Beyond Charity - Call For Justice

Beyond charity

Your (The Kansas City Star) call for the community to donate canned goods to charitable organizations to offset the dilemma caused by rising food prices on poor families is a commendable (8/18 editorial, “Essentials out of reach”).

There is another call just as noble: the call for justice in these matters. While charity alleviates the effects of poverty, justice seeks to eliminate the causes of it.

It would be great if public good automatically followed from private virtue. We know that it does not. If we never go beyond charitable works, we are accepting the ways things are, inequitable and shameful. Justice is needed on these issues. The status quo must be challenged, and the injustices must be brought to light.

The rising costs of food, inadequate health care, the lack of affordable goods and services illustrate that it is our economy that consigns people to the ranks of the underclass — to homelessness, hunger, poor nutrition and education, and the cycle of poverty.

Poverty is a communal failure. It has been said, “In a free society, some are guilty but all are responsible.” Our Congress will not reorder its priorities unless it consistently hears from us — the people with the power.

Delores R. Linn
Kansas City

http://blogs.kansascity.com/unfettered_letters/2007/08/beyond-charity.html

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Just another example of compassionate conservativism (code for CHRISTIANS for those of you not in the know).