Catholic Social Teaching & The Fiscal Cliff

One thing I admire about the Catholic Church is its teachings on social issues and social justice. The Church is a global entity and there is much to be critical of in both its doctrines and its practices in modern times, and throughout its history. But, there are a few areas where I could not agree more.  The Church has a long history of developing its teachings on social justice, and a quick review of the evolution of those teachings shows that they have changed over the years, but never in a way that varies much from the core values they have always reflected. Much of the Church’s doctrine in this area comes from the thoughts and writings of early intellectuals like St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine of Hippo. In spite of some evidence to the contrary, the Church has always professed its allegiance to helping the poor, and often done remarkable work to aid the poor.

As I was listening to some political pundits on a Sunday morning talk show I got to thinking about the connection between the big issue of the day (The Fiscal Cliff) and my recollections about Catholic Social Teachings. (On a side note: in my youth I would have been at Sunday Mass during this hour instead of watching TV, but my relationship with the Church has obviously changed) Nonetheless a relationship between these two issues was crystal clear in my mind.  “The Fiscal Cliff” is the name given to a set of government events all scheduled to take place on January 1^st. These events are: 1) The Bush tax cuts on all incomes will expire and old (higher) rates go back into effect, 2) The payroll deduction tax break we got three years ago will vanish, meaning that paychecks will have more taxes taken out, and 3) Massive program cuts will go into effect automatically, based on an agreement (placed in law) - known as the “sequester”. The sequestered cuts were put into place by the Parties themselves to put political pressure on both Parties to get a deal and avoid having to go over the cliff. The sequestered cuts are horrible news for both Parties; there will be massive cuts to social programs Democrats like, and monumental cuts to military programs Republicans like. Many believe that failure to resolve our fiscal problems and going over the cliff will lead to another recession.

The Congress and the President have had about a year and a half to resolve the fiscal issues they created the last time they haggled over the debt ceiling but, of course, they are waiting until the last minute. As of now both sides have shown little movement towards arriving at a compromise. The president wants higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans (among other things) as part of his solution, and the Republicans want to preserve tax breaks for the wealthiest and cut social programs and Entitlement program spending as part of their solution. Both sides seem pretty stuck on their point of view, so little progress is being made as they watch the days pass by. The President believes he should not give up his core position because he won the election campaigning on this very issue, while the Republicans believe their position reflects their constituent’s beliefs and Party doctrine. This is all fairly simple to understand- it’s just that neither side will give in and make room for a deal. All the national polls favor the President’s position and indicate the Republicans need to give in. But they probably won’t.

As the pundits were going over this ground in their panel discussion they began to talk about why the public so overwhelmingly supports the idea of taxing the rich more. That’s when the Catholic teachings hit me. One of the panelist mentioned that over the last thirty (30) years middle-class income has been stagnant- the middle class has not advanced at all. During the same thirty years the wealth of the top 2% of Americans has increased almost 300%. It struck me that our desire to see the rich taxed more is a matter of social justice. The Catholic Church has a saying that “there can be no Peace without Justice”. That is an incredibly profound and accurate statement. I don’t think it is possible for humans to accept peace or negotiate in peace as long as fundamental injustice rules the day. The income disparity in this country today is at its worst level of “unbalance” in our history, and it is fundamentally unjust. I believe this truth was reflected in the results of the last election- many voters connected with the President's message on tax increases for the rich.

The early thinkers in the Catholic Church developed the notion about the injustice of accumulating wealth while others suffered. Those thoughts were first published in an encyclical letter by Pope Leo XIII, in 1891- Rerum Novarum.  This encyclical advocated for Distributism while at the same time condemned the pure capitalist and pure socialist ideologies of the day. Distributism holds that property ownership is a fundamental right and that the means of production should be spread as widely as possible among the general populace, rather than being centralized under the control of the state (pure Socialism), or by accomplished individuals (pure Capitalism). Distributism therefore advocates a society marked by widespread property ownership, and according to some economists, maintains that such a system is key to bringing about a just social order. It basically recognizes that income and wealth should be fairly distributed in a fair and just society. Governments achieve this, and manage it through fiscal and social policies.

The idea of economic justice (promoted by Catholic teachings) is at the heart of overwhelming public opinion supporting higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans.  Unfortunately the issue of taxing the wealthy more is the primary stumbling block in resolving the fiscal cliff. I’m not sure how many Catholics are aware of the Church’s teachings on this matter, but these teachings can inform the voting public and those making critical decisions. My guess is that many Catholic voters in the U.S. are unaware of the Church’s position. I say that because (for example) the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops declared the Paul Ryan budget proposals “immoral”, yet many Catholics supported Ryan's candidacy for Vice-President. My point here is that many people of faith profess to vote their moral (faith based) conscience, but in reality tend to pick their positions based on more secular, political  beliefs. For my money making decisions based on secular thinking is just fine- it’s the way I do it. But there are a great many among us who use their religion to guide them in these matters-they just don’t  do it very consistently.  

I’ve never understood how devout Christians can cling so tightly to extremely conservative ideas. In the last thirty years Christianity and conservatism have become almost synonymous. In a country like ours there is tremendous diversity of ideas, and a great many issues over which to disagree. I know that it is impossible to attach comprehensive, all-encompassing labels (religious and political). For instance a good Catholic could never support the more liberal causes having to do with reproductive choice, but could easily support liberal social and fiscal programs if they go by the Church’s teaching on economic justice.  Often candidates and party policies embody mostly liberal or mostly conservative platforms, thus creating a difficult conflict for the faith-based voter in a secular government. Still I see in the story of Jesus (The New Testament) a great deal more material dealing with the poor and the down trodden, and social justice, than I see about sexual or reproductive matters. That says something to me about where the emphasis of Christian teaching lies, and why I never understood the connection between conservatives and Christians. Conservatives of today are all about shrinking the programs that address the issues Jesus spoke about. It is the opposite of Distributism. They tend to focus on some punitive form of accountability (fairly or unfairly applied) more than on the aspects of charity Christians preach.

