New Congress means we have to work harder for social justice

They want to cut social security, education, health care and all these needed things while the government spends a billion or two dollars a day at war?

Why isn't anyone suggesting that we cut this war machine that is killing us?

If it were a campaign to build schools, I wouldn't mind giving up some benefits, but it's is all money down a black hole... Just like the war in Iraq. There is nothing good to show for Iraq and nothing for Afghanistan.

If all this money for these wars (Iraq- immoral and Afghanistan has become immoral because there is no hope to rebuild this nation and we don't really want to find or get rid of Al Qaida or it would have been done by now.)

Wake up people. War, violence, death and destruction is what is killing our economy, even more than deliberate consumerism.

CUT THE WAR

Mr. Garcia, if we could get rid of a substantial number of our illegal immigrants, we would not have 9.6% unemployment and we would have less of a health care financial shortfall, because there would be fewer illegal aliens in the waiting rooms of our ERs to get free health care. The relatively easy path to reducing the illegals is very strict enforcement of the laws against hiring illegals. Stiff fines on all offending employers will fund the program and you will see a self-curing immigration problem as the illegals head home in droves. Of course, pretty much everyone in Latin America would like to live in the US, but that is not their right to do so.

Yes, the voters spoke very clearly on 11/2. Obamification has been rejected and the US is in the process of returning to its Center Right roots. 23 Democrat Senate seats are up in 2012, and I predict that the Republicans will easily pick up the few seats needed to achieve control of both the House and Senate. And, with 650 GOP seats picked up in state legislatures last week, not to mention an overwhelming majority of governorships, you on the Left will see that your approach to running the country is not very popular. Your best bet is to reject the failed Democrats and work with the Republicans.

I thought this article was quite naive especially about politics in America and the Catholic Church. Social Justice, certainly a very relevant and critical concern in Catholicism, is not a fully realized concept in America. To suggest it is, is to suggest America should in essence know better, and that is naive. Neither political party has a handle on, a controlling voice in, or even a platform that embraces social justice. While there is rhetorical incantations toward the "better angels" of our country's ideals, the political reality of money and power trumps rhetoric. When Cardinal O'Malley can be pleased that a pro-life politician in John Boehner will be Speaker of the House, an 18-year politician who has also come out in favor of ending President Obama's health plan AND of pushing an agenda to simply stop the president regardless of his or the Democrats "social justice' agenda, we see the shallowness of a concept of social justice and a lack of ownership of its depth, its intricacies, and how this wheat is so snarled by the tares of politics.
More painfully, the election also showed the face of a majority of Americans, a "Christian" country in name only.
Yes, we need to work for social justice always. However, I'd be very careful to align it to any political party in the US.

There are now open attacks on Social Justice work in the political landscape (e.g. Glenn Beck among others). Regardless of the political climate I will continue to fight for Social Justice issues. We need to get the social narrative back to helping others around us. In this economy the numbers continue to grow every day.

It is sad that Social Justice has taken a back seat at the USCCB and more bishops than not in the US. They are blinded by the political fallacies of abortion and gay marriage.

To reference a John McCutcheon song, "Step by Step the Longest March Can be Won", the movement is not dead yet but we need to keep working.

Mario, you write "With respect to job creation, it is clear that the private sector is not doing enough to produce jobs. If anything, many employers are selfishly laying off employees" It is painfully obvious that you have never owned a business nor managed one, this is truly unfortunate in that you are blogging an opinion based on very false perceptions. Most small Business owners start their venture with their own money or that from close friends and family, many have a dream, that of advancing their state in life, caring for their family, and along the way, helping others. They are not "selfishly" laying off people but doing so out of desperation in part because the local and national taxes are reaching unsustainable levels as politicians spend other peoples money to get relected by voters who want social hand outs. Where is the social justice in eating the fat of the Lamb that others work for? Living off of others is not social justice at all but unless one is truly needy, it is a form of economic, political, theft and moral bankruptcy