Building a Culture of Encounter
As a way of countering attitudes of defensiveness, fear, and indifference towards poor and marginalized people—all typical of a “throwaway culture”—Pope Francis has frequently called for a “culture of encounter.” He counsels that a culture of encounter is the only culture capable of building a better, more just, and fraternal world.
Arming Teachers
by Nicholas Mitchell, Ph.D.
Of Guns, Dreamers, and Politics
by Fred Kammer, S.J., J.D.
The headlines staring from my morning newspapers are all too familiar: Another unstable person uses an automatic weapon to slaughter teenagers at their high school and the U.S. Senate stumbles again on immigration reforms. We have been down both roads far too many times and bemoaned our inability to take common sense steps to remove combat weapons from our communities or to reasonably accommodate people fleeing poverty, starvation, and war. The world’s oldest continuous democracy flails about in the face of real but not insoluble problems.
For the Common Good
By Alí Bustamante, Ph.D.
Choosing Sanctuary
By Sue Weishar, Ph.D.
Fighting Invisibility
By Ashley Howard, Ph.D.
As an educator, I endeavor to teach my students the horrors of the carceral state while complicating narratives of victimization with those of human agency. Providing authentic and minimally edited first-hand accounts is a challenging prospect. How do we amplify the experiences of incarcerated people without dabbling in voyeurism? How can we move beyond a structural understanding of incarceration to one with personal impact? Put simply, we must provide the space for the people affected to speak for themselves.
Get a Sacramental Life, Mr. Limbaugh
By Tom Ryan, Ph.D.
I remember hearing Rush Limbaugh complain about fatigue during the Obama years. He was so disgusted with the president that he couldn’t sleep; similarly, he was tired of hearing about the plight of immigrants (but probably not as tired as immigrants are of their plight!).
In response, I yelled at the radio, “Get a sacramental life, Mr. Limbaugh!” I probably should have recommended he first consult a health professional about his fatigue.
The New American Dream
by Sue Weishar Ph.D.
On September 5 U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Trump administration would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program in March. DACA provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. Through DACA, approximately 750,000 young immigrants, including 2,300 Louisiana Dreamers, have been able to work, continue their studies, serve in the military, and live their lives without the constant fear and anxiety of being torn from their families.
The Real Threat of White Supremacy
by Nicholas Mitchell, Ph.D.
Shredding the Health Safety Net
The Moral Folly of "Repeal and Replace"
by Fred Kammer, S.J.
Over the past 50 years, Medicare, Medicaid, and other measures moved our health care system closer to the Catholic principle that health care is a natural right rooted in the sanctity and dignity of the human person.