Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Side-By-Side Comparison Tool for Health Reform Bill
Check it out here.
Children lead the way on Census 2010 in Dallas!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 3/18/2010Central Dallas Ministries
511 N. Akard St., Suite 302
Dallas, Texas 75201
Contact: Stacy Olds (214) 823–8710
Next Generation Urges Census Participation
DALLAS – A crew of elementary and middle school kids will knock on doors in their East Dallas housing community during spring break on Friday, March 19, encouraging neighbors to participate in the 2010 U.S. Census.
The youngsters will tell families in the Roseland community to “take 10 minutes to fill out 10 questions that will influence the next 10 years of your lives.”
The students will be knocking on doors between 10 and 11 a.m. on Friday March 19.
Their effort is an educational community-building step by Central Dallas Ministries to join the city of Dallas in making the latest census count as accurate as possible.
“Kids tend to get our attention,” said Gerald Britt, vice president of public policy for Central Dallas Ministries. “We hope the message they bring will convince the community that participating in the census count is good for everyone. It can bring health care services, schools, college grants, roads and other critically needed services to people.”
Enlightening young people on the census is another goal, Britt said. “This whole week, we taught the kids at Roseland about the Census – what it is, when and how it will be completed, and why it matters so much. We hope that, when they become adults, they will tell their kids about the Census, too.”
Immigration reform. . .now
Pray Immigration Reform Into Passage
The number of deportations in this administration’s first year is higher than previous years, meaning more broken lives, more families torn apart. That is not what we meant by change. Read the entire essay here.
[I know he has been busy on the economy, health care reform and other important matters, but possibly one thing you and I can do is write President Obama and challenge him to deliver on his campaign promise to bring forward a plan for comprehensive immigration reform ASAP. LJ]
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Project Access update. . .
Central Dallas Ministries helped create Project Access Dallas in 2001-2002 to serve uninsured, working people in Dallas who don't qualify for public health benefits.
Dr. Jim Walton, the medical director for the project, recently prepared an update report on the effort. To read Jim's report click here.
Dr. Jim Walton, the medical director for the project, recently prepared an update report on the effort. To read Jim's report click here.
The Go Giver
The principles apply in business, but also across the board generally for all aspects of life.
My friend and partner, Dr. Jim Walton gave me a copy for my birthday this year. Thanks, Dr. Jim! Great, inspirational read. Not so much a new message, but packaged so well in a story that pulls you along to the next page.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
St. Patrick's Day and history from the underside. . .
Thinking of St. Patrick's Day draws my mind to the lives of Irish immigrants to America in the nineteenth and early twentiety centuries. Telling the story of these folks seems important to me as I consider the challenges facing strangers, laboring people and newcomers, whoever they may be or whenever they arrive in the United States.
No one wrote history from "the underside" quite like the late Howard Zinn. I ran across the following interview as I was searching for material on Irish immigrants. I found important insights into Zinn's work and the discovery of the entire American story.
RL: A People's History of the United States is probably your best-known work. So many people who read the book have had their eyes opened, not only by the conclusions you reach but by your whole approach to history. Could you spell out what you mean by "people's history''?
HZ: I guess what I mean by a "people's history'' is basically two things. First, the content of history, which is different from traditional history in that I am telling of the lives of the people who are generally ignored by traditional history. For instance, the so-called great "economic miracle'' of the United States between the Civil War and World War 1, when the United States becomes an enormously powerful industrial nation--that's presented traditionally as a great and wonderful triumphal experience.
But left out of these traditional histories--it was very clear to me as I was studying both as an undergraduate and graduate student--was the experience of working people. Who were the people who worked for Rockefeller's refineries? Who were the people who worked on the transcontinental railroad? Who were the Chinese immigrants and Irish immigrants who died while working on the railroads. The girls in the textile mills of New England --going to work in the mills at the age of 12, dying at the age of 25--they were absent. I wanted to bring in these people.
The other thing is simply a point of view, simply to look at history with a different point of view, not just a different point of view in the academic sense, but very specifically to look at the events of American history from the point of view of people who have not had a voice, people who have been oppressed, and people whose struggles have not been noticed.
So I decided I wanted to tell the story of Columbus from the standpoint of the Indians that he encountered.
RL: Which is not the standard account.
HZ: And I wanted to tell the story of the Mexican War not just from the standpoint of the American soldiers who didn't know what they were doing, where they were going--many of them immigrants, desperate for a little money and a little attention--not only to tell the story from the standpoint of the GI's, which I wanted to do with every war, but also to tell the story from the standpoint of the so-called enemy, to see the Mexican War from the standpoint of the Mexicans--how "nice'' it is for them to have the United States take half their country as a result of the war and to commit atrocities in the course of it.
I wanted to tell the story of American history from the standpoint of women, Black people, Indians, of working people and of radicals and protesters.
As soon as I made that decision, it was clear this was going to be a different kind of history. And I have no doubt that the reason my book has reached so many people--to my surprise, actually, and certainly to the surprise of the publisher--is that people who read it were suddenly struck by the fact that I was telling American history from a very different viewpoint.
To read the entire interview click here.
No one wrote history from "the underside" quite like the late Howard Zinn. I ran across the following interview as I was searching for material on Irish immigrants. I found important insights into Zinn's work and the discovery of the entire American story.
RL: A People's History of the United States is probably your best-known work. So many people who read the book have had their eyes opened, not only by the conclusions you reach but by your whole approach to history. Could you spell out what you mean by "people's history''?
HZ: I guess what I mean by a "people's history'' is basically two things. First, the content of history, which is different from traditional history in that I am telling of the lives of the people who are generally ignored by traditional history. For instance, the so-called great "economic miracle'' of the United States between the Civil War and World War 1, when the United States becomes an enormously powerful industrial nation--that's presented traditionally as a great and wonderful triumphal experience.
But left out of these traditional histories--it was very clear to me as I was studying both as an undergraduate and graduate student--was the experience of working people. Who were the people who worked for Rockefeller's refineries? Who were the people who worked on the transcontinental railroad? Who were the Chinese immigrants and Irish immigrants who died while working on the railroads. The girls in the textile mills of New England --going to work in the mills at the age of 12, dying at the age of 25--they were absent. I wanted to bring in these people.
The other thing is simply a point of view, simply to look at history with a different point of view, not just a different point of view in the academic sense, but very specifically to look at the events of American history from the point of view of people who have not had a voice, people who have been oppressed, and people whose struggles have not been noticed.