Today as we stand at yet another manufactured crossroad of fiscal crisis, the core values we hold as a people should give us the guideposts by which we decide such important issues- not political motives driven by greed and favor for the rich. Whether those guideposts are planted in our path by religion or by our unique human conscience, I think we should look deeply into ourselves and our beliefs to arrive at a place marked by social justice. I hope our leaders can do the same.

Thanks for looking in.

Speaking Truth to Power

Our current gun culture simply ensures that more domestic violence disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy, and that more convenience store confrontations over loud music coming from a car will leave more teenage boys bloodied and dead…Handguns do not enhance our safety. They exacerbate our flaws, tempt us to escalate arguments, and bait us into embracing confrontation rather than avoiding it…What I believe is, that if he didn’t possess/own a gun, he and Cassandra Perkins would be alive today.”                   Jason Whitlock, Fox Sports Columnist

Speaking truth to power is never easy. Power doesn’t want to have the truth spoken. Power wants to control the message and never have it' message challenged. Power will often vilify and punish those who have the courage to speak real truth. Eventually truth wins. Eventually those who try so desperately to convince us that evidence, common sense, and our shared experience isn’t real, will succumb to the truth. It sometimes takes a very long while, but I always have faith that truth wins in the end.

Just a little over a week ago Kansas City Chiefs football player Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, and the mother of his child. He then proceeded to the Chiefs facility where he committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in the presence of his Coach and the team’s General Manager. Sports writer Jason Whitlock wrote an article criticizing the Chiefs organization for going ahead with a game the next day in the face of this horribly tragic event. His column went on to urge a serious conversation in this country over gun violence. The quotation above is part of that column. On the NBC Sunday Night Game that same weekend, sports announcer and commentator Bob Costas made a statement during the half-time show quoting Whitlock’s column and adding comments of his own favoring a real debate in this country over gun control.  As you might guess, Monday morning brought a torrent of criticism and downright hatred aimed at both Whitlock and Costas. The National Rifle Association (NRA) issued a strong statement against both men, and the right-wing talk radio machine ratcheted up to full strength crazy. They referred to Costas’ statement as a “rant”. On and on it went, as it always does. 

As you know the NRA is willing to defend any level of gun ownership, and in fact promotes gun ownership at every opportunity. The NRA has taken the position that gun ownership is an absolute right under the Constitution and is required in order to maintain this nation as a free country. They believe that any attempt to limit gun ownership or limit the types of arms or ammunition in America sets this country on a slippery slope to totalitarian rule and the total loss of our democracy. The NRA also has shown its willingness to use any political or economic means to silence those who would question their point of view or attempt to institute changes that threaten their absolute, intractable position on guns. So it was no surprise that when Costas and Whitlock used the Belcher situation to even raise the question for debate, they were met with the full force of NRA sponsored backlash. There were calls for Costas’ firing and for Whitlock’s dismissal. The more rabid nut-balls and “ditto heads” called for much worse treatment. But we have come to expect that thick-skulled thinking from the Limbaugh and Hannity crowd. Too many of them needed a class in critical thinking, but must have skipped school that day.

Situations like the one in Kansas City and all the other gun violence cases that have populated the news lately grab our attention and hold it for a short while. Then we settle back into the constant drone of the NRA rhetoric until the next horrible and avoidable shooting. It seems we only pay attention to the sensational cases, the athlete/celebrity cases, or the when someone has the audacity to mix an important civic issue with our football. But the real tragedy of the gun issue is that affects many thousands of lives a year that most of us never hear about. Guns are the cause of a pandemic of pain and loss in this country-and we need to change that.

I won’t bore you with the volume of evidence that supports gun control. The numbers are there-and they paint an unmistakable picture of a culture that is destroying itself because it clings to outdated notions instead of recognizing the plain facts staring us in the face. Reciting those same statistics now would be a useless waste of time. Instead I simply urge people to stop believing the old lines and allow yourself to speak truth and hear truth. The truth is that we need to control fire arms in America. My position would be to simply eliminate handguns from our culture. Go ahead, keep your shotguns and hunting rifles- but get rid of the handguns. There is only one purpose for handguns -and that purpose is to shoot people. The NRA is fond of its saying: guns don’t kill people-people kill people. The real truth is: people with guns kill people. Every legitimate study proves that guns kill hundreds of times more people than are ever protected by guns. It is time to re-examine the old myth that guns keep us free and protect us from our own government? Does anyone really believe that armed citizens would be any match for the US military- the most powerful armed force in the history of man? So don’t keep perpetuating the macho fantasy that our government would fear a bunch of guys with .38s and .357s. The Constitution is rarely absolute- it is subject to new interpretations and the 2^nd Amendment is not immune from legal re-examination. That's the real beauty of the Constitution. Remember that slavery was sanctioned in Article 1 of the Constitution- but that got changed.

The power that opposes rational debate over guns is the NRA and the congressmen they own. The NRA has been able to get its way in spite of all evidence to the contrary, because they are willing to walk into a congressman’s office and threat to fully finance a campaign against them if they cross the NRA. This act of political blackmail has been effective in preventing reasonable laws controlling guns and led to 11,700 gun deaths a year in this country. It is so important to learn the truth, then speak that truth over and over until it is heard.

