In the United States, an overwhelming majority of Americans identify with both religious and political beliefs. In every major religion of the world, people are called to love one another as themselves. That being the case, why isn't this fundamental idea inherent in our politics as well?
The idea of loving one another transcends not only religious boundaries, but is also an ethical belief we have heard since childhood—the Golden Rule. Politics should be a tool used to help our neighbors, but I do not see that reflected in contemporary politics.
Social issues like welfare and poverty are crucial to the concept of loving one another. If we are called upon to help our neighbors, why is it such a problem to give to the less fortunate? Many conservatives argue against welfare because of the cost, yet many continue to support the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, where combined costs total nearly a trillion dollars. It is hard to justify supporting these wars when we are not willing to give to our neighbors so they can live better lives. With nearly half of every tax dollar going to the military, our policies just do not seem to follow our faith-based values.
Furthermore, many conservatives threaten a woman's right to choose to have an abortion based on their religious beliefs to protect the life of the fetus. Whatever your stance is on this issue, please acknowledge that there are many other issues that affect the protection of life. This would include such issues as war, the death penalty and stopping genocide. It is contradictory to vote for a candidate based on his or her abortion stance when he or she also supports war. After the attacks on Sep. 11, President Bush declared it our moral responsibility to rid the world of evil. With the civilian death toll in Iraq reaching close to one million, can we still justify that call to action through our faith values?
Lastly, I would like to touch on the debate concerning health care. One of the biggest problems concerning this issue is our inability to put ourselves in others' shoes. We are so comfortable in our own situations that we forget that others are struggling to survive, even in our own country. With over 40 million Americans uninsured, we face a terrible crisis. Again, the idea of helping our neighbors is not only a religious idea, but one concerning all of humanity.
It saddens my heart when I see people frivolously spending and indulging themselves with worldly possessions, yet the idea of a national health-care plan is still too ""frivolous"" for our government. Opponents of health-care reform argue that we can't afford it. I reject that claim. What we cannot afford is having our own citizens out on the streets because a surgery bill cost them their house.
What we cannot afford are insurance companies denying procedures based on costs, and those decisions resulting in the deaths of patients. That is a real crime. Gandhi said the ""earth provides enough for every man's need but not every man's greed."" The barrier of selfishness must fall before we can help out our fellow citizens.
The bottom line is that we, as citizens, whether religious or not, need to step up and give to our brothers and sisters. We can use the government as a tool to efficiently help our neighbors in a way we cannot individually. But government will not always be perfect and cannot force us to help each other. We must take the initiative on our own to help our neighbors and promote good in our lives.
If you have ever justified your politics through your faith, then I ask you to consider whether your decisions were for the benefit of others. If we want change in this world, we must embody that change and represent it for others to see. Ultimately, we must love each other as ourselves. Otherwise, the ideals of selfishness and greed will take over and progress will cease.
James Meincke is the communications chair of the College Democrats of Madison. We welcome all feedback. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
