Letters

A Way Forward

Thank you for publishing Jim Wallis’ excerpt “Crossing the Bridge to a New America” in the February 2016 issue. It has injected in me some much-needed optimism and energy. The idea that racism is, indeed, America’s original sin is a powerful one that imbues in our fight against it a new hope. That we can and need to repent from this awful and systemic plague is both challenging and encouraging. With the murders of so many people of color—including Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, and Sandra Bland, among too many others—it becomes easy to slip into resigned indifference. But Wallis reminds us that we, as both a nation and as a church, need to accept and act on the truth, for it is the only way forward.

Charlene Cruz-Cerdas
Manchester, New Hampshire

The Original ‘Original Sin’

Regarding the excerpt of Jim Wallis’ America’s Original Sin in the February issue, it seems to me that our treatment of Native Americans is just as much our “original sin” as our treatment of slaves.

Anne Courtright
Pueblo, Colorado

All Paths Lead to ‘Us’

I have a good friend who used to identify herself on Facebook by saying “I’m a Socialist, like Jesus.” Democratic socialism, as described in Danny Duncan Collum’s article “Economic Democracy and the Common Good” (February 2016), appeals to me as a Jew and to another friend who is Buddhist and to another who is Muslim. It centers on the understanding that it’s about “us,” not simply “me.” Isn’t that what all of our paths are trying to teach us?

Steven Greenebaum
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Personal and National Responsibility

In response to “Economic Democracy and the Common Good,” I would say that Christianity has long been concerned with the needs of “the least of these.” There have also been times when the church has been more interested in survival and power, which resulted in the church selling out to those in power and ignoring the needs of others. The sacrificial ministry of Jesus points us personally in the direction of caring for the least of these, and the Torah, prophets, and even Jesus, in Matthew 25, also point to that being a national responsibility. Those who desire to walk in the path of Jesus walk in the direction of caring for those Jesus referred to in Matthew 25.

Dwain De Pew
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Reasons Why

I found the article “Twelve Years for a Paintbrush” (by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, January 2016) provided a compelling story and a relevant challenge to try to experience what it’s like to be a prisoner or ex-convict. However, I was surprised that no mention was made as to the reason(s) for the wildly disproportionate number of African Americans who are incarcerated. Nor was there mention of Michelle Alexander’s book The New Jim Crow, which makes a strong case for the answer to that question: namely, the war on drugs and its intentional effort to control blacks.

Roger Brooks
Madison, Wisconsin