So I decided I wanted to tell the story of Columbus from the standpoint of the Indians that he encountered.
RL: Which is not the standard account.
HZ: And I wanted to tell the story of the Mexican War not just from the standpoint of the American soldiers who didn't know what they were doing, where they were going--many of them immigrants, desperate for a little money and a little attention--not only to tell the story from the standpoint of the GI's, which I wanted to do with every war, but also to tell the story from the standpoint of the so-called enemy, to see the Mexican War from the standpoint of the Mexicans--how "nice'' it is for them to have the United States take half their country as a result of the war and to commit atrocities in the course of it.
I wanted to tell the story of American history from the standpoint of women, Black people, Indians, of working people and of radicals and protesters.
As soon as I made that decision, it was clear this was going to be a different kind of history. And I have no doubt that the reason my book has reached so many people--to my surprise, actually, and certainly to the surprise of the publisher--is that people who read it were suddenly struck by the fact that I was telling American history from a very different viewpoint.
To read the entire interview click here.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Architectural messaging. . .
Recently, thanks to a most generous "program related investment" on the part of the Embrey Family Foundation, Central Dallas Ministries acquired a 3.6 acre tract of property at the southeast corner of Malcolm X Boulevard and Interstate 30.
We have big plans for the site that include the creation of scores of new livable wage jobs, a new health and wellness center, a gigantic food distribution center, a retail grocery store, teaching kitchens and a product exchange center and production facility leased to PepsiCo, another of our development partners in the project.
More details will follow here over the next few months.
In preparing for the design phase of the project, I sent the architects at OmiPlan a list of what I consider to be "design values." I framed them in terms of "what the new facilities must say to Dallas." See what you think of the list:
What the Center of Hope development must say to Dallas. . .
. . .the days of making apologies for being in S. Dallas/Fair Park are over.
. . . the people in this neighborhood are more than worth the highest class investment possible on this key property.
. . . this marks the renewal of an historic, but new, valuable, logical, strategic “gateway” into S. Dallas.
. . . it makes sense to invest significantly in this part of the city—many have said it, we choose to do it!
. . . the quality, style and aesthetic expression of this development make sense and really fit the community and its “soul.”
. . .this community deserves only the best possible effort.
. . . the health, well-being and economic stability and security of this community is of the utmost importance to the developers, tenants and owners of the development.
. . . the design of this development takes community input extremely seriously.
. . . the message conveyed by the facilities design will be more along the lines of economic development and enhancement than those of charity or philanthropy—in this project we are attempting to move far beyond charity to real community development.
. . . that hope resides in this place for any and all who seek it.
. . . the development will be neighborhood/community-centric rather than organization or corporate-centric.
. . . while efficiency will be a high priority, neighbor and customer friendly “welcoming” will trump every other consideration inside our budget.
We have big plans for the site that include the creation of scores of new livable wage jobs, a new health and wellness center, a gigantic food distribution center, a retail grocery store, teaching kitchens and a product exchange center and production facility leased to PepsiCo, another of our development partners in the project.
More details will follow here over the next few months.
In preparing for the design phase of the project, I sent the architects at OmiPlan a list of what I consider to be "design values." I framed them in terms of "what the new facilities must say to Dallas." See what you think of the list:
What the Center of Hope development must say to Dallas. . .
. . .the days of making apologies for being in S. Dallas/Fair Park are over.
. . . the people in this neighborhood are more than worth the highest class investment possible on this key property.
. . . this marks the renewal of an historic, but new, valuable, logical, strategic “gateway” into S. Dallas.
. . . it makes sense to invest significantly in this part of the city—many have said it, we choose to do it!
. . . the quality, style and aesthetic expression of this development make sense and really fit the community and its “soul.”
. . .this community deserves only the best possible effort.
. . . the health, well-being and economic stability and security of this community is of the utmost importance to the developers, tenants and owners of the development.
. . . the design of this development takes community input extremely seriously.
. . . the message conveyed by the facilities design will be more along the lines of economic development and enhancement than those of charity or philanthropy—in this project we are attempting to move far beyond charity to real community development.
. . . that hope resides in this place for any and all who seek it.
. . . the development will be neighborhood/community-centric rather than organization or corporate-centric.
. . . while efficiency will be a high priority, neighbor and customer friendly “welcoming” will trump every other consideration inside our budget.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Pew Report: Black children and poverty
What follows was published by the Economic Policy Institute.
Many people who spout off about poverty and how to overcome it have no real understanding of the pervasive and corrosive affect of dense poverty on the lives of children and their families.
Sobering data.
Business as usual charity won't move the needle on this social reality. This issue calls for bold, courageous public policy and consistent leadership to go with it.
October 7, 2009
By Joydeep Roy
Two out of every three black children born between 1985 and 2000 were raised in neighborhoods with at least a 20 percent poverty rate, compared with just 6 percent of white children, a new report from the Pew Foundation finds. These numbers are virtually unchanged from thirty years ago. Among children born between 1955 and 1970, 62 percent of black children were raised in neighborhoods with at least a 20 percent poverty rate, compared with only 4 percent of white children, according to the Pew report. This gap persists even when the poorest families are excluded from the analysis. Among children from the upper three income quintiles, almost half of black children -- 49% -- lived in high-poverty neighborhoods, defined as those with at least a 20% poverty rate. Only one percent of white children from the upper three income quintiles lived in high-poverty neighborhoods.
Too many children, particularly those from minority groups, are growing up in poor communities. While most studies of child poverty look at the direct impact on children living in poverty, research also shows that proximity to poverty can limit a child’s job and education prospects, even if that particular child is not poor. With research showing that reducing the concentration of poverty in their neighborhoods significantly affects children’s future, including their prospects in the labor market and their chances of upward mobility, policies that foster such changes should be a top priority.
Many people who spout off about poverty and how to overcome it have no real understanding of the pervasive and corrosive affect of dense poverty on the lives of children and their families.
Sobering data.
Business as usual charity won't move the needle on this social reality. This issue calls for bold, courageous public policy and consistent leadership to go with it.
Most black children grow up in neighborhoods with significant poverty
October 7, 2009
By Joydeep Roy
Two out of every three black children born between 1985 and 2000 were raised in neighborhoods with at least a 20 percent poverty rate, compared with just 6 percent of white children, a new report from the Pew Foundation finds. These numbers are virtually unchanged from thirty years ago. Among children born between 1955 and 1970, 62 percent of black children were raised in neighborhoods with at least a 20 percent poverty rate, compared with only 4 percent of white children, according to the Pew report. This gap persists even when the poorest families are excluded from the analysis. Among children from the upper three income quintiles, almost half of black children -- 49% -- lived in high-poverty neighborhoods, defined as those with at least a 20% poverty rate. Only one percent of white children from the upper three income quintiles lived in high-poverty neighborhoods.
