Wow, I’m just furious. Between running a business, witnessing the collapse of my band (and performance career), and supporting the growth of a young marriage, time to blog has been quite hard to come by. With everything happening in the media, particularly Giffords and Egypt; I’ve put my “Fiscal Liberalism from a Christian Perspective” Agenda on hold… but after today’s immoral act I could not help but act.
I’m sure you have heard that decades of workers rights was signed away over the course of two hours in the Wisconsin State Capitol today. Despite the fact that public unions in that state made concession after concession, Republican Governor Scott Walker would not rest until he could destroy the heart of what unions are and their only chance to regain the concessions made: Their right to bargain.
(Click here for more of the details)
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/10/134419331/protests-swell-after-wis-senate-curbs-union-rights
Here's why this is such a big deal: The four hundred (400) richest Americans in the U.S. now possess more wealth than the poorest one hundred and fifty million (150,000,000). The disparity between the rich and the poor in the U.S. is outpacing that of the third world. It is a fact that the middle class is disappearing, and, since the advent of Reaganomics, the wages of the middle class have remained stagnant, as the income of the richest Americans has grown exponentially upon exponentially.
(The following link is not from Michael Moore’s website, rather a fact checking website)
http://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2011/mar/10/michael-moore/michael-moore-says-400-americans-have-more-wealth-/
Now, we find ourselves in a bind as a country. As liberal as I am fiscally, I agree that the amount of debt we are taking on is not good (can we get some A.I.G. execs in prison, PLEASE??). Our federal government did not hesitate to bail out banks with $700 trillion, but, now that Wisconsin has a shortfall of $3 billion, we have to take it out on teachers?!?!? Is anyone reading this? Maybe this would be acceptable if we had no other options… but we do. Here are two examples:
One idea would be to cut from defense. The air force has been dragging out their decision as to which company should receive their $35 billion contract for a flying gas station. I have an idea, give that money to the people of Wisconsin! Scripture literally describes an ideal world as one where “He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” (Isaiah 2:4)
Tax the rich. Tax the rich. SOMEONE PLEASE SHOW ME THE SCRIPTURE THAT ADVOCATES FOR THE RICH AND I WILL SHUT UP. Show me the verse, and I will answer you with one thousand references calling us to look after the poor. Show me your twisted, generalized, mis-contextualized scripture advocating for general freedom (not specifically for the rich) and I’ll describe a banquet where those with means would not attend and so the it was filled instead with “the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” (Luke 14:21). I dare you to challenge my knowledge of scripture and I guarantee you that I will absolutely wreck and shank your argument with precision and the weight of truth on my side. If you call yourself a Christian and believe that it is right to tax school custodians before billionaires, you are a hypocrite and your faith has fallen into complacency; God may have grace for you at the end of your life, but I have only judgment against you now. You are cheapening my faith and my Jesus with your selfishness and distorted perspective of economics, corrupted by your money. Repent for the kingdom is near, you will be paying for your tea party membership when you sit in poverty in heaven.
Remember, to the faithful, and to all, this issue is much greater than the unionized workers of Wisconsin. The Federal Republican House, just months ago, put their careers on the line to protect tax cuts for the richest Americans; now the state politicians in Wisconsin are putting their careers on the line to cut from the working class. This fight defines the fundamental struggle to keep the middle class alive, to make it more possible, not less, for someone to rise out of poverty.
If you are angry like I am, if you agree that there was an injustice committed (I’d like to add that the way in which the Republicans passed the bill was on the fringe of legality) here is what you can do. Donate to the efforts to recall those that were responsible for this. Polls already show that public sentiment is cascading toward the favor of the unions and that several of these senators are vulnerable to a recall. The recall election would be legal and grass roots induced. As out of state voters, this is the least we can do. Make a donation like I did.
(Click here to find out more about giving to the recall effort)
http://www.recalltherepublican8.com/
I will end with this scripture from the book of Amos:
“You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins…
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
Amos 5:11-12 and 24
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