Kansas City Secret Santa Tradition Mistakes Charity For Social Justice 2023

Our tradition for this curmudgeonly blog community is to throw a bit of shade on even the most selfless deed as if we were hottie Miley twerking hard to disgrace the holiday season.

And so . . . We remind locals that Christmas spirit is something more than just an excuse to buy more cheap Chinese junk . . . In fact, it might a time to distinguish betwixt REALLY helping people of just throwing around cash that ultimately just serves to reinforce the status quo. 

Consider . . . 

Let's break it down according to a list neatly compiled by the good Catholics at St. Mary's:

Charity = social service. Charity provides direct services like food, clothing, shelter.

Justice = social change. Justice promotes social change in institutions or political structures.

Charity responds to immediate needs.

Justice responds to long-term needs.

Charity is directed at the effects of injustice, its symptoms. Charity addresses problems that already exist. Otherwise put: LOVE MOPS UP.

Justice is directed at the root causes of social problems. Justice addresses the underlying structures or causes of these problems. Otherwise put: JUSTICE TRIES TO MAKE SURE THE MESS ISN'T MADE TO BEGIN WITH.

Generally . . . Charity is private, individual acts.

Justice is public, collective actions.

Once again it's important to remember the conclusion of a great essay from Slate, this passage especially:

William Jewett Tucker, a reverend and future president of Dartmouth College, put it this way in 1891: Critiquing Carnegie's "Gospel of Wealth" he declared that a society could make no greater mistake than asking charity to do the work of social justice.

And none of this is to say that a bit of extra cash isn't welcomed by workers across the metro.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

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