Just War?

In today's world we naturally turn toward violence to resolve the majority of our conflicts. When faced with conflict, we turn toward the easy escape and resort to war and violence to solve it. However, I do believe that in some situations, it is possible to solve a problem with nonviolence. We are human beings with the gift of speech and thought, we should be able to communicate amongst ourselves without feeling the need to blow up the another country. Although it may seem nearly impossible, I believe that in some cases such discussion of peace is possible. However, I think that there are some conflicts that cannot be solved with nonviolence. There are some people out there who believe so adamantly in a cause that no one can make them see reason. We in our own community, however, can affect change and take steps toward a culture of life. We can speak out against the violence plaguing our own cities, and work to end conflict right in our own backyard by writing petitions and raising awareness. As a senior in high school, I do not have the capability to single-handedly solve the conflict in the Middle East that has been brewing for over 2,000 years. I do have the capability, however, to instill in my own world a culture of peace, which may in turn lead to a worldwide movement. A problem of this scale cannot be solved in a day; however, a change in the mindsets of those around me, may only encourage more people to turn to peace instead of violence.

Silence Begets Violence?

This tragic event really struck home with a lot of people, mainly because the victims were young children. There seems to be a boundary that one doesn't cross when it comes to violence and crimes. As a society, any tragedy involving children seems to strike closest to our hearts. People can relate to the people grieving in Newtown, because they lead similar lives. Although it's kind of sad that it is this way, it's harder for people to feel the true pain of those suffer in foreign countries because they can't relate their lives to people living in Afghanistan or Israel. However, this tragedy could've happened to any school. Many people feel the need to protect those they love and speak out about this horrific event. I think that we as a society should ban together and take a serious look at our statutes that allowed something like this to happen. That is not to say that we need to take away people's right to bear arms; however, there should be some sort of policy in place   to prevent a person suffering from mental illness from possessing weapons. Our world needs more than just our prayers. We need to support those families that have lost people very dear to them but also take responsibility for the part that we have played in this tragedy. We have allowed a dark, cruel, violent world to exist and the most innocent among us have been made the victims. As not only Catholics, as human beings, we need to work toward building a safer, kinder community. We need to have those difficult conversations, facing the fact that we have made mistakes as a nation. It's not going to be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is. As a nation, we need to act. now.

Factory Fire

As consumers we cannot hope to gain every single detail about every single factory of every single company of every single item we purchase. We already can barely retain the subjects taught to us in school, let alone retain information about the world's corporations. However, it is our responsibility as Christians to seek a means to prevent the misuse of workers. We have to. The first step is not forgetting the article we all just read. Like we talked about earlier in the class, we hear about these horrific stories on the news, say our "Aww" and move on with our lives. It is here that we can make a difference. Although it may seem difficult to bear the sins of the world, to walk around knowing that someone somewhere is hungry, cold, alone, and without hope, we cannot hope to solve a problem if we don't acknowledge its existence in the first place. We can't act for the corporations. It is they who must address the consequences of their own shortcuts. That's not to say that if corporations didn't cut corners there wouldn't be any mistreatment of workers; however, there may be less of it. Although these workers, like those in Bangladesh, receive a salary, they lack the monetary means to live - not just to eat, drink, or stay warm at night - but to live. Some people argue that something is better than nothing; yet, in a way it's worse. Rather than hitting rock bottom with not a penny to their name, these people exist in a middle state. This is their "normal." There's always an "up" from rock bottom. Where's the hope for a better future in "normal."

Dorothy Day: Saint!

I think saints should be determined by their life as a whole. Each saint has their own unique back story that shaped them into the person that made them a true saint. No saint in the past is free from ghosts in his or her past. As humans, we aren't perfect. It is because these people experienced difficulty in the past and have made a complete transformation into a follower of Christ that makes them saints. To be elevated to that place of respect and reverence, I feel that a saint must give everything that they are to God, leaving behind the skeletons in the closet, fears of the unknown, and doubt of one's true calling. Saints are those people who go above and beyond Christ's call to all of us. They possess a unique capability to interpret God's will in everyday life and bring his kingdom to life here on Earth. It does not surprise me that the Archbishop supports the canonization of Dorothy Day, because I feel that she truly is a modern day saint. People can relate to someone like her. Hearing stories of these perfect human beings known as saints makes it difficult for people to imagine leading a similar life. However, hearing the story of someone who was once just like them (making the same mistakes, seeking the same forgiveness) can make people believe that their is hope and that they are still called to serve out God's will.

Circles of Justice

In his speech, Obama states poverty as a moral issue and that as a nation, we cannot sit idly by. He focuses on good jobs with good wages, healthcare, retirement, and education. All of these follow the Church's teaching on justice and charity. We should provide education for the poor to help end the cycle of poverty. He also plans to help pay down the debt in a balanced way, saying that we cannot move forward on the backs of the poor. Obama's speech contains a lot of the Church's teaching; however, he does not give a method of how he will balance cutting government programs and still aiding the poor.
In Romney's speech he focuses more on the economy. He describes his 5 part plan to give more jobs and more opportunities. He hopes to see fewer people on well-fare. He also plans to work face to face with programs and not stand in their way. Romney possesses many great ideas that coincide with Church's teachings on justice and charity; however, he focuses on government programs which could be viewed as charity, rather than justice.

Beyond the Swoosh

The mistreatment of workers is so prevalent in today's society that to boycott every single company that does so would prove nearly impossible. However, there are other steps that we, as advocates for Catholic Social Teaching, can take in order to affect change among these big businesses. The first of all being to raise awareness. Although I have heard throughout my life of sweatshops and people working in Asia and the Middle East for pennies a day, it never truly hit home to what exactly that meant. Seeing the true inability to live on such meager wages struck me, as I did not realize the true reality of the situation. Another step we can take is getting people to sign petitions to insist that the company pay their workers adequate wages. If we all raise our voices as one, we cannot be ignored. As Christians, it is our duty to stand up and speak out against the injustices of the world.

Church and Scripture

Church has always been a source of community and salvation in my life. As noted in our textbook, God intended for the world to exist in community and that we seek to love everyone equally. God demands justice as is evident in the promises made with Noah and Abraham in the Old Testament. God calls all of us to respect the lives of other people. The Church and my faith have always remained the sources of these beliefs in my life. Church blends the individual aspect of faith (the relationship between myself and God) and adds a more social aspect where I can share in my faith among other people. Without fear of judgment or ridicule, I can enter Church on Sunday morning, knowing I will become a part of a true faith community based on love and faith.