What the waters have revealed
"Katrina has revealed what was already there in America; an invisible and mostly silent poverty that we have chosen not to talk about, let alone to take responsibility for in the richest nation on earth. This week, we all saw it; and so did the rest of the world. And it made Americans feel both compassionate and ashamed. Many political leaders and commentators, across the ideological spectrum, have acknowledged the national tragedy, not just of the horrendous storm, but of the realities the flood waters have exposed. And some have suggested that if the aftermath of Katrina finally leads the nation to demand solutions to the poverty of upwards of a third of its citizens then something good might come from this terrible disaster." From, "What the waters have revealed," in Sojourners (9/9/05). Full article. See also "An Embarrasment of Riches: Economic Injustice and the Church."
posted by Jeremy Del Rio @ 9/09/2005 05:41:00 PM
2 Comments:
I heard a conservative radio talk show host describing the legacy of the 40 year War on Poverty, it was sad. $5.3 trillion spent! All of the statistics higher in every category, particularly children born out of wedlock...I believe that different solutions will be needed if the problem is really to be solved...
The War on Poverty has a mixed bag legacy, to be sure. On the one hand, trillions spent throwing money at symptoms of poverty (affordable housing, health care, food assistance, etc.), but on the other, never really finding a cure to poverty (poverty rates continue to rise, along with scores of behavioral risk factors).
The name of the policy itself implies a false promise, that Poverty can somehow be eradicated by waging a successful "war" against it. While this point can be debated (we know where Jesus stood on the issue: "The Poor will always be with you"), the lessons of the last 40 years cannot (which is why Jesus also mandated concern and compassion for the poor). Addressing both the causes of poverty and alleviating its symptoms requires holistic strategies that remedy systemic injustices and empower personal responsibility. Too often, the debate gets reduces to either/or propositions, but the solutions have to be more creative, involving both/and. (To be continued...)
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