Dear Congress (all of you)
In case you don't know it, there are many of us who are disgusted with your actions and in many cases inactions. While you pander in front of TV cameras or push your particular agenda at so called Town Hall meetings, or show up on various cable news shows to spout off your particular party's talking points, your constituents try to get through the day. Those days by the way get harder depending on who you are or what your circumstances. School children take cover in active shooter drills and struggle with the lack of broadband services at home, bullying and quality of education disparities. College students deal with all of that in addition to affordability and student loans. New graduates or others entering the workforce deal with wage issues, housing affordability, jobs they really want or trained for. Young parents have to deal with housing, transportation, health insurance, childcare and parenting itself. Some of various ages are working two or three jobs just to keep up. All are impacted by the high cost of medicine, healthcare and access to equal levels of health services. Seniors worry about Social Security, Medicare, paying for medicine and their legacy.
That's really just the beginning. There's much more but suffice it to say that your constituents are living in a very real world. These are not fake issues. These are not things that just pop into a blogger's head.
Here's something you really need to know. The people you represent are real people. They have real hopes and dreams. They are a mixed bag of folks of all ages and from all backgrounds. Some are poor, some are middle-class and some are wealthy. They're people of color, caucasian, hispanic, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, people of other, or sometimes no religions. They work, they play and they pray together.
Yes, and this is what you really need to understand, the people you represent are expected to get along with each other in a civil society. They go to school, they go to work, they buy groceries, they meet in the emergency room, they try to enjoy life with each other. They are expected to do this. They discuss issues, don't always agree but in the end they figure out how to work things out with each other - from playgrounds to church pews, your constituents know that it's better to get along.
Every once in awhile they are given the chance to send someone to Congress to represent them. You were lucky enough to get that chance. Here's a simple question that really should be asked and may become a demand at some point. Why can't you do the same thing? Why can't you stop the partisan bickering and shenanigans that you seem to spend your day conjuring up? Why can't you learn to be decent to your political colleagues? Why can't you be expected to compromise like the rest of us? The onus is on you. You chose to be termed a leader. Can you meet the challenge?
Finally, if you're taking your cue from a grown man who argues on line with a 16 year old with Aspergers, or who regularly insults people of all sorts, please rethink why you are doing that.
Sincerely,
Lots of US
Friday, December 13, 2019
Sunday, December 1, 2019
An Undivided Heart - Dorothy Day Symposium
A few weeks ago, on Nov. 16th, a symposium on Dorothy Day titled An Undivided Heart was held at Maryknoll in NY. The speakers were all people who are or were involved in the Catholic Worker - Robert Ellsberg, Kathleen and Pat Jordon, Jackie Allen-Doucot, Amanda Dalosio and Kate Hennessy. It was, in my opinion, a great event. For those who know the Catholic Worker and Dorothy, it's a great reminder. For those wanting to find out, its a really a good way to learn from a number of different perspectives. A publisher, people who have worked and continue to work at Houses of Hospitality and a granddaughter and author who has written about Dorothy from a very special family perspective. The program was presented in four parts and has been made available on YouTube. The series begins with Ellsberg, followed by the Jordons and Allen-Doucot and Dalosio. Kate Hennessy finishes the series. So for anyone interested, I'm putting all of the links here. Something worthwhile to take a look at. Enjoy:
There were also some items that people shared online relative to what these people and others had learned from Dorothy. I want to share some things I learned from her when I knew her in the mid 60's:
Friday, November 22, 2019
Kings Bay Plowshares 7 Message
Dear Supporters,
This weekend, in solidarity with Pope Francis' historic journey to Japan where he is expected to speak in Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the abolition of nuclear weapons, three NYC vigils will take place in conjunction with his Nov. 23 - 26 trip. The Japanese Consulate vigil took place on Friday. Attorney Mari Inoue of the Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World, and two of the Kings Bay Plowshares, Martha Hennessy and Carmen Trotta, met with diplomats at the Japanese Consulate to encourage Japan to turn away from reliance on the US nuclear umbrella.Elders of the Japanese people, the Hibakusha, still suffer from trauma, radiation sickness, cancers, and other horrific effects of the August 6 and 9, 1945 US nuclear attack.
Two vigils are planned at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Saturday from 3-6 pm and Sunday, 8:45 am-12 noon. On Sunday, the Pope will give a public address at the ground-zero site of the U.S. nuclear attack on Nagasaki.
The vigils are being organized in NYC partly by Kings Bay Plowshares 7 (KBP7) defendants, awaiting sentencing in January, facing up to 20 years for their faith-based nonviolent and symbolic disarming of Trident submarine's nuclear weapons in GA. Patrick O'Neill, KBP7 defendant has stated that "Trident's fleet of 14 submarines' nuclear weapons has the capacity to kill 14 billion people, while there are only 7 billion people on the planet". The KBP7 applaud Pope Francis' declarations against nuclear weapons.