Too many children, particularly those from minority groups, are growing up in poor communities. While most studies of child poverty look at the direct impact on children living in poverty, research also shows that proximity to poverty can limit a child’s job and education prospects, even if that particular child is not poor. With research showing that reducing the concentration of poverty in their neighborhoods significantly affects children’s future, including their prospects in the labor market and their chances of upward mobility, policies that foster such changes should be a top priority.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Masters and Slaves in the House of the Lord
To read a chapter published in Masters & Slaves in the House of the Lord: Race and Religion in the American South, 1740-1870, John B. Boles, editor, click here.
Avoid "Social Justice Churches"
So, I suppose Moses, David, Amos, Micah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus and James would not be welcome at Glenn Beck's church, wherever that is, if it exists.
Amazing commentary. No wonder we have stalemate on so many policies in this nation.
Clearly, the words of scripture, read in every church including Beck's, deal with social and economic justice, the concerns of laboring people and a very real commitment to equity and to standing with the poor. Possibly, a branch of American Christianity now has decided to abandon this central part of the tradition and message of our faith. Such a heretical decision does not remove the truth from the Bible, but only from exposure to congregants who aren't allowed to hear the whole story for themselves. This one is really hard for me to understand.
Glenn Beck Urges Listeners to Leave Churches That Preach Social Justice
On his daily radio and television shows last week, Fox News personality Glenn Beck set out to convince his audience that "social justice," the term many Christian churches use to describe their efforts to address poverty and human rights, is a "code word" for communism and Nazism. Beck urged Christians to discuss the term with their priests and to leave their churches if leaders would not reconsider their emphasis on social justice.
"I'm begging you, your right to religion and freedom to exercise religion and read all of the passages of the Bible as you want to read them and as your church wants to preach them . . . are going to come under the ropes in the next year. If it lasts that long it will be the next year. I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"
To read more and listen to the audio click here.
Amazing commentary. No wonder we have stalemate on so many policies in this nation.
Clearly, the words of scripture, read in every church including Beck's, deal with social and economic justice, the concerns of laboring people and a very real commitment to equity and to standing with the poor. Possibly, a branch of American Christianity now has decided to abandon this central part of the tradition and message of our faith. Such a heretical decision does not remove the truth from the Bible, but only from exposure to congregants who aren't allowed to hear the whole story for themselves. This one is really hard for me to understand.
Glenn Beck Urges Listeners to Leave Churches That Preach Social Justice
On his daily radio and television shows last week, Fox News personality Glenn Beck set out to convince his audience that "social justice," the term many Christian churches use to describe their efforts to address poverty and human rights, is a "code word" for communism and Nazism. Beck urged Christians to discuss the term with their priests and to leave their churches if leaders would not reconsider their emphasis on social justice.
"I'm begging you, your right to religion and freedom to exercise religion and read all of the passages of the Bible as you want to read them and as your church wants to preach them . . . are going to come under the ropes in the next year. If it lasts that long it will be the next year. I beg you, look for the words 'social justice' or 'economic justice' on your church Web site. If you find it, run as fast as you can. Social justice and economic justice, they are code words. Now, am I advising people to leave their church? Yes!"
To read more and listen to the audio click here.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Owen's first goal in his first soccer game
Owen Frazer is my grandson. He turns 4-years-old on May 7.
This morning he played in his first soccer game.
It was a blast!
Naturally, I had my camera along.
What you'll see in the clip here is Owen and his friends being little children.
You'll also see him score his first goal when he took the ball and dribbled to the goal. He is so laid back and kind. But he knew what to do with the ball when his chance came.
Forgive me, but I love it!
BTW--Owen wears #3 on his neon lime jersey!
This morning he played in his first soccer game.
It was a blast!
Naturally, I had my camera along.
What you'll see in the clip here is Owen and his friends being little children.
You'll also see him score his first goal when he took the ball and dribbled to the goal. He is so laid back and kind. But he knew what to do with the ball when his chance came.
Forgive me, but I love it!
BTW--Owen wears #3 on his neon lime jersey!
Friday, March 12, 2010
CityWalk@Akard: Photos
The project is mixed-use: office and retail. . .
Mixed-income: 200 units of affordable housing with 50 units reserved for formerly homeless persons and 6 market rate, for sale condos.
Wealth keeps moving upward. . .
The chart above pretty well sums up economic reality in the United States these days. Poverty, personal and family options and equity are all shaped by this report. The chart comes with the following report from the Economic Policy Institute.
Here's what the report reveals:
Where has all the income gone? Look up.
March 3, 2010
By Lawrence Mishel
The 400 American households with the highest incomes also have enjoyed a much faster pace of income growth than the vast majority. And, because tax rates applied to their income have fallen by a third, their after-tax incomes grew substantially faster than their pre-tax incomes. The figure looks at inflation-adjusted pre-tax and after-tax income growth for the 400 top-income families between 1992 and 2007, based on new data recently released by the Internal Revenue Service. It shows that while pre-tax income grew by a staggering 409% over that 15-year period, after-tax income increased even more, by 476%.
The third line in the figure offers some perspective by showing the change in the pre-tax median household income over the same period, which grew just 13.2%. The median pre-tax household income for a family of four in 2007 was $50,233, while the top-earning 400 households earned a median $345 million, almost 6900 times as much income. In contrast, in 1992 the ratio was just a sixth as large, with the top 400 households having 1124 times as much income.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Advocacy and Non-Proifts
Interesting report from Philanthropy News Digest and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy on non-profit organizations and advocacy in the public sector. Important topic.
For sure, business as usual approaches no longer work.
As always, I'd love your feedback.
LA Nonprofits Involved in Advocacy Provide Significant Community Benefits, Report Finds
Between 2004 and 2008, Los Angeles County nonprofits engaged in advocacy and organizing generated nearly $7 billion in benefits for local residents, a new report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy finds.
Based on a study of fifteen nonprofits in the county, the report, Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in Los Angeles County (76 pages, PDF), found that every dollar foundations and other donors provided to community organizations engaged in advocacy and organizing generated $91 in benefits for the communities they serve. Over the five-year study period, those benefits included $2.6 billion in higher wages, $2.2 billion in healthcare savings, and more than $2 billion from the increased use of public transit, construction of new schools, and expanded affordable housing. The report also looked at non-monetized benefits provided by the groups, including the protection of voting rights, improved working conditions, and expanded service delivery to marginalized populations.
