Back from driving the girls basketball team to their last game of their regular season. It was a fairly miserable game due in large part to this being the girls fourth game in five nights and the hour and a half bus ride to Danville. Since I was there anyway I was recruited to "keep the book." Each team has an official bookkeeper to keep track of the scores, fouls, timeouts - all the stuff which comes with a sport which in my opinion is over coached. The highlight of the evening for some of the girls was stopping at Pizza Hut in Mt. Pleasant rather than McDonalds after the game. The "highlight" for me was having my temporary bridge crack and fall off. Fortunately I found all the pieces before I swallowed.
What I had intended to write about was based on something I read this morning (actually Saturday morning as it is now early into Sunday morning) For Christmas my wife gave me a book titled "Take our Moments and Our Days: An Anabaptist Prayerbook" I have been trying to use it at least once a day since then. It is written to be used twice a day, but I just go in order and don't pay much attention to the day listed in the reading. What I read this morning focused on the beatitude, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." For the New Testament scripture it used the story of Zacchaeuss. What struck me was the response of Zacchaeuss. "look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much."
This past week students have asked if we are in a Depression, why is the economy so bad, and occasionaly, what do I think should be tried to fix the economy. A year or so ago the media began to write about banks failing, mortgage companies failing and insurance companies going broke. We also began to hear about bad loans, "creative financial instruments" the bundling and marketing of loans and mortgages, along with lavish salaries and bonuses. Even after the bailout, the executives of some of the bankrupt companies were being paid huge bonuses.
After reading the Zacchaeus story I got to wondering what would happen if Jesus showed up at the home of a Wall St. executive. I doubt the guy would say, "half my possessons Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone I will pay back four times as much." From what I read and hear, the Wall Street guy would tell Jesus, "You know I made a lot of money for my company, besides I worked hard for my income, bonus, and stock options. There just aren't that many Harvard and Yale graduates who understand the sophisticated financial and marketing tools I created and was using." I deserve my bonus, and if you dare to cap my salary at 500,000, I'll call you a socialist and a communist. Then I will find work for a company which truley appreciates my unique talents and won't be afraid to pay me at least one million per year plus the bonuses I deserve."
"Zacchaeuss said, if I defrauded anyone I will pay him back four times as much."
The Wall St guy- "That is socialism, pure and simple. The story incites class warfare, besides, the wealthy have worked hard for their money. It wouldn't be fair to expect us to to give away half our possesions, or to pay back 4 x what we had taken. "
It is late and it is hard for me to feel creative. Needless to say, I don't think Zacchaess's response to Jesus would go over well in the corporate world these days in spite of some of the religious platitudes about wealth being a blessing from God, that rich people like to spew.
As I read the latest financial news, especially the parts about how the intellectuals at Harvard and Yale, have messed things up, and how some hope to stimulate the economy I will try to keep that image of Zacchaeus in my mind. And I will hear him say, "half my possessions I will give to the poor and if I have defrauded anyone I will pay them back four times what they owed. When I hear one of the Wall St types, or one of the politicians say something similar to what Zaccheaus said, maybe then we have a person we can trust.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
mlk day, obama and sharing at Iowa Mennonite
I was asked to share briefly in chapel today to provide some context for the excitement surrounding President Obama's inauguration. Here is what I shared, with a few minor changes.
"America is a dream,
The poet says it was promises.
The people say it is promises-that will come true.
The people do not always say things out loud,
Nor write them down on paper.
The people often hold
Great thoughts in their deepest hearts
And sometimes only blunderingly express them,
Haltingly and stumblinly say them,
And faultily put them into practice.
The people do not always understand each other.
But there is, somewhere there,
Always the trying to understand,
And the trying to say,
'You are a man. Together we our building our land.'"
from Freedoms Plow by Langston Hughes
As I watched several news programs yesterday it became clear that this year MLK day is linked with the inauguration of Barack Obama as our nations forty-fourth President. The reasons for this are probably obvious to most. Today, we have seen and heard some of Dr. King's words. For you young people I want to provide just a bit of context for why the two events are linked. Why yesterday it was not unusual to see a tear in the eyes of reporters or to hear a catch in the voice of commentators as they tried to describe the significance of this weeks events.
Our country was born of contradictions. Lofty ideals of freedom, equality and justice were not evident in the treatment of African Americans, indigineous peoples, and women. 230 some years ago the Declaration of Independence held forth this bold principle, "that all men are created equal." Yet the man who wrote those words owned slaves. Eighty years later, when the Civil War began there were some 4 million people living in slavery in the United States. At the wars end, they were freed, but most faced overt racism, discrimination and lives of poverty. A black man could be lynched, as hundreds were, for no good reason. In his poem, "Let America Be America again," Langston Hughes points out this contradiction when he writes,
"O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")
Hughes
In his 1963 speech given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King shared his dream, "deeply rooted in the American dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of tis creed-we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
In his poem, Harlem, Hughes, asks, "What happens to a dream deferred?" Kings dream that "little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers," was deferred, left to rot and fester. In much of the United States, black children still could not go to school with white children, hotels and restaurants hung signs which said "whites only," blacks were prevented from voting and faced discrimination throughout society.
Though attacked by his detractors as a trouble maker, a communist and unpatriotic, throughout his writings, King called the United States to live up to the ideals it had expressed in its founding documents. His writings can exhibit a patriotic fervor which at times makes this Mennonite a bit nervous. King also invited all peoples to participate in his efforts to promote the spread of human dignity and freedom, much as I think Obama has done. In this they are similar to the best of our leaders and politicians who have inspired us to accomplish tasks we felt were impossible to achieve.
"O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again."
Hughes
In calling the nation to live up to its ideals, King and Obama draw from a long tradition within the African-American community that has been able to see in ways that most of us have not, that America has not lived up to its ideals, and in doing this they have called us to be a better place.
"Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!"
Hughes
So today and tomorrow, whether you like President Obama or not, realize that it is a historic occasion. An African American family will be living in the White House. The same White House that was built by slaves, the White House where Teddy Roosevelt was rebuked for inviting Booker T Washington to dinner, the same White House where for much of our nations history, it meant that if you were black and in the White House, you were probably a butler, a cook or a cleaner.
Realize that for those who confronted the evils of racism, those who faced the fire hoses, attack dogs and billy clubs wielded by the white establishment; realize that for those who suffered daily from racism and discrimination, realize that tomorrow is a symbol that the dream is no longer being deferred. The dream is no longer festering or threatening to explode.
If I were asked to write something for the inauguration speech I would want to refer to the end of Langston Hughes poem, "Freedoms Plow."
"A long time ago,
An enslaved people heading toward freedom
Made up a song:
Keep Your Hand On the Plow! Hold On!
The plow plowed a new furrow
Across the field of history,
Into that furrow the freedom seed was dropped.
From that seed a tree grew, is growing, will ever grow.
That tree is for everybody,
For all America, for all the world.
May its branches spread and shelter grow
Until all races and peoples know its shade.
KEEP YOUR HAND ON THE PLOW! HOLD ON!
Hughes
May the words, the work and the dreams of King inspire us to keep our hands on the plow and to hold on.
marcus
"America is a dream,
The poet says it was promises.
The people say it is promises-that will come true.
The people do not always say things out loud,
Nor write them down on paper.
The people often hold
Great thoughts in their deepest hearts
And sometimes only blunderingly express them,
Haltingly and stumblinly say them,
And faultily put them into practice.
The people do not always understand each other.
But there is, somewhere there,
Always the trying to understand,
And the trying to say,
'You are a man. Together we our building our land.'"
from Freedoms Plow by Langston Hughes
As I watched several news programs yesterday it became clear that this year MLK day is linked with the inauguration of Barack Obama as our nations forty-fourth President. The reasons for this are probably obvious to most. Today, we have seen and heard some of Dr. King's words. For you young people I want to provide just a bit of context for why the two events are linked. Why yesterday it was not unusual to see a tear in the eyes of reporters or to hear a catch in the voice of commentators as they tried to describe the significance of this weeks events.
