I accept the title of socialist with honor

After graduating from college with a bachelor’s in engineering and a master’s in management, I went to work for a large corporation. I did not think about capitalism vs. socialism in those days. I was busy starting a career and supporting my family. The company I worked for had a social conscience. I worked diligently within the company to protect workers and the environment. I did not think much about what was happening in our nation or around the world — about the plight of people who did not have the opportunity to get a good education and a good job.

I was also a “good Catholic” and went to church on a regular basis. After many years, I became aware of the social teachings of the Catholic Church, including the dignity of the human person, preferential option for the poor, and the solidarity of the human family. I got more involved in the community and made friends with many people who had very different life experiences than I had — people who never had an opportunity to get a good education, who did not have good health care, who were the victims of racism and who were struggling just to survive. I “woke up,” as the saying goes.

I also became aware that in our economic and political system, the disparity between the rich and the poor had grown significantly in recent years. People who have money and power are very reluctant to give it up for the common good. That trend is very disturbing.

So when socialists call for equal opportunity for an excellent education, health care for all, a living wage for all workers and a Green New Deal, their call for basic fairness resonates with me. If that means I am a socialist, I accept that title with honor. This does not mean that I believe in a government takeover of the economic system. I just believe that we need to make some basic changes so that all people have the opportunity to live a dignified life.

David P. Atwood

Houston