Quoting the Pope in their action statement, the KBP7 stated, "We seek to bring about a world free of nuclear weapons, racism, and economic exploitation. We plead to our Church to withdraw its complicity in violence and war. We cannot simultaneously pray and hope for peace while we bless weapons and condone war-making. Pope Francis says the abolition of weapons of mass destruction is the only way to save God’s creation from destruction. Clarifying the teachings of our Church, Pope Francis said, "The threat of their use, as well as their very possession, is to be firmly condemned, weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons create nothing but a false sense of security. They cannot constitute the basis for peaceful coexistence between members of the human family, which must rather be inspired by ethics of solidarity."
Kings Bay Plowshares 7 defendant and co-organizer of the vigils, Carmen Trotta, has served the poor at the St. Joseph Catholic Worker house in the Lower East Side in Manhattan for the last 30 years. He shared his gratitude to Pope Francis who is the first Pope declaring the need for the complete abolition of nuclear weapons. Carmen will be joined among others, by the founder of the Catholic Worker movement, Dorothy Day's granddaughter, Martha Hennessy, also serving at the NYC Catholic Worker house, and Ithaca Catholic Worker, Clare Grady, both KBP7 defendants.
Sam Husseini writes in his Nov. 22nd Counter Punch article, "In her testimony, Plowshares defendant Clare Grady ... tried to explain to the jury the motivation and urgency of the group: US government is using nuclear weapons daily as a gun pointed at the head of the planet." (Interviews Available)
A documentarian, Anthony Donovan, vigil co-organizer, (Good Thinking, Those Who Tried to Halt Nuclear Weapons) working with Nobel Prize winner, ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons), referenced the Pope's statement, "the Holy See acknowledges the increasing number of nations who have ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The Vatican also calls for sincere, honest and effective dialogue, to build the trust needed to ratify this instrument."
Recent News
The Pope and Catholic Radicals Come Together Against Nuclear Weapons, the New Yorker Opinion Piece, by Paul Elie, Nov. 19, 2019
Can the Religious Left Take Down Nuclear Weapons? CounterPunch, by Sam Husseini, Nov. 22, 2019
Pope Francis Takes Nuclear-Ban Mission to Japan. Pontiff expected to pursue disarmament and interreligious dialogue on visit to Asia. WSJ By
Francis X. Rocca in Vatican City and
Alastair Gale in Tokyo,
Nov. 20, 2019
Sponsors: NYC Catholic Worker, Kings Bay Plowshares 7, Pax Christi Metro NY, Veterans for Peace NYC, Granny Peace Brigade, Stand with Okinawa, The Ribbon International, and Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World.
______________________________
Email: Media: kbp7media@gmail.com
General: kingsbayplowshares@gmail.com
Website: www.kingsbayplowshares7.org
Instagram: https://instagram.com/
Sunday, November 17, 2019
World Day of The Poor
It's Nov.17, 2019. It's a brisk 22 degrees F where I sit. Here on Seneca Lake in Upstate NY the sun is shining. It's the type of day where the squirrels become active jumping from lime to limb, chasing each other and twitching their tails as they sit feeling victorious after a brief encounter. Small flocks of geese and ducks travel up and down the lake, in the water and through the air. It is peaceful.
As I sit in this setting, I reflect on the fact that Pope Francis has designated this as the World Day of the Poor. He has spent the past few days making sure that he brings attention to the poor in his own neighborhood, breaking bread in a shelter that has been established in a Vatican owned building to feed and house men and women who have the need for some assistance.
I like Francis and his approach. He seems to understand the work and the message of Dorothy Day and all of the folks identified as Catholic Workers, the community of saints who live and work in houses of hospitality throughout the world. Poverty is real. It has a face, a smell, a taste. It isn't pretty and can't be fixed by an occasional check or donation. Poverty is also different around the world and in different economies. Imagine the people fleeing wars in Yemen and Syria. Women and children, in some cases with only the clothes on their backs. Or, there is the poverty in many countries in Africa being driven or made worse by climate change. Basic things like water and crops are a huge challenge.
But as I said earlier, poverty is different in different places and changing economies. Today in the United States single mothers and families struggle in so many different ways. Working two or three jobs and having to look presentable and good for work or making sure that their children aren't made fun of because of their cloths. Trying to find affordable health care or not having any at all. Poverty may not look like we think it should but it still hurts and it stresses relationships.
