The National Catholic Weekly Nov. 8, 2010 $3.50 of Many Things
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THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY NOV. 8, 2010 $3.50 OF MANY THINGS PUBLISHED BY JESUITS OF THE UNITED STATES he Clarke progeny have to patience within me has gone bone-dry, endure a weekday media and I have been struggling for ways to EDITOR IN CHIEF Drew Christiansen, S.J. desert before reaching the flat- replenish it. I have not been successful. Tscreen promised land of the weekend. I have been snappish when I should EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT That means new cinematic selections have been kind; angry and shouty when MANAGING EDITOR often go into heavy rotation right after I should have been restrained and com - Robert C. Collins, S.J. they’re downloaded, and inquiries about forting. They are not easy for him, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR repeat viewings are frequent, with much many of the things that are easy for Karen Sue Smith agony, imploring and occasional, actual other kids. But it can be exasperating as ONLINE EDITOR 4-year-old foot-stomping. In recent a parent to walk him through the same Maurice Timothy Reidy weekends, “How to Train Your routines each day with little indication CULTURE EDITOR Dragon” has been scheduled for well- of progress. It shames me to admit that James Martin, S.J. attended, multiple showings. lately, around my demanding offspring, LITERARY EDITOR The antics of the sensitive Viking I would not be mistaken for Robert Patricia A. Kossmann wannabe Hiccup, who is ultimately too Young. POETRY EDITOR kindly and wise to treat dragons in the And I know how profound and James S. Torrens, S.J. Viking way—that is, as irredeemable enduring the small wounds of childhood ASSOCIATE EDITORS enemies—has quickly become part of can be. Discussing bullying around the George M. Anderson, S.J. the backdrop to my day. The backyard is editorial table at America , I listen to a Kevin Clarke the frequent scene of live action reinter - Jesuit describing an incident from his Kerry Weber pretations, and any old time of day is childhood that, if my chronological Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. the right time for unprovoked outbursts guess is correct, took place sometime ART DIRECTOR of Hiccupian dialogue. Just this before World War II. I know I cannot Stephanie Ratcliffe Saturday, cocking a head in my direction protect my children from all such things, ASSISTANT EDITOR and focusing his disconcerting baby but surely I can prevent myself from Francis W. Turnbull, S.J. blues on me (not something that comes inflicting one or two of them, can’t I? ASSISTANT LITERARY EDITOR easily to him), my second-born began I hope so. In our church the kind Regina Nigro apropos of nothing, “You know, Papa, and merciful God I am hoping to raise Hiccup’s papa?” Yes, I was acquainted my children to rely on and find comfort BUSINESS DEPARTMENT with the imposing Stoick, the Viking in is, let’s face it, depicted almost exclu - PUBLISHER father whose body and expectations sively in terms most fatherly. When the Jan Attridge loom over the slightish Hiccup. “He kids scrape around for a suitable image CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER said to Hiccup that Hiccup wasn’t his for this loving father, I guess I must be Lisa Pope son.” Stop. Stare. Wait. the first one that comes to mind, God ADVERTISING About a half hour later, he starts help us. That is assuredly a lot to live Julia Sosa again. “You know, Papa, Hiccup’s papa?” up to. So when el Segundo asks me did Still do, I tell him. “He swam all the way I know that Hiccup’s papa says he 106 West 56th Street New York, NY 10019-3803 down into the water to save Hiccup.” wasn’t his son and did I know that Now, I am no parental greenhorn; I Hiccup’s papa swam all the way down Ph: 212-581-4640; Fax: 212-399-3596 know that everything a 6-year-old says, into the ocean to save him, I take no E-mail: [email protected]; however much it may appear heavy chances. “I would never say that you are [email protected] Web site: www.americamagazine.org. with meaning, is not always actually not my son,” I tell him, and “I would Customer Service: 1-800-627-9533 heavy with meaning. Sometimes they give my life for you and more, that is © 2010 America Press, Inc. just say things; sometimes, I think, they how much I love you,” I say to him and just say things to enjoy the spectacle of rattle through a small prayer to help you trying to figure out in what way restore that reservoir that has—tem - their completely random comment is porarily I hope—drained from me: heavy with meaning. “Merciful father, forgive me when I I also