Crack the Whip (also known as Pop the Whip or Snap the Whip) is a simple outdoor children`s game that involves physical coordination and is usually played in small groups, either on grass or ice, usually grass. A player selected as the “head” of the whip runs (or skates) in random directions, while subsequent players hold the hand of the previous player. The entire “tail” of the whip moves in these directions, but with much more force towards the end of the tail. The longer the tail, the more the forces act on the last player and the more firmly they have to cling. As the game progresses and more and more players fall, some of those who were previously near the tip of the tail and have fallen can “move upwards” and be in a safer position by grabbing the tail as it moves, provided they can return before the others. There is no other purpose for this game than to enjoy the experience. It`s a sad game of “Crack the Whip”. At the top of the line, all misconduct seems “funny” or even “glamorous.” But at the end of the queue, people fly in all directions, tumble and tremble. The analogy referred to the game “Crack the Whip,” which some of us may remember from our schoolyard days.
In the “game”, 15 or 20 children were doing a straight line. Each child then stepped back with one arm and took the Hand of the One behind him to form a long chain. The child at the head of the snake then fled and everyone behind him followed, still holding hands. Suddenly, the main child took a sharp turn. The children immediately behind him managed to finish the curve, but the further back it was, the harder it was to hang on. The children towards the end of the line had no chance. They were ejected by centripetal force and mostly landed on the ground. The game is also illustrated in Winslow Homer`s 1872 painting Snap the Whip.
I am a priest, not an economist, and I realize that economic realities are very complex. I am not calling for all kinds of government interventions, but I know what I see as a priest who works in all social classes. I cannot and must not develop political solutions; I leave that to the experts among the laymen. But what I can and should do is remind the people at the top of the line to remember the people at the back. “Crack the Whip” is fun and exciting when you`re at the beginning of the line, but devastating when you`re at the end. We must rediscover concern for the common good. We should look at our own behavior, no matter where we are in the line. I am my brother`s guardian; His well-being should be important to me.
It`s not just about money; It`s about making sure we build a culture that thinks more about those at the bottom of the line and those who are not yet born. How about you? How does my life and lifestyle affect them? If anyone can provide a copy of the original song, please send me an email. On the front line, they can afford the consequences of what they do (financially and socially, not morally). They can pay for stays in rehabilitation centers, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, and therapy for their children (who are traumatized by divorce and other problems caused by their indulgence). A few years ago, it became fashionable to leave the stock market and enter the real estate market, buy real estate and flip. The market has overheated, housing costs have skyrocketed, and even the upper middle class has struggled to afford basic housing. The “bubble” burst in 2007 and caused the economy to falter. Investors suffered a few blows and got government bailouts, but most of the time they simply returned to the stock market.
They left behind devastated homeowners facing “underwater” real estate and foreclosures. Consider two fundamental areas of life where “Crack the Whip” is a lot to be seen: social/moral grievances and economic grievances. Many years ago, I heard an analogy with what happened in this country and how the sins and unhealthy patterns of the elite, powerful and rich reverberated on the poor, but with much more catastrophic effects. “Gentrification” has also accelerated, bringing with it all the difficulties of social dislocation. The poor are marginalized economically and literally, while disruptions in the housing market still have an impact on themselves. Here in Washington D.C., the poor are brought to the brink of what many call “Station 9.” There are actually only 8 neighborhoods in D.C. – being in “Ward 9” is an understatement for being moved to the outskirts, outside the city, which is increasingly losing its economic diversity. What was once poor is now filled with homes whose prices are approaching a million dollars. But in the end, drug use, sexual promiscuity and the culture of divorce had far more devastating effects.
Because they do not have access to treatment programs, poor drug addicts go to jail. Diseases such as AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases are treated less and spread more easily. Poor families are devastated by sexual promiscuity and divorce. Children are raised without a father. Social grievances are multiplying rapidly. This is a classic case of “Crack the Whip”. Those at the top of the line can adapt to sudden changes in the economy and “play the market”,” but at the end of the queue, the less privileged are sent by plane, staggering when they fall and go to the “9 districts” of our cities. The following is the full version of an article I wrote earlier this month for the USCCB blog. (For space reasons, I had to shorten the article for the USCCB blog.) The poor are fined for not having insurance. Many do not have the means to drive.
They often face huge economic hurdles when trying to open small businesses or even keep their homes. College and even graduate degrees are (wrongly) necessary for many jobs, but the cost is exorbitant.