We also have a tendency to blame the poor for their situation, especially when they're not easy to look at or be with. The same is often true of anyone who looks different than us. Those homeless folks we pass by on street corners or living in tents or under canvas. Who are they? Why don't they move on? Ordinances will save us from this human trash. Won't they? No. Simple as that. We are a community whether we like it or not. Sometimes people need a hand or an ear or a bed. Sometimes people need a community and you tend to get it where you can find it. Community, support and relationships go a long way in identifying problems, needs and solutions. Getting our hands dirty in the struggle with poverty is pretty much essential. Only then can we begin to understand the shoes that someone else is walking in.
So Francis has a lot of this right. Sitting with and listening to the poor is a priority. Judgmental thinking needs to go out the window. Sit, listen and learn. Watch the struggles before coming up with old answers. Find out how messy poverty really can be.
What good is a World Day of Poverty? Reflection of any kind is always good. Reflecting on the poor, poor families is critical. If designating a day or a week or a month helps someone understand the struggles of their brothers and sisters, that's not a bad thing.
As I sit in this setting, I reflect on the fact that Pope Francis has designated this as the World Day of the Poor. He has spent the past few days making sure that he brings attention to the poor in his own neighborhood, breaking bread in a shelter that has been established in a Vatican owned building to feed and house men and women who have the need for some assistance.
I like Francis and his approach. He seems to understand the work and the message of Dorothy Day and all of the folks identified as Catholic Workers, the community of saints who live and work in houses of hospitality throughout the world. Poverty is real. It has a face, a smell, a taste. It isn't pretty and can't be fixed by an occasional check or donation. Poverty is also different around the world and in different economies. Imagine the people fleeing wars in Yemen and Syria. Women and children, in some cases with only the clothes on their backs. Or, there is the poverty in many countries in Africa being driven or made worse by climate change. Basic things like water and crops are a huge challenge.
But as I said earlier, poverty is different in different places and changing economies. Today in the United States single mothers and families struggle in so many different ways. Working two or three jobs and having to look presentable and good for work or making sure that their children aren't made fun of because of their cloths. Trying to find affordable health care or not having any at all. Poverty may not look like we think it should but it still hurts and it stresses relationships.
We also have a tendency to blame the poor for their situation, especially when they're not easy to look at or be with. The same is often true of anyone who looks different than us. Those homeless folks we pass by on street corners or living in tents or under canvas. Who are they? Why don't they move on? Ordinances will save us from this human trash. Won't they? No. Simple as that. We are a community whether we like it or not. Sometimes people need a hand or an ear or a bed. Sometimes people need a community and you tend to get it where you can find it. Community, support and relationships go a long way in identifying problems, needs and solutions. Getting our hands dirty in the struggle with poverty is pretty much essential. Only then can we begin to understand the shoes that someone else is walking in.
So Francis has a lot of this right. Sitting with and listening to the poor is a priority. Judgmental thinking needs to go out the window. Sit, listen and learn. Watch the struggles before coming up with old answers. Find out how messy poverty really can be.
What good is a World Day of Poverty? Reflection of any kind is always good. Reflecting on the poor, poor families is critical. If designating a day or a week or a month helps someone understand the struggles of their brothers and sisters, that's not a bad thing.
Saturday, November 16, 2019
The Presidential Saga, Impeachment Hearings, Transcripts, etc.
Well it's hard to get it all in one title but that seems to be where we're at. Of course there's additional news like another school shooting at a High School in California. Sadly within 24 hours, that event disappeared from many news sites and social media. A sign of the times? Perhaps. It may be that we are so bombarded with incoming Breaking News, both real and imagined, that even important events slip away into some abyss or black hole news cycle. I fear it may be worse. It may be that we are no longer shocked by students being shot and killed at their school. It may be that it has become so common place that we are all accepting terrible news like this as normal. It could also be that many have just given up on the issue because no one can seem to convince the supposed leadership of our country to do anything about the epidemic of gun violence. Blame can go everywhere, the NRA, Mitch McConnell, GOP Senators, Chuck Schumer, Democratic Senators, Donald Trump and on and on. In the meantime more will die with no end in sight. It is a sad message we are sending to our young people and to the world. But ahh yes, I must move on because there's more Breaking News!
Yes an Impeachment Inquiry has begun and its damning and messy for everyone. Yes, it's out in the open no matter what some diehard Republicans say about bunkers, basements and cultist behavior. Out in the open it is, for all to see and its not pretty. There are transcripts of more private depositions along with documentation of phone calls between Presidents and advisors. There are Presidential Tweets and grandstanding by questioners. Bottomline - there's a lot. But there are also heroes. The kind of heroes who always tend to appear when a country, a democracy or a government are in trouble. So far, it's been Foreign Service Officers, Ambassadors and those who some would call bureaucrats. We've watched these folks follow the rule of law, defy their bosses and respect legal subpoenas. They've shown courage and strength - moxie I guess. Something I've grown to appreciate in a world that seems to expect and accept bullies.
