A Failure of Civic Responsibility

I had the opportunity to spend a part of last weekend in Colorado Springs. A national hub for the religious right (New Life Church, Focus on the Family, etc.), the city has been garnering a lot of press lately due to its unique (read: non-existent) tax policies. Nestled in the shadow of beautiful Pikes Peak (above), the town is literally starting to crumble: trash cans are nowhere to be found in public parks, potholes litter the streets, and with every third streetlight being turned off, the city is darker than ever before. The police department is facing such harsh cuts that they've enlisted the help of taxi drivers to monitor and report street crime.

I obviously believe in the power of NPOs and NGOs to do essential social work. As a result, I believe in a general responsibility for people to make charitable contributions to organizations they support. Particularly if you're unsatisfied with some piece of the status quo, you have an opportunity to get involved with a group that can make change with your help; support of these organizations is a great way to "walk the walk" of social change.

However, while many essential services are housed in the NGO sector, we cannot forget that a government has a basic responsibility for the welfare of its people. In order to provide services (police, firefighters, roads, etc.), a government must enact taxes; when you pay these, you pay for your share of services. Unlike donations to social organizations, taxes are not a negotiable part of your financial life--and they shouldn't be. People in the Springs may feel better because they know that their personal check books are a little fatter due to low taxes. When you look around a town that cannot even afford to repave its streets, it should be harder for you to accept this situation.

Colorado Springs is proof that a libertarian utopia is no more than a childish fantasy. Government services can only be so good on a shoestring budget. You may not agree that items like health insurance should be paid out of government coffers, but it's harder to argue that road, fire, and police services fall into that same category. As citizens, we need to grow out of our immature delusions that the government has unlimited resources and taxes can remain artificially low forever. Part of taking personal responsibility is meeting your responsibilities to society; it's time more people understood that fact.

Goole Maps: Oxfam

It's easy to write about the aid work in Haiti; it's quite a different thing to actually see the way aid is being allocated. Google Maps has provided a visual aid for us to understand the physical reality of Oxfam's Haiti operation.

Understanding Idolatry

This week's parshah (weekly Torah reading) is a central text for understanding the Law. In it, Moses ascends Sinai to receive G-d's revelation; the people, left alone, create an idol--the golden calf--and dance around it.

G-d is seriously pissed off and resolves to destroy the children of Israel for the sin of idolatry (but doesn't carry out the threat, thanks to Moses' intervention). When Moses sees the people worshiping the calf, he loses his cool and smashes the tablets upon which he had written G-d's revelations. He also destroys the idol and kills those responsible for organizing the people. G-dcast, a particularly good means for getting your weekly Torah dose in under five minutes, presents an interesting take on the portion:



The source of the calf is important: the whole community pitched in to create the idol. This event is not some half-baked attempt by a few rogues among the people; instead, the creation of the golden calf is the result of a community dedicated to a task. Unfortunately, this task is one that will bring them shame.

The text teaches us about the destructive power of mob mentality. Preying on the hope and fear of the larger group, a small number of people successfully convince the community to take an action against their own best interest. Groupthink is dangerous, and complacency can lead to ruin.

It's impossible to watch the news, read a magazine, or even walk down a city street without encountering the problems that plague our world. From homelessness to war to environmental degradation, we are still a long way from a world redeemed.

Part of what this blogging project has taught me is that there are countless organizations around the world challenging our complacency. Environmental organizations teach us that an extravagant lifestyle, rife with energy inefficiency, dirty sources of electricity, and a focus on individual transportation (as opposed to mass transit) is wholly unsustainable. More importantly, many of these groups seek to end bad practices and make our lifestyles more harmonious with the Earth.

I know that I am fortunate enough to live in an economically stable, modern society. As a result, I have options in terms of employment and leisure time. For me, the golden calf represents complacency. It's easy for me to sit in front of my keyboard and type about the world's ills. Sometimes, I take the time to volunteer for a cause or donate money to an organization that I think is worthwhile. Other times, I prefer to sit on my tuchus and play video games.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying my leisure time, but doing so should be compensated by affecting the world in a positive way. I can always do more to cause positive change in my community, and I need to constantly remember this; otherwise, I may be led to worship at the golden hooves of a false idol.