Our country was born of contradictions. Lofty ideals of freedom, equality and justice were not evident in the treatment of African Americans, indigineous peoples, and women. 230 some years ago the Declaration of Independence held forth this bold principle, "that all men are created equal." Yet the man who wrote those words owned slaves. Eighty years later, when the Civil War began there were some 4 million people living in slavery in the United States. At the wars end, they were freed, but most faced overt racism, discrimination and lives of poverty. A black man could be lynched, as hundreds were, for no good reason. In his poem, "Let America Be America again," Langston Hughes points out this contradiction when he writes,
"O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")
Hughes
In his 1963 speech given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, King shared his dream, "deeply rooted in the American dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of tis creed-we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
In his poem, Harlem, Hughes, asks, "What happens to a dream deferred?" Kings dream that "little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers," was deferred, left to rot and fester. In much of the United States, black children still could not go to school with white children, hotels and restaurants hung signs which said "whites only," blacks were prevented from voting and faced discrimination throughout society.
Though attacked by his detractors as a trouble maker, a communist and unpatriotic, throughout his writings, King called the United States to live up to the ideals it had expressed in its founding documents. His writings can exhibit a patriotic fervor which at times makes this Mennonite a bit nervous. King also invited all peoples to participate in his efforts to promote the spread of human dignity and freedom, much as I think Obama has done. In this they are similar to the best of our leaders and politicians who have inspired us to accomplish tasks we felt were impossible to achieve.
"O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again."
Hughes
In calling the nation to live up to its ideals, King and Obama draw from a long tradition within the African-American community that has been able to see in ways that most of us have not, that America has not lived up to its ideals, and in doing this they have called us to be a better place.
"Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!"
Hughes
So today and tomorrow, whether you like President Obama or not, realize that it is a historic occasion. An African American family will be living in the White House. The same White House that was built by slaves, the White House where Teddy Roosevelt was rebuked for inviting Booker T Washington to dinner, the same White House where for much of our nations history, it meant that if you were black and in the White House, you were probably a butler, a cook or a cleaner.
Realize that for those who confronted the evils of racism, those who faced the fire hoses, attack dogs and billy clubs wielded by the white establishment; realize that for those who suffered daily from racism and discrimination, realize that tomorrow is a symbol that the dream is no longer being deferred. The dream is no longer festering or threatening to explode.
If I were asked to write something for the inauguration speech I would want to refer to the end of Langston Hughes poem, "Freedoms Plow."
"A long time ago,
An enslaved people heading toward freedom
Made up a song:
Keep Your Hand On the Plow! Hold On!
The plow plowed a new furrow
Across the field of history,
Into that furrow the freedom seed was dropped.
From that seed a tree grew, is growing, will ever grow.
That tree is for everybody,
For all America, for all the world.
May its branches spread and shelter grow
Until all races and peoples know its shade.
KEEP YOUR HAND ON THE PLOW! HOLD ON!
Hughes
May the words, the work and the dreams of King inspire us to keep our hands on the plow and to hold on.
marcus
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Bill Moyer's on Israel and Gaza
A cousin pointed out this video to me from Bill Moyer's Journal. I missed it Friday night because I was asked to fill in to drive the bus. The commentary along with the images are powerful and I wish more people would see what he has to say. Unfortunately Moyer is not one of those television pundits who will yell, berate or humiliate his guests, or go for the easy joke. Anyway, I hope I enclosed the link correctly. I didn't do it right the first time - I'll try again. I'm not figuring this out and I need to do some other things. Here is a link where you can see the segment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Zunx_goz4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1Zunx_goz4
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Gaza
A couple of folks have asked what I think about what is going on in Gaza. So, this is my opinion coming as it does, from the middle of a cornfield.
Gaza is the small strip of land towards the southern end of Israel. It is home to approximately 1.5 million Palestinians. From what I read in news accounts, access to Gaza is controlled primarily by Israel though there is one border crossing under Egyptian control. Israel controls the electricity, gas and many of the other items considered to be essential by most people. I have heard the area described as a large prison though perhaps "reservation" might be a more appropriate term. In the past year I have met Palestinians in Iowa City who cannot return home to visit their families in Gaza because they are certain one of two things would happen. Either Israel would not let them enter Gaza and they might be detained, or they would be allowed into Gaza, but would never receive permission to leave to return to Iowa City to continue their studies.
The area has been controlled by Hamas since they won elections held in 2006. Hamas is generally described by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization. When I visited the West Bank, we learned that Hamas has also worked to provide basic social services to Palestinians, one of the reasons they have been able to create and maintain political support. We were also told many times that most Palestinians did not want to hold elections in 2006, but did so at the insistence of the Bush administration. When Hamas won, seemingly surprising Bush and Condeleeza Rice, the U.S. government refused to recognize Hamas, making the U.S. look like hypocrites in the eyes of many Palestinians. "You force us to have elections, then refuse to accept who we choose and you call this democracy?" ( I didn't have the heart to explain the 2000 election, the electoral college, or the supreme courts intervention)
So you have a situation where 1.5 million Palestinians are kept as virtual prisoners and where according to Time magazine unemployment in Gaza is 49%. Is it any wonder there is frustration, bitterness, and the desire to strike at those who keep you oppressed? Since 2004 Hamas has chosen to launch homemade rockets into nearby Israeli settlements, killing 23 Israeli citizens. Just in case any one might be confused, I do not condone violence, or in this case shooting missiles, especially at civilians, but I think I can understand why some Palestinians might want to shoot off rockets hoping to hit Israeli's.
Unfortunately when a group resorts to violence, a violent action often results. Last week Israel began bombing sites in Gaza and today they sent in ground troops. The death toll quickly mounted as Palestinians died in the bombings. Today the number of Palestinian deaths over the last week reached the 500 mark. Four Israeli's have died this week as a result of rockets fired by Palestinians.
It is frustrating to hear President Bush lay the blame for this weeks actions squarely on Hamas. Today the U.S. made it even worse, rejecting a UN vote/plan to encourage a ceasefire. It seems odd to me that the Palestinians, the weakest of the groups in this conflict are blamed for causing the violence. It is like blaming African-Americans for causing trouble during the Civil Rights movement, or criticizing Native Americans for the violence which resulted in their deaths or forced removal to reservations.
It is frustrating to know that planes and helicopters produced in the U.S. and paid for with U.S. tax dollars are being used to drop bombs or to fire rockets into Gaza.
It is frustrating to read the celebratory articles proclaiming the death of an Hamas leader in big headlines, and then to read, in small print that the bomb killed eighteen others including his young daughters.
It also brings to mind another question people often asked me after my CPT trip. Are there any Palestinians who are pacifists? The answer is yes, there are many Palestinians who practice nonviolence every day, but like most humans, the vast majority see violence as quick, efficient, and the only way to deal with problems. The U.S. certainly has no business talking to Palestinians about nonviolence. The US has already claimed control of the hypocritical high ground.
Still, I wonder what would happen if a Palestinian leader could lead a mass nonviolent movement similar to the way Gandhi did in India. Even though the rockets fired by Hamas are inaccurate and rarely deadly, they are violent and the Palestinians lose the moral high ground they might otherwise easily claim. If Palestinian protests in Gaza had been completely nonviolent I think it would have been difficult, if not impossible for Israel to respond militarily. In fact, I think they would struggle with how to respond to a mass nonviolent movement. The British struggled during the Indian independence movement. State and local governments throughout the south weren't sure how to respond when African-Americans held nonviolent protests and actions.
It would be nice to see the U.S take the lead to bring about a peaceful resolution to the situation, however I don't see that happening any time soon. President Bush is in "coasting mode" and he has yet to say no to anything Israel wants or does and I don't expect him to change now. It would be nice to hear something from Obama but then there isn't much he can do until after inauguration. Even then, my guess is that he has other issues he would prefer to focus on first as he begins his presidential term.
Gaza is the small strip of land towards the southern end of Israel. It is home to approximately 1.5 million Palestinians. From what I read in news accounts, access to Gaza is controlled primarily by Israel though there is one border crossing under Egyptian control. Israel controls the electricity, gas and many of the other items considered to be essential by most people. I have heard the area described as a large prison though perhaps "reservation" might be a more appropriate term. In the past year I have met Palestinians in Iowa City who cannot return home to visit their families in Gaza because they are certain one of two things would happen. Either Israel would not let them enter Gaza and they might be detained, or they would be allowed into Gaza, but would never receive permission to leave to return to Iowa City to continue their studies.
