Person of the Year

In an informative but somewhat slanted article the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported today that ESPN has reversed its earlier decision refusing to run an ad sponsored by the Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center that celebrates the birth of Jesus. Dan Buck, executive director of Cardinal Glennon, said he received a call from Josh Krulewitz at ESPN explaining the reversal. As the conversation between the two men concluded Krulewitz said "Happy Holidays" and Buck responded with "Merry Christmas."

Voter signatures in support of the Children's Education Initiative (CEI) are coming in to the MCC at this time from both rural and urban Missouri. St. Francis of Assisi in Nixa, Missouri delivered a bundle of notarized Petition Pages to the MCC this week, as did Trinity Catholic High School in North County St. Louis. In order to get on the November 2014 election ballot, we will need voter signatures from all regions of our very diverse state. Thank you Nixa and Trinity Catholic!

Anyone 18 years of age or older and registered to vote can sign the CEI petition, and that includes most of the seniors attending our Catholic high schools. High schools can set up times and places so seniors who support CEI can sign the petition. Just keep in mind that it is the voter's choice. 

Click here for a question and answer sheet prepared by Missourians for Children's Education that can be distributed to students. Encourage debate and questions and stimulate interest in CEI among the student body as well as teachers. The CEI petition drive represents democracy at work.

A recent email alert sent to NEA local leaders likened supporters of CEI to "enemies of the public schools." Barbara Swanson, the long-time educator who filed the CEI petition, has penned a response that went out this week to those local leaders. You may find her response helpful as you discuss CEI with friends and family members who support public schools. 

State education officials have been holding public sessions to hear from school families affected by a state law that allows students to transfer to other school districts if their district is unaccredited. An article this week in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on one such hearing held at Normandy High School. Normandy is paying about $15 million in tuition and transportation for about 1,000 students who have transferred and this cost threatens to bankrupt the district by spring. The student transfer issue promises to take center stage during the upcoming 2014 session of the Missouri General Assembly, which convenes January 8. 

This week the State of Missouri carried out the execution of Allen Nicklasson on December 11. Because of last minute court filings, the execution had been delayed almost 23 hours. Around the state at least six vigils were scheduled to protest the execution. In St. Joseph about 40 people (including students) held a vigil in front of Bishop LeBlond High School.

Even before the Nicklasson execution had taken place, the Missouri Supreme Court set a January 29th execution date for Herbert Smulls, who was convicted of robbery and murder of a jewelry store owner in St. Louis. Again, statewide vigils will be held and Catholics are encouraged to attend as a way to witness for life. If your community doesn't have a vigil and your church would like to host one, contact the MCC for help in getting started.

Supporters of capital punishment often believe that the death penalty acts as deterrence to crime. The facts show otherwise. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, states without the death penalty over the last 20 years have consistently had lower murder rates than states that use capital punishment. In looking at the years 2009, 2010, and 2011 (most recent available), states without the death penalty respectively had a 35%, 25% and 18% lower murder rates than states that used capital punishment.

Running out of ideas for Christmas presents? Help family and friends become members of the MCC Citizens' Network. Forward this email and ask family and friends to click on the candle picture on the right to fill out a short form.