(~) What the waters have revealed
by Jim Wallis
In what may be the most catastrophic natural disaster in American history,
the waters of Hurricane Katrina are washing away our national denial of
just how many Americans are living in poverty, our reluctance to admit the
still persistent connection of race and poverty in America, and even the
political power of a conservative ideology that, for decades now, has
seriously eroded the idea of the common good.
The pictures from New Orleans have stunned the nation. They have exposed
the stark realities of who is suffering the most, who was left behind, who
was waiting in vain for help to arrive, and who is facing the most
difficult challenges of recovery. The face of those stranded in New
Orleans was overwhelmingly poor and black, the very old and the very
young. They were the ones who could not evacuate; had no cars or money for
gas; no money for bus, train, or airfare; no budget for hotels or no
friends or family with room to share or spare. They were already
vulnerable before this calamity, now they were totally exposed and on
their own. For days, nobody came for them. And the conditions of the
places they were finally herded to ("like animals," many testified)
sickened the nation.
From the reporters covering the unprecedented disaster to ordinary
Americans glued to their televisions watching their reports, a shocked and
even outraged response was repeated, "I didn't realize how many Americans
were poor." Powerful images have emerged along with the pictures. "We have
now seen what is under the rock in America," said a carpenter in
Washington DC. The vulnerability of the poorest children in New Orleans
has been especially riveting to many Americans, especially other parents.
Many say they had trouble holding back their tears when they saw mothers
with their babies stranded on rooftops crying for help or jammed into
dangerous and dirty places waiting for help to arrive. And the pictures
may get worse as countless bodies are brought out of New Orleans. Even
Homeland Security Director, Michael Chertoff, is warning that it will be
horrible and gruesome. Clearly, a very high percentage of those bodies
will be poor, black, elderly, and even children. The public anger may
grow.
As a direct result of Katrina and its aftermath, and for the first time in
many years, the media are reporting on poverty, telling Americans that New
Orleans had an overall poverty rate of 28% (84% of them African-American),
and a child poverty rate of almost 50% - half of all the city's children
(rates only a little higher than other major cities and actually a little
lower than some others). Ironically (and some might say providentially)
the annual U. S. Census poverty report came out during the Hurricane's
deadly assault showing that poverty had risen for the fourth straight year
with 37 million Americans stuck below the poverty line - and they were the
ones most stuck in New Orleans.
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.
That is what we must all work toward. Rescuing those still in danger,
assisting those in dire need, relocating and caring for the homeless, and
beginning the process of recovery and re-building are all top priorities.
But dealing with the stark and shameful social and racial realities
Katrina has revealed must become our longer term but clear goal. That will
require a combination of public and private initiatives, the merger of
personal and social responsibility, the rebuilding of both families and
communities, but also the confronting of hard questions about national
priorities. Most of all it will require us to make different choices.
The critical needs of poor and low-income families must become the first
priority of federal and state legislatures, not the last. And, the blatant
inequalities of race in America, especially in critical areas of
education, jobs, health care, and housing which have come to the surface
must now be addressed. Congressional pork barrel spending which aligns
with political power more than human needs must be challenged as never
before.That requires a complete reversal of the political logic now
operating in Washington and state capitols around the country - a new
moral logic must re-shape our political habits. In the face of this
natural disaster, during a time of war, with already rising deficits; new
budgets cuts to vital programs like food stamps and Medicaid, and more tax
cuts for the wealthy in the form of estate tax repeal and capital gains
and stock dividend reductions, would now be both irresponsible and
shameless.
Restoring the hope of America's poorest families, renewing our national
infrastructures, protecting our environmental stability, and rethinking
our most basic priorities will require nothing less than a national change
of heart and direction. It calls for a transformation of political ethics
and governance; moving from serving private interests to ensuring the
public good. If Katrina changes our political conscience and
re-invigorates among us a commitment to the common good, then even this
terrible tragedy might be redeemed.
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Pax Christi,
• Ninure Saunders aka Rainbow Christian
Jesus is my Shepherd and He knows I'm Gay
http://Ninure-Saunders.tk
My Yahoo Group
http://Ninure.tk
Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches
http://www.MCCchurch.org
The Bible Site - help provide free scripture
http://www.thebiblesite.org
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