We went to breakfast at a small diner in Mobile, Alabama. Each waitress had a shirt that read: “Get your hiny to the Tiny Diny.” [Yet another “average Joe” five star dining experience.]… I was then interviewed at the Mobile Register for a political column they do each week. I said our platform called for more help for the poor in the Third World and in this country — like for the poor just up the street from the newspaper. Not more than a quarter-mile north of the Mobile Register is a group of makeshift tents that sit below the incline of a highway on-ramp. In front of one of the tents sat: a wheel chair. A poignant sight and yet another sad commentary. That is, most of the cars that travel the on ramp are sheltered in our garages. Meanwhile some of our poor, our crippled… [in every city, not just Mobile] sleep in tents, or worse, in the doorways of back alleys… Question: What would it take to convert some of these garages to apartments? Answer: Love, and a few nails. [And they will say: But Lord, when did I see you hungry, or without shelter, or…]
2/1/06
At a Mass in Fairhope, Alabama, a deacon commented on the state of the world by saying: “Madmen are creating (nuclear) weapons to kill us.” Apparently this deacon hasn’t been to Great Falls, Montana, where our own 2,000 nuclear missile silos are. Massive Third World starvation, rampant disease that is killing little children by the scores… and we’re spending billions and billions of dollars on our own ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ Um, spiritually speaking: Who exactly are the ‘madmen’? Note: Outside Little Flower Catholic Church in Mobile, Alabama, is a sign that reads: “There are 5,250 abortions every hour (in the world). If that doesn’t give one tremendous pause…
1/31/06
In Panama City, I interviewed Chong Morgan who came here in 1987 from South Korea. She said she grew up during the Korean War and the common salutation among people in her neighborhood wasn’t” “Hi, how are you?” It was: “Have you eaten today?” She said there was a tremendous sense of community as people cut back and shared to make sure everyone had at least the bare essentials. Conversely, she said in America it seems many people are “self contained and we stuff ourselves at each meal.” Sad commentary… We headed into Alabama on the next leg of our Gulf Coast Tour.
1/30/06
In Panama City, Florida, I interviewed A. Avdette de la Pointe (who currently has the record for the person with the longest name we’ve interviewed in all our traveling.) Mr. de la Pointe describes himself as a common man “economy hobbyist.” He said he has been studying the economy on his own for years. Mr. de la Pointe said fiscal year 2004 figures in America indicate we amassed a 11.1 trillion dollar debt. He said that would be equivalent to a household making $50,000 in a year — and spending $300,000 in the same year. (This continues to reconfirm my assertion we need someone in D.C. with a calculator that works.) Mr. de la Pointe said the government continues to put more money in circulation to “chase more goods.” However, the big problem is that this is causing more and more inflation. And metaphorically, it’s as if we’re building the economy on a ‘house of cards’ at this point. As the inflation becomes runaway, and the common person isn’t able to buy the basics in food anymore… it can only lead to social unrest and political system failure, Mr. de la Pointe added. Note: The same night I interviewed Mr. de la Pointe, I gave a brief talk to a group at St. Dominic’s Church in Panama City. I said abortion is a modern day Holocaust that won’t change until churches, adoration chapels, etc., are absolutely filled with those praying for it to end. It won’t end until the papers are flooded with letters to the editor and legislators are flooded with letters, period. Protests must increase exponentially. And more comprehensive safety nets need to be built for women in crisis pregnancy. But all this takes a sustained grassroots effort by the Pro-Life masses. Yet sadly, it’s only a few of those who say they are Pro-Life who prioritize these actions on any consistent level.