Guns are just the latest example of our willingness as a culture to “believe” instead of “think”. We have seen the same pattern of thinking on global climate change. Those who denied the truth are far fewer now than just a few years ago- because we’ve decided to look at the undeniable evidence of climate change. We are finally accepting the truth that giving rich guys tax breaks doesn’t create jobs, and that wealth doesn’t “trickle down”. Why? Because there is no evidence of it- it’s just the opposite. For thirty years those who had a stake in us believing falsehoods got away with foisting economic lies on us. All along there were those who spoke truth to power and were shouted down, marginalized, made fun of, or just ignored- until they couldn’t be ignored any longer.

I am not a person of religious faith- but I have unshakable faith that the truth of things wins out in the end. History informs us that every myth eventually falls prey to evidence, rational thought, and undeniable evidence of truth. Some see the truth before others and I hope they keep shouting it at the powers that be. When it comes to guns, shouting the truth before another year passes will save thousands of lives.  We should be thanking Jason Whitlock and Bob Costas for their willingness to speak truth to power, as they give all of us the courage to do the same.

Thanks for looking in.

Greatness!

It isn’t very often that we get to witness greatness. Greatness in leadership usually only occurs when the times, and a special person come together at a moment when they are most needed.  That’s happened only a few times in our short history as a nation. I began re-thinking my notions about greatness after seeing the Steven Spielberg film Lincoln. I’ve always been very interested in our 14^th President, having read three different Abraham Lincoln biographies over the years. So, it was a special treat for me to see this movie. The portion of Lincoln’s life covered in the film only involves the last four or five months of his life. It’s based in the Doris Kearns Goodwin book Team of Rivals and concentrates on Lincoln’s efforts to get the Congress to pass the 13th Amendment, outlawing slavery. The movie provided a truly fascinating glimpse into Lincoln’s life and character, as well as giving us a good look at the political atmosphere of the times. To top off the experience of that film, Daniel Day Lewis gave an extraordinary performance as Abraham Lincoln. When the film ended I felt as if I had actually seen the real Lincoln. Some years ago I had the chance to be in Washington D.C. and visit the Lincoln Memorial. For me, it was the most moving part of our visit to the Capital. Being there at the memorial, I could actually feel the greatness of Lincoln.

Reflecting on that experience and other thoughts I’ve had about great leaders in our history, I recognized that greatness is hardly ever recognized in its own time. For good reasons I think, greatness can only be truly appreciated when viewed through the long lens of time. For that matter some evils and other mischief also require a bit of time before we see it for what it is. An example would be the horrible Communist witch hunts of the 1950’s spearheaded by Senator Joe McCarthy. His particular brand of evil went on for several years before anyone dared rise up to stop it-meanwhile so many lives and careers got ruined. Returning to Lincoln, his greatness was not appreciated in his time in spite of the fact that he presided over the secession of half the country and the bloodiest war in our history in order to restore the country. No other President had, or has had to contend with a challenge of that magnitude. He met that challenge and saved the country while at the same time changing the very nature of the nation by leading the way to abolish slavery. Nonetheless, he faced unbelievably harsh criticism at every turn and was roundly despised by many in the country and by many in the government. Today’s political chicanery, name calling, and ugliness are nothing compared to the practices in Lincoln’s time. Through it all,he stayed very true to his duty as President. He preserved the nation- he preserved the Constitution- and he altered the social fabric of the country by causing those around him to heed the call of freedom upon which the whole thing was based. He did so largely by the force of his will and his indomitable character. That is greatness!

Lincoln’ claim to greatness came from his deep convictions and core values. That is not to say that he was always resolute in every position or solution. His election itself was the beginning of secession. Lincoln was the first President elected as a member of the relatively new Republican Party. Republicans were the more radical party of the day, replacing the Whigs, and were solidly anti-slavery. As Lincoln launched the Civil War to restore the Union and bring rebellious states back into the country he often struggled with the issue of slavery. He was deeply opposed to slavery but felt his obligation to preserve the Union was greater. Because of that conflict in his heart, he had some rather “inventive” thoughts to deal with slavery. For instance, he proposed moving all slaves back to Africa- to the country of Liberia (which he helped establish for that purpose). He also proposed moving freed slaves to western territories or just having the Federal Government simply buy all the slaves, then free them. For the first two years of his Presidency he was singled-mindedly determined to bring the Union back together and deal with the slavery issue separately. That strategy neither advanced the war effort nor paved the way to ending slavery. It finally came to Lincoln that freeing the slaves was the best way to achieve his goal of restoring the Union AND abolishing slavery. The Emancipation Proclamation was his temporary solution to give more popular purpose to the war for Northerners, and set clear boundaries about reunification for Southerners. As the Civil War was ending, Lincoln needed to abolish slavery by law once and for all, and do it before the Southern states rejoined the Union; because he knew it could not pass with Southerners back in the Congress. Greatness was on display in his genius for molding the events and the times to achieve great ends. He was both cunning and determined achieve his ends.

Lincoln wasn't our only leader to demonstrate greatness that passes the test of time. Woodrow Wilson took us the through the “war to end all wars” and conceived of a planet governed by reason instead of global war. His idea for a League of Nations never came to be. Instead the world punished Germany and returned to isolationism which gave rise to the Nazi party, National Socialist movements, militaristic empires, and even more unspeakable death and destruction. It took two World Wars to see the greatness in Wilson’s vision. FDR was also a man of greatness. Often facing a fiery minority opposition, he led the country out of Depression by replacing fear with hope and crafting social changes that define our country to this day. Incidentally he also led us through (along with other great men) through WWII, the most devastating war in the history of man.  Lyndon Johnson’s greatness was in his willingness to forsake future political power to continue Lincoln’s work of ensuring civil rights for African Americans, and continuing FDR’s work of providing dignity to working men and women through the passage of Medicare and other social programs.   

