Today, I have asked Scott Collins to write about Justice and Liberty for All. Scott is Vice President of External Affairs for Buckner.
Buried near the end of the Declaration of Independence, long after the opening words so familiar to Americans, is one of the most severe grievances our forefathers had with the British crown. “They too have been deaf to the voice of justice…”
As citizens of this great country, we pause next week to remember July 4, 1776. It’s a time of food, fireworks and family. We celebrate the “self-evident” truth that in the eyes of God, we are all created equal and that among our rights are “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
And as the Declaration of Independence was intended to separate our nation from Great Britain, the Constitution was intended to unite us as a nation. The Preamble of the constitution lists six reasons for its writing. Second is to “establish justice.”
Where is the voice of justice today? What is it saying? As Americans, have we become deaf to the voice of justice?
Listen to what it is saying:
* Half of the world’s population – nearly 3 billion people – lives on less than $2 a day.
* The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the poorest 48 nations is less than the wealth of the world’s three richest people combined.
* The world’s most developed nations consume 86 percent of the world’s goods.
* More than 30,000 children die every day because of poverty. That comes to 11 million children under the age of 5 each year.
* 17 million Africans have died from the AIDS pandemic.
* Another 25 million are infected with HIV with no hope of overcoming it.
* 15 million African children have already lost one or both parents due to AIDS.
* There are more than 740 million people living in sub-Saharan Africa and the average life expectancy is 46.2 years.
* Nearly 14 percent of all children in this region of the world die before reaching the age of 5.
* In the United States, half a million – 500,000 – boys and girls languish in our foster care system.
* In Texas, three children die from abuse every day.
* In 2007, 17,536 Texas children were removed from abusive homes. That’s 48 children every day; two an hour.
Where is the voice of justice for these? My fear is that if the rest of the world were to write a Declaration of Independence from the United States, they would accuse us of being “deaf to the voice of justice.” That would be unfortunate and unfair.
We live in the most giving nation on the planet and in history. Americans gave $307 billion to charity last year, according to Giving USA. Americans are born with the DNA to give. Some use it; others ignore it. Could we do more? Of course. But there is a growing spirit of getting involved and getting our hands dirty.
The voice of justice demands action. As an American citizen, I am compelled to respond because I believe there can be no “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” without justice.
When you hear the voice of justice calling out, try responding:
Get involved. Think globally, but start locally. There are multitudes of opportunity right where you are. And there are multitudes of organizations already at work, from churches to civic clubs and non-profit groups.
Expand your horizons. As you become involved locally, you will become more aware of needs beyond your geographical sphere of influence. Use that awareness to hear the voices around the globe crying out for justice.
Advocate. Awareness of the plight of the poor and disenfranchised leads to advocacy. Be a voice of justice for those who have no voice – especially orphans and at-risk children. There are 143 million orphans in our world today.
Every day, school children stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. The final words that leave their lips offer a definition of our country – “with liberty and justice for all.” Justice demands we listen.
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