1/29/06
We are in motion again… Our first stop was Plains, Georgia, home of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. At a stop in downtown Plains, I leafed through one of Mr. Carter’s most recent books: Our Moral Crisis. We then drove past his home, a one story ranch style home on 2.4 acres of wooded property. The home alone, I would imagine (while modest by American presidential standards) was worth at least $175,000. After just seeing the mock Third World Slum Village at Habitat for Humanity’s headquarters, I couldn’t help but wonder if Jimmy and Rosalyn had opted for, say, a $50,000 home in Plains (and there are a lot of these here), and sent the $125,000 bucks to the Third World where you can often build a quite adequate home for a fairly big family for $2,000… how many little children would be out of the slums in Calcutta. One of those: ‘Our Moral Crisis?’ (This is not to detract from all Mr. Carter does to help in the Third World through his Carter Center. But it does give one pause to question how much of a personal sacrifice of our own comfort each of us Americans are willing to make to ease the burden of our brothers and sisters in the Third World.) Note: Later in the day, we stopped at the Florida Welcome Center. While drinking some free orange juice (it continues to be a low budget campaign), the kids and I noticed clock that said: “Florida Time.” It had no hands.
1/28/06
Earlier in the week, I interviewed Lyn Pace who is the Director of Service Learning at Wofford College in Spartanburg, North Carolina. He and his students were at Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia, to learn about intentional Christian communtiy as part of class on the dynamics of community in America. Pace told me “individualization” has been promoted in society and the “most successful person” seems to be the one who has the most powerful job, most money, etc… So, in essence, they become the least reliant on others. Conversely, it is interdependence between people that tends to form the strongest sense of community. People needing people. What’s more, Pace pointed out that often when someone is insulated with all their stuff, so to speak, it’s easier to overlook “the man sitting on the street” because you are so far removed from his/her plight. Note: This was our last interview at Koinonia Farm.
1/27/08
I interviewed Millard Fuller who is the founder of Habitat for Humanity. He is now heading up The Fuller Center for Housing in Americus, Georgia. The Center focuses on building houses for people in need. “Unashamedly Christian and enthusicasitally ecumenical, The Fuller Center seeks to work as a companion to Habitat for Humanity affiliates and other low-income housing providers offering financial and other support,” explains some agency literature. Fuller explained The Center has a “Heart to Heart” Program that provides labor and/or materials for low-income home rennovation projects. While there is no obligation to repay, The Fuller Center has just instituted a “Greater Blessing Program” for the recipient of the help. The homeowner has the option (not mandatory) of paying some, or all, of the money back over time to The Fuller Center. And in return, that money will go to seed another project. The ‘greater blessing’ comes when you, in turn, give, said Fuller. And Fuller has spent his life, personally, giving. In his book: Theology of the Hammer, he writes: “We must do more than talk about faith and sing about love.” Fuller, 72, told me the reason Habitat and The Fuller Center are so successful in bringing people of all faiths and political affiliations together, is that there is an innate sense everyone deserves adequate housing. What’s more, Fuller said 10% of the money used for a Habitat House in the U.S., would often pay for a whole house in India, Uganda, Nicaragua, Peru… For more on The Fuller Center for Housing, Inc., see: www.fullercenter.org. Note: It would be someone like Mr. Fuller who we would tap for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
1/26/06
I interviewed Orlando and Barbara Friesen who have come to Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia, to do volunteer work the next two weeks. From Newton, Kansas, the Friesens are both in their early 80s. They are involved with the Mennonite Church’s SOOP (Service Opportunites for Older People) Program. Orlando is a retired physician and Barbara is a retired school teacher. On another SOOP trip, the Friesens worked in the Atlanta area where Barbara volunteered as an aid in a public school and Orlando volunteered at a Day Care for the chronic mentally ill. Prior to this, Orlando and Barbara worked with the government’s “Project USA.” Their work was on Native American Reservations throughout the West… Orlando said while he and Barbara had retired in a traditional sense, they hadn’t retired from “working for God.”
