Dear CE,
First of all, for the most part I enjoy reading your Catholic Exchange articles.
However, today I have a comment on America's Inventive Mind by Mary Bonnema. The whole time I was reading it, I was thinking “There they go bragging again. Brag, brag, brag.”
Bonnema speaks of “The talents God blessedly bestows on Americans” and Americans' use of “human creativity.” I believe that if President Bush had used his God-given talents and his human creativity more wisely, the world wouldn't be in the mess it is today because of his invasion of Iraq.
I am a member of Amnesty International Group 40 in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada. All members of Amnesty International received a Take Action appeal to write to two key persons. As a result, yesterday I sent letters to both Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, Washington, DC, and to Geoffrey Hoon, Secretary of Defense, London, England, requesting that immediate action be taken to the following, as quoted in part from Amnesty International's Take Action appeal:
“The torture and ill-treatment of detainees violates the Coalition's obligations under both domestic and international law. Amnesty International has repeatedly brought our concerns to the attention of the U.S. and U.K. governments and called for appropriate steps to address this situation. However U.S. officials, including Major General Geoffrey Milller who holds responsibility for detainee operations in Iraq, continue to advocate the use of sleep deprivation and stress positions — techniques which violate the prohibition on torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.”
Perhaps it's only coincidental that you also have the article following it: “We Are Called to Love”? Perhaps it's only coincidental that you also have the article “The Bishops Speak: Elimination of Poverty Increases Social Cohesion”?
Perhaps Americans, such as Mary Bonnema, should stop keeping their minds closed to the plight of the poor, including the poor suffering and defenseless citizens of Iraq.
Perhaps some of “The talents God blessedly bestows on Americans” and Americans' use of “human creativity” together with its proverbial great wealth could be put to better use.
Carolyn McRae, Canada
Dear Carolyn,
We certainly share your outrage at the abuse of prisoners, but we can’t quite bring ourselves to agree with the logic of your letter. We do not think that the actions of a few have cost all Americans their right to rejoice in good things about their country, especially when they (as they should) attribute their successes to God’s blessing.
As for your personal questions about the author: Who knows what charitable endeavors she may support? We cannot assume that someone who recognizes that our society contains some beneficial, even laudable, structures in the rule of law and protection of intellectual property and who discusses the ways that these legal structures have empowered American citizens to become materially successful is automatically guilty of neglecting the poor. Nor does it make any sense to act as though the poor and their problems sprung into existence upon the orders of George Bush to invade Iraq. Whatever one thinks of that decision (and we have presented pros and cons on our website) it is certainly an exaggeration to act as though that is the one thing responsible for the “mess” in the world.
Of course it’s not “coincidental” that we have articles about the poor and about love along with an article assessing the reasons for American prosperity. It is our deliberate effort to bring to the attention of prosperous Americans the responsibility toward the poor that their prosperity enjoins upon them.
For a solid Catholic perspective on the prison scandal and the application of Catholic thought to the war issue, we highly recommend the articles by George Weigel that have appeared on our site. His archive can be accessed by clicking here.
Blessings to you and thank you for your support of Catholic Exchange
Mary Kochan
Mary Kochan, Lead Content Editor and cContributing author to Catholic Exchange, was raised as a third-generation Jehovah’s Witness. Before converting to Roman Catholicism, she worked in Evangelical Protestant ministry, speaking and teaching in many settings. She is a member of St. Theresa parish in Douglasville, GA. Her tapes are available from Saint Joseph Communications.
Mary is coordinating a presentation on Authoritarian Catholic Movements, for a conference on Understanding Cults, New Religious Movements and Other Groups to be held in Atlanta, Georgia October 15-16, 2004. For more information and registration go here or email Mary Kochan.
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