Perspectives on Social Issues
(July 2007)

The Pursuit of Happyness: A Liberating Movie? Or Not?
"Not every movie about poverty is good for poor people. The beautiful father-son relationship portrayed in the film by Will Smith and his real-life son, Jaden, exists within a larger story whose basic messages to poor people -- 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' and 'you create your own destiny' -- imply that those who remain poor do so because they are selfish, lazy or weak. My experiences with Interfaith Worker Justice have shown me that most persons living in poverty do not need to be told to work hard, sacrifice more or be strong. In fact, the poor are among the hardest-working, strongest, most selfless people I know, often holding two or three jobs to keep their families together for one more day.

'Pursuit' and films like it also assuage the guilt of the privileged, including me, and send the message that we who have 'made it' into the middle and upper classes are there simply because of our superior virtue and intelligence. It is far more flattering to attribute our wealth to superior character and abilities, 'which God rewards,' than to factor in inequitable tax codes, unequal access to health care, discriminatory education, slave-wages, international trade agreements, and inheritance laws that protect privileged races and classes."

“The Stories We Tell” by Jeremy V. Cruz, America, Ap 30, 2007.

U.S.A. Rated as One of World's Least Peaceful Countries
"The U.S. is one of the world's least peaceful countries, according to the Global Peace Index, a new gauge from the Economist Intelligence Unit, which ranks countries based on peacefulness, both domestically and abroad. Using 24 indicators, including the number of soldiers killed overseas, the level of violent domestic crimes and relations with neighboring countries, the rankings show how poorly the U.S. and Russia score compared with other members of the Group of Eight."

(Editor’s Note: Accompanying graph shows rankings of 121 countries-- Japan, No. 5; Canada, No. 8; Germany, No. 12; Italy, No. 33; France, No. 34; Britain, No. 49; U.S.A., No. 96; Russia, No. 118.)

"Give Peace a Number, Dashboard, TIME, June 18, 2007.

Religious Groups Call for Farm Bill Reforms
"The U.S. bishops, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities USA, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, and NETWORK, a Catholic social justice lobby, are joining more than a dozen other religious groups in advocating reforms in federal farm policy that could be implemented through the Farm Bill now working its way through Congress. The organizations have coalesced into a body called the Religious Working Group on the Farm Bill to propose changes in the legislation that they say would benefit farmers, rural communities and Americans’ nutritional needs.... The working group outlined a broad agenda of issues that would:

• Increase investments that combat rural poverty and strengthen rural communities
• Strengthen and expand programs that reduce hunger and improve nutrition in the United States
• Strengthen investment in policies that promote conservation and good stewardship of the land
• Provide transitions for farmers to alternative forms of support that are more equitable and do not distort trade in ways that fuel hunger and poverty
• Protect the health and safety of farm workers
• Expand research related to alternative, clean and renewable forms of energy
• Improve and expand international food aid in ways that encourage local food security."

"Religious Groups Band Together to Call for Farm Bill Reforms," by Catholic News Service, National Catholic Reporter (NCR), May 4, 2007.

Helping Pregnant Women Behind Bars
"Over the years, Zimryah Barnes had driven past the Washington Correction Center for Women many times, wondering what life was like for the women there. Last year, this certified doula and aspiring midwife got to find out. Inspired to help incarcerated pregnant women, she joined The Birth Attendants, a collective of doulas who offer free services to prisoners in Washington state.

Inside, she found women struggling with lack of adequate education and prenatal care, poor nutrition, limited access to exercise, and isolation from supportive family and friends. Through education, emotional support, and constructive collaboration within the prison system, she hopes to reduce these barriers. In addition to providing education and labor support to pregnant prisoners, Barnes also brings her experience back out into the world. 'I want to educate the community about prison as a form of violence against women.'"

“Helping Pregnant Women Behind Bars," Signs of Life: People We Love, YES! Magazine, Summer 2007.

Mercy Sisters Connecting Dots at U.N.
"Connecting the dots is how Deirdre Mullan describes her work at the United Nations, where she directs Mercy Global Concern, a project of the Mercy International Association. A Sister of Mercy who arrived in New York half a dozen years ago, she recently visited America House with another Mercy sister, Eileen Hogan, to speak about their work in connecting the 12,000 sisters worldwide who, in the tradition of their foundress, Catherine McAuley, advocate on behalf of the poorest. Along with members of other congregations at the United Nations with status as nongovernmental organizations, their goal is to raise consciousness at the local and international level about the needs of marginalized people.

Although Mercy Global Concern seeks funds for its work, it also connects people with financial resources with those who lack them. Collaborating with UNICEF -- the U.N. development organization for children -- the Sisters of Mercy funded a program to train police officers from U.N. nations to recognize children at ports of entry who might be trafficked.... We have to find new ways of connecting with people,”' [Mullen] said, 'because we believe that it’s not enough to be compassionate -- we must act.'"

“Of Many Things” by George M. Anderson, America, May 7, 2007.