See the Reality
Oregon and the Portland Metro is not “War ravaged and full of domestic terrorists.”
The FBI’s own Crime Data Explore indicates that violent, property and individual offense are at their lowest level since 2020. Portland ranks seventy-two in the nation in violent crime according to the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Crime is not addressed via tweets or executive orders.
As elected, business, faith, and community leaders have stated, “Do not respond with violence or anger. Do not take the bait.”
Doctor Appointment, lunch and movie too!
Last month, my wife and I were in northwest Portland for a doctor’s appointment. All went well; I am going to live another day.
We finished early around lunchtime. With our canes, we walked to the Gastro Mania Mediterranean restaurant about four blocks away. Arriving we said people eating and laughing outside the restaurant basking in the sun. My wife ordered a chicken burrito, and I ordered a chicken gyro.
After lunch, we saw Downton Abbey movie at the Family Room Theater on Burnside Avenue and 10th. Not being sure if the bus or trolley would get us there on time; we walked the one ½ miles to the theater. We arrived 5 minutes early. Our walk was uneventful walk except for the uneven sidewalks and me losing my balance coming to the corner ramps of the sidewalks.
Downton Abbey’s message is social barriers that must change; there are no upstairs or downstairs upper or lower class.
Looking at a flat, Lord Grantham inquires, “Where is the upstairs to retire to for the evening and the downstairs for the servants’ quarters?’ His daughter Lady Mary replies, “You do not go up or down. You go to bed.”
There is a shady financial advisor and embezzler; he is shown his way. Others are conflicted by Lady Mary’s divorce; they come around because of the good she has done.
Actual Issues and Solution:
In the Portland area there are uneven sidewalks, cuts in mass transit, rising gas and grocery prices, strained healthcare access, and homelessness increasing in our area, etc.. Together government, faith, human rights, legal, community leaders, and citizens can address these issues.
For the Catholic members of the current Federal Administration, were you introduced to the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity in your adult faith formation?
Subsidiarity: “a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to co-ordinate its activity with the activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good.”
Solidarity: “‘is manifested in the first place by the distribution of goods and remuneration for work. It also presupposes the effort for a more just social order where tensions are better able to be reduced, and conflicts more readily settled by negotiation. CCC:1940
Common Good:Let us put our time, talent, treasure, and spirit together working for the common good through:
- Dignity of Persons:
The common good is founded on the intrinsic value and dignity of each human person, meaning that social structures must serve the flourishing of all individuals. - Social Well-being: It emphasizes the need for social conditions that enable people to achieve their full potential, including access to essentials like food, health, education, and meaningful work.
- Peace and Stability: A just social order requires peace and security for all members of society, achieved through morally acceptable means.
- Solidarity: Recognizing humanity’s interconnectedness, the common good requires individuals and nations to work together for the well-being of others, extending beyond national borders.
- Universal Destination of Goods: All created things are intended for the benefit of all people, fostering fair sharing of resources and emphasizing care for the environment.
Let us get to working together for the
Common Good!