Shabbat Shalom

The Curtain of Culture

A story about Tonga got me thinking about an interesting issue. We live in a time of unprecedented cultural understanding; as the world becomes more connected by technology, it becomes easier for anyone to experience a multitude of cultural expressions. In doing so, we learn how to be respectful of the values that others hold, even when those values conflict with our own.

However, cultural relativism has its limits. Tradition cannot be used as a veil behind which power structures can oppress people. For example, some patriarchal communities practice female genital mutilation (FGM), a tactic used to reinforce gender differences and degrade women. Cultural attitudes toward women simply do not justify a practice that is quite obviously harmful.

When NGOs work for social justice, they often have to tread this line carefully. While understanding and respecting cultural differences is essential for cooperation, such arguments should not be used to justify immoral and unjust actions. Cultures may have different conceptions of the world, but there must be some universal values that ought to apply to all human conduct.

Since NGOs can be funded in a variety of ways, they are not beholden to a particular community's worldview. In essence, then, these organizations have the opportunity to be messengers of universal values. Groups like the Red Cross have understood this and been doing this work for years. Indeed, international NGOs have a unique ability to promote positive changes in multiple societies.

So, how can an organization walk the line between accepting cultural differences and condemning obviously immoral behavior? There's no prescription. I can only reference the Supreme Court's answer to the question of how to define obscenity: we may not be able to define all unacceptable practices, but we know them when we see them.

Colorado Daily Response

Good morning! Yesterday's Colorado Daily ran a picture of Hamas. I responded to the paper's characterization of the organization. Thanks to them for publishing my comments online and in print today.

Watching the media is a great way to positively affect discourse. If I can do it, imagine what a committed organization can do.

Exploring the Universe

As technology marches forward, the impossible becomes reality. We tend to think that private companies and governments have the monopoly on technological advancement, and in that assumption, we're correct. The massive investment required to create space-bound technology is simply out of the reach of most non-profits.

However, ExploreMars is no ordinary NPO. According to its website, the organization's purpose is to "... provide a platform for scientists and 'citizen scientists' to engage in meaningful space exploration research and development in the private sector." By funding projects and scientific symposiums, the group hopes to provide meaningful technology toward a mission to Mars.

While aerospace engineering is the last place you would expect to find an NPO, it seems that such groups' influence can be found everywhere. Not being a scientist, I have no way to truly evaluate how effective such an organization can be. There can be no doubt that this is an extraordinary effort; attempting to fund the many smaller projects which are prerequisites for such a large mission could seem overwhelming. However, the group is proof that committed individuals can contribute to a truly remarkable cause.

Whether or not you believe that a mission to Mars is a good use of billions of dollars, you have to admire the incredible progress of science and technology toward such a goal. We may one day see such a mission; the committed work of many organizations can make it happen.

Jewish Blog Carnival Published

Good morning and Shabbat Shalom.

This week's edition of Haveil Havalim, the Jewish blog carnival, has been posted at The Israel Situation. Thanks to Eric for the prominent link.

I also want to include a quick note about the upcoming Jewish holiday of Purim. We celebrate to remember a time in which a true heroine (Queen Esther) stood up against an oppressor (Haman) for the rights of the Jewish people. Purim is a time for us to remember how important it is that we do the work of defending those who need defending. In the United States, I would argue that homosexuals are in this category. There is no question that, as a society, we need to do a better job of protecting the rights of LGBT individuals.

I know of two NGOs that work towards such a goal: the Human Rights Campaign and the Victory Fund. By working with the government, these organizations attempt to bring political clout to the LGBT community. In such an open country, it's a shame that these groups have to exist; however, the work that they do is indispensable. They remind us that Hamans can exist in any society, and we need to do our best to eradicate institutionalized hate and inequality.

May everyone have a restful Shabbos and a joyous Purim. Chag Sameach!