Who Has the Power?

Opinion Column: Who has the power?

 Children in Nova Vicosa, Brazil. Photo Credit: Audrey Dawson

Institutional power is used to take advantage of those who have limited power to stand up for themselves. In 2015, I found myself in the rural Brazilian town, Nova Vicosa, where the corruption of the local government effectively keeps much of the population in penury. There is a heavy contrast between the rich and poor of Nova Vicosa, where summer tourism and mansions overshadow many who are in need of basic necessities, like food. The wide gap between the two groups of people is made clear by the ways in which the poor are treated by rich politicians.

According to my hostess, Solange Rodriguez, every four years there are mayoral elections. The politicians bribe the people for their votes with a little bit of money. The uneducated poor need the money, and accept the bribes. The politicians build things or provide services to the poor during the election, but only as a show for more votes. As soon as the elections are over, all the money from the Federal Government goes to wealthy neighborhoods, a sad and vicious cycle.

A man near the town of Nova Vicosa, Brazil stands near the shack he calls home. Photo Credit: Audrey Dawson

While this sounds extreme, similar phenomenons can be seen in the United States today. In fact, according to Sadhdh Walshe in her article, “‘Environmental racism’: Bronx activists decry Fresh Direct’s impact on air quality,”

a study by the University of Minnesota found that minority Americans, such as African-Americans and Latinos, are exposed to 38% higher levels of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant that can cause asthma and heart disease (Walshe). This pollution, emitted by big corporations into air and water nearby to low-income, often minority communities, is a form of oppression similar to the actions of local governments within Brazil. The abuse of institutional power needs to be addressed, as it demonstrates a stark inequality within our nation between communities of varied socioeconomic statuses.

Additionally, the lack of respect for low-income and minority communities has a negative impact on the environment. In the South Bronx, several fossil fuel plants, a sewage treatment facility, and other distribution centers contribute to extreme air pollution (Walshe). As big corporations fill the air with toxins, the communities nearest to the source are negatively impacted. In the South Bronx, the majority of the population is black and Hispanic, and there is a direct correlation between the air pollution and high rates of asthma (Walshe).

If there is one thing you take away, let it be this. Everything in our world is interconnected. All of the problems that we face are related; one problem cannot be solved without considering the others. Pope Francis wrote that “political, economic, social and religious values and decisions are interrelated and impact the way people live with one another on the planet and use its resources.” And while we are faced with so many complicated and seemingly separate issues, they must be addressed together, as the connected issues they are, issues that stem from a lack of respect for our earth and its people.

Walshe, Sadhdh. “‘Environmental racism’: Bronx activists decry Fresh Direct’s impact on air quality.” The Guardian. 9 Mar. 2015. Web. 22 May. 2015.

Parish Community Members Care for Our Common Home

In October of 2015, Holy Family/St. Lawrence parishioners, in Essex Junction, Vermont, formed a discussion group in response to Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si’. Named after the Pope’s work, this group continues to meet biweekly to read, pray, study, and to discuss the Pope’s earth-themed messages. Julie Thompson, a member of the Holy Family/St. Lawrence parish since 2007, spoke about her inspiring experiences as a part of this group.

Like many of the group members, Julie emphasized that she joined because the environment is important to her. However, while taking care of the environment is a major focus of the group, Julie noted that the Pope’s book “wasn’t just about the environment, it was about our social environment, too, and how we interact with each other.” For this reason, it is important to the group to become an active presence within the community. This is also a challenge. Julie mentioned that “the hardest thing, is figuring out a way to practice what we’ve learned and to share what we’ve learned.”

This challenge continues to bring the group together for brainstorming sessions. There has been talk of organizing a nature walk in the spring. Additionally, at the end of February, a meeting with the Chittenden Solid Waste District will take place in order to hammer out details on making the parish hall kitchen and its users more environmentally responsible.

Laudato Si’ is just starting out, and despite its challenges Julie was very optimistic, “I think we’ve got a lot of smart, motivated, intentional people that are part of this group, and I think we have a lot of people that can make things happen.” Just like many things in history, she pointed out, even if something starts small, it can become something big. “Facebook wasn’t Facebook overnight, it started small and it spread. And something like this might be able to spread too.”