Searching for St. Patrick
By Carl H. Hendrickson, Former Missouri State Representative
Whatever one’s faith or whether one has no strong religious faith, there are three saints with which all are familiar: St. Nicholas, St. Valentine, and St. Patrick. Realizing that there may be differences of opinion, nevertheless I suggest that the one who has had the greatest impact upon Western civilization is St. Patrick. First, let me say that I am not of Irish heritage. My opinion thus is not biased by birth and family heritage.
St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain into a family of high rank. He is believed to have died in Ireland on March 17, 493. His early years were spent in luxury. But, when a teenager, he was captured by a band of Irish marauders and carried to Ireland where he lived as a slave for six years. In later writings, St. Patrick said that he had a vision one evening while in sleep and was told by a voice to flee to the seashore and return home, which he did. He traveled 200 miles to a seaport where he was able to obtain passage on a ship to Britain.
He was ordained into the Catholic Church and, at his request, was sent as a missionary to Ireland. As a missionary, he was very successful and converted many to the Catholic faith. St. Patrick and his converts were to establish monasteries throughout Ireland where monks could study, write and pray.
After the decline of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, Western Europe went into a period described as the “Dark Ages.” The Italian scholar Petrarch described the period after the fall of Rome as “dark” as compared to the “light” of classical antiquity. This “dark” period was to continue until the Renaissance (14th –17th centuries) and was considered by scholars as a time of intellectual darkness.
While continental Europe was in this period of intellectual darkness, the monks and scholars in Ireland continued with their studies and their writings. “Intellectual light” was to thrive in Ireland during the Dark Ages. Thus Western thought and ideas were preserved in Ireland after the Roman Empire collapsed.
A Chinese proverb states that if your vision is for a year, plant wheat. If your vision is for 10 years, plant trees. But, if your vision is for a lifetime, plant people. I would argue that St. Patrick was very good at “planting people” through his efforts to convert the Irish pagans to Christianity. This “planting,” as mentioned above, was to bear fruit during the Dark Ages when the ancestors of the converts continued to keep Western thought alive and flourishing in Ireland. Perhaps without that continued intellectual “light” in the Dark Ages, there would not have been a rebirth in the 14th century. So of the three saints listed in my opening paragraph, I believe St. Patrick to have the greatest impact on Western civilization.
This year is an election year and candidates for and members of the Missouri General Assembly again will be seeking your vote. You have a valuable commodity and should use care when giving your vote. What is the vision of the candidate? Is he or she looking short-term to get through the election or will the candidate make the hard decisions, perhaps unpopular at the moment that shall result in the long-term welfare of Missourians? Seek to elect to office men and women of the caliber of St. Patrick who shall make a lasting contribution.
Legislation that has met with favor among readers is the Homestead Preservation Credit Act that allows qualified senior citizens a credit on their real estate tax bill. Legislation of this type provides a lasting contribution to a certain segment of the community. I have checked with the district office of my state senator and was told that funds for this credit are in the budget. The window for filing for the credit is April 1-October 15.
As I mentioned in previous columns, Missouri is going through dark ages due to an ailing economy and an unemployment rate of 9.5 percent that have decreased expected tax receipts. Governor Nixon already has cut in excess of $600 million from the budget and more cuts are expected. It is anticipated that there will be a $1 billion shortfall in revenue the upcoming fiscal year. State representatives are deciding whether it is more advantageous to provide increased tax incentives or to make fundamental changes in the Missouri tax code.
Governor Nixon, in his state of the state message to the legislature, said that he favors a three-pronged jobs package, consisting of helping businesses to expand, investing more resources in science and technology, and committing additional resources for job training. The legislature is considering replacing the state income tax with a sales tax on goods and services.
House Joint Resolution 56 was introduced this session that would, subject to voter approval, substitute a sales tax for the current income tax. This Resolution is before the House Ways and Means Committee for consideration.
Due to budget restraints, bills that would decrease annual revenue such as House Bill 1225 that increases the deduction for dependents from $1,200 to $1,500, HB 1214 which contains a real property tax exemption for those 75 years or better, and, HB 1216 that freezes the tax rate or the assessed value on homes of those 65 or better until the homestead is transferred are stalled. It appears that they may not even get a hearing in committee.
Although bills that will have a fiscal impact on the budget are not moving forward, two senate resolutions of interest bear watching. Senate Concurrent Resolution 34 is the “Sovereignty Resolution” and provides that the people not the government are sovereign. This resolution has been heard in committee. The other resolution is Senate Joint Resolution 25. It has been voted out of committee and now goes to the Senate for debate and consideration. This resolution would allow the voters to decide whether the state and its residents would have to participate in any health care plan adopted by the federal government.
You, the reader, as the voter have the right to decide whether you want a “saint” or a “sinner” to represent you. As I have done for years, I encourage the reader to become part of the political process and make the determination whether someone with long-term solutions will shine “light” upon the problems facing our state or whether you shall be represented by an opportunist whose only concern is being elected and re-elected. Seek and perhaps you shall find another St. Patrick.
As always, I may be reached via electronic mail at carl@hendricksons.org or by telephone at 314-892-6451. Feel free to contact me by telephone or electronic mail.