# A tale of two candidates
*2020-09-08*

> Bill Young reflects on the importance of judging leaders by their actions rather than their words before leading the second day of a 54-day Rosary novena for the U.S. elections.

## Actions Speak Louder Than Words

I remember stories from when I was the youngest of four children. My mother would always tell my three older sisters, "Don't go by what they say, but go by their actions." She was warning them that men may say they love you or will take care of you just to get what they want, but what matters are the people who put actions behind those words. I had a friend who always wanted a family, but her marriage ended because her husband said all the right things initially, only to reveal later that he didn't actually want children. Ladies, don't be fooled.

## Comparing the Candidates

When we look at the current candidates, we see this same pattern. You have one candidate who says how much he loves and cares for you, but if you look at his actions over the last 47 years, there is nothing there. Joe Biden will tell you anything to get elected; he is mirroring Trump because he figures if it works for Trump, it will work for him. But his history shows he did nothing to help Black communities or invest in their cities, even when the president was Black. 

Then you have the other candidate, who may not always say the nicest things, but his actions show he wants to take care of the people. He worked to make the streets safer through Operation Lexington, coordinating local authorities with the FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshals to take down criminal gangs. He does what he says he will do.

## Veterans and Credibility

Consider the treatment of our veterans. For many years, including through the Obama administration, the VA hospitals were in terrible shape and very little was done. It was Trump who, within three years, changed that by removing the dead weight in the administration and giving veterans more opportunities to see their own doctors and receive proper care. 

Regarding the claims made against him, we have to look at the credibility of the sources. We have seen reporters lie in the past to get the U.S. into the Iraq war. When claims are made without recordings or eyewitnesses, but are instead based on reports that have been refuted, there is no credibility. Biden knows this, yet he continues to repeat these claims because he doesn't have a problem with the truth.

## Concerns for the Future

I am deeply concerned about the influence of China and the lack of toughness from the opposition. When a man's associates are benefiting financially from our enemies, it says something about the man himself. If the Democrats and the propaganda media win, I fear we will be living in a state similar to China, where there is only one government voice. We are already seeing attempts to take away religious freedom in the blue states. We must pray that the right man wins and that God's will be done.

## The Glorious Mysteries

We now begin the second day of our 54-day Rosary novena. We pray for love of neighbor, for hope that God chooses the right leader for our country, and for peace in our streets and in our hearts. 

Through the Glorious Mysteries—the Resurrection, the Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Assumption, and the Coronation—we ask for the fruits of faith, hope, love of God, the grace of a happy death, and trust in Mary's intercession.

*We must look past political rhetoric and judge candidates by the tangible evidence of their past actions.*