1/25/06
I interviewed Sean Daly at Koinonia Farm in Americus, Georgia. From Nyack, New York, he was here with his wife Patti to do some volunteer work. Sean is retired from the drug and alcohol field, which he worked in for some 30 years. He said the “economics” of drug and alcohol abuse are staggering. That is, there are all the medical costs associated with treating alcoholics and drug addicts. Then there are all the medical costs (mental health problems, stress related physical diseases…) of treating the spouse and children of an alcoholic/addict. The burden on society then continues with incarceration costs (drugs or alcohol play a part in a majority of major crimes); diminished productivity in the work place; drunk driving offenses… Daly said he is a big proponent of the relatively new “Drug Courts,” which have been starting up all over the country. (We researched one in Needles, California, several years ago and found the dynamics of the program to be excellent.) In lieu of jail time for first offenders with drug or alchol problems, people are referred to intensive outpatient treatment that includes regular individual and group counseling, involvement with AA or NA, regular drug screens… As a former drug and alcohol counselor myself, it’s my opinion the more comprehensive a program is, the better the chance for long-term clean time… Later in the day, I interviewed Nashua Chantal, 53. He was 19-years-old when he committed a first degree felony that landed him in prison in California. Among other things, he said a precipitating factor was drugs and alcohol. The Rehabilitation Act was in effect in California at the time. The cutting edge Act provided for a tremendous amount of rehabilitation options for prisoners. Nashua said got his high school GED in prison and completed lengthy trade courses in cabinetry, upholstery, drafting and sheet metal. What’s more, he opted for six years of extensive mental health counseling in prison to work on issues that, not only may have helped lead to the crime, but issues that were keeping him from leading a relatively normal life in general. In addition, he became quite an accomplished pitcher in the prison baseball league… After 14 years, Nashua was released. While the transition to the outside was difficult, he worked as a pipe fitter, a woodworker, and after a time, started his own upholstery business. He also played semi-pro baseball for a number of summers. And he eventually came to Koinonia Farm, where he is now living and working in this “intentional Christian community.” And from everything we’ve observed here, Nashua is a tremendous assett, no only to fellow community members, but to many of the visitors who come to Koinonia. In addition, Nashua regularly writes to some 50 prisoners. And he has helped start the organization “Peace Knows,” which advocates for peace and non-violence… The amount of lives Nashua has touched in a postive way since he’s gotten out of prison has been, well, many. However, without California’s Rehabilitation Act and Nashua’s desire to apply himself, I couldn’t help but wonder what the odds of this story coming out the same would have been? Note: A Koinonia Community member told me she had recently come from a story telling session with some area seniors. She said one of the men said back in “his day” there used to be quite a drug problem in the area. “Yeah, we was always getting ‘drugged’ to the wood shed for this, or that,” he smiled.
1/24/06
I interviewed Ann Karp who is a Koinonia Farm (Americus, Georgia) community member and graduate of Ohio’s Oberlin College, class of 2001. She said at Oberlin, there were a good number of co-ops. There were bicycle co-ops, pottery co-ops, photography co-ops, food co-ops… In each of these, students would share bicycles, cameras and other stuff, to cut costs. They also had co-ops to pool money to purchase food in bulk. This, too, saved money. (For instance, Ms. Karp was involved with a vegetarian co-op in a resident hall she lived in at the college and they would purchace, primarily, from local farms.) She said many of the students at Oberlin were quite environmentally aware and social justice oriented. That is, it takes the burning of polluting fossil fuels to make bicycles, cameras, and so on. So sharing these products only makes sense, environmentally. Also, by several people going in on buying one bicycle in America — there is more money left for social justice causes to help the poor worldwide. Note: The current issue of Sojourners Magazine has a story about “Play-Pumps” that are being installed near schools all over South Africa — where there is significant water shortages. The Play-Pump is a playground toy similar to a simple merry-go-round. But as the children turn the merry-go-round, it also turns a pump that fills a 30-foot high tank with ground water. Ingenious. Each pump costs approximately $5,000 to $10,000 and provides safe drinking water for villages of up to 400 people. Funding sources have included foundation grants, partners such as the World Bank and Unicef, and in the future… maybe some American people who have chosen to share bicycles, cameras and other stuff. Note 2: As co-ops work at Oberlin College, they could work in practically any neighborhood. In addition, several years ago we looked at the dynamics of a “Lending List” at First Mennonite Church in Bluffton, Ohio. Church members came up with a rather extensive list of kitchen appliances, lawn equipment, camping gear… they were willing to lend to other members of the church. Excellent idea.