CodePartners - Software Development - Dallas, Texas Software Development - Sage Accpac Customization - SageCRM Customization
Login
pay invoice online  |  remote assistance  |  
  • INTERNET APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

    • Services
      • Web Application Development
      • Mobile Applications
      • Integration Solutions
      • Staff Augmentation
    • Technologies
    • How we work
    • About us
    • Success stories
    • Blog
  • MID MARKET ERP DEVELOPMENT

    • Intacct
    • Sage CRM
    • Sage
    • Sage Component Catalog
    • How We Work
    • About Us
    • Success Stories
    • Blog

Blog

CodePartners Blog

rss


Fighting the Good Fight

SHARE THIS
Facebook twitter linkedin Print Print
Print Email

by Brian Terrell

My 23-year-old daughter, Laura, returned last week after a year in the war against human oppression.  She deployed with the Calcutta office of the International Justice Mission (IJM), an organization fighting human trafficking and other forms of violent injustice out of 18 offices scattered around the world. Recently, we sat down to supper, and I asked how the experience had changed her.

 

Laura sees now how the average American has no idea how rare is our standard of living and respect for the rule of law. These advantages place us in the minority of the world’s people, and we don't even know it. Because the folks I see in my known universe of Canada, Europe, and urban Asia seem to live pretty well, how could she be so confident we breathe such rarefied air? She let me know that 80% of the world lives on less than $10 per day, and 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25. Only Calcutta’s super wealthy, like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett wealthy, enjoy anything close to an average United States standard of living.   

Also, authorities in Calcutta do not -- or cannot -- enforce the laws that exist on the books. Bullying is a grown-up art form, and the bad guys grab who or what they want without fear of retribution. There is no functional law enforcement or judicial system to protect the weak and right the wrong. In Calcutta, Laura tells me that it takes, on average, about five years for a court case to be resolved, and 200,000 cases currently await their day in court. She describes a visit to the High Court of Calcutta being like a trip through the warehouse in the closing scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark. There is one pile after the other of legal paperwork stacked floor to ceiling or crammed into thousands of filing cabinets. In this document management nightmare, only five clerks in the whole city know where everything is. Imagine the frustration and hopelessness caused to those who have had their freedom or property stolen. Imagine the fear. 

What can we do to help? According to Laura, we underutilize our resources when we apply them to poverty relief, education reform, or health care. In Calcutta, these things benefit only the last thief who steals them. We give with the best of intentions, but it is truly the softer and easier way. However, when we give to organizations that fight violence, we fight the good fight. The good fight stands up to oppressors who steal the widow’s land. The good fight rescues the child from prostitution. The good fight challenges the abuse of power. But, it is the harder fight. It is IJM’s fight.

Does Laura worry about the U.S.? Does our complacency and material culture concern her? Not really, however she does wish we’d appreciate our standard of living. We have freedom, safety, and authorities who play on the same team. Our things may be stolen from time to time, but our police respond to all and not just the highest bidder. Our righteously indignant press works overtime stimulating progressive politicians to rescue at the slightest discomfort, and these things may irk us, especially around April 15th, but all things work together to form the very best bad system in the world. As a result, we live very well, indeed.

How does Laura think her experience in Calcutta changed her? She appreciates our standard of living and the rule of law. She knows the simplest staples of our everyday lives exist only because of unusual fortune and personal sacrifice: free wifi, ice water, blue skies, drive through windows, and fresh lettuce. She thinks our plenty comes with responsibilities. And, she’s not afraid to lose things. For after all, she’s seen happiness and contentment with far less. She understands she could be happy with far less, too.

To support the International Justice Mission in using the system to fight violence around the world, please review their mission with the responsibility that comes with living in the land of plenty...and free wifi. 

 




Comments are closed.
Showing 1 Comment
Avatar  Keith 6 years ago

Well said! I can add nothing but to encourage others to read this and consider what they cando.

On June 2, 2014 in General by Michelle
Tagged With: International justice Mission / 1848 Views

Search

Categories

  • General (166) rss
  • Development (158) rss
  • Success Stories (40) rss
  • Products (29) rss
  • Uncategorized (18) rss
  • BTerrell Group (5) rss
  • Project Management (22) rss
  • Web Development (57) rss
  • Web application (33) rss
  • Integration (19) rss
  • Mobile Development (7) rss

Archives

  • 2015
    • January (5)
    • February (7)
    • March (6)
    • April (5)
    • May (2)
  • 2014
    • January (13)
    • February (12)
    • March (13)
    • April (12)
    • May (11)
    • June (12)
    • July (11)
    • August (13)
    • September (10)
    • October (8)
    • November (6)
    • December (4)
  • 2013
    • April (73)
    • May (22)
    • June (20)
    • July (20)
    • August (22)
    • September (19)
    • October (13)
    • November (12)
    • December (7)

Tags

.NET Accpac app development application customization application development automation Azure C# cloud components Crystal Reports customization development ERP general ledger HTML5 Intacct Intacct Platform Services integration JQuery load balancer mass update mobile development OCR Order Entry outsourcing PO pricing product development project management REST Sage 300 ERP Sage CRM software integration trigger user interface Visual Studio web application web development website development Workforce Go! .NET ACA accpac Ajax Amazon AP invoices application development Arxis ASP.NET automation Axure BTerrell Group C# Cloud computing CodePartners Constant Contact credit card processing CRM crystal reports custom software Customer Service Customization Delete team project design phase Development doc-link DRILLDWNLK ERP event Excel GLAFS Intacct Intacct Advantage Intacct Platform Services Integration Java script JavaScript jQuery Kerr Consulting LinkedIn Microsoft MSSQL Offshoring outsourcing payroll PCI compliance PCI-DSS Pivot PJC project management sage Sage 300 Sage 300 ERP Sage Accpac ERP Sage CRM Smart Rule social media software testing SQL SQL Query SQL Server staff augmentation sub-ledger success success story TFS Trouble shooting UI design Visual Studio WCF Web API web application web design web development Webinar website Windows Windows Azure XML
Email this article from Codepartners.com
Separate multiple addresses with commas(,)
To: *   Copy me
Subject:
From: *
Message:
ABOUT US / CONTACT US / NEWS & EVENTS
CodePartners / 16200 Addison Rd. STE 270 / Addison, Texas 75001 / Phone: 214-647-2611 / Toll Free: 866-647-2611 / Fax: 214-647-2612 / info@codepartners.com
© 2006 - 2015 codepartners.com All Rights Reserved.