Speaking of bullies, I do feel badly about Donald Trump. He really is a very sad man. I don't particularly like to make fun of him. He's got plenty of that going on, coming in from all sides. He has brought so much of the hate on himself. His policies, his language, his Tweets, his lies, his poor attempts at jokes and his terrible use of english in trying to express himself. He has an awful lot going against him and he just won't change. Not even an attempt or an olive branch. But that fits the pattern of a bully. In addition, it has become more clear lately that there are some real cowards working for Donald Trump. Imagine a Secretary of State who asks someone to come out of retirement to be an Ambassador and then stands by while the person is attacked as a 'Never-Trumper'? Thats a coward, no two was about it. Or how about standing by as one of your people is threatened and vilified? Yes Mike Pompeo is the worst kind of yes man and a coward. Oh and there are certainly others.
I don't know what the ultimate result of the Impeachment process will be, but in the end, I'm hoping everyone learns something from it. I'd like to think that we can come to some resolution to the partisanship that is tearing us apart. It may be hopeful thinking but what do we have if we don't have hope? Perhaps we could get back to working on things like gun violence, injustice, poverty, violence and hateful behavior. In the meantime we should celebrate the heroes that will continue to pop up before us.
Yes an Impeachment Inquiry has begun and its damning and messy for everyone. Yes, it's out in the open no matter what some diehard Republicans say about bunkers, basements and cultist behavior. Out in the open it is, for all to see and its not pretty. There are transcripts of more private depositions along with documentation of phone calls between Presidents and advisors. There are Presidential Tweets and grandstanding by questioners. Bottomline - there's a lot. But there are also heroes. The kind of heroes who always tend to appear when a country, a democracy or a government are in trouble. So far, it's been Foreign Service Officers, Ambassadors and those who some would call bureaucrats. We've watched these folks follow the rule of law, defy their bosses and respect legal subpoenas. They've shown courage and strength - moxie I guess. Something I've grown to appreciate in a world that seems to expect and accept bullies.
Speaking of bullies, I do feel badly about Donald Trump. He really is a very sad man. I don't particularly like to make fun of him. He's got plenty of that going on, coming in from all sides. He has brought so much of the hate on himself. His policies, his language, his Tweets, his lies, his poor attempts at jokes and his terrible use of english in trying to express himself. He has an awful lot going against him and he just won't change. Not even an attempt or an olive branch. But that fits the pattern of a bully. In addition, it has become more clear lately that there are some real cowards working for Donald Trump. Imagine a Secretary of State who asks someone to come out of retirement to be an Ambassador and then stands by while the person is attacked as a 'Never-Trumper'? Thats a coward, no two was about it. Or how about standing by as one of your people is threatened and vilified? Yes Mike Pompeo is the worst kind of yes man and a coward. Oh and there are certainly others.
I don't know what the ultimate result of the Impeachment process will be, but in the end, I'm hoping everyone learns something from it. I'd like to think that we can come to some resolution to the partisanship that is tearing us apart. It may be hopeful thinking but what do we have if we don't have hope? Perhaps we could get back to working on things like gun violence, injustice, poverty, violence and hateful behavior. In the meantime we should celebrate the heroes that will continue to pop up before us.
Friday, November 8, 2019
Remembering Roger - Nov. 9, 2019
Every November 9th, I remember Roger LaPorte. Roger's story, life and death are difficult for some to remember or to understand. He was a young man confronted by a time of war and killing that was getting worse by the day. He was frustrated by what he may have seen as an ineffective Peace Movement. No one knows everything that was going through his mind but I do know this - he was a good person, struggling like the rest of us to understand the things we see going on in the world. He was looking and searching for ways to help other people make it through hard times.
The other thing I know is that he deserves to be remembered. I've written other things in the past about Roger's story and those can be found here. RIP Roger.
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Nov. 6, 1965 Dorothy Day's Words
DOROTHY DAY, “UNION SQUARE SPEECH” (6 NOVEMBER 1965)
When Jesus walked this earth; True God and True man, and was talking to the multitudes, a woman in the crowd cried out, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breast that bore you and the breast that nourished you.” And he answered her, “Yes, but rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
And the word of God is the new commandment he gave us–to love our enemies, to overcome evil with good, to love others as he loved us–that is, to lay down our lives for our brothers throughout the world, not to take the lives of men, women, and children, young and old, by bombs and napalm and all the other instruments of war.
Instead he spoke of the instruments of peace, to be practiced by all nations–to feed the hungry of the world,–not to destroy their crops, not to spend billions on defense, which means instruments of destruction. He commanded us to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, to save lives, not to destroy them, these precious lives for whom he willingly sacrificed his own.