The area has been controlled by Hamas since they won elections held in 2006. Hamas is generally described by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization. When I visited the West Bank, we learned that Hamas has also worked to provide basic social services to Palestinians, one of the reasons they have been able to create and maintain political support. We were also told many times that most Palestinians did not want to hold elections in 2006, but did so at the insistence of the Bush administration. When Hamas won, seemingly surprising Bush and Condeleeza Rice, the U.S. government refused to recognize Hamas, making the U.S. look like hypocrites in the eyes of many Palestinians. "You force us to have elections, then refuse to accept who we choose and you call this democracy?" ( I didn't have the heart to explain the 2000 election, the electoral college, or the supreme courts intervention)
So you have a situation where 1.5 million Palestinians are kept as virtual prisoners and where according to Time magazine unemployment in Gaza is 49%. Is it any wonder there is frustration, bitterness, and the desire to strike at those who keep you oppressed? Since 2004 Hamas has chosen to launch homemade rockets into nearby Israeli settlements, killing 23 Israeli citizens. Just in case any one might be confused, I do not condone violence, or in this case shooting missiles, especially at civilians, but I think I can understand why some Palestinians might want to shoot off rockets hoping to hit Israeli's.
Unfortunately when a group resorts to violence, a violent action often results. Last week Israel began bombing sites in Gaza and today they sent in ground troops. The death toll quickly mounted as Palestinians died in the bombings. Today the number of Palestinian deaths over the last week reached the 500 mark. Four Israeli's have died this week as a result of rockets fired by Palestinians.
It is frustrating to hear President Bush lay the blame for this weeks actions squarely on Hamas. Today the U.S. made it even worse, rejecting a UN vote/plan to encourage a ceasefire. It seems odd to me that the Palestinians, the weakest of the groups in this conflict are blamed for causing the violence. It is like blaming African-Americans for causing trouble during the Civil Rights movement, or criticizing Native Americans for the violence which resulted in their deaths or forced removal to reservations.
It is frustrating to know that planes and helicopters produced in the U.S. and paid for with U.S. tax dollars are being used to drop bombs or to fire rockets into Gaza.
It is frustrating to read the celebratory articles proclaiming the death of an Hamas leader in big headlines, and then to read, in small print that the bomb killed eighteen others including his young daughters.
It also brings to mind another question people often asked me after my CPT trip. Are there any Palestinians who are pacifists? The answer is yes, there are many Palestinians who practice nonviolence every day, but like most humans, the vast majority see violence as quick, efficient, and the only way to deal with problems. The U.S. certainly has no business talking to Palestinians about nonviolence. The US has already claimed control of the hypocritical high ground.
Still, I wonder what would happen if a Palestinian leader could lead a mass nonviolent movement similar to the way Gandhi did in India. Even though the rockets fired by Hamas are inaccurate and rarely deadly, they are violent and the Palestinians lose the moral high ground they might otherwise easily claim. If Palestinian protests in Gaza had been completely nonviolent I think it would have been difficult, if not impossible for Israel to respond militarily. In fact, I think they would struggle with how to respond to a mass nonviolent movement. The British struggled during the Indian independence movement. State and local governments throughout the south weren't sure how to respond when African-Americans held nonviolent protests and actions.
It would be nice to see the U.S take the lead to bring about a peaceful resolution to the situation, however I don't see that happening any time soon. President Bush is in "coasting mode" and he has yet to say no to anything Israel wants or does and I don't expect him to change now. It would be nice to hear something from Obama but then there isn't much he can do until after inauguration. Even then, my guess is that he has other issues he would prefer to focus on first as he begins his presidential term.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Christmas letter 2008
This is the letter being sent out this year. The wife insists this is not the "official" way to do this. For it to be official she says it has to be accompanied by a card, in an envelope, preferably with a stamp, though for some family members she is willing to make the stamp optional. So for the unofficial version continue reading.
Christmas letter 2008
The year started off with a fall. Walking to the post office during the last week of December, Beth slipped on a patch of ice, fell, and broke the bones in her lower left leg. The next Sunday she led her last service as the pastor of the English River Church of the Brethren from a wheelchair. She spent most of the next four months sitting, letting her leg heal and trying to figure out what she should do next. A broken leg, lupus, and crutches do not make for a good combination. We are grateful and friends and family who helped make this time easier.
This year we both turned 50 and we celebrated our 30th anniversary. Since we made it together this long we decided to try something different. In August, Beth moved to Elkhart, Indiana where she began working on an M.Div. at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries. Since I couldn't find work in northern Indiana, I stayed in Iowa where I continue to teach and coach at Iowa Mennonite School. It has been interesting to live by myself for the first time. Once Beth got over the jitters of being an older student she realized she could do the required work and she seems to enjoy her classes and seminary life.
Dirk is in his senior year at Goshen College. He decided to spend the summer in Goshen where he spent most of the time working for the physical plant crew. Erin resigned from her job at the Mennonite Historical Library and moved to Indianapolis where she began working on her Masters in Library Science. It is always breathtaking to hear her discuss the latest intricacies in the world of library cataloguing.
This summer we attended a Peachey reunion in Belleville, Pennsylvania and took Beth's mother along for the ride. From there Beth and I drove to Philadelphia with a stop in Akron, to visit my brother, Ed's family. It was good to spend a couple of days in Philadelphia, visiting with friends, and exploring the city where we lived for ten years.
If all goes well, Beth will be at AMBS for two more years, Dirk will graduate and figure out somthing to do for work or service, Erin will recieve her MLS and find a library position, and as for me, I'll probably just keep plugging along.
Blessings to you all,
Marcus and Beth
Christmas letter 2008
The year started off with a fall. Walking to the post office during the last week of December, Beth slipped on a patch of ice, fell, and broke the bones in her lower left leg. The next Sunday she led her last service as the pastor of the English River Church of the Brethren from a wheelchair. She spent most of the next four months sitting, letting her leg heal and trying to figure out what she should do next. A broken leg, lupus, and crutches do not make for a good combination. We are grateful and friends and family who helped make this time easier.
This year we both turned 50 and we celebrated our 30th anniversary. Since we made it together this long we decided to try something different. In August, Beth moved to Elkhart, Indiana where she began working on an M.Div. at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries. Since I couldn't find work in northern Indiana, I stayed in Iowa where I continue to teach and coach at Iowa Mennonite School. It has been interesting to live by myself for the first time. Once Beth got over the jitters of being an older student she realized she could do the required work and she seems to enjoy her classes and seminary life.
Dirk is in his senior year at Goshen College. He decided to spend the summer in Goshen where he spent most of the time working for the physical plant crew. Erin resigned from her job at the Mennonite Historical Library and moved to Indianapolis where she began working on her Masters in Library Science. It is always breathtaking to hear her discuss the latest intricacies in the world of library cataloguing.
This summer we attended a Peachey reunion in Belleville, Pennsylvania and took Beth's mother along for the ride. From there Beth and I drove to Philadelphia with a stop in Akron, to visit my brother, Ed's family. It was good to spend a couple of days in Philadelphia, visiting with friends, and exploring the city where we lived for ten years.
If all goes well, Beth will be at AMBS for two more years, Dirk will graduate and figure out somthing to do for work or service, Erin will recieve her MLS and find a library position, and as for me, I'll probably just keep plugging along.
Blessings to you all,
Marcus and Beth
Friday, November 07, 2008
Rosa Bonds, antidrug activist
Posted on Tue, Oct. 28, 2008 
The senior citizens stood on street corners in East Germantown in all kinds of weather, sweating in the heat and shivering in the cold, for a just and dangerous cause: To chase away the drug dealers.
Their method was simply to find a corner where the dealers were operating and just stand there. These grandmothers and grandfathers took torrents of abuse and threats.
Sometimes they would bark back at the young punks, who needed selling room at a cherished corner. But mostly, the demonstrators just stood there while the dealers hid.
