Category Archives: Emerging Justice Seekers

Concern for our Common Home as Pruitt Confirmation Vote Nears

Concern for our Common Home as Pruitt Confirmation Vote Nears

Mackenzie Harris
February 14, 2017

Pope Francis says that we are called by our faith to care for our creation – that the degradation of the environment is a sin. During this polarizing time, I think it’s safe to say that we all need to remember the significance the future of our environment has on our very own lives, and future generations to come.

The rhetoric in the past few weeks, let alone the last year, has been astonishing to say the least. Using terms like “alternative facts” about science and the environment were just another ploy to delay action on climate change for the new Administration, according to members of Congress and advocates who spoke alongside Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) at a press conference about on the Senate confirmation process for Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency last week.

The divide amongst our parties on climate change and the role of the Environmental Protection Agency has unfortunately grown deeper in this past election with President Trump denying the existence of a connection between human activity and climate change.

Sister Simone Campbell stated during the press conference that, “This is not polarized politics; these are actual facts. And we must respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” Senator Carper, meanwhile, said there is an urgency to have the Environment Protection Agency backed by science, not opinion.

The fact that the future of the EPA could very well be in the hands of a man who has been scrutinized for his skepticism of the EPA is almost as frightening as President Trump’s failure to recognize climate change, or worse, his transition leader, Myron Ebell’s plan to cut the EPA’s workforce by two-thirds.

I know that global climate change threatens all people and all nations, and like so many other challenges to justice, global climate change disproportionately impacts people in poverty and others who are vulnerable and marginalized members of our society.

Ignoring climate change or cutting the EPA’s workforce has an effect on us all.

I fear that during this time of partisan divide we won’t hear the cry for our earth or the cry of the poor. I’m afraid that those most affected will be silenced by the deafening rhetoric of this new Administration. I hope and pray that President Trump will step back and realize what he is doing to our Mother Earth.

In a Dark Time, the BRIDGE Act Stands Out

In a Dark Time, the BRIDGE Act Stands Out

Laura Muñoz
January 12, 2017

It’s now 2017 – a bright sunny year with new opportunities ahead and while I am excited for a new year I can’t help but notice the cloud of uncertainty hovering over my head. That cloud began to form when then Presidential nominee Donald Trump ran on the platform of repealing President Obama’s executive order on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

As a recipient of DACA, I have been able to work at jobs that I love (like NETWORK), obtain a driver’s license that allows me to travel, and most importantly live without the fear of deportation. Unfortunately, the few rays of sunlight that DACA has brought into my life after years of living in the shadows have been recently covered with a cloud of uncertainty and fear. Trump’s plan to repeal DACA would be unimaginable and utterly devastating not only for me but also for the roughly 800,000 individuals who have protection through DACA. Ending the program will be the beginning of a storm that will bring about harsh economic and emotional conditions for immigrant families– DACA recipients will be unable to keep their current jobs, support themselves or their families, and most significantly, once again feel the fear of deportation thick in the air.

Today, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) re-introduced their bipartisan legislation to protect the individuals who currently have or are eligible for DACA. Similar to DACA, the Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act would provide temporary relief from deportation and work authorization to young undocumented individuals who were brought to the United States as children. Temporary protection under the BRIDGE Act would allow individuals, such as myself, to continue to work and study and be protected from deportation while Congress works on legislation to fix  the broken immigration system.

The reality is that the BRIDGE Act is not a replacement for the comprehensive immigration reform that we desperately need, nor does it protect all undocumented individuals living in the United States. It won’t protect my parents from deportation nor will it protect thousands of DACA recipients’ parents. With the dark cloud of uncertainty and the fear of being separated from our families hovering over our heads, the BRIDGE Act gives us the chance for a hopeful forecast of staying in the country that we consider our home.