Greatness is an amazing thing to behold and appreciate for its achievements, and for its rarity. We are facing huge fiscal, social, and international diplomatic issues today-most of them near crisis level. I believe that greatness lives somewhere in the mix of current events and today’s leaders, and is waiting to show itself. We have extraordinary men and women in leadership positions today. Like those who found greatness in the past, today’s leaders are suffering the pettiness of small-minded detractors who cannot recognize the core principals upon which greatness is built. These detractors harp at the small issues, mired in their partisan ideologies. Today we see that at work in the petty efforts by a few Senators to pick on Susan Rice in a desperate search for a scandal to pin on the President, or stick to non-sense pledges made to lobbyists in place of their duty to govern.  Folks like this have always been part of the American political landscape, but they have always faded in history’s memory because history prefers greatness to pettiness. Jefferson, Lincoln, Wilson, FDR, and all those who advanced our country dealt with the worst elements of political life, but overcame obstacles placed in their way by the puny and ignorant because they had a vision, and values that transcended pettiness.

Today’s fight is to rescue and restore the middle class from the ravages of economic and social unfairness and injustice. This turning point in our history will determine whether greed and selfishness robs the country of its remaining wealth and we fail, as other great societies of the past failed, when too few had too many riches; or whether government will stand for the middle class to create growth and prosperity as it did during other periods of prosperity in our past when the emphasis was on building the middle class, not catering to the obscenely wealthy. My best hope is that those who look through the long lens of history generations form now, will see that greatness overcame all obstacles once again.

Thanks for looking in.    

 

The Boy with No Arms

Last April a baby boy was born to parents who had been wanting a child for a long while. All the early signs indicated the pregnancy was going well, and that their son would be a perfectly healthy child. Shortly before his birth an ultrasound exam revealed that their child did not have arms from the point just above where the elbow would normally be. His parents had some time before his birth to prepare themselves to care for a child with this disability. My daughter and son-in-law are friends with the parents, so our family has known about this boy since the time before his birth. As you might imagine, his parents have gone through a range of emotions, both before their son’s birth and since. They have agonized over the choices that have to be made concerning his care. A child with no lower arms or hands can’t sooth himself as other children do. He cannot learn to hold a bottle or satisfy the developmental urges his brain sends out to reach or grasp an object. He cannot learn to balance or scoot using his arms to create movement. Because of this impairment this boy is often very difficult to calm and comfort, and his natural frustration requires much more parental effort than the monumental effort parents would normally give a new baby.

Among the choices and decisions that needed to be made were choices about how and when to introduce prosthetic arms to this baby. It is not as simple a choice as you might think for a number of reasons, but his parents chose to begin the process now in the hope that their son will learn to gain utility from the prosthesis sooner rather than later. That choice was made even more difficult by the costs involved. I know that in matters like this, and other health decisions people make, costs should not be the deciding factor. But sadly, it is a real issue. The issue of money gave me the opportunity to meet this baby and his parents. My daughter and others have decided to assist this family with the costs; and the parents began a web site to share their story and ask for help in securing funds. It is called “Helping Hands Needed”

About a week ago we attended a pancake breakfast and fund-raiser to support Helping Hands Needed for baby Jameson. My daughter, her husband, his family, and other friends of the family put this event on. It was very successful. One of their friends even arranged to get two local TV crews to come out to do a news story about Jameson and put the donation information out in the news cast. This was a wonderful out-pouring of generosity and support for this family. A great deal of money has been raised and I know the family was deeply touched by the heartfelt support.

Aside from the great efforts to help this family afford what Jameson needs, and my personal admiration for all those who gave of their time and their money, I still left feeling very badly about this situation. As I said, this out-pouring of generosity was truly inspiring- but the problem is that even with this effort, not enough money (needed for even one set of prosthetics) was raised. Jameson’s prosthetics will cost approximately $25,000.00 a year, every year while he is growing. The family has insurance- but their policy covers well less than half the costs. I won’t go into all the details about why the costs are so high, but it has to do with needing different sets of prosthetic arms for different functions during his development. Jameson’s father works, while his mom cares for him during his dad’s work time. This is a responsible family, faced with a huge personal and financial challenge through no fault of their own.

I have been thinking about this issue a great deal lately, not just because of Jameson, but because of other situations close to me as well. Over the last year I’ve written four essays about our dear young friend Molly. (Molly’s Story, Parts 1,2,3 and 4) Molly is still dealing with Breast Cancer as a young wife and mom. Her most harrowing challenge may be yet to come. The latest chapter in her story is the financial burden her cancer treatment has caused. She too has insurance through her husband’s employment, but their portion of the bills will put them in to bankruptcy, and cause the loss of their home, their possessions, and all they’ve worked for. Molly recently put out a plea on a social network for help from her friends, so that her little daughter could have a Christmas gift this year.  Yes, it is that bad! It is heartbreaking to see this young woman battling for her life, have to face the crushing and humiliating financial burden she and her family now faces. In my immediate family, my son-in-law went through cancer treatment some years ago. He was forced to go bankrupt and has only recently been able to right his financial ship after losing (literally) everything because of illness.  

There are about 1.5 million bankruptcy filings every year. 62% of bankruptcies are due to medical expenses, having nothing to do with financial irresponsibility. Of those due to medical expenses, over 75% of the filers had medical insurance. Those are the raw numbers, and most of us are aware of these numbers to some extent. But I ask that you think of those raw numbers in terms of people you know. In my small circle, I know three families experiencing extreme hardship because of health care costs. The plain truth is that most American families would be ruined by the costs of health care if they have a serious illness, accident, or chronic condition to deal with. The bankruptcy numbers don’t even count the millions who struggle for years with these costs and can’t or don’t file for bankruptcy. In spite of wonderful intentions, there are not enough pancake breakfast fund-raisers, bake sales, or pleas for help on Facebook to solve the problems so many of our neighbors face. Hands for Jameson will cost $75,000 in just the next three years alone. Is it right that his family or Molly’s family should have to go to bed every night not knowing where the money will come from, and knowing that the costs will eventually overwhelm them leading to life-long debt and deprivation?  In the richest country in the history of the world, this should not be happening.

