Met with a human rights activist from Columbia, South America. He is currently in the U.S. to raise awareness (behind the scenes) about the plight of the poor living deep in the forests of his country. According to this activist, through an intricate (and quite violent) web of multi-naitonal companies, factions of the Columbian government, and para-military groups clandestinely linked to the government, these villagers are being regularly terrorized (including many killings) in order to force them off their land. Land they have lived on for generations. The reason they are being forced out, is the multi-national companies want wholesale access to the forest’s natural resources, said the activist, who requested anonymity. The reason he requested anonymity is because a fellow Columbian activist, who had been vocally standing up for the rights of the villagers, was recently found murdered. Note: We’ll buy the cheap lumber from Home Depot without giving it another thought. Yet somewhere in a forest far from here, people are being terrorized so we can maintain our excessive U.S. lifestyle and the people behind the multi-national companies (and the governments they manipulate) — can make as much money as possible. One of the answers: As an example, forgoe the new home additons (new wooden flooring, new furniture…) in America, England, France… to reduce the demand for lumber, then take the savings and funnel it into a humanitarian aid agency to help the people in the forest villages of Columbia (Peru, Mexico…) become, and stay, sustainable. I mean most of us (in the “First World”) are already ‘overly sustainable,’ so to speak, in comparison to most of the rest of the world. An addendum… Several years ago I researched a development outside of St. George, Utah called: Kayente. This was a development of single story homes that were built with ‘low profiles.’ That is, the ceilings (as an example) were only about 10 ft. high — to conserve building material and enhance “view corridors” toward the western cliffs nearby. What’s more, lower ceilings means there is less air to heat, cool.
10/23/05
We’re back in Cleveland, Ohio after what amounted to a 5-month, 7,000 mile campaign tour (our second of the 2008 Election cycle). We are taking the week off as we transition back into the city. (And the journal entries will resume shortly.) *We will also be readying for the next set of campaign tours, and we need donations to help get these under way. We also need donations to make some more campaign literature, buttons, and so on. If you believe in what we’re about, please consider helping: Schriner Presidential Election Committee, c/o Joe Schriner, 2100 W. 38th St., Cleveland, Ohio 44113.
10/21/05
Periodically as we travel, we will stop in at a gym to work out. Today in Findlay, Ohio, we were invited to “Jim’s Gym.” A work out facility, with a twist. Music is often Christian music, and it’s an unwritten rule here that no one (or practically no one) dresses immodestly. How refreshing. I also couldn’t help but think, when did we start thinking it was ok to dress immodestly on the tennis court, at the track, with cheerleaders at a game… I mean this is nothing more than soft porn, and we participate in it when we watch, or allow our children to dress in this fashion, etc. It’s sin. And just because most spiritual leaders don’t have the gumption to say so these days, doesn’t change that. It’s sin… We stopped in Attica, Ohio where we were approached by a woman on the street who asked about the campaign. She got excited and said she was going to write something for the local newspaper — even though she wasn’t even a reporter. “I’ve done that over the years, and they’ve always accepted the stories,” she smiled. (If it were all that easy out on the campaign trail!) Note: A sign on Jim Gym’s wall reads: “Seven days without Gym’s Jim, makes one weak.”
10/20/05
We traveled to Delphos, Ohio (pop. 7,000) where I was interviewed by reporter Mike Ford of Delphos’s newspaper. He asked me about education. I said I believed it was currently too competitive in America. And to temper it a bit, we propose one-third of curriculum (k-12) be volunteer work out in the community. “I want our Sarah, Joseph and Jonathan learning as much about helping others, as I do them learning about Math, Science, English…,” I said. I also explained competition could be tempered a bit on the playing fields of America as well. For instance, I said to Mr. Ford: “Wouldn’t it be refreshing if, in the midst of a pitched, see-saw, grid-iron battle, a coach let all of the second string in — simply because it was ‘their turn’ to play…” Today was our Sarah’s 10th birthday. We took her to a Mexican restaurant in Van Wert, Ohio where, instead of a cake for dessert, she had: fried ice cream. (Part of our ‘diversity’ platform.)