Based on the findings, the report recommends that foundations increase their support for advocacy and organizing, help educate donors about the benefits of advocacy funding, support effective collaboration among community organizations, collaborate with other grantmakers to leverage resources, and invest in the infrastructure and organizational capacity of grassroots organizations over sustained periods of time.
"While high-profile commentators decry 'community organizing,' this report clearly demonstrates that such activity delivers enormous benefits to communities," said NCRP executive director Aaron Dorfman. "On every issue of concern to residents of Los Angeles County, from clean air to immigration, from equality to education, foundation support for community-based activist organizations yields positive results. Foundation support turns indifference into democracy, and the benefits of a thriving democracy are indeed substantial."
“Nonprofits Bring Tremendous Benefits to Communities Through Citizen Involvement in Politics.” National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy Press Release 3/02/10.
For sure, business as usual approaches no longer work.
As always, I'd love your feedback.
LA Nonprofits Involved in Advocacy Provide Significant Community Benefits, Report Finds
Between 2004 and 2008, Los Angeles County nonprofits engaged in advocacy and organizing generated nearly $7 billion in benefits for local residents, a new report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy finds.
Based on a study of fifteen nonprofits in the county, the report, Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in Los Angeles County (76 pages, PDF), found that every dollar foundations and other donors provided to community organizations engaged in advocacy and organizing generated $91 in benefits for the communities they serve. Over the five-year study period, those benefits included $2.6 billion in higher wages, $2.2 billion in healthcare savings, and more than $2 billion from the increased use of public transit, construction of new schools, and expanded affordable housing. The report also looked at non-monetized benefits provided by the groups, including the protection of voting rights, improved working conditions, and expanded service delivery to marginalized populations.
Based on the findings, the report recommends that foundations increase their support for advocacy and organizing, help educate donors about the benefits of advocacy funding, support effective collaboration among community organizations, collaborate with other grantmakers to leverage resources, and invest in the infrastructure and organizational capacity of grassroots organizations over sustained periods of time.
"While high-profile commentators decry 'community organizing,' this report clearly demonstrates that such activity delivers enormous benefits to communities," said NCRP executive director Aaron Dorfman. "On every issue of concern to residents of Los Angeles County, from clean air to immigration, from equality to education, foundation support for community-based activist organizations yields positive results. Foundation support turns indifference into democracy, and the benefits of a thriving democracy are indeed substantial."
“Nonprofits Bring Tremendous Benefits to Communities Through Citizen Involvement in Politics.” National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy Press Release 3/02/10.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Live United. . .worth watching
The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas (UWMD) is moving through a complete organizational "re-invention" with the objective to provide higher impact services, advocacy and community engagement than ever before in its history.
I can say this with great confidence because I've been in on some of the work that has been going on now for about three years.
UWMD holds up a brilliant new model in its simple, but profound call to "Live United!"
Inviting donors to donate, advocate and volunteer, UWMD throws down a comprehensive challenge to corporations and their employees to get involved as never before in the life of our region.
Turning to service providers and community organizations like Central Dallas Ministries, UWMD challenges us to refine our focus to concentrate on three major areas of concern as we do our work: Education, Income and Health. In addition, UWMD has set aside funding for "basic human needs" that arise from the current economic realities of our area and from emergency situations.
One more major policy shift that marks a sea change at Untied Way is the fact that next year any non-profit organization in the community can submit a grant for funding. The process will be wide open to any group with a great idea and the ability to drive positive, measureable outcomes.
Working with Gary Godsey, President/CEO of UWMD, his team and all of our colleagues is a real privilege. But, the best days remain ahead of us.
So today, I applaud the work of our United Way!
To gain more insight into the new world of UWMD click here.
I can say this with great confidence because I've been in on some of the work that has been going on now for about three years.
UWMD holds up a brilliant new model in its simple, but profound call to "Live United!"
Inviting donors to donate, advocate and volunteer, UWMD throws down a comprehensive challenge to corporations and their employees to get involved as never before in the life of our region.
Turning to service providers and community organizations like Central Dallas Ministries, UWMD challenges us to refine our focus to concentrate on three major areas of concern as we do our work: Education, Income and Health. In addition, UWMD has set aside funding for "basic human needs" that arise from the current economic realities of our area and from emergency situations.
One more major policy shift that marks a sea change at Untied Way is the fact that next year any non-profit organization in the community can submit a grant for funding. The process will be wide open to any group with a great idea and the ability to drive positive, measureable outcomes.
Working with Gary Godsey, President/CEO of UWMD, his team and all of our colleagues is a real privilege. But, the best days remain ahead of us.
So today, I applaud the work of our United Way!
To gain more insight into the new world of UWMD click here.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
CityWalk@Akard Grand Opening
Speaking of Permanent Supportive Housing. . .check out information regarding the Grand Opening for our CityWalk@ Akard project right here.
15th Annual Urban Ministries Prayer Breakfast
Keynote speaker this year will be Rosanne Haggerty, President and Founder of Common Ground, a leader in developing permanent supportive housing for extremely poor homeless persons.
Haggerty is an Urban Advisor to the Urban Land Institute, a board member of the Center for Urban Community Services, the Citizen’s Housing and Planning Council, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and Quest Diagnostics, and is a Life Trustee of Amherst College.
Prior to founding Common Ground Community in 1990, she was the coordinator of housing development at Brooklyn Catholic Charities. Haggerty comes to the table with over 20 years of experience as an international leader in developing community strategies to end homelessness. She is a graduate of Amherst College and is completing studies for a PhD in sociology at New York University. Ms. Haggerty is a 2001 MacArthur Foundation Fellow. In 2007, she was elected as an Ashoka Senior Fellow.
Following the breakfast event, a special discussion will continue as we provide important time and space for a discussion of the need in Dallas for the development of more permanent supportive housing (PSH) that utilizes a "housing first" approach.
In addition, tours will be available of citywalk@ akard, Central Dallas Ministries' and Central Dallas Community Development Corporation's new PSH and affordable housing development located at 511 N. Akard, just up the street from the Fairmont Hotel.
For more information on sponsorships, table reservations and tickets, call 214.823.8710 extension 2138 or 214.303.2138 and ask to speak with Lisa Goolsby.
