"And to be a good citizen means to also ask, 'What does this mean for others?' "

The August 10th Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Perspectives page is a marvel.

In the center of the page, The National Review's Jonah Goldberg expounds on the possible reasons for our current narcissism and overwhelming self interest (Mr. Rogers?), while to the right (literally and figuratively) conservative columnist Patrick McIlheran ties himself in knots attempting to explain that we can somehow continue to get something for nothing; only a true-blue conservative soldier can brag at one point that "Minnesota's tax, 20 cents a gallon, hasn't budged since 1988," then contradict himself in his big wrap-up by wagging his finger: "The notion of a new bridge tax has the same feel of paying again for something we already bought and never got." (But, didn't you just pat Minnesota on the back for not paying for something via a sane and adequate gas tax?)

Could it be that our growing narcissism and self-interest are the ingredients that produce (and support via elections) an ideology that supports higher and higher bus fares for the poorest among us while multimillionaire venture capitalists pay less tax than a cleaning lady.

Then, blessedly, at the bottom of the page comes this reflection on the concept of community by columnist Nancy Bauer-King, who picks up the thread started by Steve Paske.

Reflecting on what it means

By NANCY BAUER-KING

Posted: Aug. 9, 2007

"Humans need meaning," said one of my professors 35 years ago. "We need meaning like we need air."

I immediately tried to figure out what he meant. Thank heavens he explained that a normal response to any event in my life (i.e., an MRI result, a closed ramp on I-94, a granddaughter being deployed to Afghanistan) is to reflect upon what it means to me.

If only the professor had left it there. But, no, he had to go and meddle. He added, "And to be a good citizen means to also ask, 'What does this mean for others?' "

Ever since that class, when reflecting on the daily unfolding of events, I have been plagued with the questions: What does (insert issue here) mean for me? For others?

The Journal Sentinel's Jim Stingl evoked my meaning-awareness reflections in his Aug. 5 column ("Pensioners hit another pay-dirty deal").

What does it mean that Milwaukee County is willing to pay unethical (if not illegal) pensions but not willing to subsidize bus routes to help people get to work?

For me, personally, it means little or nothing. I live in Racine County and have a car.

But what does it mean for others? For three years, I was pastor at a south side Milwaukee church. I knew several people who relied on the bus to get to work. Many of these jobs were low-paying, I might add. (I'm hoping that employers are determining how many of their employees may be affected by the proposed route cuts and fare increases. Perhaps CEOs' complaints would carry more weight than from those who rely on the buses.)

What does it mean for us to watch horrified after a Minneapolis bridge collapses and then scream about a possible increase in Wisconsin taxes that could help repair aging bridges around us?

Or what does it mean that we have fits about money being allocated to alleviate suffering in Milwaukee's inner city but acquiesce as billions are spent causing suffering in Iraq?

"What does it mean," my 91-year-old mother asked me last week, "that they keep inventing new things to keep old people alive but eliminate the things that can help us get through the day?" My mother has a pacemaker and a shelf full of medication, and she wears a necklace that she can poke for help if she falls (and remains conscious).

But she can't see numbers to operate a cell phone. She has difficulty operating her television and radio. A computer is out of the question.

I grew up in an era in which the purpose of education was to prepare productive members of society. Today, the focus seems to be on getting a job that pays lots of money. If this assessment of the current goal of education is true, I don't hear the issue discussed, let alone what it means. What I do hear mostly is selfish whining about paying taxes and nasty rants about "bleeding heart liberals."

"It all depends upon whose ox is being gored," a clergy colleague laughed, referring to 4,000-year-old (at least) laws found in the Hebrew Scriptures (Exodus: 21.28-36). His comment (and the laws) illustrates how long our human communities have found it necessary to regulate self-interest.

Thankfully, I know lots of people who are true public servants. They are the ones willing to look beyond their own self-interest, discuss the complexity, consequences and meanings of events and sacrifice for the good of the community.

Nancy Bauer-King of Racine is a retired clergywoman. Her e-mail address is  [email protected]