Possibly the most stalwart, and certainly the most defiant, was a feisty grandmother named Rosa Bonds.
"She had a mouth on her," said C.B. Kimmins, longtime drug crusader and a founder of Mantua Against Drugs. "I admired the daylights out of her."
Rosa died Oct. 14 at age 75. She lived in East Germantown.
In pursuit of her crusade, Rosa would hop into her battered old Chevy and drive herself and other demonstrators - and sometimes her grandkids - to the drug hangouts.
Former Inquirer columnist Steve Lopez wrote about Rosa and her cohorts: "Some young turk turning off Osceola Street onto Pastorius with that strut that says they aren't even there, that says they can't touch him. Nobody can touch him."
But Rosa was not intimidated. She raised her trusty megaphone and shouted: "Drug dealer! Drug dealer! Drug dealer!"
The 20-ish youth continued his cocky strut. She shouted again: "You can run but you can't hide! We charge you with genocide!"
In other confrontations, Rosa and the others simply ignored threats of violent death.
"I'm gonna go get my gun," a dealer would shout at her.
"Go ahead," she would reply. "Go get it." The gun never materialized.
The dealers took one look at this brazen grandmom and slithered away. Of course, they came back.
Steve Lopez wrote: "Rosa Bonds is on the megaphone at midnight, backed up by senior citizens fighting to save their homes. Just down the block, barely visible, the devil peeks around the corner."
Rosa was a founder and officer of East Germantown Against Drugs. Members wore white hats stenciled with the group's initials - EGAD.
Kimmins and his Mantua Against Drugs members would travel to East Germantown to stand with the seniors. "We stood out there in the cold. We told jokes, we talked to the neighbors," Kimmins said. "They told us, 'We never saw the block this quiet.' "
The grass-roots antidrug crusade in the city originated with the late Herman Wrice, who was fearless. He would go out with a sledgehammer and batter down the doors of drug dens.
Eventually, C.B. Kimmins and others sought him out and established Mantua Against Drugs. Rosa Bonds and her partners in East Germantown patterned their actions after the Mantua activists.
In 1990, Rosa, a staunch Republican (but later a Barack Obama supporter), ran unsuccessfully against Dave Richardson for the Pennsylvania House from the 201st District.
Rosa Bonds was born in Spartanburg, S.C. She attended school until the fifth grade in Asheville, N.C. After she arrived in Philadelphia as a girl, she graduated from William Penn High School and became a nurse's aide at Temple University Hospital and the American Oncological Hospital, now Fox Chase Cancer Center.
She also worked as a clerk for the city, in the old Philadelphia General Hospital and for the Department of Licenses & Inspections.
In 1952, she married George Bonds, who predeceased her.
She is survived by a daughter, Rosalind; four sons, Anor, George, Chester and William Sr., and nine grandchildren.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Barack Obama
Yesterday the people of the United States elected Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States. He becomes the first African- American to be elected President and he won in a landslide. As I watched the election results and the scenes of people gathering in Grant Park in Chicago, at the Ebenezer Baptist Church, in Harlem, and outside the gates of the White House, I had to think of my old neighbor in the unit block of East Pastorius Street, Mrs. Rivers. Mrs Rivers and her husband lived in the house which shared a common wall, three bricks wide, with our house. In short we heard their arguments and they heard ours.
Once when I was in her house I noticed she had three pictures hanging on the wall above the mantel. In order, they were Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy. When I asked why she had pictures of those three men, she looked at me and said something like, "They helped give me my freedom and dignity and I want to think of them everyday."
I don't know if Mrs. Rivers is still living or not but if she is I would bet that there is a fourth picture hanging on her wall today. I'm certain she would have a picture of Obama displayed and that she would be praying for him everday.
I hope Obama does well and that he has a successful presidency. As one of the pundits said last night, "he doesn't have a hard act to follow."
Once when I was in her house I noticed she had three pictures hanging on the wall above the mantel. In order, they were Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy. When I asked why she had pictures of those three men, she looked at me and said something like, "They helped give me my freedom and dignity and I want to think of them everyday."
I don't know if Mrs. Rivers is still living or not but if she is I would bet that there is a fourth picture hanging on her wall today. I'm certain she would have a picture of Obama displayed and that she would be praying for him everday.
I hope Obama does well and that he has a successful presidency. As one of the pundits said last night, "he doesn't have a hard act to follow."
Monday, November 03, 2008
world series champions
Growing up I never paid much attention to baseball. Baseball was Jack Brickhouse doing the play by play of Cubs games on tv Sunday afternoonst while dad slept on the couch covered by parts of the Sunday newspaper. If we dared to change the station we were invariably told loudly, "I was watching that." I never found the late 1960's Cubs to be all that entertaining. Later when I had a paper route and had some money I chose to spend some of it on football cards rather than the baseball variety.
I didn't begin paying attention to baseball until we spent the summer of 1979 in Philadelphia and then moved there in the summer of 1980. The Phillies won their first World Series in franchise history that fall so it was easy to get swept up in the excitement. With Mike Schmidt at 3rd, Larry Bowa at short, Garry Maddox, plus Steve Carleton pitching it was fun team to watch even on our little black and white television. Sometimes it was even better to listen to the games on the radio and hear the banter between Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn.
Later when we bought our run down rowhouse I spent a lot of evenings hanging sheetrock and painting while listening to Phillies games. In spite of the work it wasn't a bad way to spend an evening. We also went to numerous games during our ten years in the city. Generally I would go with some guys from church after the services were over. We would bring cooked hot dogs in a large thermos, one guy insisted on bringing some big stogies, and we were all set to go. Usually we just bought tickets for the cheap seats and relaxed from high on the third base side so we could see into the Phillies dugout.
The best seats I ever had was when a friend, Bruce, had friends who had friends with access to tickets owned by a radio station. It was the second or third game of the season, it was cold, and nobody wanted them so Bruce and I went. We sat at ground level just beyond first base. I learned quickly it was important to pay attention especially to foul balls.
I figured I should at least mention the Phillies won the World Series last week for the first time since 1980. It was a rather pleasant diversion from all the presidential politics which had taken a decidely negative turn over the last couple of weeks. It brought back good memories of the ten years we lived in Philadelphia. Plus with all the Cardinal fans who live around here who seem to feel entitled to a championship every couple of years, and this year all the Cubs fans who for some reason seemed to believe "this was the year," it was fun to ask, "how about those Phillies?"
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Thermopylae
Not long ago I finished reading Thermopylae by Paul Cartledge. The subtitle is The Battle that Changed the World. When our local library gets a new book of history I try to get it read in hopes that it will encourage them to expand their non-fiction selections. Cartledge describes the battle between the Spartans and Persia under Xerxes. I haven't seen the movie 300, but it is the battle on which the movie is based.
What I found interesting was in the description of the Spartans as being extremely religious, not something I would have thought about before. Cartledge describes how the Spartans sacrificed animals to examine the entrails to see what the gods were telling them and how they consulted oracles. During the events leading up to the battle, Cartledge describes the many times Sparta's leaders made their decisions based primarily on religous reasons rather than political or strategic factors. I am certainly no expert on Greek history but this did get me to thinking and some questions came to mind.
Do societies with a strong military need to bolster that with religious beliefs? Does the militarism grow out of the religious beliefs, or are the religous beliefs used as a tool to bolster the militarism?
From my perspective the U.S. is a militaristic society. The country spends more on its military than the next several countries combined. Depending on how it is figured, at least half of the national budget is devoted to the military. So the next question I have been thinking about is how religion has been manipulated so that today it seems most evangelical Christians in the US are strong supports of the military and the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Do they just assume like the Spartans did that the gods want us to go to war, or to continue fighting, and since god is on their side the U.S. will "win." The other part of this is to see how the evangelical church has been corrupted. How it has discarded the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount for a militaristic conquering hero. Or to go back to the Spartans, how all the gods and goddess were portrayed wearing military equipment, even Aphrodite.
