Teens target issues

Jennifer Travison attended "because I want to stand up for what I think is right, to expand my views -- and make a difference."

A parishioner of St. James Church in Albany, she was just one of dozens of teens from across the Albany Diocese who went to St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in Rotterdam recently for "Public Policy 101."

The day-long workshop, sponsored by the Diocesan Youth Ministry Team and by the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, prepared young people to take part in the March 9 Public Policy Day at the Empire State Plaza, the annual event for Catholics around the state to bring their concerns to lawmakers.

Social justice

Some of the attendees were already well versed in the policy issues facing Catholics this year; for others, the workshop was their first encounter with Catholic social teachings and their application in society.

The morning was filled with workshops on pro-life issues and education, as well as a keynote on social justice given by Kathleen Gallagher, the director of pro-life activities for the New York State Catholic Conference. In the afternoon, teens talked about the death penalty and poverty, and listened to an assemblyman speak about how to lobby effectively.

"I was surprised as how much we [the Church] were against," joked Cassie Abbott, from St. Michael's Church in Troy. "But I agreed with everything they said."

Teen voices

Robert Mietlicki, a student at LaSalle Institute in Troy, said, "I don't think that the teen voice is heard as much as it should be. This is a way teens can go out and advocate for people in our world."

Grace Fay, from St. John the Baptist Church in Valatie, wanted to learn about educational issues since she plans to become a teacher. She found a talk by Catholic schools assistant superintendent Roseanne DeFabio on parents' rights informative.

"We all deserve the same textbooks and technologies, no matter what schools we go to," she asserted.

Poverty

A number of teens talked about poverty issues with Rev. Robert Longabucco, campus minister at The University at Albany, who asked, "Do you think poverty will be an issue in the next election?"

"The economy, yeah,..." Robert began.

"...but not poverty," finished Meg Babbinger, a parishioner of St. John the Baptist in Valatie.

"You guys are going to be the ones that make poverty a big issue," the priest said. "The only way this is going to change is if people like you speak up. All the great social revolutions occurred because the middle class cared."

Getting word out

The teens also discussed how to start making the issue of poverty a serious one among the state's decision-makers.

Dan Fogarty, a member of St. Mary's Church in Waterford, said, "You can get it across through the internet, through talking and by bringing it up at political debates when you get a chance."

"It's making people aware, and trying to get people to care about it more," echoed Kate Leatham, a parishioner of Our Lady of Victory Church in Troy. "We need to organize everyone and get people together."

Death penalty

Anti-death penalty activist David Kaczynksi, brother of Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski, spoke about the "failures" of capital punishment, calling it a "broken system."

He spoke about the "arbitrary nature of the death penalty" and gave examples of innocent or mentally ill people being put on Death Row.

"The reason my brother didn't get the death penalty was because he had the best lawyers in the country," Mr. Kaczynski said. "None of the people on death row have those lawyers. Legislators are very impressed when they see local groups, like churches, asking for a moratorium on the death penalty. That really means something to the politicians. We need grassroots efforts; we need parish councils; we need community groups."

Viewpoints

David Nally, a teen member of Immaculate Conception Church in Glenville, was "surprised with the amount of Christians who are for the death penalty. It's not just."

His friend, Sean Ahearn, also of Immaculate Conception, agreed, saying: "We've evolved beyond an eye for an eye."

Immaculate Conception youth group member Marjorie Smith -- who was drinking out of a water bottle with the legend "Execute Justice, Not People" on the side -- said that Mr. Kaczynski's testimony gave her "a different perspective" regarding "family members and how they can forgive."

(3/11/04) [[In-content Ad]]