We are confident that this year's event will inspire the community, advance a conversation about how to end chronic homelessness in Dallas and encourage us all to work together as never before.
Help me spread the word about the breakfast in your world!
Monday, March 08, 2010
Check out our latest on-line magazine. . .
The format of our e-magazine makes for easy viewing, while providing lots of information to those who view each issue.
I hope you'll take a look today!
To review Central Dallas Ministries' latest on-line, e-magazine, click here.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
The sin of Sodom and the New York Times
Tell me what you think.
Learning From the Sin of Sodom
Published: February 27, 2010
Nicholas D. Kristof
For most of the last century, save-the-worlders were primarily Democrats and liberals. In contrast, many Republicans and religious conservatives denounced government aid programs, with Senator Jesse Helms calling them “money down a rat hole.”
Over the last decade, however, that divide has dissolved, in ways that many Americans haven’t noticed or appreciated. Evangelicals have become the new internationalists, pushing successfully for new American programs against AIDS and malaria, and doing superb work on issues from human trafficking in India to mass rape in Congo.
A pop quiz: What’s the largest U.S.-based international relief and development organization?
It’s not Save the Children, and it’s not CARE — both terrific secular organizations. Rather, it’s World Vision, a Seattle-based Christian organization (with strong evangelical roots) whose budget has roughly tripled over the last decade.
World Vision now has 40,000 staff members in nearly 100 countries. That’s more staff members than CARE, Save the Children and the worldwide operations of the United States Agency for International Development — combined.
A growing number of conservative Christians are explicitly and self-critically acknowledging that to be “pro-life” must mean more than opposing abortion. The head of World Vision in the United States, Richard Stearns, begins his fascinating book, “The Hole in Our Gospel,” with an account of a visit a decade ago to Uganda, where he met a 13-year-old AIDS orphan who was raising his younger brothers by himself.
“What sickened me most was this question: where was the Church?” he writes. “Where were the followers of Jesus Christ in the midst of perhaps the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time? Surely the Church should have been caring for these ‘orphans and widows in their distress.’ (James 1:27). Shouldn’t the pulpits across America have flamed with exhortations to rush to the front lines of compassion?
“How have we missed it so tragically, when even rock stars and Hollywood actors seem to understand?”
To read the entire essay and to get to the part about Sodom click here.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Students need relief. . .
What with the way things appear to be unfolding (or not!) in Washington these days, the chances of Congress tackling comprehensive immigration reform this year seem slim to none.
Still millions of immigrant children brought to the US by their parents when they were still minors continue to find themselves in "status limbo." Hard working, diligent, eager and hopeful, millions of these youth need the benefit of legislation like the various versions of the DREAM Act that we've discussed here on numerous occasions. [If you are interested, type "DREAM Act" and "Monica" in search tool above left.]
Juan's story in the video clip below touched me again concerning the plight of some really great human beings. What does faith have to say to us about Juan?
Still millions of immigrant children brought to the US by their parents when they were still minors continue to find themselves in "status limbo." Hard working, diligent, eager and hopeful, millions of these youth need the benefit of legislation like the various versions of the DREAM Act that we've discussed here on numerous occasions. [If you are interested, type "DREAM Act" and "Monica" in search tool above left.]
Juan's story in the video clip below touched me again concerning the plight of some really great human beings. What does faith have to say to us about Juan?
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Reflections on "the game" as Spring Training 2010 begins. . .(Part 4)
[What follows is the conclusion of an essay written while I coached an inner-city baseball team in the Texas Rangers Rookie League. For Parts 1-3, see my posts on the last 3 days.]
Economic Disparity and America's "New Economy." Observing John's world reveals that the use, trade and delivery of illegal narcotics involve not only serious criminal, health and addiction issues, but crucial market issues as well. The drug trade in Dallas promises (actually one of urban America's most tragic lies) to provide the highest income possible to persons whose limited skills mark them out for a life to be scratched out well below the poverty line. When faced with the option of taking a job that pays just above minimum wage or becoming a player in the illicit drug industry that promises to pay much more, many people, especially young people, chose the more dangerous route.
While I am not attempting to relieve anyone of personal responsibility, the fact remains that the teens and adults in John's house do not possess the skills needed to compete in America's "new economy." Our community has the will to support the revolving door, created by our criminal justice system that shuffles adults in and out of John's world. Evidently, what we lack is the will to adequately fund training programs that could provide real economic options for these same teens and adults. Add the powerful factor of addiction to the mix and we create a recipe for social destruction, one person, one family and one neighborhood at a time.
[When I wrote this essay, Dallas corporations were crying for qualified employees, especially in the technology sector. The need was so great that immigration policies were being reformed and relaxed to accommodate the need for foreign workers who could fill the need quickly. The economic bust of 2008 changed all of that, but the need for livable wage employment skills for our citizens remains very urgent.]
The mental leap necessary to move from coaching in a summer youth baseball league to a discussion of drugs, crime, the state of public education, employment training and market-driven economic options may seem strange or even strained.
But not if you know my buddy John.
He lives in the tough world of inner city Dallas.
As a result, I estimate that John has possibly two more years of semi-innocence before he faces some very tough choices forced on him by the circumstances of his world. If he takes the wrong turn, he likely will end up repeating the mistakes of his older family members.
Fortunately, John has a number of friends in the neighborhood who are committed to staying near him to help navigate these critical times of decision. Not every Dallas child in his position possesses his small advantage.
Since serving as his coach, I know I will never be able to watch a baseball game in the same way again. From sandlot to second grade Little Leagure, the game has always been very special to me. Now I think I know how I'll occupy many of my thoughts during the slow, steady progress of America's game.
[Eight years after I first wrote this reflection, I am pleased to report that John graduated high school, went on to college and served last summer on our AmeriCorps team. I expect that he will graduate with his degree in about two more years. Would that John's story could be repeated across urban America a million times over.]
Economic Disparity and America's "New Economy." Observing John's world reveals that the use, trade and delivery of illegal narcotics involve not only serious criminal, health and addiction issues, but crucial market issues as well. The drug trade in Dallas promises (actually one of urban America's most tragic lies) to provide the highest income possible to persons whose limited skills mark them out for a life to be scratched out well below the poverty line. When faced with the option of taking a job that pays just above minimum wage or becoming a player in the illicit drug industry that promises to pay much more, many people, especially young people, chose the more dangerous route.
