Zoura not raise the difficulty on trivial _ matters i Don t believe the feast of the Assumption should be a holy Day of obligation but inasmuch As complicity in abortion is one of Only three offences within the Church that prescribe excommunication a dissident Catholic ought either to internalize his dissent pleading invincible ignorance or else reject the body of doctrine of which the taking of unborn life is a part. That Way candidate. Larson could say that the Wisecrack was Kennedy s but he thinks it dead on. It might lose him some votes but then he d probably gain some too. Hell he can figure out the arithmetic. And will. _ _ _ _ c Universal press Syndicate Leader challenges Blacks to find solutions people who believe a problem can be solved tend to get Busy solving it. Doubters spend their time Mak eng sure everybody knows it s someone else s fault. Hugh b. Price is a believer. The new president of the National Urban league used his keynote address at the league s annual convention in Indianapolis to take on some of the toughest problems facing Black America not to distribute blame but to talk in Plain language about possible  must not let ourselves and especially our children fall into the paranoid trap of thinking that racism accounts for All that plagues us he warned noting that the culprits include economic trends that Irr ascend race even though inner City Blacks May be disproportionately victimized by  was an extraordinary speech with food for virtually every mainstream philosophy a Little demand and a Little self blame a Little Long term development and a Little Here and now realism a Little integration and a Little racial self sufficiency a Little capitalism and a Little economic planning. L. But for me the heart of his remarks was his Call upon Black americans to. Got Busy on the problems nearest at hand the Rescue of our children the Restora Tion of our families and an end to our economic and Sot Cial marginalization. Politicians talk incessantly these Days about taking Back the streets from criminals he said i say we take Back our children from the streets and the streets will take care of   might that be done first with an All out Effort to educate our children for the difficult years ahead not merely by demanding More from schools but also by insisting on More from parents. Price called for the league s affiliates to mount a House by House living room by living room drive to help parents under stand in laymen s terms exactly what their children must know and be Able to do in order to meet 21st-Cen Tury standards of  and after school i propose that each affiliate establish a youth development fund and formulate in conjunction with others in the Community a Mas Ter plan for delivering youth services after school and Over the Summers in churches school settlement houses Community centers Safe Homes museums even National guard  Price 52,-is hardly the first to Call for improved schools better after school facilities or economic Reform. But he is one of the few civil rights leaders who has put the onus of solution not to say the blame on Blacks them selves. The Money for some of those programs for instance would come from our Young Well heeled professionals who Don t yet have family obligations from older Folk like me whose children Are out of College. From the elks the frats and so  his recommendation $500 to $1,000 a year and from people of All races who can afford to give or who cannot give but Are willing to stage fund raisers in Stead. William Raspberry people at All income Levels might tithe their time in direct service he suggested. _ if you Haven t been paying close attention much of what Hugh Price said in that speech will sound fairly routine. It in t. The current civil rights emphasis on racism has the ring of Militancy but it offers no solutions to the deadly problems infecting Black communities. In Many cases it is just another Way of saying it s not my  worse the near exclusive focus on racism has another consequence that no one seems to talk about it produces what appears to be indifference on the part of. Whites. ,. -.  of thei earmarks of the 1960s civil rights movement was the massive involvement of Whites work ing alongside Blacks. Relatively few Whites Are Intima Tely involved today though the problems Are at least As severe. -. -v4,- the difference in the 1960s, the Blacks who led the movement made sure that whiles had a role in it whether As fund raisers As activists or As lobbyists. Today s leaders often offer Whites a single role that of villain. Not surprisingly very few Are applying. Hugh Price who understands the futility of scapegoating is giving White people something to do. That s smart. He s also giving Rne a decently paid seriously concerned but Only marginally involved member of the Black Middle class something to do. That s go Nius. _ " c Washington pc tit