In the Land of Invisible Women

In the article “In the Land of Invisible Women,” by Janine DiGiovanni, the “life” of women in Yemen is described. After reading the article, my first thought was that this so called “life” is not a life at all. This is a hell here on earth that the Yemen women are living in. What I found most disturbing about the lives of Yemeni women is that “more than one in two girls have been married off by the time they turn 18.” This number is shockingly high and the fact that these girls are 18 years of age or less is something that I can not fathom. Also, “a quarter of the women between the ages of 15 and 49 are severely malnourished.” Another fact states that “more than 80% of Yemeni women are illiterate and less than 20% work outside the home.” After reading these facts, I thought to myself that the title of this article is accurate. Yemen is a place where the women are thought of as nothing. This greatly saddens me. Coming from the Mount, we are taught to become founders and leaders in our society. To say that the life of an 18 year old Yemeni girl is drastically different from my life is an understatement. I have parents who love and care for me and would do anything to protect me. A girl my age in Yemen has probably been sold by her parents to be married to someone twice her age. I have been granted the amazing blessing of having an education, but a girl my age in Yemen is most likely illiterate. My life is truly starting to begin with growing up and moving on to college. Unfortunately, a Yemeni 18 year old girl’s life will most likely never have the chance to begin. Reading this article and learning about the tragic lives of Yemeni women taught me to be grateful for the blessings in my life. From the big things in life such as my education to the small things such as being able to show my face everyday. 

Can Forgiveness Play a Role in Criminal Justice?

As apposed to the traditional criminal justice system, I think that the restorative justice system has potential. In the case of 19 year old Connor McBride who shot and killed his girlfriend Ann Grosmaire, I think it is effective to try the restorative justice system; however, I think that this system can only be used in certain cases. It may be hard to determine which cases are appropriate for this system. The restorative justice system is definitely more in keeping with Catholic Social teaching because it allows for not only the victims and the community to be heard, but also the offenders themselves. Again, I do not think that the restorative justice system could over take the traditional criminal justice system because the restorative justice system is fit for only certain case types. 

What do you think of Sister Helen's attempts to minister to "both sides"- to the murderer and to the families of the murder victims?

In the movie, Dead Man Walking, Sister Helen feels like she should minister to both sides of the situation in the movie- the murderer's side and the victim's side. She ministers to the murderer on death row and attempts to reach out to the victims's families. I can see her dilemma. If I were in her situation, I too would feel the need to reach out to the murderer on his final days before his execution. Then again, when you hear the story from the victims's families, you can't help but agree with them. That "monster" took away their children. Violently and brutally. The families have the right to be extremely angry and to want the criminal to be executed. As Catholics believe, all life is sacred and created by God. This is where I can agree with Sister Helen's attempt to minister to the murderer.

"Roses in December"

 To me, the ministry and service of Jean Donovan and Sisters Ita Ford, Maura Clarke, and Dorothy Kazel was neither foolish nor misguided. I believe that they were following their calling to serve others in need and to help the citizens of El Salvador. I would like to believe that over time, unjust social structures and governments could be changed; however, this prodigious task takes a lot of time and a lot of work in order to completely change these unjust social structures. Many people, in this case Jean Donovan and the accompanying Sisters, sacrifice their lives for these causes which in the long run, if successful, is worth it. To better the future for others is their desire. I understand Jean Donovan’s decision to stay in El Salvador because she felt like she belonged there and she felt like being in El Salvador and serving the people there was her calling by God. I cannot imagine being in her situation. I admire her strength and courage to continue fighting for her beliefs and for social justice even though she and the Sisters were in obvious and extreme danger.