10/19/05
We traveled to Ottawa, Ohio where we learned Pandora-Gilboa high school student Allison Flickinger had just become a non-voting member of the school board. In a newspaper interview, Allison said: “It’s good to have a student voice, instead of only adults who do’t actually attend our school.” Good point. I told the Putnam County Sentinel newspaper that this only made sense, common sense. And as we traveled, we’d share Allison’s story with the hopes of opening the minds of other school boards to this possibility… This evening we attended a Bible Study at a Christian church in Arlington, Ohio. The man who gave the Bible lesson this evening, said he used to attend a church that had an “Accountability Group.” That is, group members would pair up, set goals (more time with family, more time helping the poor…), then meet once a week to “account” for what they’d done to work toward those goals during the week.
10/18/05
We drove south to Defiance, Ohio where I met with George Newton who teaches a “Life Skills” class to the disadvantaged through an ecumenical outreach called: Ravens. Class topics include: How to Prepare for an Interview; How to Budget; How to be a Good Employee… It’s not enough to just “throw money at the poor,” I told reporter Jack Palmer of Defiance’s Crescent News newspaper later this morning. We have to be as creative, and thorough, as possible in helping them get on their feet — and stay on their feet. Mr. Palmer also asked me how I would work to bring more peace between countries. I said that the year before I had interviewed a Mary Knoll priest who is trying to promote a school curriculum that would include students from 5th to 8th grade “adopting” a foreign country. That is, a student would pick a country, study it’s history, read about it’s contemporary affairs on the internet, maybe even develop a pen pal… In America, often, we are so “us [read: U.S.]” focused, we don’t have much understanding, or empathy, for what goes on in other places. Note: At Kissner’s Restaurant in downtown Defiance today I noticed a sign on the wall that read: “Instant human, just add coffee.” And another that read: “Just give me the coffee, and no one gets hurt.”
10/17/05
We headed north to Montpelier, Ohio where local historian Alan Benjamin told me that Montpelierite Paul Siple was chosen by Admiral Bryd to be the “one Boy Scout in America (out of a nationwide selection)” to accompany him on his famous South Pole expedition in 1928. Perhaps of even more note, Benjamin told me Paul Siple went on to develop the first formulat to measure “wind chill.” Benjamin also told me that in 2003, Montpelier, Ohio was voted as having the “best tasting tap water in America.” They’ve since bottled some, more as a novelty, and display it at the Chamber of Commerce. I told editor Jason Schumacher of the Montpelier The Leader Enterprise newspaper that, while we don’t pander to anyone, the people of Montpelier could be assured we’d serve Montpelier bottled tap water at the Inaugaration. However, I also told the editor that Montpelier’s Rowe’s Recreation Restaurant’s “Road Kill Omelette” might not be on that menu that day. Note: Just after Hurricane Katrina, Montpelier adopted the “sister village” of Montpelier, LA, which is 60 miles north of New Orleans and received some flooding. I interviewed Marlene Oxender, whose husband drove down to Montpelier, LA the week before with a check for $1,300 and a truck load of food (including Montpelier bottled tap water, of course), clothing, and so on to help their “sister village” with recovery efforts.
10/16/05
We traveled west to Edgerton, Ohio (pop. 1,000) where I interviewed Ruth Kimpel. In 1943, Mrs. Kimpel started working for the Edgerton Earth newspaper as a reporter. She said how she would often “gather the news,” was she would head out on her bicycle and knock on doors at random througout the town, asking: “Did you go to a particularly interesting place over the weekend? Or is there a new baby in the house? ” Ah, for those ‘good news’ days again… While in Edgerton, I also interviewed one of Ruth’s relatives, Denver Kimpel. He owns a used car lot in nearby Auburn, Indiana. His business doesn’t have a phone, or a fax, or a computer… and all the business is generated by word of mouth. He’s been open 32 years and said family generations come to him again and again, partly: because of his honesty. He said besides displaying the price on the car’s window — he also writes what’s wrong with it ! I told the Edgerton Earth newspaper that wouldn’t it be refreshing if during this year’s World Series a player slid into second and was tagged out before he hit the bag. The umpire, however, misses it and calls him “safe.” Then… the runner walks off the bag and up to the umpire, saying: “Actually ump, I’m out.” Note: When did we stop being that honest anyway?