What I found interesting was in the description of the Spartans as being extremely religious, not something I would have thought about before. Cartledge describes how the Spartans sacrificed animals to examine the entrails to see what the gods were telling them and how they consulted oracles. During the events leading up to the battle, Cartledge describes the many times Sparta's leaders made their decisions based primarily on religous reasons rather than political or strategic factors. I am certainly no expert on Greek history but this did get me to thinking and some questions came to mind.
Do societies with a strong military need to bolster that with religious beliefs? Does the militarism grow out of the religious beliefs, or are the religous beliefs used as a tool to bolster the militarism?
From my perspective the U.S. is a militaristic society. The country spends more on its military than the next several countries combined. Depending on how it is figured, at least half of the national budget is devoted to the military. So the next question I have been thinking about is how religion has been manipulated so that today it seems most evangelical Christians in the US are strong supports of the military and the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Do they just assume like the Spartans did that the gods want us to go to war, or to continue fighting, and since god is on their side the U.S. will "win." The other part of this is to see how the evangelical church has been corrupted. How it has discarded the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount for a militaristic conquering hero. Or to go back to the Spartans, how all the gods and goddess were portrayed wearing military equipment, even Aphrodite.
Monday, October 13, 2008
germantown and presidential changes
In the Sunday Gazette I read that Barack Obama campaigned in Philadelphia Saturday stopping in four different neighborhoods. Though the Gazette didn't identify Germantown they did say he stopped at Vernon Park. This brought back some memories since Vernon Park was just a short walk from my office and from where we lived. When we needed to do some banking or use some of the other businesses on Chelten Ave. it often meant a walk through Vernon Park. Depending on the time of day there were usually a few guys playing chess, a few guys sleeping, a few guys passed out, the occasional homeless guy rummaging through the garbage cans looking for food, but generally there were folks there just hanging out. Most probably didn't notice or pay too much attention to the large statue placed in the park to commemorate the first thirteen German families to emigrate to North America and to settle what became the Germantown neighborhood.
The story also took me back to 1983, the 300th anniversay of the first permanent German settlement in America. The local historic houses in Germantown had planned a number of activities to remember the anniversary but most of these hadn't met with much success. Some of that was because since the 1950's Germantown had become a predominately African-American community and many Germans or German descendents weren't all that excited about spending time in Germantown.
During the summer we were told President Regean wanted to commemorate the anniversary in some way and that he hoped to schedule some time in Philadelphia including a possible stop in Germantown. Some of the cynics among us figured he might be using the anniversary to pressure the Germans to accept the deployment of Pershing and Cruise missles to "aid their protection from the Soviet Union.
Anyway, a large state level banquet was planned at a Center City hotel and some of us in the historical community were led to believe Regean would visit Germantown. If I remember correctly some suggestions were made of sites the President and the German Chancellor should see including the statue in Vernon Park. The Secret Service began to check into security. I don't think it took long for the Secret Service to decide "it was too dangerous for the President to visit Germantown." We were told it was because security would be difficult to ensure in an outdoor setting, but most of the Germantown folks assumed it was because of racism. The Secret Service just didn't want Regean or any other President going into a predominately black neighborhood. It was all rather irritating
So it was refresing to see Obama visit Germantown and to make a stop at Vernon Park. It is an example of the the change in perspective an Obama presidency might bring, as I doubt McCain or too many other white politicians will be making stops in places like Vernon Park in the middle of Germantown.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
random things
It has been nearly a month since my wife moved to Elkhart to continue her seminary degree. It is the first time in my life when I have come close to living by myself. So far I have been surviving. A week ago I drove to Elkhart after school and spent the weekend. We had a nice time, though it didn't help her keep up with her reading. When I went to watch the Iowa football game in the small student lounge I discovered the Canadian students must have chosen the channels. There were numerous stations showing hockey or soccer (which I didn't mind) but the ESPN stations were not among those available. I did figure out how to watch the game on the computer.
Sometimes I wonder about my students. In World History we have been looking at the middle east and spent some time comparing Judaism, Islam and Christianity. This can have some pitfalls because some kids have been taught that Islam is satanic, that it worships a moon god, or that the Qur'an says Muslims should kill Christians. This is in addition to the negative view of most Muslims in our media.
In the midst of this a kid asked about circumcision. Since they are sophomores the boys usually giggle and visibly cringe if this topic is mentioned but one young man winced and then asked, "how do they reproduce?" The kids all got quiet. I suppose they were wondering if I was going to explain circumcision to him or if I would avoid the subject like their parents and Sunday School teachers had apparently done. I explained that when boys are born their penis (giggles) has something called a foreskin, and that circumcision is the word used to describe the process of removing the foreskin. He winced again and asked, "so they don't cut it all off?" I said "no, the Dr. just cuts the foreskin (giggles) from the penis. (more giggles) The next question was a bit shocking as he asked me if he was circumcised. One of the male students quickly said, "I'm sure you're circumcised." I told him I didn't know if he was circumcised or not but that maybe his friend who seemed to know, or his parents could inform him of his status some place other than my classroom. His last question was, "so if I'm circumcised I can still reproduce?" He probably can, but given his intellect, maybe he shouldn't.
In U.S. history I usually have a fair number of students who believe the United States was created by divine intervention and that all of the founding fathers were doing their Christian duty when they instigated the American revolution. This year I typed some excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and Common Sense. On the rest of the page I typed an excerpt from Romans 13 and just referred to it as Document A. I had a few questions for them including one which asked if "Document A" was consistent with the Declaration of Independence. I was disappointed that not one student recognized "Document A" as being from the New Testament. Most assumed it was written by a Loyalist and as such most suggested it should be ignored. Now I know you can argue about the relevance of scripture, but the lack of knowledge about what scripture says is one reason why I think some conservative Christians have bought into the whole myth of God and country. They seem much more content to wield their Bibles has a weapon to hit people over the head, rather than to spend much time actually reading what the scriptures say and mean, (not that I am any kind of expert either) I don't imagine "liberal minded people" know the Bible any better, but at least they aren't trying to use the scriptures as a weapon to threaten and intimidate.
Now that the taxpayers "own" 80 per cent of AIG, does that mean I can get government sponsored health care?
It is hard to not become cynical watching congressional republicans talk about "congressional oversight of the executive..." in the last week with talk of the 700 billion dollar bailout. Where were they during the first six years of the Bush presidency when they seemingly rubber stamped everything Bush wanted?
It is interesting to hear a number of the political pundits talk about the government becoming more socialistic as they talk about the bailout. I don't think I have heard any of them talk about the government becoming more fascist as a result. I think Bush/Cheney would be happy to be dictators.
Apparently I have enough foreign policy experience to become the vice-president. I have visited seven countries (including Canada and Mexico), three or four more than Palin has visited. I have to admit that I can't see any foreign countries from my window, but since I live in a small town, I assume I have some of those all important "small town values," whatever those are.
Sometimes I wonder about my students. In World History we have been looking at the middle east and spent some time comparing Judaism, Islam and Christianity. This can have some pitfalls because some kids have been taught that Islam is satanic, that it worships a moon god, or that the Qur'an says Muslims should kill Christians. This is in addition to the negative view of most Muslims in our media.
In the midst of this a kid asked about circumcision. Since they are sophomores the boys usually giggle and visibly cringe if this topic is mentioned but one young man winced and then asked, "how do they reproduce?" The kids all got quiet. I suppose they were wondering if I was going to explain circumcision to him or if I would avoid the subject like their parents and Sunday School teachers had apparently done. I explained that when boys are born their penis (giggles) has something called a foreskin, and that circumcision is the word used to describe the process of removing the foreskin. He winced again and asked, "so they don't cut it all off?" I said "no, the Dr. just cuts the foreskin (giggles) from the penis. (more giggles) The next question was a bit shocking as he asked me if he was circumcised. One of the male students quickly said, "I'm sure you're circumcised." I told him I didn't know if he was circumcised or not but that maybe his friend who seemed to know, or his parents could inform him of his status some place other than my classroom. His last question was, "so if I'm circumcised I can still reproduce?" He probably can, but given his intellect, maybe he shouldn't.
