Paul Baumann

Following the news can be exhausting. But that doesn’t absolve us of the duties and responsibilities of participatory democracy.

The pundit has accused Democrats of neglecting God, and moral concerns, in favor of strictly material policy proposals. That’s just not true.

The veneration of relics is a hard thing for many Catholics of this time and culture to wrap their minds around. But the practice is humanizing, not superstitious.

Endless military adventurism abroad and wasteful spending at home has made the United States weaker, not stronger. We need to make better use of the federal budget.

Making real progress toward racial justice requires the input of all Americans, including the so-called ‘privileged’ side. We need alliances, not recriminations.

Serving as a juror was a welcome respite from the vacuous posturing of so much of our public and political culture today. I’d be happy to do it again.