There is a solution for these families and the millions more across our country who struggle with the overwhelming burden of health care costs. I hope that situations like the ones I’m describing cause us to start thinking about government policy in terms of people we know; and more importantly using our vote to promote new policies that change this horrible health care system. Policies matter- the values of policy-makers (elected officials) and political parties matter. We should conduct the business of health care in this country on the premise that health care is a right. We can and should decide, as a people, that our nation has an obligation to ban together to care for its members-not only to provide the actual health care, but to protect families from financial ruination. A financially ruined family does not enhance the moral fiber or economic strength of this nation.  

I know there will be those who will cry out that we can’t afford to provide for everyone- they will sound the alarm bell of individual responsibility. But I challenge that assumption. This country comes together to provide for the defense of everyone- we provide for a sustenance for all our elderly members- we come together for any number of things most of us take for granted. Our nation is still the richest nation in the world- so we can choose what to spend our wealth on. For instance we are now spending two billion dollars a week for a forsaken war in Afghanistan. For reasons I cannot understand we have built a health care payment system that relies on employer provided group insurance or private pay insurance for the majority of us. The common feature of this system is that is a financial enterprise with a fiduciary obligation to produce profits for share-holders. In essence, we entrust insurance companies with decisions about our health and finances knowing that they exist to produce a profit with our premiums, by controlling what they will pay for. Their very existence is based on a profit motive-not a health care motive! No other advanced country does this. Those countries have seen the wisdom of using the collective power of their societies (and yes, I mean slightly higher taxes) to provide for the common good of their citizens. They have come to realize it is well worth it to have single-payer systems that don’t need to produce profits. Families in those countries don’t need fund-raisers to make sure their kids have medical care. These systems cover all citizens, emphasize prevention, and have lower costs. We have the highest quality health care in the world- but rank far down the list in health outcomes because we leave too many of our fellow citizens without coverage or with inadequate coverage. Our great health care should not be reserved for the richest among us- but it is.

The last election demonstrated that a majority of us still value the idea of community in this country. We have to continue that march. It is important to remember that there are people in our lives who are directly impacted by policies and decisions in government. That’s why government is ultimately you and me. You and I need to think about Jameson, and Molly, and Landon when we consider what kind of country we want this to be, who we will elect to run it, and how we treat our fellow citizens.

Thanks for looking in.

P.S. Jameson’s parents are recording their lives on the link below.  If you have an interest in following Jameson’s story, or wish to contribute to his family please go to:

http://davisday2day.wordpress.com/2012/11/06/helping-hands-needed/

   

Thanksgiving 2012

2012 has been a year to remember for any number of reasons. In my life it has been a pretty good year. I know that suffering and deprivation continues in the world, and all of us of good conscience need to keep up the fight to raise awareness and take action where we can. Nonetheless, I can claim some very good fortune for myself and our family. I’m not one to seek explanations from unearthly forces or deities taking an interest in my life- quite the opposite. So when I give thanks it is more a feeling of understanding how fortunate I am, and recognizing that I should never take the good in my life for granted. As we all found out last month, when Hurricane Sandy came, good fortune can be a fleeting thing lost from us in an instant. So I am thankful, in my own way, for some wonderful events that took place in 2012. I’ll mention a few that are particularly meaningful to me.

January brought another grandchild into our life. Our daughter Emily and her husband Jake had a baby girl before the new year was two weeks old. Kaya joined her brother Ben in this great family and thus joined our extended family. Some six years earlier Ben came into the world in very hurried fashion and very early too. His birth was just fine for him, but made for a bit too much drama for his parents and the rest of us. All was well in the end for his grand entrance, but Kaya’s arrival was so different. She was full-term and she was peacefully delivered in a planned manner. Lee and I were there with Jake and Em as she went through a fairly mild labor. I was not permitted in the room for the actual birth (a decision I agreed with) - but Lee was there and got to see her last grandchild take her first breath. Even as I listened at the door, I could tell it was all a picture-perfect birth. Lee came out a few moments later with a look on her face I had rarely seen before. She was so entirely moved to have seen Kaya’s birth. The rest of the day was spent quietly with our youngest daughter, her family and the little girl they wanted so much. In the months since, Kaya has been a total delight. We’re very fortunate to be near all of our grandchildren and have so much contact with them. Kaya is truly the baby of the family and she seems to know it. She has the most contented, big smile and pleasant manner. Our family is our great treasure and we’re thankful for each of them.

There were some great, but challenging professional changes that took place for several of us in the family this year. After almost 15 years in my last job I made the choice to try something new. I was fortunate to get a great new job as a Regional Manager at Goodwill. I even surprised myself with this one. Given my age, I thought I’d likely just stay put where I was. But one of my goals this year was to expose myself to new things. I did, and I’m incredibly glad I did. Goodwill has been great so far. I’m happy in my new job, learning new things and coming to appreciate yet another outstanding agency with a mission to invest in human capital to make a better world. And, I’ve met some really remarkable people too. I like that. But just as I was finding myself with new challenges, both of our kids found new opportunities in their professional lives. Get this, while Emily was on maternity leave she got promoted to Director of Sales- an executive position in a large food distribution company. She went back to work after maternity leave and is doing great.  Shortly after Emily’s new development occurred, our older daughter Erin had a huge advancement in her profession. In a series of events, Erin got promoted to Supervisor, then to Director of the Victim Advocacy and Prevention Department of Lutheran Community Services. Erin weathered a tough summer of new duties and responsibilities with staff shortages and agency wide changes- but she came through like a champ and has now settled in to an incredibly important job directing Spokane’s program to assist and advocate for women who have been victimized, sexually assaulted or traumatized. Lee’s professional career involves more now too. She continues to direct an outstanding Child Care Center for Catholic Charities, but has also added consulting on a community-wide basis. I’m proud of this the family- but very thankful too. Each member of the family, including my two sons-in-law contributes their talents and their hearts to this family and their community in ways that are unique to each one of them. This is a family to be thankful for.

