Honk if you have an opinion

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that read, "It will be a great day when schools have all the money they need and the Air Force has to have a bake sale to buy a bomber." I guess I'm not the only taxpayer questioning the government's stewardship of its resources.

Frankly, I abhor violence. Even if the military is in the end a "necessary evil," I have the right, as a U.S. citizen, to criticize what my government does with my money. I may not have all the details and statistics, but I have just as much freedom of speech as the owner of that bumper. If nothing else, she got at least one person thinking about the issue.

Our government possesses incredible power. Power is not inherently evil; it is a neutral force that, if used with humility and wisdom, can accomplish enormous amounts of good.

But instead of wielding humility and wisdom, the U.S. has raised its "superpower" sword to exploit developing countries, to act unilaterally against opposition from the international community, and to finance fear of war and weapons with which to wage it.

Since 1940, the U.S. has spent $20 trillion on its military-but only $4 trillion income tax dollars on health care, less than $2 trillion each on transportation and education, and about $1 trillion on agriculture (MCC Washington Office figures, 2003).

Patriotism isn't my thing, but I support the establishment. How could I not? Our government has the potential to be one of the most valuable forces in promoting welfare both for U.S. citizens and for those suffering injustices beyond its borders. Indeed, it has proven itself capable of enhancing the "common good" many times throughout history.

Yet something about this system isn't working. Have faith-based and grassroots organizations become the sole caretakers of the needy? Providing for the defenseless and downtrodden isn't just what Jesus would do; it's one of the basic tenets of a Democratic society.

It's easy to sit idle amidst injustice if we're not informed about "the issues." But each of us has a responsibility to advocate for struggling members of society for whose benefit the power-holders barely lift a finger, and whose indignation has been stifled by a media that goes out of its way to convince us that the U.S. government is acting in its citizens' best interests.

We don't have to know everything before speaking out. Maybe bumper stickers are a good way to start. Whether we choose to influence local, regional, or national leadership via ballots, petitions, or picket signs, we can and must hold our government accountable to use its tremendous power in tremendously life-giving ways.