While I am not attempting to relieve anyone of personal responsibility, the fact remains that the teens and adults in John's house do not possess the skills needed to compete in America's "new economy." Our community has the will to support the revolving door, created by our criminal justice system that shuffles adults in and out of John's world. Evidently, what we lack is the will to adequately fund training programs that could provide real economic options for these same teens and adults. Add the powerful factor of addiction to the mix and we create a recipe for social destruction, one person, one family and one neighborhood at a time.
[When I wrote this essay, Dallas corporations were crying for qualified employees, especially in the technology sector. The need was so great that immigration policies were being reformed and relaxed to accommodate the need for foreign workers who could fill the need quickly. The economic bust of 2008 changed all of that, but the need for livable wage employment skills for our citizens remains very urgent.]
The mental leap necessary to move from coaching in a summer youth baseball league to a discussion of drugs, crime, the state of public education, employment training and market-driven economic options may seem strange or even strained.
But not if you know my buddy John.
He lives in the tough world of inner city Dallas.
As a result, I estimate that John has possibly two more years of semi-innocence before he faces some very tough choices forced on him by the circumstances of his world. If he takes the wrong turn, he likely will end up repeating the mistakes of his older family members.
Fortunately, John has a number of friends in the neighborhood who are committed to staying near him to help navigate these critical times of decision. Not every Dallas child in his position possesses his small advantage.
Since serving as his coach, I know I will never be able to watch a baseball game in the same way again. From sandlot to second grade Little Leagure, the game has always been very special to me. Now I think I know how I'll occupy many of my thoughts during the slow, steady progress of America's game.
[Eight years after I first wrote this reflection, I am pleased to report that John graduated high school, went on to college and served last summer on our AmeriCorps team. I expect that he will graduate with his degree in about two more years. Would that John's story could be repeated across urban America a million times over.]
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Reflections on "the game" as Spring Training 2010 begins. . .(Part 3)
[What follows continues the posts from the past two days.]
Here's John's list of life issues that compose a large part of his reality.
Education. Amazingly,John does fairly well in school in spite of the fact that no adult in his world seems to be involved or pays much attention. he is bright and good. Bemoaning a lack of parental involvement in the public schools in a city like Dallas wastes energy, time and breath. The adults in John's world cannot be counted on to lift test scores, attend the school's PTA meetings, provide encouragement or demand better educational options, strategies or administration. Others will need to fill that gap for John. But without a supre-charged educational experience the likelihood of John escaping his extremely limted world is slim indeed.
A clear understanding of the world John navigates daily should provide our community more than enough motivaton to act boldly, radically, and creatively to make sure he experiences only the very best in education. Our public schools must step up to the challenge of standing with John. Simply put, my little friend John deserves the very best we have to offer.
Criminal Justice and Addiction. John watches out for himself because the adults in his world, almost every one of them, are crack cocaine addicts. Given the manner in which our criminal justice system deals with addicts, objectivity would push me to say John's world is filled with adults who are, for the most part, "hopeless" addicts.
On numerous occasions John and his young cousin, another one of my players, have witnessed the arrest of several of the adults (including their closest family members) who use and sell drugs off of their front porch. City, county and state criminal justice authorities investigate, raid, arrest and incarcerate; but they seldom treat addicts. The system that periodically takes the most significant adults out of John's life to jail or to prison, never returns them to him in any better condition psychologically or spiritually.
The idea of placing these adults back in his world with new skills that might lead to gainful employment outside the "drug industry" never seems to cocur to anyone involved. Apparently very few consider treatment for addiction either. The criminal justice system's answer to durg addition boils down to containment and incarceration.
Children like John receive little or no assistance from Child Protective Services. Operating with severely limited resources (including far too few foster families), under-staffed and over-worked, an over-burdened CPS system cannot respond adequately or effectively to the thousands of children in Dallas County who live in places and with adults like John. He deserves better from all of us.
[For the final post on John and the challenges of his life drop in tomorrow.]
Here's John's list of life issues that compose a large part of his reality.
Education. Amazingly,John does fairly well in school in spite of the fact that no adult in his world seems to be involved or pays much attention. he is bright and good. Bemoaning a lack of parental involvement in the public schools in a city like Dallas wastes energy, time and breath. The adults in John's world cannot be counted on to lift test scores, attend the school's PTA meetings, provide encouragement or demand better educational options, strategies or administration. Others will need to fill that gap for John. But without a supre-charged educational experience the likelihood of John escaping his extremely limted world is slim indeed.
A clear understanding of the world John navigates daily should provide our community more than enough motivaton to act boldly, radically, and creatively to make sure he experiences only the very best in education. Our public schools must step up to the challenge of standing with John. Simply put, my little friend John deserves the very best we have to offer.
Criminal Justice and Addiction. John watches out for himself because the adults in his world, almost every one of them, are crack cocaine addicts. Given the manner in which our criminal justice system deals with addicts, objectivity would push me to say John's world is filled with adults who are, for the most part, "hopeless" addicts.
On numerous occasions John and his young cousin, another one of my players, have witnessed the arrest of several of the adults (including their closest family members) who use and sell drugs off of their front porch. City, county and state criminal justice authorities investigate, raid, arrest and incarcerate; but they seldom treat addicts. The system that periodically takes the most significant adults out of John's life to jail or to prison, never returns them to him in any better condition psychologically or spiritually.
The idea of placing these adults back in his world with new skills that might lead to gainful employment outside the "drug industry" never seems to cocur to anyone involved. Apparently very few consider treatment for addiction either. The criminal justice system's answer to durg addition boils down to containment and incarceration.
Children like John receive little or no assistance from Child Protective Services. Operating with severely limited resources (including far too few foster families), under-staffed and over-worked, an over-burdened CPS system cannot respond adequately or effectively to the thousands of children in Dallas County who live in places and with adults like John. He deserves better from all of us.
[For the final post on John and the challenges of his life drop in tomorrow.]
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Reflections on "the game" as Spring Training 2010 begins. . .(Part 2)
[What follows is a continuation of the post from yesterday.]
The following week when I arrived at John's house to pick him up for an early morning game, he came to the door to inform me he didn't want to play. When I asked why, he told me that a cousin was in town and he didn't want to leave him at the house to go to the game. I encouraged him to invite the cousin to come along and help us out in the dugout. On the way to the park John leaned over and thanked me for allowing his guest to join us for the game.
"Coach, I was afraid to leave him at the house. I was afraid if the police came they would arrest him for 'selling' because he is fifteen," John explained. Talk about a heightened sense of personal responsibility: my little twelve-year-old buddy feeling the pressing need to care for his 15-year-old cousin. This is simply John's reality.
