Equally Sacred

Note: The following was co-authored by Sister Emily TeKolste, SP, and Providence Associate Jane Fischer

In 2021 at the height of the pandemic, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act. This bill increased the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 per child to $3,600 per child for one year and made the full credit amount available to children whose parents had low or no income in a given year. Starting in July of 2021, families received advanced monthly payments for half of the total credit amount. 

From 2020 to 2021, federal policy cut the child poverty rate nearly in half. As one parent said, “It felt so good to make sure my kids had new clothes to go to school the first day.” More than 90 percent of families with lower incomes used their monthly payments to make sure their families had food, working utilities, a roof over their heads, clothing to wear and their educational needs met.

On this month’s episode of JUSTus, Sister Eilis McCulloh and Meg Olson from NETWORK Advocates shared their Equally Sacred Checklist voting guide with us. Together we unpack the impact of federal policy in our everyday lives and why elections matter in making sure that policy addresses the issues we face. As Meg says during the episode, “Voting is an act of solidarity.” 

Six Freedoms for All

NETWORK’s Equally Sacred Checklist highlights six freedoms that all people should have:

• Freedom to be healthy. This includes access to affordable health care, prescription medications and healthy, non-processed food.
• Freedom to live on a healthy planet. This includes addressing the climate crisis and preventing corporations from dumping toxic waste into our backyards.
• Freedom to participate in a vibrant democracy. This is where candidates refuse to use violent language or threats, all people have access to voting and have an equal say in our shared future.
• Freedom to care for ourselves and our families. This is when all families can afford to keep a safe and hazard-free roof over their heads and food on the table.
• Freedom from harm. A time when all people can be safe in their schools and their neighborhoods.
• Freedom to live in a welcoming country. A country that values dignity and human rights so that those who are newly arrived in our nation have just as much of an opportunity to participate in our shared flourishing as those born here. 

Voting is often based on family tradition and history. It has also been tied to jobs and education. We have been told and learned that voting is our duty as a citizen. How we vote reflects how we feel about others and our community. The private moment in the voting booth is a good time to examine your conscience and ask: Will my vote express my desire to help others?

See the voting determinants below to help you determine how you will vote in any election. It may be that your vote will be based on which party’s policies most align with your values – then cast your vote based on your values.

Vote Determinants: Policy, Person, or Party?

Policy: The policies that you favor are critical.  Take a look at what government departments and agencies can do. What issues matter most to you, your loved ones, and your community? What policies can help address those issues?

Person: This is the candidate you will vote for. If you are having difficulty choosing the Person/Candidate, then look at the position that the candidate is promoting and how important that position is to you, your loved ones and community.

Party: The last step in determining your vote is which Party is behind your basic values. Here is your ultimate scorecard: Which party supports the policies that care for programs like health, your family, your transportation, your wages, etc?  

Typical Campaign Vocabulary

Here is some vocabulary you may come across when discussing campaigns and reading about policies and proposals. These will also help you decide how to vote.  

• Dark Money refers to money spent for political purposes where the donor name(s) are not disclosed. This money can come through a political nonprofit or a Super PAC (Political Action Committee). We often see the ads and promos sponsored by these groups and they are usually unfamiliar to us.  
• Dog Whistles – a word or phrase subtly coded to activate a certain (often unconscious) belief or appeal to a certain group of people without directly addressing them. This allows the speaker to deny any specific intent by using coded language or loaded language. Often dog whistles are coded racist terms – tough on crime activates an unconscious anti-Black bias, international bankers is coded anti-Semitic language, and tree huggers is often used as antagonistic language to denigrate people concerned about the environment. Watch this University of Oregon video on dog whistles to learn more about this concept.
• Multi-Issue Voter – According to the Catholic News Agency, voters should weigh the issues, while also considering character, leadership abilities, and integrity before casting a vote in any candidate’s favor. In other words, we cannot be single-issue voters. We must seek information about other issues and circumstances before casting our vote. Pope Francis makes it clear: Catholics and all people of goodwill are called to be multi-issue voters, not single-issue voters. 

My vote – and your vote – can benefit others! When we vote with others in mind, all of society benefits.