As think about the last year and the new things that have come my way, I’m feeling very grateful that I have a life that allows me to try new things, enjoy new activities and meet new people. I know it is not that way for everyone. Only this week I met a young man at work who is very special. I’d just gotten into work when I got a call from our Human Resources office. They were calling to see if one of my staff could give a tour to a blind man who wanted to learn about Goodwill. I told them I didn’t have anyone specially trained to work with the blind- but I’d be happy to assist him. The young man showed up right on time. He was waiting for me in our reception area. There I found a 26 year old African-American man who was totally blind and had severe hearing and speech problems. I introduced myself and he took my arm as I escorted him up to the second floor where we could talk. His speech was very difficult to understand. He patiently told me that he knows people can’t understand him very well and that if I was having trouble, I could just ask him to repeat himself. He didn’t want me to feel uncomfortable with his disability-what an incredibly gracious gesture on his part.

We spoke for about half an hour. I learned that he had sight and hearing until he was about 13 years old. He lost those abilities in an auto accident. I also learned that he wasn’t there to find out what Goodwill could do for him- he was there looking for a job. He asked that I give him a tour of our facility’s production area. He held my left arm with his right hand and held his cane in his left hand as I gave a blind man a sight-seeing tour. We stopped at several stations in the production area as I described what was happening at each spot. Although he has severe sensory and neurological issues, his intellect is keen, his body fit, and his determination was evident. He would touch some of the items and feel his way around the tote bins and production tables as he was trying to determine how he could do the work. He kept telling me that he does not let his problems ever stop him. He had a work history before moving back to our town and was proud that he is a hard worker. After the tour I filled out a Job Application for him and took him back to where the Special Mobility bus would pick him up. I told him I wanted to shake hands and he said he did too. If it is possible to physically feel the emotions of determination and courage (in the face of adversity)- I think I did in that handshake.

For all the ugly political rhetoric of this past year; with talk about “urban people” and “takers not makers” and the 47% who don’t take personal responsibility, it’s easy to feel cynical. Then I got meet this young man who has every reason to give up- but doesn’t. This young man wants to contribute in spite of the fact that it takes him three times the effort and trouble just to get somewhere, let alone do the work. He is a guy who makes me feel grateful for all I have and reminds me that the cynics who blame the poor for their troubles are just wrong. This young man could have been the poster child for all those who used race and disadvantage to create divisions in our country, or provide an excuse to promote the idea the privileged among us are the ones in need of favors. The young man I met wasn’t there to get “free stuff” or accept “gifts” from government or anyone else. He was there to find a place to work and contribute anything he could.

The professions some of us in this family have chosen are not the kind that will lead to great wealth- but we knew that at the time. And, I’m not opposed to those who have great financial success- provided their riches don’t blind them to the fact that many in our world will never have all the opportunities that some have, and that we are all in this society together. On this Thanksgiving, I’m personally grateful that my profession and my life gives me the chance to meet people who don’t have many breaks in life, yet still find ways to achieve and inspire. It’s a great feeling and revelation, and not one I would want to selfishly keep to myself. So I suggest and urge anyone who can, to find a way to get to know people who don't have all the advantages we have, and learn more about them. This isn’t about charity- it’s about making a connection with people we normally wouldn’t connect with. If we can all learn to respect the value of all people- charity will take care of itself.

My best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to all. Thanks for looking in.

   

Brand X

In the less sophisticated days of early television advertising, commercials used a basic technique to sell their products. Many of the products advertised were household products. The common method was to make the comparison between the favored product and the vaunted BRAND X. “Brand X” was always product that is simply inferior.  I know there will be a thousand different explanations to tell us why the recent election turned out the way it did. As I was watching the results come in and thinking about what happened, the idea of “Brand X” really felt like an apt metaphor for the defeat Mr. Romney and so many other Republican Senate candidates suffered on election night.

Getting right to the point, President Obama wasn't in the strongest position during his campaign. Though I believe he had done much better as a President than some of his staunchest detractors would admit. Still, he was presiding over an improving, but very sluggish economy. Normally an economy with a very slow growth rate would spell defeat for a sitting President. So the question is why Mr. Romney could not capitalize on these circumstances and eke out a narrow win. My sense is that Mr. Romney was a weak candidate who could not overcome the Republican brand. Before I move on to the Republican brand, I call Mr. Romney weak because he could never find a core set of positions to campaign on. The Republican Party literally forced Romney into extreme right-wing positions during the laughable Primary races. He felt compelled to go far-right just to compete with the likes of Perry, Santorum, Bachmann, Trump, Cain et al.(Clown College) Once there, he was kind of stuck. His late dramatic reversals and shifts betrayed a lack of genuineness in his political and moral fiber. And to top it off, he was in the same package as the rest of Brand X.