In U.S. history I usually have a fair number of students who believe the United States was created by divine intervention and that all of the founding fathers were doing their Christian duty when they instigated the American revolution. This year I typed some excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and Common Sense. On the rest of the page I typed an excerpt from Romans 13 and just referred to it as Document A. I had a few questions for them including one which asked if "Document A" was consistent with the Declaration of Independence. I was disappointed that not one student recognized "Document A" as being from the New Testament. Most assumed it was written by a Loyalist and as such most suggested it should be ignored. Now I know you can argue about the relevance of scripture, but the lack of knowledge about what scripture says is one reason why I think some conservative Christians have bought into the whole myth of God and country. They seem much more content to wield their Bibles has a weapon to hit people over the head, rather than to spend much time actually reading what the scriptures say and mean, (not that I am any kind of expert either) I don't imagine "liberal minded people" know the Bible any better, but at least they aren't trying to use the scriptures as a weapon to threaten and intimidate.
Now that the taxpayers "own" 80 per cent of AIG, does that mean I can get government sponsored health care?
It is hard to not become cynical watching congressional republicans talk about "congressional oversight of the executive..." in the last week with talk of the 700 billion dollar bailout. Where were they during the first six years of the Bush presidency when they seemingly rubber stamped everything Bush wanted?
It is interesting to hear a number of the political pundits talk about the government becoming more socialistic as they talk about the bailout. I don't think I have heard any of them talk about the government becoming more fascist as a result. I think Bush/Cheney would be happy to be dictators.
Apparently I have enough foreign policy experience to become the vice-president. I have visited seven countries (including Canada and Mexico), three or four more than Palin has visited. I have to admit that I can't see any foreign countries from my window, but since I live in a small town, I assume I have some of those all important "small town values," whatever those are.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
change
Last Sunday I agreed to teach the class I have been going to because nobody else was willing to and a person who thought he might be willing to teach the class for the year wanted to visit to see what the group was like.
So what does this have to do with change? It has been frustrating to watch McCain and other Republicans talk about change and the change they want to bring to Washington. It seems they want the country to forget Republicans have controlled the Presidency for the last eight years and both houses of Congress six of the last eight years. During that time we were lied to and led into a war, we have had record deficits, the financial world seems to be falling apart and those are just three things I can think of off the top of my head late at night. As far as I'm concerned this President has screwed things up about as bad as any President ever has, but because his cronies controlled Congress until the last two years there were no investigations and very little oversight from the legislative branch. It appears Republican senators were too busy sitting in bathroom stalls (Craig) or lining their pockets (Stevens) to keep tabs on the executive branch.
The Sunday school lesson was about John the Baptist who also called for change. But in looking at those verses it seems clear he was calling for people to make changes in the way they lived their own lives. "If you have two coats share with someone who doesn't have one. Share your food with people who don't have any (a good reason why I should take some peaches from my trees to church tomorrow). John the Baptist goes on to tell the tax collectors to collect only what is required. If the people changed their behavior it would have a significant impact on society, particularly if it was folks like the tax collectors behaving. John the Baptist didn't just tell people he was going to bring change to Jerusalem, he told them they needed to change.
In the afternoon I sort of forced myself to read an article about McCain-Palin and their plans to bring change to Washington. Now I suppose someone could argue that McCain is really serious about all his talk of change. But it seems to me that McCain is really asking very little of the American people other than to forget the last eight years and vote for him, because he is going to change Washington. For all his talk of personal responsibility it doesn't seem as if we need to change anything about the way we do things at an individual level.
Instead he mocks some rather simple suggestions such as checking your tire pressure to make sure your tires are properly inflated. It is a relatively painless thing to do which can improve your gas mileage and extend the life of your tires, somethings I think a good conservative would encourage. But in these days I guess not.
In listening to Obama he also talks alot about bringing change to Washington, but I've also heard him tell parents to turn the tv off and read to kids, to get involved in your local community, or tell us that the transition to renewable sources of energy may be difficult. Still I suppose it is hard for any politician running for office to tell the people he wants to vote for him that they need to make significant changes to their lifestyles. This is where it becomes clear that politicians aren't prophets and probably shouldn't be preachers- Huckabee in particular. Unfortunately there don't seem to be a lot of prophets around these days, just lots of loud, obnoxious, television commentators and all their strategist guests.
So what does this have to do with change? It has been frustrating to watch McCain and other Republicans talk about change and the change they want to bring to Washington. It seems they want the country to forget Republicans have controlled the Presidency for the last eight years and both houses of Congress six of the last eight years. During that time we were lied to and led into a war, we have had record deficits, the financial world seems to be falling apart and those are just three things I can think of off the top of my head late at night. As far as I'm concerned this President has screwed things up about as bad as any President ever has, but because his cronies controlled Congress until the last two years there were no investigations and very little oversight from the legislative branch. It appears Republican senators were too busy sitting in bathroom stalls (Craig) or lining their pockets (Stevens) to keep tabs on the executive branch.
The Sunday school lesson was about John the Baptist who also called for change. But in looking at those verses it seems clear he was calling for people to make changes in the way they lived their own lives. "If you have two coats share with someone who doesn't have one. Share your food with people who don't have any (a good reason why I should take some peaches from my trees to church tomorrow). John the Baptist goes on to tell the tax collectors to collect only what is required. If the people changed their behavior it would have a significant impact on society, particularly if it was folks like the tax collectors behaving. John the Baptist didn't just tell people he was going to bring change to Jerusalem, he told them they needed to change.
In the afternoon I sort of forced myself to read an article about McCain-Palin and their plans to bring change to Washington. Now I suppose someone could argue that McCain is really serious about all his talk of change. But it seems to me that McCain is really asking very little of the American people other than to forget the last eight years and vote for him, because he is going to change Washington. For all his talk of personal responsibility it doesn't seem as if we need to change anything about the way we do things at an individual level.
Instead he mocks some rather simple suggestions such as checking your tire pressure to make sure your tires are properly inflated. It is a relatively painless thing to do which can improve your gas mileage and extend the life of your tires, somethings I think a good conservative would encourage. But in these days I guess not.
In listening to Obama he also talks alot about bringing change to Washington, but I've also heard him tell parents to turn the tv off and read to kids, to get involved in your local community, or tell us that the transition to renewable sources of energy may be difficult. Still I suppose it is hard for any politician running for office to tell the people he wants to vote for him that they need to make significant changes to their lifestyles. This is where it becomes clear that politicians aren't prophets and probably shouldn't be preachers- Huckabee in particular. Unfortunately there don't seem to be a lot of prophets around these days, just lots of loud, obnoxious, television commentators and all their strategist guests.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Political conventions
Between school starting, moving my wife to Elkhart to start seminary, life has been busy. I've been trying to watch the political conventions but this week listening to the Republicans has been a struggle. Tonight, Romney, Huckabee, and Giuliani and now Phalin have all talked about going to Washington to change the "entrenched elite" the "beltway establishment" and to change the government. It seems they have forgotten that a certain President Bush has been in office for eight years, and that Republicans have controlled Congress for six out of the last eight years.
It was particularly interesting to see Mitt Romney criticize the "eastern elite" and the eastern establishment. I can't imagine too many people who are more eastern elite or establishment than Mitt Romney.
I found Huckabee to be interesting because for the most part his speech was a reworking of the stump speech he used when he campaigned for the Iowa caucus. The Lava soap line got laughs back in December - even from the folks who still use it to bathe. His folksy manner was one reason he won in Iowa.
As for the others talking tonight, Giuliani and Phalin are doing their best to criticize Obama but I am hearing little in the way of what they want to do with this government they criticize but which they want to control. Actually they want to maintain control of the government they seem to detest so much.
Some other comments or questions:
Can the Republicans chant anything besides, "USA, USA,....?"
The crowds at the Republican convention seem to be amazingly white.
I think the Republicans are better at being mean than most Democrats. Karl Rove, Cheney, and earlier Atwater come to mind. I am sure Carville and other Democrats can be jerks but they do not seem to be quite in the same league of meanness.
I always wonder what it is that conservatives want to conserve. Let's drill for oil everywhere, build nuclear powerplants, lay pipelines, the environment be damned. Then there is the constitution and the way our civil liberties and privacy have been infringed during the Bush presidency.
