We Are All Downwinders: Analysis

With the amount of hardship and heartache, I began intensely questioning my world and my faith. My doubts weren’t new and in the past, I’ve examined some of the social issues seen at CDJ, but my life is relatively privileged and to be in the midst of pain and inequality constantly was eye-opening. I met and formed relationships with a diverse group of guests, volunteers, and community members whom each contained and added a unique and special attribute to my overall experience. There was such a rich variety of life, but there was also division and distrust (at times) among different cultures and groups of people. In the introduction to Ben Wilson’s article “’We are all Downwinders’: A Catholic Social Tradition Primer,” he uses an example
It’s unfortunate because when talking and forming friendships, I didn’t think our difference were huge other than the types of seasonings used for cooking or the style of clothing. In order to close that social gap, “we must go out and meet [those in need], and with our faith we must create a ‘culture of encounter,’ a culture of friendship, a culture in which we find brothers and sisters (Pope Francis, 100).” Ben Wilson wrote in his article that at times, we tend to forget about the human dignity shared among us and “we all too often act to the contrary [of human dignity] when we think and act in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’ (6).” I believe it is necessary to go out of your comfort zone, out of your normal routine, to engage new people and learn new ideas from them and about yourself. By learning and expanding one’s circle, the cynicism and divide will slowly, but surely, disappear. Also, “do not lose trust [and] do not allow your hope to be
These two topics are not new to me, but the severity and exposure I experienced of them while at Casa were. My background has caused me to experience some form of both poverty and injustice, but I am blessed and privileged because my form doesn’t compare to that some of Casa’s guest encountered. Some of the guests came from rural areas in poverty stricken areas, where some of the basic essentials such as water and a bed were hard to acquire; others had fled their country to escape prosecution or death for “crimes” that in the US would be considered their rights. What baffled (and baffles) me the most is how some people can be so oblivious or willingly ignorant to the inequity surrounding them, and then these injustices are known they are merely disregarded as “not my problem” or “what can I do about it?” Everything in life is relative to the individual’s point of view. “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are (Anais Nin).” This causes blindness to the issues and leads to false causes and wrong solutions. Also, I think there is a lot of victim blaming in issues surrounding poverty and injustice, which is backwards and the wrong way to approach the issues. I believe those in poverty and facing injustices are victims of circumstance and there is a moral obligation and conscience to help those victims. However, I also believe we should not treat