know that el Segundo has have failed so often to do it; help me to Cover: Photos of Shad Meshad in been having a hard time of late, and so be a model of your patience and love for Vietnam. Courtesy of Elizabeth A. have I, with him. The reservoir of my children. Amen.” KEVIN CLARKE McDaniel and Shad Meshad. CONTENTS www.americamagazine.org Vol. 203 No. 13, Whole No. 4911 NoVember 8, 2010 ARTICLES 11 A SOLDIER’S HOMECOMING An Army psychiatrist continues his healing mission with today’s veterans. Elizabeth A. McDaniel 14 OUR ECUMENICAL FUTURE How the bishops can advance Christian unity Christopher Ruddy COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 11 4 Current Comment 5 Editorial Bullying, a Deadly Sin 6 Signs of the Times 9 Column Raising Small-c Catholics Kyle T. Kramer 19 Faith in Focus Kill Zone Raymond A. Schroth 29 Letters 31 The Word Fearless Testimony Barbara E. Reid 14 BOOKS & CULTURE 22 TELEVISION NBC’s “Friday Night Lights” BOOKS Henry Clay; All the Way to Heaven; Catherine of Siena ON THE WEB ON THE WEB Raymond A. Schroth, S.J., right, talks about his new biogra - phy of Robert F. Drinan, S.J. , on our podcast. Plus, video testimony from soldiers on the role of conscience in war. All at americamagazine.org. 22 CURRENT COMMENT argument whether Britain’s take-no-prisoners approach to Poison in Nigeria its budget deficit is the right way out of the global reces - Lead poisoning has killed hundreds of children under age sion. (Results from Ireland’s austerity budget so far have 5 in northern Nigeria. The underlying cause is illegal gold not been promising). But one aspect of Britain’s colder eye mining. Seven villages in Zamfara state have been affected. on national spending is worth emulating: The British There are high concentrations of lead in the gold ore. Ministry of Defense did not escape the Conservative bud - When villagers bring the soil home and sift through it get axe; it was cut by 6 percent. In what The Economist looking for gold, they inhale the lead-laden dust and fall ill. dubbed a retreat “but not a rout,” Britain reduced the The contamination came to light earlier this year during a defense budget to 2 percent of its gross domestic product. yearly immunization program. Local health workers and That defense commitment is more in line with Britain’s physicians from Doctors Without Borders performed European peers and less than half of the 5 percent of blood tests and found concentrations of lead 250 times the G.D.P. the United States still funnels into defense during a levels typically found in U.S. residential areas. time of acute national need. Following Britain’s lead, the The people in the villages had been reluctant to speak United States should devise a more proportionate defense about the illness for fear that government authorities policy. A budget that comprehensively protects American would ban the mining, which they have now done. Some interests will prove the kindest—and wisest—cut of all. even denied that any children had died and instead blamed their illnesses on malaria. Doctors Without Borders said Moynihan Was Right that denial of the problem had hampered timely interven - Half of all black men in the United States who are in their tion. When help did come, it arrived too late for many. The 20s and 30s and have not gone to college are noncustodial true number of illnesses and deaths may be even higher fathers. Half of these men drop out of high school and are than reported. jobless; six out of 10 have spent time in prison. Stephen The deaths reflect the poverty of inhabitants in an area Weisman’s recent book, Daniel Patrick Moynihan: A where most villagers live by subsistence farming, which Portrait in Letters of an American Visionary (Public pays much less than illegal gold mining. Two of the United Affairs), has brought back the ideas of a scholar who tried Nation’s eight Millennium Development Goals are eradica - to warn us about this problem and failed. tion of extreme poverty and reduction of child mortality. Moynihan (1927-2003) was a Catholic public intellectu - The deaths in Nigeria are a reminder that efforts toward al who, in his 1965 report “The Negro Family: The Case both goals must be intensified and that responsibility rests for National Action,” argued that in the rise of single-moth - on the developing countries as well as the wealthy nations. er families in ghettos there is a “tangle of pathology” (in part a legacy of slavery) that includes delinquency, unem - Britain Grows Less Defensive ployment, school failure and crime. The fatherless ghetto Total U.S. defense spending now approaches—and by child learns that adult males are not expected to finish some analyses exceeds—$1 trillion a year.