Denver Catholic

DENVER CATHOLIC | OCTOBER 8-21, 2016 B3 treasures mom's choice for incomparable gift for," Miranda wrote in a column. "[Mom] was surrounded by safety and faith and love." Calling the hospice "one of the greatest blessings to our family," Miranda was so grateful that she served as an intern for it the summer after her mother's death. "In that last month of her life, Divine Mercy not only supported my mother but also our family," she wrote. "We all had the comfort of knowing that we were doing all that we could to make her time on earth as peaceful and joyful as possible. "On Sept. 28, 2014, my mom passed away. She was 50 years old and losing her at age 19 was the most challenging thing I have ever had to endure. God does not make bad things happen; but when they do, he will carry you through it and bring you many blessings in the midst of your su'ering." See and hear Miranda share her experi- ence at www.archden.org/life BY AARON LAMBERT T his election season, in addi- tion to Proposition 106, there are two other Colorado ballot measures that the Colorado Catholic Conference and Colorado's bishops are urging Catholic voters to take firm stances on. The first, Amendment 69, is a new universal healthcare plan being pushed by the State of Colorado, dubbed "Col- oradoCare," and would contract with healthcare providers to pay for certain healthcare benefits and responsible for administering Medicaid, children's basic health programs, and all other state and federal healthcare funds. Jenny Kraska, executive director of Colorado Catholic Conference, said they are opposed to Amendment 69 not only because of the way the bill is writ- ten, but because it has several "pitfalls and dangers" associated with it. "Practically, in terms of how the [ bill] is written, it's a very poorly writ- ten amendment that would a'ect our constitution," Kraska said. "The other really troublesome aspect of it is the plan would be managed by 15 people who would have not necessarily any background or experience on anything having to do with medicine at all. "They have to be elected but the problem is they can't be fired. There's no ability via the law to do a recall. We could potentially be putting people on here that end up not implementing the things we want them to implement without any recourse for having a pro- cess to legitimately get rid of them if they're not doing their jobs. Although in theory providing more healthcare and access to more people is important, Amendment 69 is the wrong way to go about it." The second measure, Amendment T, deals with a provision in the Colorado Constitution that still allows for inden- tured servitude by convicted criminals; the term "slavery" is used in the pro- vision. This is a referred amendment that was agreed on by both legislative chambers to be placed on the ballot. Colorado Catholic Conference is for Amendment T. "The reason it got so much biparti- san support is there's still a reference to slavery in terms of punishment for crimes that are committed in our con- stitution," Kraska said. "The bishops feel that it is a wrong thing to still have in our Colorado constitution, so we're asking people to vote to reclude that reference from our constitution per- manently, therefore our position is to vote yes on Amendment T." Two more ballot measures Catholics should vote on PRAYER BEFORE AN ELECTION Lord God, as the election approaches, we seek to better understand the issues and concerns that confront Colorado and our nation, and how the Gospel compels us to respond as faithful citizens in our community. We ask for eyes that are free from blindness so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters, one and equal in dignity, especially those who are victims of abuse and violence, deceit and poverty. We ask for ears that will hear the cries of children unborn and those abandoned, men and women oppressed because of race or creed, religion or gender. We ask for minds and hearts that are open to hearing the voice of leaders who will bring us closer to your Kingdom. We pray for discernment so that we may choose leaders who hear your Word, live your love, and keep in the ways of your truth as they follow in the steps of Jesus and his Apostles and guide us to your Kingdom of justice and peace. We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. SOURCE: USCCB Miranda Smith's mother, Jane Smith, died of brain cancer in 2014. Jane received end-of-life care and chose to die a natural death. PHOTO BY ANDREW WRIGHT BE UNAFRAID The worst thing a Catholic could do is not exercise their right to vote, and Father Morehead suggested that Catho- lic voters would do well to take the easy way out and resist the temptation not to take a stand. "To not take a stand is to take a stand, which is not a good stand.« God is calling us to act and to be unafraid," he said. "Presidents, governors, kings and queens will all come and go, but the one thing that abides is God, and we must always keep our eyes turned on him, focused on him, and everything must be directed back to him. "We as Christians have to have this commitment, interior and exteriorly, that our true citizenship lies in Heaven, and everything we do here on earth is oriented towards that. We need to be countercultural by engaging this pro- cess with a great act of faith." REPUBLICAN KEY ISSUE DEMOCRATIC In accordance with the Church's teachings on life, the Republican platform seeks to uphold the dig- nity of all life, from conception until natural death. HUMAN LIFE The democratic platform maintains a position of supporting reproductive health care and advocates for the woman's right to choose. Opposes the "use of public funds to perform or promote abortions or to fund organizations" such as Planned Parenthood. PLANNED PARENT- HOOD Pledges to fight e°orts to defund Planned Par- enthood, which they maintain o°ers "critical health services to millions of people." Supports "the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanc- tity of innocent human life." JUDGES Seeks to appoint judges who defend "a wom- an's right to safe and legal abortion" and "curb billionaires' influence over elections." Values "the right of America's religious leaders to preach, and of Americans to speak freely according to their faith." RELIGIOUS LIBERTY Believes "in lifting up and valuing the good work of people of faith and religious organiza- tions and finding ways to support that work." Supports traditional marriage as "the union of one man and one woman" and condemns Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, that changed the definition of marriage. MARRIAGE Applauds "decision by the Supreme Court that recognized LGBT people—like every other American—have the right to marry the person they love." Continues to support marriage reform. A comparison of 2016 Party platforms

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