Supporting the protest
To the Editor:
The Rainbow Sash Movement supports the call for a demonstration outside of Holy Name Cathedral on Sunday, Feb. 10, at 10:30 a.m., primarily because we believe that the Catholic Church, under the leadership of Cardinal Francis George and the other members of Illinois Catholic Conference, is on a collision course with state over the issue of rights and jurisdiction when it comes to same-sex marriage. I believe this reveals how far the Catholic leadership has distanced itself from our democratic society.
Fundamental to the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church are that we are all children of God, and are promoting the voice of an informed conscience. Catholics are taught to respect the fundamental, inherent dignity of every person—each made in the image of God—and to work to establish a just society. The Church also teaches that it is our obligation to manifest love of neighbor, to provide charitable service to others, and to promote truth and genuine freedom.We can no more distance ourselves from these beliefs than we can deny our LGBT identity.
Under the leadership of George, the Archdiocese of Chicago is increasingly sealing itself off, often acting like it is a state within state, a universe subject to its own rules that is overseen by the pope and his bishops. And a world in which federal, state and local governments have little say about how the law applies to their operation.
We do not agree with the strategic morality that George promotes by separating the public and private sphere when it comes to issues of values. For us there is no shame in publically identifying ourselves as LGBT Catholics. We refuse to live out a "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and will challenge publically any attempt to impose such a policy on us. This has nothing to do with our faith; rather, it is a matter of personal bias.
I would like to take this opportunity to invite our allies within the ecumenical/intrafaith community to join with us. The cardinal's actions against same-sex marriage affect all of us.
Joe Murray
Chicago
Making history
I want to congratulate Kathleen Meany on her selection as the new president of the board of commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. While I was interested in the opportunity to lead the agency and worked hard to secure the necessary votes, it was not to be. Such is the nature of politics, but I am continually impressed by the professionalism of the members of this board, and I intend to do my part to strengthen the relationships among us.
We will have differences of opinion, to be sure, but we are all united in common purpose to serve the people of Cook County and to fulfill the District's vital mission: protecting the drinking water supply, treating wastewater to protect public health, and managing stormwater to reduce flooding and enhance our quality of life.
Our challenges are great. The drought this year actually had a positive effect on our agency. We had no stormwater releases to Lake Michigan and saved some energy costs. But we know that big storms will return. It is imperative that we adopt a sound Watershed Management Ordinance to begin to address the displacement of water caused by development and redevelopment throughout Cook County. And with the water level in Lake Michigan near its historic low, the District can promote and support a range of techniques to convey filtered rainwater back to the lake through green infrastructure within the Lake Michigan watershed.
We need to rethink, revisit and revise our land management practices and policies. Climate change makes the District's land holdings more valuable than ever as places to sequester stormwater, capture carbon, and as repositories for biological diversity. As unlikely as that may seem in the midst of our great metropolis, it is as possible as the herons that live on the Calumet River.
With the election of three women as officers of this board—40 years after women were first elected as trustees of the Sanitary District—we make history.
I salute President Meany, Vice President Barbara McGowan and Finance Chair Mariyana Spyropoulos, and look forward to working with them and the rest of my colleagues to ensure the proud legacy and fulfill the promise of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
Commissioner Debra Shore