If there is a lesson to be learned from this election, it is that the Republican brand needs a makeover. The simple truth is that this brand just doesn’t sell any more, when compared to the other product (Party) on the market. It is also clear that the Republicans don’t understand the market, because the market for political favor has changed and it will continue to evolve in ways that don’t mesh with the message of today’s Republicans. In the last few days I’ve actually heard the voices of some reasonable Republicans who see the need to change direction. These were people who are still Republican, but more moderate in their views. They are finally speaking up after years of being afraid to stick their heads up for fear of being booted from their own party, as many moderates were. This is encouraging. At the same time I continue to hear the same old denial from the far right who will blame everyone but themselves, using some truly amazing twists of logic. The Party seems to be in as much disarray as they were after the first Obama victory.

On the all-important economic issues, The Republicans turned out to be Brand X. Exit polls confirmed that economic confidence is growing. The constant chant that “he made it worse” wasn’t true and didn’t sell. If you want to see “worse”, go back and read the headlines from September 2008. Then follow the trend lines since then. 56% of those responding on exit polls said President Bush was to blame- not Obama. Employment is improving, not regressing to 700,000 job losses a month. Most voters (particularly low and middle class) voters knew Mr. Obama, not Mr. Romney, had their interests at heart. There also seemed to a growing awareness of the overwhelming evidence that cutting taxes on rich people does not create jobs. The Trickle Down fantasy never worked and today’s reality only proves it. Mr. Romney was stuck with the brand that only has a few ingredients: for a full list of ingredients look at the radically conservative Republican National Platform. It just doesn’t sell (or add up).

Mr. Romney lost huge among women because his Party has been systematically demeaning women for years now. The crazy “legitimate rape” and “God intended it” remarks are not wild anomalies. They are positions the Republican brand has been pursuing for years through attempts to dictate a woman’s reproductive life, limit a woman’s access to health care, and ignoring wage disparity. It has been promoted in State houses and in Congress for quite a while now. The real trouble for the Brand began when those yahoos went out said it in public-and let the cat out of the bag. There goes plausible deniability for the Republican brand. All Mr. Romney could do was ignore the questions on these subjects. He literally pretended not to hear the questions. Women noticed-and the gender gap was a major factor in his defeat.

Perhaps the biggest market share mistake Republicans made is in relation to minorities. The oldest tradition in American politics is that white people run this country. White people need to get used to the idea that racial minorities combined, now (or will within a few years) outnumber white people. The Republican brand has not appealed to this demographic truth. It is no longer acceptable to find ways to work around their problem- Republican policies are the problem. On immigration, the Primary contenders mostly talked about how high to build the fence and how much lethal voltage should be used to electrify it. There were so many racially charged (racist) comments from Republicans in this campaign it was a national shame. Mr. Romney went so far right that he talked about how he would repeal the Dream Act- and how to institute “self-deportation” (perhaps the dumbest comment of the whole campaign). The Party has alienated minorities for years and done nothing to resolve the basic issues of racial injustice- they hardly even recognize it. As a Party this brand was only noteworthy for attempts to suppress voting in minority communities. Minorities noticed. 96% of African-Americans, 73 % of Asians and 76% of Latinos voted for Obama. The time of the ruling white class officially ended with this election. Diversity is no longer a PC thing to say, or a winking joke. It’s real, and this Brand X doesn’t get it.  No political Brand will succeed in the future unless their policies include justice and inclusion for people of color. It is the future of the country and it is right to embrace it.

Finally, this Republican Brand miscalculated the effectiveness of the fear tactic. Conservatives by nature want to preserve old ways. They want us to live under more’s and values that are “traditional”. To achieve that they often resort to the language of fear. They tell you that change and growth themselves are things to be feared. This brand has tried to convince us to fear or ignore science, and gotten far too many of us question actual facts by persuading us that things we see are not real. I will never forget the comments Mr. Romney made at his convention mocking the President for “trying to stop the oceans from rising”. Two months later, rising oceans and other effects of climate change swallowed up much of the east coast, leaving behind unimaginable pain and loss. It’s not a laugh-line now- but that’s what this brand has been pushing. In this election we saw a concerted effort to paint Mr. Obama as a figure to be feared and despised. He wants to take your freedom, or your guns, or your health care options, or your religion. He hates businesses, he hates white people, and he hates America! We were told to fear minorities, fear gays, fear "the other". In the last week of the campaign Paul Ryan stooped so low as to say that if the President won, it would be the end of Judeo-Christian values in this country. The growth of the Tea party is ample evidence of the politics of fear. As one commentator said the other night; “this will have to end sometime, we’re running out of angry, old, white men.” All the fear whipped up by right-wing hate-talk radio shows and the SUPERPACS to prop up this brand didn’t sell this time. I find that comforting.

I believe the end of this particular Brand X is near. The ice has been broken, voters said no to the old intolerances. After years of being swayed by fear, voters approved same-sex marriage in all three states where it was on the ballot. Overwhelmingly, the public feedback on the election is a call for cooperation, reconciliation, moderation, and governance. Brand X thought they could regain the White House this year by simply saying “no” to everything. They sometimes said “no” to their own ideas if they thought the President agreed with them. (Prime example: Obama Care) If they take that path again, they risk being irrelevant. If they choose not to govern- not to work for the people this time their Brand will gone forever. The country has monumental, pressing problems to tackle and it will take patriots and statesmanship working in cooperation to resolve them.

My best hope is that the Republican Party will alter its Brand. I hope they will abandon the extreme elements that have ruined the Brand and return to the business of governing by reason instead of stubborn, intractable ideology. I don’t wish for the death of the Party. Dynamic conflict helps the system work- paralyzing conflict just hurts the country. I wish for an opposition party with opposing views that are reasonable, and populated by members who put Americans first, and Party second. I had hoped that this election would be the beginning of a cultural change that recognizes the need for new directions. I think that has happened. Even though this was a very close contest for the Presidency; the result, and the result of many Senate races tells us that the majority of the country simply won't buy Brand X.  

Thanks for looking in.