I speak today as one who is old, and who must uphold and endorse the courage of the young who themselves are willing to give up their freedom. I speak as one who is old, and whose whole lifetime has seen the cruelty and hysteria of war in this last half century. But who has also seen, praise God, the emerging nations of Africa and Asia, and Latin America, achieving in many instances their own freedom through non-violent struggles, side by side with violence. Our own country has through tens of thousand of the Negroe [sic] people, shown an example to the world of what a non-violent struggle can achieve. This very struggle, begun by students, by the young, by the seemingly helpless, have led the way in vision, in courage, even in a martyrdom, which has been shared by the little children, in the struggle for full freedom and for human dignity which means the right to health, education, and work which is a full development of man’s god-given talents.
We have seen the works of man’s genius and vision in the world today, in the conquering of space, in his struggle with plague and famine, and in each and every demonstration such as this one–there is evidence of his struggle against war.
I wish to place myself beside A. J. Muste speaking, if I am permitted, to show my solidarity of purpose with these young men, and to point out that we too are breaking the law, committing civil disobedience, in advocating and trying to encourage all those who are conscripted, to inform their conscience, to heed the still small voice, and to refuse to participate in the immorality of war. It is the most potent way to end war.
We too, by law, myself and all who signed the statement of conscience, should be arrested and we would esteem it an honour to share prison penalties with these others. I would like to conclude these few words with a prayer in the words of St. Francis, saint of poverty and peace, “O Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Update On Kings Bay 7 Plowshares
The jury made their decision on the afternoon of October 24, 2019. The Kings Bay 7 Plowshares were all found guilty on all 4 counts against them. They have been released on bond until sentencing that will probably take place in 60-90 days. Fr. Steve Kelly SJ is the sole person who continues to be held in jail. They all face up to 20 years in Federal Prison.
The activists at the nuclear weapons storage bunkers were Elizabeth McAlister, 78, of Jonah House, Baltimore; Fr. Steve Kelly SJ, 69, of the Bay Area, California; and Carmen Trotta, 55, of the New York Catholic Worker.
At the Strategic Weapons Facility Atlantic Administration building were Clare Grady, 59, of the Ithaca Catholic Worker; and Martha Hennessy, 62, of the New York Catholic Worker.
At the Trident D5 monuments were Mark Colville, 55, of the Amistad Catholic Worker, New Haven, Connecticut; and Patrick O’Neill, 61, of the Fr. Charlie Mulholland Catholic Worker, Garner, North Carolina.
Kings Bay Plowshares and Building Homes In Vietnam
What a world and time we live in. I have friends and colleagues and people I respect who are part of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7. They are on trial in Georgia and today closing arguments are being made and the jury will begin deliberations. These good folks stood up for all of humanity and took action against nuclear weapons that stand ready to destroy the world.
At the same time I have other friends who are in Vietnam building a house for a Vietnamese family through Habitat for Humanity. These include Paul Mann, Nicole d'Entremont and Dan Kelly. Catholic Workers from the past. All of these friends opposed the war in Vietnam through protest and in some cases prison for refusing to participate in that war. More good people. These are the people I choose to support. They stand for values that celebrate life vs death and destruction, God speed and thank you to all of them.
Read more about the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 click Kings Bay Plowshares. Learn, support, sign their petition, etc.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
The Contemporary Words of Dorothy Day
For those who may not be aware, Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was an activist, a journalist and an editor, who worked for social causes that included women's suffrage, pacifism, peace and economic justice. Intrigued by the Catholic faith, she converted in 1927. In 1933, she co-founded The Catholic Worker with Peter Maurin, a French peasant and Christian Brother, who preached brotherhood and personal responsibility on the streets of NYC. Initially the Worker was a newspaper promoting social and economic justice based on Christian principles and teachings. It evolved into a movement of Houses of Hospitality around the world where the poor, the impoverished and the hungry could find some needed support without question.
I spent time at The Catholic Worker and with Dorothy in the mid 60's. Dorothy was very active during that period as she was through most of her life. She was involved in the Second Vatican Council and meetings in Rome, anti-war demonstrations in NYC and around the country, fighting for farm workers in California and so many other things that were going on in the world related to social justice. That period of time and Dorothy herself had a great influence on my life. Recently, I've found myself revisiting many of Dorothy's writings and audio tapes of some of her talks. Mostly this was the result of my recent marriage and wedding. When Jeannette and I met with Father Michael Hartney who officiated at our wedding, he asked us about our vision for the celebration. We told him we wanted it to say something about our lives and beliefs, about peace, justice and vulnerable people. A few readings from Dorothy made some sense. The witnesses to our marriage and our friends, Kay and Henry Thomas, agreed to read some words of Dorothy that we would find. In addition, Father Hartney presented quotes from Dorothy as his homily.