John lives at a frightening intersection in our community. From where he stays, not only can John see the most important issues facing our city; he lives with a number of them. Just click down John's list with me for a reality check.
[Return tomorrow for John's "reality list."]
The following week when I arrived at John's house to pick him up for an early morning game, he came to the door to inform me he didn't want to play. When I asked why, he told me that a cousin was in town and he didn't want to leave him at the house to go to the game. I encouraged him to invite the cousin to come along and help us out in the dugout. On the way to the park John leaned over and thanked me for allowing his guest to join us for the game.
"Coach, I was afraid to leave him at the house. I was afraid if the police came they would arrest him for 'selling' because he is fifteen," John explained. Talk about a heightened sense of personal responsibility: my little twelve-year-old buddy feeling the pressing need to care for his 15-year-old cousin. This is simply John's reality.
John lives at a frightening intersection in our community. From where he stays, not only can John see the most important issues facing our city; he lives with a number of them. Just click down John's list with me for a reality check.
[Return tomorrow for John's "reality list."]
Monday, March 01, 2010
Reflections on "the game" as Spring Training 2010 begins. . .(Part 1)
_________________________
I am a baseball coach. Well, not really. My career, my job is in a totally unrelated field. But few things in my life are more important than my work as a coach in the Texas Rangers Rookie League.
For two summers now I have coached eleven and twelve-year-old boys and girls who have never played organized baseball prior to being on my team. The experience has been fun, educational, exciting, hilarious and sobering all at once. All of my players live in a fairly tough Dallas inner-city neighborhood. The Texas Rangers deserve a community commendation for sponsoring the summer league that actually serves as a baseball day camp of sorts for hundreds of children from all across the Metroplex.
For several of my players the baseball league offers a welcome escape from terrible living conditions.
Let me introduce you to "John."
He lives with his grandmother and a number of other adults--some related, some not--in a well known, neighborhood crack house near his school. John is a great young man. He spends his days by his own choice going from place to place in the neighborhood looking for trustworthy people and positive things to do. The Friendship Center at Fair Park Bible Fellowship, the Jubilee Center sponsored by St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church and the Rangers Rookie League baseball are all regular stops on his daily walk around the neighborhood this summer.
He seemed thrilled when he learned that he had been selected by his principal to play on our team. He attended every practice, worked hard, learned new skills and turned out to be our most productive hitter. John is a winsome kid with a big smile and a temper that can explode in a fury, invariably followed by quick apologies.
After one pre-season practice he asked me for a ride home. When we arrived at his house, I got out with him to unload some of his belongings from my truck. As we walked to the back of my car, a small pick-up truck pulled alongside us and a young man came out of John's house and stepped up to the truck's window. After a brief exchange of words, money and "merchandize," the truck's driver turned his vehicle around and left, all the while keeping his eyes on John and me.
"Coach, this goes on all the time here," he tried to explain what we had just witnessed. I tried to reassure him and told him to go inside and be careful, a truly impossible directive given his environment. Later that same day I talked to John about our experience.
"We walked into the middle of a drug deal, didn't we?" I asked to confirm what I thought I had seen.
"Yes sir. My grandmother can't control the house anymore. People come and go and sue and sell drugs," replied.
During the pre-game warm-up before our third game of the season, John took a ball right in the mouth. The blow split his lip open. A little ice and some special attention patched him up so that he could play in both games of our doubleheader that day. On the van ride home I told John that he would need to see a doctor and might require a stitch or two in his lip.
After a thoughtful pause, John said, "Coach, I'll go to the doctor, but I won't."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I'm willing to go, but no one will take me. No one has a car and they just lay around not doing anything."
I assured him that I would see that he got to a doctor. When we arrived at his house, I managed to get permission from an aunt to arrange for treatment. Dr. Jim Walton, our long time medical partner and leader of community health equity for the Baylor Health Care System, met us at our clinic. John took his three stitches better than any 40-year-old man. Four or five days later, between game days, Dr. Walton went back to John' house to remove the stitches.
We both observed a number of adults coming and going in all directions. Two little girls, possibly aged five and three, played with a cat on the front porch. They stopped their play long enough to grin and wave at us. We felt as if we were standing in the middle of a busy, though dilapidated, dingy, and dark marketplace. The commodity being traded was crack cocaine. The surroundings spoke of abject poverty.
[More tomorrow. . .]
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Plaza Inn Update. . .
Here's an update on development plans for the Plaza Inn here in Dallas.
I applaud up-scale developers Larry and Ted Hamilton for pursuing this important project.
The Hamilton's haven't always been supporters of permanent supportive housing (PSH). But fact-finding trips to Los Angeles and Seattle, coupled with a good deal of private research, convinced them that PSH can change the face of challenged parts of a city like Dallas.
Homeless people need to be offered a place to live, a place to call "home," rather than just a temporary place to sleep a night at a time.
Thanks to the Hamiltons for leading the way in Dallas!
I applaud up-scale developers Larry and Ted Hamilton for pursuing this important project.
The Hamilton's haven't always been supporters of permanent supportive housing (PSH). But fact-finding trips to Los Angeles and Seattle, coupled with a good deal of private research, convinced them that PSH can change the face of challenged parts of a city like Dallas.
Homeless people need to be offered a place to live, a place to call "home," rather than just a temporary place to sleep a night at a time.
Thanks to the Hamiltons for leading the way in Dallas!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Curling?
Little did I know there was a DFW Curling Association until I received this link from my friend, Don Kleppe (they call him "Dan" in the video clip, but it is really Don!).
Crazy Canadians!
Curling looks like a "community" game.
Must be okay, if Kleppe is into it--weird, but definitely okay!
Can you believe there were lots of Metroplex viewers for the competition last week, and that, in the wee hours of the morning!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Evolutionary Dance
What follows is lifted from the December 2009 issue of Heron Dance: A Pause of Beauty:
The one universal ever-operating law throughout has been the law of change. Nature never stands still and never duplicates herself. Life is always in the process of becoming something else.
- Laurence M. Gould
Bob Dylan, in the documentary Martin Scorsese made of his life and music (No Direction Home), says that an artist always has to be in the process of becoming. Once an artist has arrived, is no longer evolving, he or she has run out of the juice that makes their art worthwhile. An artist needs to be exploring change, exploring the edges of his or her comfort zone, the edges of some imaginary world where dark confronts light, where scariness and beauty mingle, where demons and gods dance.
