I’m a little confused. The news reports that a number former Guantanamo residents have returned to their terrorist ways by rejoining their old outfits or ones like them. Why does this surprise anyone? I could be really sleazy and suggest the parallels to all the old Chuck Norris and Sylvester Stalone movies. That would be un-American. What about comparing it to just plain recidivism, the kind we experience with a lot of ex-cons? The real question is, what sort of attitude would you have toward your captors under similar circumstances? Would you have gone back home and said to the recruiters, “I learned my lesson. What I did was wrong. Actually those are really nice people and they treated me well all those years.”? They and we can continue to sow and reap violence until the end of time, or we can do what we can to break the cycle of violence and work toward peace. At the very least, if we claim the name of Christ, we could start trying to follow his counsel. My conservative friends will call me naive. What do we have to lose? We cannot screw it up anymore than it is. Let’s try a different path for a change.
I\’d agree – \”can\’t screw it up any worse\”, frightening what we do in the name of justice?
Refer to Radical Welcome post.It all goes around in the same circle, doesn\’t it.We the public (american church if you will) could have demanded that the stranger be treated according to our laws, but then overall we don\’t want the prisoners in our own land treated well, do we? nor the poor, sick, young, old, etc. They are different, they may hurt us, they may use up our, fill in the blanks. we may get soiled, unclean by our contact.
Bruno,There was a letter to the editor in our local paper last night. The writer complained that the only reason a nearby town needed a new grade school was that it was filled with illegal immigrant children sponging off the taxpayer. Get rid of them and there would be plenty of room. CP
Don\’t you just love that reasoning? If the \”illegal\” immigrants are employed then they are paying taxes! Hmmm. If they are not, it is the employer who is defrauding the government. When they buy things, they pay sales tax, just like the rest of us. If they live in a house, property taxes are paid. The only way they \”sponge\” off of us is if the people who hire them, do so illegally, under the table. It is the responsibility for the employer to pay taxes unless the employee is an independent contractor. From here we move back to the issue of radical welcome and justice. What do you pay your gardener, house keeper, dish washer? do you pay into their social security, do you pay them a living wage? What about health care, insurance? Do you give them sick pay? are these the things you would desire for yourself, your children?Unfortunately the poor deluded person who wrote that letter to the editor is most likely a victim of the trickle down theory that put the blame on the least of these among us. Let\’s blame those who accept sub standard wages for taking jobs we would not want our children to take for such wages. Let\’s blame those who labor in conditions we would strike against. Let\’s blame those who work while ill because to miss one day would bring financial ruin. Let\’s blame those who lower our standard of living by accepting for themselves what we would not accept.The chasm between political theory and the Gospel message is one of fear and scapegoating. As long as we desire to be the Master over our neighbor rather than the servant of the lord, we will never breach that chasm.
Bruno,You need to be writing some of this for publication where more people will read it. CP
Thank you CPfeel free to use any you think worthy.