Can the Republicans chant anything other than "USA, USA....?"
Do the Republicans consider George W Bush to be a Republican president or do they just skip back to Reagan?
And finally I want to thank John Stewart for helping cure the nausea which had been settling into my stomach after I sat through the convention speeches this evening.
It was particularly interesting to see Mitt Romney criticize the "eastern elite" and the eastern establishment. I can't imagine too many people who are more eastern elite or establishment than Mitt Romney.
I found Huckabee to be interesting because for the most part his speech was a reworking of the stump speech he used when he campaigned for the Iowa caucus. The Lava soap line got laughs back in December - even from the folks who still use it to bathe. His folksy manner was one reason he won in Iowa.
As for the others talking tonight, Giuliani and Phalin are doing their best to criticize Obama but I am hearing little in the way of what they want to do with this government they criticize but which they want to control. Actually they want to maintain control of the government they seem to detest so much.
Some other comments or questions:
Can the Republicans chant anything besides, "USA, USA,....?"
The crowds at the Republican convention seem to be amazingly white.
I think the Republicans are better at being mean than most Democrats. Karl Rove, Cheney, and earlier Atwater come to mind. I am sure Carville and other Democrats can be jerks but they do not seem to be quite in the same league of meanness.
I always wonder what it is that conservatives want to conserve. Let's drill for oil everywhere, build nuclear powerplants, lay pipelines, the environment be damned. Then there is the constitution and the way our civil liberties and privacy have been infringed during the Bush presidency.
Can the Republicans chant anything other than "USA, USA....?"
Do the Republicans consider George W Bush to be a Republican president or do they just skip back to Reagan?
And finally I want to thank John Stewart for helping cure the nausea which had been settling into my stomach after I sat through the convention speeches this evening.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Home demolitions
A year ago I was with a Christian Peacemaker Team delegation traveling through the West Bank. It was deeply disturbing to see the separation wall and the conditions many Palestinians were forced to live under. A week ago a story on NPR's morning edition brought back some of these memories as it described how the Israeli Defense Force had demolished a building providing housing for four Palestinian families. The reason given for the demolition was that the "proper permits had not been obtained." What is often left unsaid, but which NPR reported is that it is nearly impossible for Palestinians to get building permits to add on to their existing homes or to build new homes. When a family goes ahead and makes changes to their current house, or builds a new house the response is to demolish the building.
Palestinian home demolished near Bethlehem
One of the groups we met with in Jerusalem was the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions, (ICAHD) According to their website at least 18,000 homes of Palestinians have been demolished since Israel took control of the West Bank.
When I was in the West Bank we saw the remains of several home demolitions. The men in the group spent one night in the home of a Palestinian farmer, a man who can trace the ownership of his farm through his family back to the Ottoman Empire. He told us how has his family grew he wanted to move from his father's home and to build a house for his family. Repeated applications for a building permit were denied for "security reasons." Finally he built a small house in spite of not getting a permit. It was demolished. With the help of ICAHD he rebuilt the house only to have it demolished. Again with the help of ICAHD he was able to obtain a building permit and with the help of Palestinians and Israeli's he was able to build the house where we visited. Though he has the house he still faces harassment from nearby settlers and the Israeli government. When we visited him his water had been shut off by the municipal authorities for two weeks. He was struggling to keep his crops alive while the nearby settlement sported lush green lawns and blooming roses. The night we were there the water came back on and we scrambled to help the family fill all their available buckets before the water stopped again.
In many ways it is frustrating to hear our politicians repeat their strong support for Israel and its policies. At the same time you can hear politicians say, "its the Palestinians responsibility, if they want peace they should give up their claims to the land, renounce violence, and work for a negotiated settlement with Israel. Now I certainly agree that violent means are not helpful, but I find it interesting that the responsibility for making peace is laid at the feet of the weakest of the groups.
Palestinian home near Hebron. Remains of the demolished home are in the foreground.
Palestinian home demolished near Bethlehem
One of the groups we met with in Jerusalem was the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions, (ICAHD) According to their website at least 18,000 homes of Palestinians have been demolished since Israel took control of the West Bank.
When I was in the West Bank we saw the remains of several home demolitions. The men in the group spent one night in the home of a Palestinian farmer, a man who can trace the ownership of his farm through his family back to the Ottoman Empire. He told us how has his family grew he wanted to move from his father's home and to build a house for his family. Repeated applications for a building permit were denied for "security reasons." Finally he built a small house in spite of not getting a permit. It was demolished. With the help of ICAHD he rebuilt the house only to have it demolished. Again with the help of ICAHD he was able to obtain a building permit and with the help of Palestinians and Israeli's he was able to build the house where we visited. Though he has the house he still faces harassment from nearby settlers and the Israeli government. When we visited him his water had been shut off by the municipal authorities for two weeks. He was struggling to keep his crops alive while the nearby settlement sported lush green lawns and blooming roses. The night we were there the water came back on and we scrambled to help the family fill all their available buckets before the water stopped again.
In many ways it is frustrating to hear our politicians repeat their strong support for Israel and its policies. At the same time you can hear politicians say, "its the Palestinians responsibility, if they want peace they should give up their claims to the land, renounce violence, and work for a negotiated settlement with Israel. Now I certainly agree that violent means are not helpful, but I find it interesting that the responsibility for making peace is laid at the feet of the weakest of the groups.
Palestinian home near Hebron. Remains of the demolished home are in the foreground.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The wood stove
Yesterday I sold our wood stove. It was a homemade stove, made by the guy who sold us our house. We used it for 17 winters with no problems but the insurance company said it did not meet new regulations. That left us with the choice of remodeling the room the stove was in to give it enough clearance space or removing the stove. As much as I enjoy home repair, remodeling the room was out of the question.
Now think Pennsylvania Dutch accent. “Are you the one who has a wood stove for sale?” “Yes.”
“Could you tell me a little bit about it because I might be interested?” Why else did you call I thought to myself as I noticed my wife had already taken two messages about the stove.
The stove is 30” wide, 36”deep and about 25” high. It is made of 3/8 inch steel, it is homemade, and it is heavy.
In a Dutchy accent, “well, I might be interested, I was thinking about making my own, but then I saw your ad, and well, I thought, maybe I could look at it sometime, and then I wouldn’t have to make my own. Now does it have any cracks?”
No, no cracks (I think a small bomb could have been detonated in the stove without any problems)
“So it’s not warped?” No, it’s in good shape.
“So why are you selling it?” I explained about our insurance company.
“Well, I think I would like to look at it sometime but I don’t know when I can get there” (Neither did I, as I realized I hadn’t used the bathroom since stopping the bus at the Colfax-Mingo exit about 3 hours ago.)
“So where do you live.” I gave directions. “Do your parents live around here?” Yes, (but they aren’t the one’s selling the stove) “Well, I might want to stop over, but I’m not sure when I can make it, but I may chust drive over there tomorrow if you are going to be around and it wouldn’t be too much of a bother.” Finally Nelson hung up.
Fifteen minutes later, another phone call, another Dutchy accent, and more questions about the stove. I figured I better clean the stove because much to my surprise people seem to be interested in the thing. Six buckets of ashes later the stove was more or less clean. I thought I better figure out how to dismantle the stove from the stove pipe and discovered the pipe was welded to the stove. I crawled onto the roof and pulled apart what I could. What remained looked like one solid piece all the way to the stove, some 12 to 15 feet. I realized it might require a cutting torch or some other tool I don’t own, so I called a friend who has such things and left a message. In the meantime more phone calls from men, all with the Dutchy accent and with names like Samuel, Nelson, Menno, or Norman.
An hour later my friend with the cutting torch arrived. The question was how to cut the pipe and hold it in place so it wouldn’t drop to the floor and hurt someone or break something. While a crane would be nice I couldn't afford one. We resorted to 2 x 4’s and rope backed up by a log chain.