As I searched for appropriate words, I rediscovered a number of resources on my shelves that I hadn't looked at recently. Those included All The Way To Heaven and Duty of Delight writings by Dorothy edited by Robert Ellsberg. Also All Is Grace Jim Forest's Biography of Day. I also found myself searching back through Jim & Nancy Forest's online site (Click Here) that has sections about Dorothy, Dorothy and Thomas Merton and organized quotes of Dorothy's. Of course The Catholic Worker itself (Click Here) and the Dorothy Day Guild (Click Here) were also full of information.
But the goldmine was when I found a site called American Voices. American Voices is housed at Michigan State University and it includes audio tapes of many important American Voices, including Dorothy Day. These are tapes of Dorothy and her talks from the 50's, 60's and 70's that were presented to a variety of audiences. Some are of a better quality than others but they are all interesting. (Click here for American Voices - Dorothy Day Tapes)
In listening to these tapes I'm struck by a couple of things. Obviously, Dorothy uses language and colloquialisms of the time. A few may make you wince especially relative to racial terms. But those were the words of the times. More importantly, what strikes me is how contemporary her words really are for the times we are living in today. War and peace, struggles with leadership in the church and in government, poverty, inequality all continue to face us. To me it seems like I'm listening to a contemporary talk on where we are at today. Dorothy is consistent and repetitious as she describes the founding and early days of The Catholic Worker. She's consistent and repetitious as she discusses the Works of Mercy vs the Works of War.
Dorothy's world and time consisted of men, usually white men in power. They controlled property, banks, the law and the church (as they still do), as well as other institutions that Dorothy had to interact with at times. To me, Dorothy was the epitome of a strong woman. Her voice was always strong but soft. She would make her point without the complexity of long arguments. She would never back down on a belief. All of this made many a man uncomfortable and yes, back down. I think there are examples of this in the voice that I hear in those tapes.
In many of her talks, Dorothy loved to point out the contradictions between The Works of Mercy as described in Matthew 25: 31-46 and what she described, vividly, as The Works of War as described by mankind. Sometime in '65 or '66 I wrote an article for The Catholic Worker about this topic. Dorothy loved the article and suggested that I continue writing about issues of the day. Soon after that, Dorothy named me as an Associate Editor of the paper. It seems appropriate that I end this piece with artwork created by Rita Corbin. It is also as contemporary as so many of Dorothy's words.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Handicapped Parking Permits - The New Challenge!
So I'm 75 years old and have recently been diagnosed with a serious lung condition (no sympathy needed or wanted, it is what it is). I've been prescribed oxygen therapy and along with all of this I've been designated as permanently disabled which entitles me to a doctor's approval for a Handicapped Parking Permit. I dutifully went to my Town Office, handed them the doctor's signed application and got that new, shiny blue permit to be hung from my rearview mirror when I parked in a designated spot. You know, the ones we all complain about. Apartment building owners and business owners complain to planning boards about having to provide too many. Vans and buses sometimes park in them as well as those people we all think may be cheating the system in some way. You know who I mean. Those folks we see and a little voice in our head says "he sure doesn't look disabled to me" or "boy, she can move pretty quickly when she wants to", etc.
Well not anymore. I've got mine and I'm going to use it proudly and I really don't care if somebody thinks I'm playing the system. You know, the one that's rigged. Actually, I felt a little lilt in my step as I went to my car, got in and placed the permit in my glove compartment. The rules had been gone over with me and it was made very clear that the permit should only be hung once I parked. Sounds fair.
Yes, the permit was like a coming of age (pretty literally) event that needed to be celebrated. I didn't really get a chance right away but within a few days I had to make a trip to the big city where all of the big box stores are and where I've seen and lusted over those nicely protected spots. Of course a trip like that requires a navigator's check list: oxygen tanks on board, check - reusable shopping bags in back seat, check - water bottle, check - parking permit in glove compartment, check. Everything's AOK. Now all I have to do is back out of the garage.
As I approached my first destination I felt a tinge of excitement. Finally, I was going to get to use one of those special places, the parking space with the blue wheelchair symbol and the yellow stripes. No more door dings. Plenty of room to get in and out. My own little nirvana. Here I go!
I must have waited just a bit too long to get that permit. It turns out all the spaces were taken. We've all aged together and our health must not be so great. Around and around I go in the parking lot, looking for one of the coveted spots and hoping if one comes up I won't have to fight for it. I can see the headline now - "Two Elderly Men Arrested for Fight Over Parking Space". Or worse "Man 75 Takes Designated Parking From Woman By Ramming Car".