Blog: Glimmers of Hope

Glimmers of Hope

Catherine G.
December 23, 2016

The reality of Donald Trump sitting in the highest ranked American office in less than 28 days is still unsettling to me.  Trump’s election feels like a scar that may heal in time, but the wound’s initial shock will forever be remembered. On November 8, it became blatantly evident that many of our American brothers and sisters believed that Mr. Trump was the best solution to their troubles and concerns.  Whether they ardently or begrudgingly supported Mr. Trump’s candidacy, over 62 million Americans decided that his racism, sexism, ableism and xenophobia were not dealbreakers. As an individual that values inclusivity and equity, that reality stings. As a woman of color, that reality stings a bit deeper.

It may be coincidental that we are approaching the winter solstice, when our days get shorter and darker. For me, the changing landscape echoes the pervading darkness looming from the election. We continue to be bombarded with messages that highlight our divisions. Undoubtedly, there are divisions in need of mending – however, to believe that our divisions are the entire American narrative ignores the numerous individuals across the nation that have and continue to unite with one another.

When all I could do was cry on my commute the morning following the election, the individual next to me reminded me that we’re in this together.  At a time when I had grown more despondent than hopeful, thousands of students showed me otherwise by coming together to lobby their members of Congress on criminal justice and immigration reform during the Ignatian Family Teach In. As I grew weary at the state of our nation, U.S. military veterans traveled to North Dakota to support the Standing Rock Sioux in opposing the Dakota Access pipeline.  When I felt plagued by inaction, activists were organizing demonstrations, marches and sit-ins aimed at protesting the normalization of intolerance and bigotry.

These glimmers of hope are analogous to the power a lone lit candle can have in a dark room. Despite how small or dim that candle may be in the midst of pervasive darkness, that candle still possesses the ability to illuminate. When that candle is joined by another candle, the effect can be profound.

Quite frankly, I may never come to terms that Mr. Trump was elected notwithstanding his campaign platform. However, as difficult as it may be, I refuse to submit to the notion that Donald Trump is representative of the American people. Instead, it’s these glimmers of hope amidst the chaos and darkness that I choose to uplift.

Advent Reflection: Waiting for the One Who Brings Life Abundantly

Advent Reflection:
Waiting for the One who Brings Life Abundantly

Lucas Allen
December 13, 2016

The season of Advent is full of hope and anticipation for the birth of Jesus, who “came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Throughout the Gospels, Jesus models this abundant life by healing the sick with boundless compassion, especially for those experiencing poverty or exclusion.

Jesus’s healing example also calls me to imagine what our country and healthcare system could be if we took this message of abundant life and boundless compassion to heart. For our society to have life and have it abundantly, health must be a universal right, not a consumer good or a privilege for those who can afford it. Financial circumstances, zip code, race, ethnicity, or other factors should not influence access to life-saving medical care. A life-affirming healthcare system would provide universal coverage for the common good, with special concern for people who are vulnerable.

In this season of hope, it must be noted that our country has been moving closer to this vision. Never before have so many Americans had health insurance; in 2015 we achieved the lowest uninsured rate and the lowest child uninsured rate in history. Programs such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act have created a preferential option for those who would be left without care in a purely market-oriented health system. My family and I have known the fear of rising medical expenses and have benefited from these policies that lead to a healthier society.

As Jesus announced his arrival to John the Baptist saying: “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear” (Matthew 11:5), maybe our progress in living out His teachings should be measured by whether those experiencing poverty or sickness have access to care as a fundamental right. This is the nation I hope for, and the one we are pushing for at NETWORK: one that extends Jesus’s healing touch to all.

So while I wait in hope for the humble birth of the one who came that we might have abundant life, I remain cognizant of the injustices that keep those born into poverty today from enjoying healthy, abundant life. At this crucial time, I remain hopeful that we will resist the path of putting profit over people and choose Jesus’s path of abundant life.