Another phone call about the stove and if we still had it. My wife told him someone was coming around
What followed was some hard work as I recruited my neighbor,
It took me the rest of the day to clean up the mess and to patch the roof so it won’t leak. The next task is to find a wood stove which meets the regulations so that we can heat that part of the house and keep the insurance company happy.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
camp
Camp
I did ask one person if they thought it would be the jazz guitarist showing up and I was reminded that most people around here have no idea who that Marcus Miller is. If I knew what I was doing with the internet I could embed a link to his website - and actually I do enjoy much of his music.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Mennonites and family reunions
Back from a family reunion on my wife's side and a trip to
The Peachey reunion included Mennonites, and Peachey's who have joined the Nazarene's, Brethren in Christ, Assemblies of God, Presbyterians, or some large non-denominational church. Thirty to forty years ago this extended family would have all been Mennonite, sending their kids to
It was the first time I had seen some of these people since my CPT trip to the
I enjoy a good argument as much as anyone so at least I found a way to entertain myself at what was otherwise a rather sleepy reunion.
From
Like some of the Peachey’s, some of these folks no longer go to a
Then there are folks we heard about from both groups who are dropping out of church all together. They spend Sunday mornings reading the paper, drinking coffee, going for a bike ride, or I suppose sleeping.
Those from
The folks from
I realize these may be two extremes and that there is a lot of room in between but the difference between the folks in Belleville and those in Philadelphia seemed much more than the 4-5 hour drive. And I realize there are similarities between the two, but frankly they are minimal. In the tradition of Anabaptism perhaps some “third way” will emerge to keep the two extremes together. It did help me appreciate my church, which though it has its faults, has many good people trying to live together in faithful ways.
Monday, June 16, 2008
iowa floods
While watching some of the flood coverage on the local news the anchor woman said the University of Iowa was telling "non-essential employee's to stay home." Some questions came to mind, what must it feel like to be considered a non-essential employee and to be told to stay home? Why does the University of Iowa have non-essential employee's anyway? If you are a non-essential employee should you worry about having a job when the flood waters recede? Considering the situation, is it the Professor of English who was non-essential or the maintenance worker? If the maintenance worker is the one who is essential in this case, is that somehow reflected in the pay scale?
Wellman has been unaffected for the most part by the flooding. Wellman traces its history to a town called Wassonville built along the English River. The town moved south to the top of a hill after Wassonville was flooded several times in the mid-1800's. If the town was still there it would be flooded because the English River is well out of its banks.
Wellman has been unaffected for the most part by the flooding. Wellman traces its history to a town called Wassonville built along the English River. The town moved south to the top of a hill after Wassonville was flooded several times in the mid-1800's. If the town was still there it would be flooded because the English River is well out of its banks.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
tornado clean up
What happens when a tornado hits 80,000 chickens? I've been trying to think of a witty, funny answer since this afternoon. So far though nothing has come to mind.
This morning I rode up to the New Hartford, Parkersburg, Iowa area as part of a Mennonite Disaster Service group to help clean up from the E5 tornado which hit about a week and a half ago. We spent the morning cleaning a timber near New Hartford which had the remains of a house or two scattered through all the broken trees and branches. We didn't find much of personal or sentimental value and spent most of the time making piles of burnable items, metal and plastic.
At noon we went to the New Hartford fire station where the Red Cross and local community members fed volunteers. After lunch we went back to the timber but after a phone call, the van I was in was sent over to a farm near Dunkerton. The site consisted of a couple of houses and two large chicken houses. The folks in charge were interested in having us go through the remains of a chicken house which had contained 80,000 caged hens. We were to find and remove as many live chickens as we could.
The not funny answer to the question, what happens when a tornado hits a chicken house is that lots of chickens die, when their cages are smashed. The smell was horrendous but thankfully my sinuses clogged and my sense of smell disappeared. The fifteen of us picked our way through the cages, cutting through the wire cages and extracting chickens which had been without food or water for a week and a half. Most of the chickens seemed grateful to be freed but some made a bit of a fuss when you tried to pull them out. The grossest one for me was when I pulled on a chicken I thought was still alive, only to find it wasn't. Instead it pulled apart and the inside was covered with maggots. There was a live chicken behind it so I reached back in and grabbed while avoiding the maggots.
By 5:00 pm we weren't finding many more live chickens so we tried to clean up a bit and crawled back in our van. We all smelled so we decided to not ruin a restaurant and to just head home.
I thought about taking my camera along but decided not to. We saw a number of foundations sitting empty. All that remained of the house was a debris field with pieces of the house broken into small bits. We drove by a cemetery where almost all the stones had been knocked over, saw a large road grader sitting upside down, numerous smashed cars, ripped up roofs and damaged cars. It was a huge mess and it will take a long while till it is cleaned and even longer until life returns to normal - whatever normal is.
In spite of the stench, the dead chickens, it was overall an enjoyable day, working with some fun guys to try and help some folks.
This morning I rode up to the New Hartford, Parkersburg, Iowa area as part of a Mennonite Disaster Service group to help clean up from the E5 tornado which hit about a week and a half ago. We spent the morning cleaning a timber near New Hartford which had the remains of a house or two scattered through all the broken trees and branches. We didn't find much of personal or sentimental value and spent most of the time making piles of burnable items, metal and plastic.
At noon we went to the New Hartford fire station where the Red Cross and local community members fed volunteers. After lunch we went back to the timber but after a phone call, the van I was in was sent over to a farm near Dunkerton. The site consisted of a couple of houses and two large chicken houses. The folks in charge were interested in having us go through the remains of a chicken house which had contained 80,000 caged hens. We were to find and remove as many live chickens as we could.
The not funny answer to the question, what happens when a tornado hits a chicken house is that lots of chickens die, when their cages are smashed. The smell was horrendous but thankfully my sinuses clogged and my sense of smell disappeared. The fifteen of us picked our way through the cages, cutting through the wire cages and extracting chickens which had been without food or water for a week and a half. Most of the chickens seemed grateful to be freed but some made a bit of a fuss when you tried to pull them out. The grossest one for me was when I pulled on a chicken I thought was still alive, only to find it wasn't. Instead it pulled apart and the inside was covered with maggots. There was a live chicken behind it so I reached back in and grabbed while avoiding the maggots.
By 5:00 pm we weren't finding many more live chickens so we tried to clean up a bit and crawled back in our van. We all smelled so we decided to not ruin a restaurant and to just head home.
I thought about taking my camera along but decided not to. We saw a number of foundations sitting empty. All that remained of the house was a debris field with pieces of the house broken into small bits. We drove by a cemetery where almost all the stones had been knocked over, saw a large road grader sitting upside down, numerous smashed cars, ripped up roofs and damaged cars. It was a huge mess and it will take a long while till it is cleaned and even longer until life returns to normal - whatever normal is.
In spite of the stench, the dead chickens, it was overall an enjoyable day, working with some fun guys to try and help some folks.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Memorial Day
Memorial Day came and went and with it the common refrain, “we need to remember the men who died so that we can live in freedom.” It’s a line I often hear from students and over time it has come to bother me. I don’t mean any disrespect to people who served, but I don’t believe any soldier died so that I can live in what people describe as freedom.
I’m guessing most of the people who repeat the line, at least in this country, would say they agree with the Declaration of Independence (even if most
More troubling is when I hear self-described Christians repeat the line. I’m no theologian, or philosopher for that matter, but from my limited understanding, if anyone died for my freedom, it was Jesus. I know there are discussions about a nonviolent atonement which I should probably read more about. I know there are all kinds of discussions about what it means to be free, but frankly, right now I feel free to not read them. I would say that most of us either consciously or unconsciously accept too many restrictions on our freedom whether its in the form of our government, our church, our advertisers and media who let us know what the current trends are.
I tell my students I think my grandpa’s brother who refused to put on a uniform during World War I and spent most of that war in Fort Leavenworth, that my grandpa who went to Poland after the war to do relief work, my uncles who served in PAX or Civilian Public Service rather than put on a uniform, or my dad who worked in a hospital in Evanston during the Korean war did more to keep people free in this country. I like to throw the civil rights workers in the mix as well because they put their bodies and beliefs on the line and called this country to try to live up to its stated ideals.
If people aren’t willing to take unpopular positions, does our so called freedom of speech mean anything? Do we really have a right to free expression if we muzzle ourselves so we fit in?
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