I don’t do HERON DANCE to shake people up, to upset people. I’d rather be controversial than boring, but I’m not controversial for the sake of being controversial. I’ve embarked on this journey in life. I’ve taken risks—hopefully not too many foolish ones—but I know that I’m going to stumble and get shaken up and hurt. I don’t do it with the intention of getting hurt, but I know I will. It’s a given. People who come along with me might bump up against things they’d rather not bump up against, but that’s just the way it is when you explore the possibilities of life.
A full, alive, adventurous life is a life lived as a creative endeavor. Creative endeavors evolve. HERON DANCE was different fifteen years ago than it was ten years ago, and was different a year ago than it is now, and will be different again a year from now. It has gone through brief periods of homeostasis—generally periods when I was overwhelmed by the administrative aspects of what we do here—but they’ve tended to be brief and followed by periods of dramatic change. If HERON DANCE goes through a prolonged period of sameness, I hope I’ll have the courage to dig a hole and bury it.
I offer these thoughts partly in response to the emails and phone calls we’ve received from people who don’t like our recent changes. I’ve gotten letters like that ever since I started HERON DANCE. We’ve lost some subscribers as a result of our changes over the last fifteen years, but I’ve not let it bother me. On some journeys there are advantages to traveling fast and light, and there are advantages to not getting too bogged down with what others think. People who want to live safe, secure lives within narrowly defined limits have got a huge array of books, TV shows and commercials and other places to turn to that will reassure them that they’ve made the right decisions in life. The places and people and bureaucracies and groups and organizations, and all others who see the world in black and white, who have all the answers, who are afraid of life, don’t need HERON DANCE. Or if they do, they are not aware of it and I’m not in the conversion business.
I’d rather offer support and encouragement to those who do decide to embark on the journey, on the lonely exploration of inner worlds, on the trek out along the scary boundaries of life. The people—the seekers I meet on the trail whom I’ve never met before and may not ever meet again—together we build a fire and share a meal and a bottle of wine, and tell of what we’ve learned in life. Some of those impressions are shared, and some are divergent, and when we hug and part, it is the divergent views that we’re both richer for.
And sometimes, just sometimes, we don’t part ways, but stay in each other’s lives, and if we come to love each other, we add a whole new understanding of what it means to be truly alive.
I sing the body electric,
The armies of those I love engirth me and I engirth them,
They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them,
And disrupt them, and charge them full with the charge of the soul.
Dear comerado! I confess I have urged
you onward with me, and still urge you,
without the least idea what is our destination,
Or whether we shall be victorious, or utterly quell'd and defeated.
- Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
In celebration of the Great Dance of Life,
Thursday, February 25, 2010
So, who's really made a "deal with the Devil" in impoverish, oppressed Haiti?
Shortly after the terrible Haitian earthquake, TV evangelist Pat Robertson declared that Haiti "had made a deal with the Devil." To read my post regarding his absurd commentary go here.
Earlier this week I discovered in an AP report published in The Dallas Morning News (Monday, February 22, 2010) that, in fact, a deal has been struck with the Devil in Haiti. Trouble is Rev. Robertson, the Haitian people stand in the role of victims of the deal rather than partners.
Consider the facts of the Haitian economy:
"Jordanie Pinquie Rebecca leans forward and guides a piece of suit-jacket wool and its silky lining into a sewing machine, where they're bound together to be hemmed.
If she does this for eight hours, she will earn $3.09. Her boss will ship the pinstriped suit she helped make to the United States, tariff-free. There a shopper will buy it from Jos. A. Bank Clothiers for $550."
Political leaders and economists argue today that the garment assembly industry could be the way out of extreme poverty for the beleagured island nation. At the same time, everyone agrees that wages in Haiti in this sector and all others are far, far below a level that could lift anyone from poverty. At the same time, unemployment in Haiti before the earthquake stood somewhere between 60 and 80%--so extreme as to defy careful or accurate measures.
Welcome to the reality of unchecked capitalism in which markets function as the new agents of colonialism and imposed, systemic poverty for the benefit of the non-poor nations who masquerade as legitimate trading partners.
So, who made "a deal with the Devil"?
I'm thinking it was not people like Jordanie Pinquie Rebecca and her family.
No, the deal's much closer to home.
You can read about it on the clothing labels in my overly-stuffed clothes closet.
You can find it described in the annual shareholders' reports that direct our eyes only toward the bottom line and away from the misery of those who support the system that pays us rich profits and dividends beyond anything fair, just or reasonable.
I find these words from James 5:1-6 particularly indicting (forgive my slight edits):
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who [made your clothes and] mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters [and the tailors] have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.
Earlier this week I discovered in an AP report published in The Dallas Morning News (Monday, February 22, 2010) that, in fact, a deal has been struck with the Devil in Haiti. Trouble is Rev. Robertson, the Haitian people stand in the role of victims of the deal rather than partners.
Consider the facts of the Haitian economy:
"Jordanie Pinquie Rebecca leans forward and guides a piece of suit-jacket wool and its silky lining into a sewing machine, where they're bound together to be hemmed.
If she does this for eight hours, she will earn $3.09. Her boss will ship the pinstriped suit she helped make to the United States, tariff-free. There a shopper will buy it from Jos. A. Bank Clothiers for $550."
Political leaders and economists argue today that the garment assembly industry could be the way out of extreme poverty for the beleagured island nation. At the same time, everyone agrees that wages in Haiti in this sector and all others are far, far below a level that could lift anyone from poverty. At the same time, unemployment in Haiti before the earthquake stood somewhere between 60 and 80%--so extreme as to defy careful or accurate measures.
Welcome to the reality of unchecked capitalism in which markets function as the new agents of colonialism and imposed, systemic poverty for the benefit of the non-poor nations who masquerade as legitimate trading partners.
So, who made "a deal with the Devil"?
I'm thinking it was not people like Jordanie Pinquie Rebecca and her family.
No, the deal's much closer to home.
You can read about it on the clothing labels in my overly-stuffed clothes closet.
You can find it described in the annual shareholders' reports that direct our eyes only toward the bottom line and away from the misery of those who support the system that pays us rich profits and dividends beyond anything fair, just or reasonable.
I find these words from James 5:1-6 particularly indicting (forgive my slight edits):
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who [made your clothes and] mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters [and the tailors] have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Food Facts. . .
Almost 15% of our residents are hungry and food insecure. Texas experiences the highest food insecurity rate among children in the nation.
Many of the 3 million children who participate in the free lunch program in our public schools go without a meal on the weekends and when school is closed during the summer and on holidays and school breaks.
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