Finally a space becomes available. Of course its not as close as I thought it would be and I could still get a door ding on passenger door side of the car but at least there was no fight and no headline. I proudly hang my permit. I've arrived. The rest of you better hurry up though. These spaces are going like hot cakes. But plan ahead and build in some time for circling the lot.
Well not anymore. I've got mine and I'm going to use it proudly and I really don't care if somebody thinks I'm playing the system. You know, the one that's rigged. Actually, I felt a little lilt in my step as I went to my car, got in and placed the permit in my glove compartment. The rules had been gone over with me and it was made very clear that the permit should only be hung once I parked. Sounds fair.
Yes, the permit was like a coming of age (pretty literally) event that needed to be celebrated. I didn't really get a chance right away but within a few days I had to make a trip to the big city where all of the big box stores are and where I've seen and lusted over those nicely protected spots. Of course a trip like that requires a navigator's check list: oxygen tanks on board, check - reusable shopping bags in back seat, check - water bottle, check - parking permit in glove compartment, check. Everything's AOK. Now all I have to do is back out of the garage.
As I approached my first destination I felt a tinge of excitement. Finally, I was going to get to use one of those special places, the parking space with the blue wheelchair symbol and the yellow stripes. No more door dings. Plenty of room to get in and out. My own little nirvana. Here I go!
I must have waited just a bit too long to get that permit. It turns out all the spaces were taken. We've all aged together and our health must not be so great. Around and around I go in the parking lot, looking for one of the coveted spots and hoping if one comes up I won't have to fight for it. I can see the headline now - "Two Elderly Men Arrested for Fight Over Parking Space". Or worse "Man 75 Takes Designated Parking From Woman By Ramming Car".
Finally a space becomes available. Of course its not as close as I thought it would be and I could still get a door ding on passenger door side of the car but at least there was no fight and no headline. I proudly hang my permit. I've arrived. The rest of you better hurry up though. These spaces are going like hot cakes. But plan ahead and build in some time for circling the lot.
Friday, August 23, 2019
Stay Focused In A Time of Hate
This morning two pieces that I saw caught my attention. One was a posting from Waging Nonviolence. It includes an article by George Lakey that all should read. Another was a brief article about Fred Ross, life long community organizer. That piece was posted by the Marginal Mennonite Society, a group I enjoy following. I've posted both of these below. They made me think about many things including nonviolence, community organizing and how critical it is for us to fight against the hate that has blossomed in the world. Here are some additional thoughts.
It's so important to take some time in this crazy world to revisit the importance of nonviolence and organizing to bring about much needed change. We are currently experiencing a political movement built on hate and punishment of vulnerable people, people of color, the poor and the marginalized. Anger levels are high. Making fun of the enemy is easy and sometimes satisfying. The fact is though that we are in another dangerous time that will require the courage of nonviolence and real community organizing.
I, like others I'm sure, am discouraged by the hate I see on every side. People calling each other out, name calling, hate mongering, tit for tat, the terrible wasting of energy. Sadly, we lack movement leadership. But keep an eye on March for Our Lives and the young people involved. Keep an eye on Waging Nonviolence.
After all of these years, I still believe in the principles of nonviolence and political movements that require great personal sacrifice to end hatred and killing. My advice for what it's worth, is to stay focused and committed to principals and values that support people. Know who the real enemy is. Fight for what's right but in the end be kind to people and the earth. Stand firm but don't participate in the hate. It will only help to destroy you in the end. And yes, help people and groups of people organize around community issues.
Here is the piece from Waging Nonviolence by George Lakey How Movements Build Strength Through Training
And here is the piece on Fred Ross from the Marginal Mennonite Society Hero Series:
Happy birthday, Fred Ross, Sr. (Aug. 23, 1910 - Sept. 27, 1992)! Community organizer. Activist and trainer of activists. In 1948, Fred founded the Community Service Organization (CSO) in California. He was a life-long neighborhood canvasser. He spent his career going door to door in poor communities, encouraging people to organize and fight for their rights. In June 1952, Ross knocked on the door of a 25-year-old Cesar Chavez in San Jose. Cesar was struggling to support his family with part-time work at a lumberyard. He later said of Fred: "He started talking, and changed my life." A few years later, Fred also trained Dolores Huerta, launching her on a lifetime of activism. Fred was friends with Woody Guthrie. He was a colleague of Saul Alinsky. As for his organizing work, he wasn't in it for money or fame. He died poor, spending his final years in a one-room cabin, living off Social Security checks. Quotable quote: "A good organizer is a social arsonist who goes around setting people on fire." Born in San Francisco, California. Died in San Rafael, California.
~The Marginal Mennonite Society Heroes Series.
