Responsibility

I've noticed that any time the issue of societal ills and systemic injustice come up, there are those who want very badly to make it all about personal responsibility.  The logic goes something like this: there are bad things; violence, poverty, addiction.  These things all have a somewhat complicated cultural pathology, but at their most basic level they could theoretically be solved by individuals deciding to act differently: don't hurt other people, work hard and pull yourself out of poverty, don't use the substance you're addicted to any more.  In other words, "Man (or Woman) up and stop whining that it's not your fault."
This sort of speech generally comes from middle class white people who have never significantly struggled with addiction.  They are mostly older guys who have worked their butts off for most of their life and are now enjoying a comfortable retirement.  Because of this, their perspective gains validity with many people who share their lifestyle and their experience.  It resonates with younger people who are following the same trajectory in life, who don't feel like life has really given them a big old head start, or rained showers of rose petals all over everything they've ever done.  They had to pay their dues and work hard; they never went on welfare, or turned to crime, or got lost in addiction.
Personal responsibility right?
Well yes, congratulations to all of you who are or have lived such virtuous lives.  I'm about to tell you something that you may not want to hear, but being the responsible, thoughtful, hard working people you are I'm sure you'll hear me out: You had a head start.  The best metaphor I have heard to explain privilege uses baseball.  In America white people are already on base, maybe it's second, maybe it's third depending on your socio-economic status, if you're born into money, you're practically standing a step away from home plate.  At any rate, you're somewhere on the diamond already, you don't really have to prove that you belong there.  People of color start at the plate with a bat in their hands if they're lucky.  They have to get a hit just to get where you are (that hit being education and surviving adolescence with your body, mind and heart in tact).  Then, maybe, you could call it a level playing field, but they still have to deal with umpires that are slightly biased against them, maybe not downright unfair, but definitely a little tilted.
The peculiar thing is though, by the time they get around third and cross home, they will totally agree with you about personal responsibility.  They will see that it could be done through hard work and a few good breaks.  They will say, "Gee, you were right about that," and you and all of the home plate crowd will dance and rejoice.
The fly in this ointment of hard work and success is, as usual, Jesus.  Jesus tells us that it's not enough to look out for number one.  It's not just about working hard and getting ahead and taking care of you and yours.  It's about the least of these; the ones who didn't have a chance, who struck out on three straight high fastballs, who got hit by a pitch and hauled away from the plate with a broken jaw, who tripped rounding first and snapped an ankle, who got thrown out trying to steal second, I could go on with the baseball metaphors, but I really want to get on with this.
Why should we change laws that work for most of us, just to accommodate those who seem to be unfairly oppressed by them?  Why should we examine our own assumptions about power and violence, when the way the world is has got us a boat and country club membership?  Why should we challenge unbridled greed and usurious practice when our 401K is sitting pretty?  In short, why would anyone, who has benefited so much from the system, work to change the system?
How about because it's broken?
Maybe not for you, but for a lot of people, it's broken.  Maybe you can turn a blind eye to racism, because it's never really affected you.  Maybe you can ignore poverty and massive incarceration rates because you were never poor or in jail.  Maybe you can vote for politicians who cut food stamp programs and welfare and send that money to build bombs.
But if you call yourself a Christian, I would read Matthew 25 very, very carefully, and think about a poor Jewish man who got crucified for breaking the laws of his time, who willingly associated with the untouchable and unsavory people in his world, and who has told us who call him Lord to do the same.  Ask yourself if he's going to be impressed with your level of personal responsibility.