10/15/05
We traveled to Bryan, Ohio where the family and I took in a Saturday morning soccer game(s). The park had multiple soccer fields with all ages of kids playing, and a good number of parents and neighbors watching… Afterward, I interviewed Bryan’s Paul Langevin who shared his thoughts about Social Security. He said that there’s been consistent talk that the Social Security Fund is in crisis and may actually run out, sooner than later. He said his belief is we should raise the income cap to bolster the Fund. That is, he said there is currently an assessment of a flat 6 and three-fourths percent on income money up to $90,000. Beyond $90,000, there is no additional assessment. Paul said he believes the cap needs to be moved up to, say, $3 million — with an assessment of at least half the 6 and three-fourths on this money. Sure, this would impact the more affluent; yet in the long run, I believe it would help the Fund tremendously and bring more of a measure of social parity to America — especially with the chasm between haves and have nots growing the way it is.
10/14/05
I attended a Bible Study at St. Casper’s Church in Wauseon, Ohio last night. A line from the Beatitudes came up. It was Jesus saying: “Woe to you who are filled now.” I said my take on this is ‘woe’ to us Americans who are ‘filled’ each day with three meals and snacks; or ‘fill’ our homes with central heat and air conditioning; or ‘fill’ our lives with with nice cars, nice furniture, all kinds of entertainment… while some two-thirds of the people in the world live on one meager meal a day, dwell in cobbled together shacks with no electricity, and don’t even have the basics in medicine, clothes… This morning after Mass at St. Casper’s, Fr. Robert Holden told me he thought it was important for people not to just stay in the cloister of small town, or suburban, bubbles; but rather to intimately experience the poor. Apparently, a good number of the people in the town of Ridgeville Corners, Ohio (pop. 400) don’t agree. A pastor at Christ Community Church there offered to retro-fit his church to provide temporary shelter for 50 displaced people from New Orleans. What’s more, the church was going to set up a network of “host families” to help each person in as many ways as possible. But a vocal contingent in town spoke against it at community meetings, and the zoning board wouldn’t ok the church’s building plan. While the idea fell through, what happened in Ridgeville Corners has become a national story (with overtones of prejudice, etc.). We journeyed there today… Christ Community Church member Holly Hershberger (their pastor was away in Biloxi, Mississippi helping hurricane victims this day) said although their idea to use the church as a shelter was voted down, the church was helping coordinate an alternative plan to house some eight (so far) hurricane victims in host family homes around the area. “We are a ministry of common sense,” said Holly. “If people need shelter, food, clothing… we try and find that for them…” Christ Community Church also has a Friday Homeschooling Co-op at their facility and I was asked to give a talk to their high school “God & Politics” class. The issue of abortion came up, and the students offered a series of alternatives: adoption, providing a safety net for women in crisis pregnance, and… abstinence in the first place. Students Arminda Whitlock and Rebecca Font said they regularly talk to junior high school and high school classes throughout the area on the subject of abstinence, including why they personally have chosen this path. Interestingly, the girls said they had just met with their state representative in Columbus who told them there was a bill being considered that would ban the use of the word “marriage” in the public schools (motivated, apparently, by a gay rights agenda, according to the girls). The girls were chagrined, saying in their talks they often recommend youth stay abstinent until: “marriage”… We traveled on to Stryker, Ohio where I talked to an old time resident who explained in 1912 Stryker High School won the State Championship in football. Several years later, a Stryker High School football player died of a head injury on the field. And since then — the school hasn’t had a football program.