It's so important to take some time in this crazy world to revisit the importance of nonviolence and organizing to bring about much needed change. We are currently experiencing a political movement built on hate and punishment of vulnerable people, people of color, the poor and the marginalized. Anger levels are high. Making fun of the enemy is easy and sometimes satisfying. The fact is though that we are in another dangerous time that will require the courage of nonviolence and real community organizing.
I, like others I'm sure, am discouraged by the hate I see on every side. People calling each other out, name calling, hate mongering, tit for tat, the terrible wasting of energy. Sadly, we lack movement leadership. But keep an eye on March for Our Lives and the young people involved. Keep an eye on Waging Nonviolence.
After all of these years, I still believe in the principles of nonviolence and political movements that require great personal sacrifice to end hatred and killing. My advice for what it's worth, is to stay focused and committed to principals and values that support people. Know who the real enemy is. Fight for what's right but in the end be kind to people and the earth. Stand firm but don't participate in the hate. It will only help to destroy you in the end. And yes, help people and groups of people organize around community issues.
Here is the piece from Waging Nonviolence by George Lakey How Movements Build Strength Through Training
And here is the piece on Fred Ross from the Marginal Mennonite Society Hero Series:
Happy birthday, Fred Ross, Sr. (Aug. 23, 1910 - Sept. 27, 1992)! Community organizer. Activist and trainer of activists. In 1948, Fred founded the Community Service Organization (CSO) in California. He was a life-long neighborhood canvasser. He spent his career going door to door in poor communities, encouraging people to organize and fight for their rights. In June 1952, Ross knocked on the door of a 25-year-old Cesar Chavez in San Jose. Cesar was struggling to support his family with part-time work at a lumberyard. He later said of Fred: "He started talking, and changed my life." A few years later, Fred also trained Dolores Huerta, launching her on a lifetime of activism. Fred was friends with Woody Guthrie. He was a colleague of Saul Alinsky. As for his organizing work, he wasn't in it for money or fame. He died poor, spending his final years in a one-room cabin, living off Social Security checks. Quotable quote: "A good organizer is a social arsonist who goes around setting people on fire." Born in San Francisco, California. Died in San Rafael, California.
~The Marginal Mennonite Society Heroes Series.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Leaders - Watch Your Words!
There are leaders throughout our country They are politicians, educators, clergy, members of the media, CEOs, writers and more.
So watch your words. Be careful of deflections from facts and truth. Point out what you think got us to this point and please, please, please, offer some real solutions. Blaming a disease or blaming enemies helps no one. Let's recognize that all of our words can be taken seriously by someone who may be struggling with other issues. But let's also realize that the rhetoric of hate really has no place in the role of a leader.
Leaders - watch your words about immigrants, people of color, women, members of the LBGTQ community, about your rivals, competitors or perceived enemies. People depend on your views and your words so choose them very carefully. It's part of your job.
Here are some special words for Donald Trump who holds the most critical leadership position in the United States. Please, take a moment to reflect on what you have said and done relative to immigrants and people of color. Many people would like to hear you recognize that much of your language has been a terrible mistake and has been filled with hatred. Understand what people are feeling. Understand the anger and emotion.
Sunday, August 4, 2019
We Reap What We Sow!
Let's be clear. Racism is being preached from the highest levels of the US Government. Hatred is being enabled by the silence and inaction of people who should know better. Talk of invasions by immigrants and chants of people going back to where they came from are encouraged. Humans are called illegals and families and children are held in cages. It has been stated by many others that Donald Trump has been playing with fire with his rhetoric and actions. Yes, he has and the fire is raging.
Statements about immigrants, people of color and different cultures or religions is not a mental health issue. These statements are methods that feed hate. Yes, we are dealing with domestic terrorism by white nationalists. It is time to recognize it and understand it. Violent language, hateful language, begets violence and hate.
It's time for all of us to speak up. It's time to fill the streets. It's time to counteract the hate, no matter where it comes from including on social media. Politicians and religious leaders have to be held accountable. Haters and hate groups need to be called out for who and what they are. We are reaping what has been sown by the hatred and the silence. It can't continue. We need to shame hateful leaders. We need to shame silent politicians. We need to shame white nationalists and racists. We need to shame domestic terrorists.
Statements about immigrants, people of color and different cultures or religions is not a mental health issue. These statements are methods that feed hate. Yes, we are dealing with domestic terrorism by white nationalists. It is time to recognize it and understand it. Violent language, hateful language, begets violence and hate.
It's time for all of us to speak up. It's time to fill the streets. It's time to counteract the hate, no matter where it comes from including on social media. Politicians and religious leaders have to be held accountable. Haters and hate groups need to be called out for who and what they are. We are reaping what has been sown by the hatred and the silence. It can't continue. We need to shame hateful leaders. We need to shame silent politicians. We need to shame white nationalists and racists. We need to shame domestic terrorists.
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