Amidst the Lies and Distractions, Do Not Forget the Poor and Needy, the Issues of Justice for All

While I feel the lies and dishonesty of the current White House and the Republican campaigns of the last twenty years, (especially this one), are a huge problem for our American society, (the society that lies to each other destroys itself), And while I am greatly concerned about the state of our economy, let us not forget other key issues facing the American people.

Our commitment to social justice and help for the poor and needy, to build a more equitable country, must remain constant. We must not forget the challenges faced by children and families living in poverty, the inadequacy of our “safety net” of human services, the disproportionate incarceration of men of color, and the challenges experienced by those living with disabilities. We who are Christians must live with Matthew 25 influencing our conduct and our votes. Some would point to gay relationships and women’s choice as the moral cancers, but Jesus singled out uncompassionate ways for special condemnation. He emphasized the importance of acts of compassion.

We need to work for a “kinder, gentler society” to use good words from George H. W. Bush in his 1988 campaign. We need to fight for fairness, equity and help for the powerless.

Social justice means all citizens are entitled to the same rights and services. I am deeply concerned that we in America continue to fail the children who are abused, neglected, and just plain unwanted. Foster children, who depend on society’s largesse for their very existence, go largely unseen. Because these are children, they don’t fund any political campaigns, lobby any elected representatives for an opportunity to be heard, or organize any marches to advocate for better services. They have no voice if we don’t speak for them.

Health care is another area of great concern. Why are 46.6 million people without health insurance ? Why is employee-sponsored health insurance disappearing? (And now McCain’s health care plan wants to kill it off entirely!) Why are the numbers of uninsured African Americans, Hispanics, and immigrants so disproportionate to that of Caucasians? Why is the number of uninsured children—8.3 million—again on the rise, when it had been dropping steadily since 1998? And why aren’t more people as outraged about it, in the still wealthiest nation in the world?

And not only is the Middle Class being squeezed beyond measure, but we also have mounting poverty.In 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Labor, 12.6% of the population (or 37 million people) were poor—up from its all-time low of 11.3% in 2000 and higher than in 1979. Even the higher African American (24.9%) and Latino (21.8%) rates and the lower Caucasian (8.3%) rates rose above their all-time 2000 lows. Meanwhile, the American Dream—the promise that work pays—faded for the working and middle class. In 2004, 7.8 million people aged 16 or older spent at least 27 weeks either working or looking for a job but earned below–poverty-level wages in companies that provided few basic benefits such as healthcare or parental leave. More than 58% of these “working poor” women and men were on the job full-time and 90% worked at some time during the year—twice as many African Americans and Latinos as Caucasians. Thanks to tax cuts and corporate welfare, inequality also reached new highs. In 2005, the top 20% of households accounted for a record 50.4% of the national income, up from 49.8% in 2000 and 43.2% in 1970. In contrast, the bottom fifth’s share fell from 4.4% in 1970 to 3.6% in 2000 to 3.4% in 2005.

Christians must decide what really matters most, and then speak and act appropriately. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” For too long thinking Christians have let the loud mouths of the right speak for Jesus. Well, Jesus would like us to speak for Him using His own words.

For eight years the Bush administration (i.e. the Republicans) have turned a deaf ear to these issues and have, instead, served Wall Street and the military-industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned us about. It is now time to change direction. That change comes in Obama and Biden and compassionate Democrats, who have plans and policies to address these social justice issues. Check them out at www.barackobama.com