Advent Reflection: Immigrant Families Wait for an Uncertain Future

Advent Reflection:
Immigrant Families Wait for an Uncertain Future

Diana Pliego Padilla
December 7, 2016

During Advent we wait for the birth of Jesus. This year, however, as an immigrant with DACA protection, and parents without protection, the wait feels different. In the brief silences between my family’s laughter and chaotic chatter, I have noticed a different spirit in the air this holiday season. While this time is usually filled with hope and excitement for a new year, instead what hovers above our dinner table and lingers in our conversations is apprehension for what lies ahead. I know the same uneasiness rests in many homes as families anxiously wait for what is to come in these changing times.

My parents, like millions of other immigrants, left everything they knew to give their children a chance at a better, safer life. Mary and Joseph also once made the decision to uproot their life for the sake of their child. They left Bethlehem and fled to Egypt to keep their family safe after King Herod’s infamous order to kill all infant males under the age of two in Bethlehem. They moved to keep their family safe and to remain together.

Migration and resettlement should not be a privilege for some families, but a right for all. The value of family unity should be reflected in all our laws. Every child and family deserves the chance to live their life to the fullest potential, even if that means leaving their original home.

When we hear of children crossing our border in the arms of their mothers, it should be Jesus that we see. When we read about immigrant parents giving up everything they’ve ever known to provide the best future for their children, it should be Mary and Joseph that we imagine. When we think about humane and just immigration policies, it should be the Holy Family that we consider.

So if during Advent we wait, then let us wait with hope in our hearts. But as we wait, let us act. For we know faith without deeds is dead. Let our country lead with an example of true compassion for all our brothers and sisters, especially immigrant families like Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Diana Pliego Padilla was a 2015-2016 NETWORK Government Relations Associate

The Importance of Sister-Spirit under President-Elect Trump

The Importance of Sister-Spirit under President-Elect Trump

Emma Tacke
December 7, 2016

Four weeks ago, my metro ride was silent the morning after the election. It wasn’t the usual kind of quiet often found in the early hours of the day, but the kind of silence found at a funeral. I noticed the expressions of my fellow commuters and knew their downcast eyes and slack mouths mirrored what my own face must have looked like. The days immediately following the election were a blur of disbelief, anger, and grief. I struggled to find compassion for those I knew who voted for Trump. How could they support such a person for presidency? What kind of values are we upholding when we elect someone who has shown no respect for immigrants, people of color, the disabled, women, Muslims, and veterans?

As someone who works for an organization rooted in Catholic social teaching, I try to practice the “Sister-Spirit” values instilled by NETWORK’s founding Catholic Sisters. Even as I found Trump’s behavior reprehensible when he was running for president, I did my best to approach him with hope and welcome. How hypocritical it would have been for me to hate a man precisely because he was hateful?

Now that Donald Trump is going to be our nation’s president, the task of being compassionate towards him has increased tenfold. I have seen many responses from fellow well-meaning white people that it is time to move on and accept our new president and hope for the best. This is a view others cannot afford. This is not a matter of people who are upset being sore losers. Immigrant families, people of color, those living in poverty, the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities –these are just some of the groups that will be adversely affected by a Trump administration.

Living out Sister-Spirit values does not mean I will embrace what Trump believes in because he’s the president and hope he will “do what’s right.” In fact, it means just the opposite. Sister-Spirit calls for us to be feisty and bold, and prioritize the well-being of others, especially those at the margins. This means I must actively pursue justice and work for what’s right. As a person of faith I cannot be complicit in the bigotry and dangerous rhetoric of Donald Trump.  I will continue to face the challenge of keeping my heart open to Trump and approach him with hope and welcome, but not at the expense of those who are in very real danger of this presidency.

The United States was founded with the belief that the power should be in the hands of the people. As residents of this country, it not only our right, but our duty to contact our legislators and speak out against policies that strip away the rights and opportunities of those at the margins.  We cannot stand by and let the opportunity to advocate pass us by. Now is the time to put our faith into action and work for justice where there is none.

I will seek to understand Trump and his supporters, but I will not be a bystander to the threats he and his future administration pose. Now, more than ever, it is time to embrace Sister-Spirit and relentlessly pursue a world where love, justice, and inclusivity overcome hate, fear, and discrimination.