Daniel Berrigan warned that injustice operates like a “machinery” — systems that keep moving because people stop questioning them.
That machinery is not distant. It exists here in Westmoreland County.
We often assume our institutions are neutral. They are not. Systems are carried out by people, and human judgment is shaped by assumption, fear and bias. When those influences go unexamined, they can become structural — affecting real outcomes for families and children in our courts and through law enforcement.
There is a growing awareness some processes are not functioning as they should. That awareness matters. But without transparency and accountability, concerns remain unresolved and trust erodes.
We are seeing decisions that raise questions and outcomes that deserve closer examination. When accountability is unclear, it becomes difficult to locate responsibility and address harm effectively.
Guardrails exist for a reason — including laws such as the Johnson Amendment — to limit the concentration of power. When those lines blur, public confidence is at risk.
The power of the people is not passive. It is the power of community, of refusing silence and of working toward accountability.
We already know enough. Now we must act.
Taylor Stuart
Greensburg
The writer is president of and a community organizer for Grassroots Westmoreland, a community-based nonprofit focused on connecting residents to essential resources.