The wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud.  (James 5: 4) 

These words cried out to me from the second Mass reading last Sunday. Saint James is very strong in condemning the labor injustice on the farms of his day. The workers’ wages were being withheld by cruel masters and their misery cried out to Heaven for justice.

Actually, James could use the same words today about what happens in many of the fields of the U.S. One example is North Carolina where agriculture is the leading industry. Over 150,000 farm workers with their dependents work there during harvest season. The work is very labor-intensive especially the ‘stoop labor’ under a hot sun. Yet only 6 cents or less of every dollar the consumer will spend for that food goes to the farm worker.

A number of years ago I spent a ministry summer in North Carolina. One evening I helped teach English to the workers in the farm camps. I saw how hard they had to work for a pittance and how eager they were to learn. In one camp the men were from Haiti, and when they received their meager wages, they would walk to the nearest town to wire the money to their families back home.

The average annual income of the American farmworker is $11,000, making them the second lowest paid workforce in the nation. Farmworkers living in East Coast states such as North Carolina, earn about 35% less than that. The percentage of farmworker families living in poverty is nearly double that of other working families in the US.  In fact according to a 2006 study, nearly five out of 10 farmworker households in North Carolina reported not being able to afford enough food to feed their families.

Besides the low wages, there are many occupational hazards the workers must endure as well such as: poisoning due to pesticides, muscular and skeletal damage, eye damage, heat illness, and injuries resulting from operating dangerous equipment. Taken together these frequent health issues make agriculture one of the three most dangerous occupations in the United States. To make matters worse, most growers are exempt from laws requiring Workers’ Compensation for farmworkers; safety laws are absent; and, there is no protection from employer retaliation under North Carolina and federal law for farmworkers. They may not unionize, or receive extra compensation for working overtime, or take sick leave. Add to this, the labor laws for farm workers allow children as young as 10 to work under certain conditions and with their parents’ consent.

The impact of Hurricane Florence is ongoing and will affect these farmworkers even more. If you want more information or feel God is calling you to help, contact the North Carolina Justice Center (http://www.ncjustice.org). They conduct regular visits with volunteers to the camps where migrant farmworkers live in order to advise them of their rights, and provide legal representation to those whose rights have been violated. In addition, they advocate for laws that improve the working and living conditions of migrant workers.

As Dominican Sisters of Peace, we committed to “promote justice through solidarity with those who are marginalized, especially women and children, and work with others to identify and transform oppressive systems.” I can’t think of a more oppressive system than the one that condones sexual assault and abuse of women and children.

I have never been sexually assaulted so I can only imagine what Professor Christine Blasey Ford must be going through.  She was attacked as a teenager during a party where drinking was going on.    What must have gone on in her head and heart after the assault?  Shame – was I responsible for it? Terror –  What if my parents find out? Will my reputation by ruined?  Fear – will he do it again?  Will he tell other boys and they will attack me? Confusion – how did I let myself get into this mess?   Hopelessness –  How can I trust a boy/man again?  Trauma affects victims in many different ways.

Sadly, we often see the victim ignored, shamed, or treated as the perpetrator. It’s a double whammy – assaulted twice – once by the attacker and then by those who are supposed to help.  Professor Ford is now in danger of a third possible attack by the Senate Justice Committee. Once again, a victim is not taken seriously… a woman is not heard.

20% of women – 1 in 5 – are victims of rape and 43.3% of heterosexual women have reported sexual violence other than rape in their lifetime (National Sexual Violence Resource Center).  These women should not be ignored.  It boils down to the fundamental principal of Catholic Social Teaching – that each and every person deserves dignity.

Why did she come forward now?  I don’t know. Perhaps she saw the possible impact on women in the future with Judge Kavanaugh as a supreme court justice. Perhaps the #MeToo movement gave her the courage to speak up. By all accounts, her actions have irrevocably impacted her life and that of her family.

I recently watched an interview of some women who are supportive of Judge Kavanaugh.  Their argument for dismissing this issue was that it happened in high school.  That they were young.  That boys will be boys.  I find this argument especially insulting for young men. They are perfectly able to understand right and wrong and assaulting a girl/women is wrong.  Today’s parents of young men must teach their sons about treating others, especially women, with respect and dignity.

As I write this, it seems clear to me that Dr. Ford is innocent.  The women above are just as sure that Judge Kavanaugh is innocent.  Without an adequate investigation, there will never be a resolution and doubt will remain. This is too important to leave it up to the testimony of just the two involved; for in addition to selecting a Supreme Court Justice, a true measure of whether women’s concerns, dignity, and voices are truly equal to men’s also lies in the balance.

In this information age we are constantly reminded about wars in the Middle East, Africa and other places. We live in a time of what seems like endless war. But there is hope. Deaths from war related violence are decreasing. From 100,000 a year in the 90’s to 55,000 a year since the turn of the century. 180,000 people died every year from war related violence from 1950 to 1989. Of course, even one death is too many and we mourn for those people and their families. As we approach the 34th International Day of Peace, we should be encouraged that some progress has been made to bring about world peace.

At 12:00pm in every time zone this Friday, September 21, we can join millions of others by spending 10 minutes praying for peace. Praying for peace should be followed by working for peace.  Part of my prayer will be to ask God to give me the strength and the courage to actively practice nonviolence in my daily life. I find inspiration from Thomas Merton who said we must never lose hope that someday our world will be a peaceful world. He called it the “work of hope”.

“The work of hope requires resisting our own violence and practicing nonviolence as best we can, then communicating to others the many nonviolent alternatives available.” (John Dear Thomas Merton Peacemaker)

As sisters and associates for Peace, let us commit to discovering and sharing new and effective nonviolence alternatives and commit each day to “Be Peace.”

As part of the country prepares for a hurricane, I think of the power that the waves hold.  I spent a lot of time at the lake this summer. The gentle, rhythmic rolling of the water is soothing, especially at night.  And while admittedly I prefer a calm lake, I know the wind and the waves bring change, and their presence cannot be ignored.

On September 21, at 12:00pm, we have a special opportunity to be, build, and preach peace.  In celebration of International Peace Day, People around the world from all faiths and cultures are joining together to pray, meditate, and act for peace.  We can be peace as we take part of our prayer time to calm ourselves; we build and preach peace in the power of not only the strength of the many of us gathered, but the effects of this gathering in our communities.  And so whether you are at home, school, or work…dive in and encourage those around you to build the peace wave! #flashmobforpeace (no I don’t tweet but if I did this is what I would use)