This morning, barely a week before American citizens exercise their right to vote, I read the freshly-crafted e-mails that came from Pro-Obama and Pro-McCain supporters — especially the ones written by my Filipina friends, such as Teresa Dosdos Ruelas, a Founder and Visionary Editor of Offerings Publications, Inc., based in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. Teresa and I have been trying to reconnect face-to-face since we rediscovered each other’s presence a few years ago but it seems it is our online communications that keep allowing us to strengthen our relationship.

Today, with our permission, Teresa and I are reprinting our e-mail responses to each other at the Filipina Images advocacy blog and news portal and her Offerings Publications website to introduce our readers to each other, especially the worldwide Filipina women networks within our midst.

Welcome to Filipina Images, Teresa! We look forward to your contributions in helping us live our lives with purpose and passion.

THE E-MAIL THAT STARTED IT ALL

On 10/27/08 7:40 PM, Teresa Dosdos Ruelas’s friend wrote:

Dear friends,

Election in the USA is very crucial let us pray that McCain will win who is a pro-life advocator. My husband (name deleted), yesterday attended an archdiocesan meeting at the archbishop (residence) requesting for us all who have friends and relatives in the states not to vote for Obama who approves abortion and encourages gay relationship to be taught in schools. A bishop from the States have asked Cardinal (name deleted) to inform us all of the threat to our Catholic faith after the US election wherein our own families may be future victims of the downgrade of moral values. Take care and God bless!

(name of Teresa Dosdos Ruelas’s friend deleted)

REPLY FROM TERESA DOSDOS RUELAS

From: Teresa Ruelas
Date: Tue, Oct 28, 2008 at 7:50 AM
Subject: Re: election in the US

Dear (names deleted),

I have been wondering about the sentiments of the Filipinos in the US and at home during these elections. So, thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I can see how you would ‘vote’ and pray the way you would. And I hope you have it in your hearts to listen to a different point of view; that this is a forum for diversity of perspective and for stretching what we know and believe to be true.

I want to say here – with heartfelt respect to you and to the Catholic Church in the Philippines (I say “in the Philippines” as this is not necessarily the exact stand in other countries including the US) – that, whether you believe in pro-choice or pro-life, electing McCain is not your answer. There are people who hold both beliefs in both parties. It is more complex than that…and throwing “moral values” as the difference to vote for McCain is false….pro-choicers are not against the value of life no matter how others like to think it…. I know it makes the argument clean and easy to look to others who do not think like us and assume we know their values. The difference in this longtime and very touchy argument is in the understanding and belief of when life starts, and what we believe about death, and whether the quality of life of a being is put into consideration. It is not a difference of values.

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