    

 

 

90 Million People: Missing!

The time has finally come to see the reckoning of years spent in the pursuit of that one indispensable possession so many of us take for granted. The election is upon us. The indispensable possession is our individual vote. In the next few paragraphs I’ll share my own thoughts about this precious thing, as well as sharing thoughts of very prominent Americans. As I was thinking about our right to vote, and seeking the ideas of others about the importance of this civic duty, I was reminded of the sad fact that far too many of us don’t vote. Current estimates are that about 125 million votes will cast in the upcoming election- but 90 million more Americans who are eligible to vote will not vote.  Over 40% of us who can vote, do not.

I find it remarkable that so many Americans favor having our children cross oceans to fight wars in other counties to help secure liberty there, but can’t cross the street to vote. Most studies conducted on this subject find that the number one reason citizens choose not to vote is the claim that they’re just too busy. The next most frequently cited reason is they don’t think their one vote matters. It seems we have done a very poor job as a country in passing on the importance of voting.

“Impress upon children the truth that the exercise of the elective franchise is a social duty of as solemn a nature as man can be called to perform; that a man may not innocently trifle with his vote; that every elector is a trustee as well for others as himself that every measure he supports has an important bearing on the interests of others as well as on his own.”     Daniel Webster 1840

As our country has grown from smaller beginnings to a nation of 310 million, perhaps the importance of voting, or knowing that our vote counts, has been lost. We need only look back a few years to see just how important each vote can be. In the election of 2000, only a relatively few votes in Florida made the difference in the Presidential election. In my own state, our current Governor was elected to her first term by a margin of 100 votes. These elections, and our participation as voters, are vitally important. In an address after the landmark Voting Rights Act was passed, President Lyndon B. Johnson said: “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.”

LBJ was making the point that our individual vote is the one thing that provides for our liberty. I have been concerned to see efforts over the last few years to erode the ability to vote in so many states. We’ve seen this effort in the voter ID laws, passed on the pretense that there is an epidemic of in-person voter fraud taking place all over the country. There is not- never has been. Unfortunately several Republican led States have used this gambit to gain political advantage. Most notably this happened in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Ohio. In Pennsylvania, the state Republican Party Chair was so bold as to even proclaim the voter ID law would cause his party to win. I was actually surprised to see our Courts consistently strike down these blatant attempts to suppress the vote. Even the conservative Roberts’ Supreme Court refused to allow Ohio to limit early voting (by refusing the case). Even in these hyper-polarized times the courts have upheld the sacred right to vote and denied those who seek to limit it. I think that speaks to the power of the vote and the deeply held reverence we have for this right.

I have been equally concerned over the decision that allows unlimited funds to be spent by (what could be) anonymous donors in an effort to buy our vote.  The effect of the “Citizens United” case is yet to be determined. Still I have the nagging sense that allowing millionaires and billionaires to pour limitless amount of money into campaigns is essentially wrong for two reasons. The first reason is that it allows candidates and their SUPERPACS to saturate the airwaves of TV and radio with relentless messaging that may or may not be true- and we are seeing this very thing happen now. With the amount of money that becomes available, candidates need not worry about truth. They can injudiciously and promiscuously keep pouring money into false ads with no accountability. The second reason is that these mega-donors (individuals who make personal contributions in the tens of millions) must want something in return. No one admits to it- but it simply stands to reason there is an expectation of having the favor returned. I cannot be convinced that these successful business people make that kind of investment without wanting to see a return on the investment. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be the successful business people they are. This level of money influence, by its nature, corrupts the process of voting.

To protect the integrity of the vote, and thus our democratic system of government, I would like to see two major reforms. The first reform is total public financing of campaigns. A level playing field would provide the voter equal access to ideas instead of overbearing ad campaigns. It would shorten the campaign season and focus the nation on the issues. The idea of actively campaigning two years for a four-year job is nothing but a distraction from actual governing, and keeps us all focused on the quest for political power instead of being focused on the issues of the day. Moreover the constant campaigning obsessively occupies our elected officials to the point that it hinders their very purpose for being in office.  The second reform would be to actively seek to bring the 90 million missing people back into our democracy. If only 60% of us vote, and the country is pretty evenly divided- then roughly 30% of all eligible voters pick our leaders. I doubt anyone who really understands how few people elect our government would see that as a true picture of the democracy we tout around the world. Recent attempts to limit the vote are exactly the wrong approach to protecting the right to vote. Those truly concerned with our personal freedoms and liberties ought to be fighting to expand the vote-not limit it. Yet it is the same people who shout and bluster about the loss of personal freedoms lately, who are the ones behind efforts to suppress the vote. Can you imagine what elections would be like if 90 million more votes were at stake.  Many of those 90 million are the poor, the disabled, and the disenfranchised, among others.

A movement for full participation in government has never been tried. Perhaps those in power, from both parties, may fear an election that includes ALL citizens because the dynamics of an election involving all those systematically eliminated, or socially stigmatized would change the face of government and most certainly tip the balance of power in this country away from the privileged. There are many ways to increase citizen participation once we come to recognize the value of expanding the vote. Some have been instituted, like early voting and voting by mail. But we have a long way to go. We can make election day a holiday, so people don’t have to miss work to vote; we can begin teaching civics in school again in order to teach the value of participatory government; and we can begin campaigns and activities that bring people into the system instead of scaring them away.

For those who claim concern for our freedoms yet don’t vote or worse, try to limit the right of others to vote please see the words of Thomas Jefferson: “The elective franchise, if guarded as the ark of our safety, will peaceably dissipate all combinations to subvert a Constitution, dedicated by wisdom, and resting on the will of the people.”

Thanks for looking in.

P.S. Tuesday is election day- PLEASE VOTE!!!