Structures of Violence

So I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve written a blog. I think it’s because I wasn’t too fond of the last one I wrote, I wasn’t quite all that inspired when I wrote it. But I’ve been thinking a lot about what keeps people stuck in homelessness and poverty? I was trying to come up with some answers about why poverty is here and alive in the most developed and powerful country on earth, and something popped into my head in a speech I heard given by a priest who was doing work in El Salvador. His entire speech was about “structures of violence” and how they effected the people of El Salvador. His definition for a structure of violence was any institution, idea, or continuing circumstance that limits people from their full potential. So I began to think about what structures of society keep people stuck and don’t allow for people to have an opportunity to change.

I let this question sink in for a while and all of a sudden things started popping out at me that I felt might be part of this structure of violence. I was going to the bank the other day to get my first credit card and the banker was telling me about what the interest rates for the card were. It was something to the effect of 16.99% apr. It occurred to me that when the bank borrows my money they give me a 3.5% interest rate, but when I borrow their money I have to pay a 16.99% interest rate. It would seem that any reasonably minded person would say “Haha you gotta be kidding me I don’t want your money for 16.99%” and walk out of there.” Except that you need this thing called a good credit rating to rent an apartment or buy a house. So you need to spend money to get this “good” credit rating but you can’t spend too much or you get hit with high interest rates or fees. I would say that’s kind of limiting my freedom or anyone else’s who wants to rent an apartment or own a home.

The reality is that in order to function “successfully” in our society you must be indebted to someone. Which sounds kind of like slavery to me. It doesn’t surprise me that some people like a lot of my clients choose to live outside of that system as best they can, by maybe living on the streets or not owning much, but end up getting arrested or persecuted for being different and outside the box.

I see all the people who walk through St. Vinnny’s who have bad credit and can’t get affordable housing. They end up having to pay $800.00 a month for a small studio with a shared bathroom. Doesn’t make sense. Seems kind of like one of these structures of violence to me. Once you’re indebted to the system you can’t get out, and not only can you not get out but the longer you’re in that system the harder it is to get out. The thing is that we’re all stuck in it. Some are just more stuck then others, and on a day to day basis I see some pretty stuck people.

Another place I see this is with Social Security. Funny the name is pretty fitting and I just noticed it now. It is a system that keeps social structures intact, secure. Some people are at the top and some people are at the bottom. Some people will say “well social security keeps the economy running and doesn’t allow people to fall flat on their face if financially something doesn’t work out”, and I agree it does do that. But it also keeps some people so secure that they don’t look for new potentials. The only thing to look forward to is that next check. They don’t look for the new and creative job that lies right around the corner or the truth of themselves that they can be who ever they want to be at anytime. We only feed off of what we are given and with social security that’s not much. Don’t get me wrong some people do need it. But it’s a severely flawed system that keeps more people trapped then it does help people.

I feel like I could go on and on with more examples of the structures of violence, but I wanted to say just one more thing. And that is that these structures are not caused by one person or industry or organization. It’s not “the rich” or George Bush’s fault. It caused by a collective fear that we need this structure to survive. There is a fear that if it’s not there we will not survive. So everyone keeps on chugging along trying to just survive through the day. One of my favorite quotes is “that there’s no love in fear.” As long as we are afraid of change and the unknown there is no love. When we try to control our own destinies we end up not being able to love.

My challenge to everyone who reads this blog is only to see if you can just notice theses structures that we live in and notice how they affect you and other people. You don’t have to try and change any of it, just notice it and try to form your own personal opinion about it. If you don’t see any of these things that I’m talking about that’s OK too. But if you look you might just be surprised.

Thanks for listening to my rants and raves I feel like I just had to get this out. It’s been on my mind. I have a feeling this might offend some people or maybe you might agree with me. Either way if you feel inspired to; leave a comment.

~Mike