In Search of the Human Spirit

When you hit 70, you earn the right to watch tv all day if that’s what you feel like doing. You’re retired and no one can tell you what to do. Irene Obrera isn’t satisfied sitting around the house. She wants to run! She’s an athlete after all. After a six year hiatus, she’s back on the track and ready to reclaim her winning ways.

She owns several records in the 100, 200, and 400 meter events for her age group. She also has 24 medals. She is a member of the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame. Her name is listed amongst the first year inductees: List of 1996 Masters Inductees

Her most recent record was set in the 100 meters in the USA Masters Meet in 2005. It was the 11th time she had participated in the event. She owns it. She has never lost at a USA Masters!

What keeps Obrera running? She wants to do things no one else has done. According to a recent Daily Review Newspaper article (Daily Review), Obrera’s goal is be a “World Champion in two centuries”. She’s well on her way to her goal. Next stop is Spain where she will compete in the 16th World Masters Athletes Championship.

[Photo courtesy of : Vullioud Pierre-Andre, www.sxc.hu]

Who says that millionaire athletes don’t care about anything but themselves? All they are is a bunch of spoiled brats worried more about their million dollar salaries than the fans they play for, right? You need look no further than Barry Zito of the Oakland Athletics for the exception to the rule.

Zito wanted to show his support for the troops in Iraq. Pitching is what he does best. This year he founded “Strikeouts for Troops”. For every strikeout he tallies this year, $100 goes to the foundation. The money is then used to aid the war wounded at Walter Reed Hospital in Bethesda, MD. The money goes towards their recovery as well as travel expenses and housing for their families.

Since the foundation’s inception, other baseball players have joined in. Those who aren’t pitchers are donating money for Hits, RBIs, and Home Runs. These players are participating: Curt Schilling, C.C. Sabathia, Matt Miller, Tim Hudson, Horacio Ramirez, Chad Cordero, Rich Harden, Kirk Sarloos, Huston Street, Joe Blanton, Justin Duchscherer, Jason Kendall, Nick Swisher, Mark Kotsay, Eric Chavez, Mark Ellis, and Eric Byrnes. Hopes are as more players hear about the cause they will add they stats to the tally.

The foundation has already helped many who were wounded in Iraq. Just read the letters written by those who have received assistance: http://www.strikeoutsfortroops.org/testimonials.htm

Zito would like to see at least one player from each team on the list by season’s end. Who knows how much money will be raised by this effort? It’s great to see our athletes pitching in and they should be commended for their effort.

[Photo courtesy of : Tracy Scott-Murray, www.sxc.hu]

The woman dubbed “Castro Valley Jane Doe” was found dead 1 May 2003 near a local restaurant. Alameda County Sheriff’s Detectives have done everything they can since then to find out who the woman was and why she was murdered.

When local resources dried up, a search was done nationwide for information. When that didn’t pan out, they went beyond American borders working with Latin American nations to see if someone somewhere was looking for their lost daughter, sister, or friend. To this day, “Jane Doe” has revealed very few clues about her past except that she was in her teens. No name, no residence, no relatives.

In September 2003, Jane Does was laid to rest at Lone Tree Cemetery. Each year, a memorial is held in Jane Doe’s memory. Community members come out to pay their respect to the young woman they did not know, but whose lack of identity saddens them deeply.

Two years is a long time for a case to go unsolved. Sgt. Dudek, the lead investigator, and other unnamed detectives have put in thousands of hours trying to solve the case. They are determined not to give up.

In June 2005, Jane Doe’s body was secretly exhumed. They recovered the skull which was then reconstructed. A bust was created showing how Jane Doe looked by Forensic Artist, Gloria Nusse. It is the Sheriff’s Department’s hopes that with a lifelike bust someone will remember the girl.

Why has this case dogged investigators so? Why has Jane Doe worked her way into the hearts of the community? Why does it seem as if we all have failed because the young woman can’t be identified? There is something very sad about the young girl and her death. She was brutally murdered and thrown away. No one remembers her. No one is even searching for her. It’s as if she didn’t exist. The detectives should be applauded. Without their tireless efforts, Jane Doe would surely have been forgotten by now. We can only hope that they will some day put a name to the unknown teenager’s face.

At a time when various religious groups are vying for national attention, a group of congregations has been quietly working together for the good of communities across the country. 26 years ago, Congregations Organizing for Renewal was founded by a Jesuit priest. The goal was simple–get rid of feral dogs in Oakland, California neighborhoods. It sounds like a strange start, but from that point the idea of working as one blossomed. COR is now comprised of 50 religious groups nationwide.

What makes COR different? Though they come from different denominations, they come together to work towards the common good. The group cleans neighborhoods, helps people get affordable housing, and promotes community probjects. They work with politicians for legislative change and work in communities on small projects like removing graffitti.

Those in power have taken notice of COR’s achievements. In 2004, the group was invited to Washington, DC to discuss such issues as affordable housing. In 2005, the 4,500 California delegation met with the Governor’s office on health care.

With Federal and State money dwindling for domestic programs, the role of groups like COR is vital. Without them, many small community clean up projects would never get done. Issues that affect the poor and the voice less would not be heard.

In the 1960s, a golf course was constructed in Kabul, Afghanistan. In the early 1970s, the golf course was in wide use by the people of Kabul as well as the staffs of various embassies. The course remained open from 1965 to 1974. It clsoed permanently in 1978. During the war with the Soviet Union and then Taliban rule, the golf course lay dormant. The sport was literal dead in the country until 2002.

In March of 2004, local residents convinced Mohammad Afzal Abdul who was the last club professional to reopen course. This wasn’t as easy as planting some grass and pulling weeds. Land mines littered the course.

Abdul sought help from the international community. Afghanistan’s government provided guidance under a de-mining program. A Japanese team, the UN’s Halo Trust, and the Afghan Ministry of Defense took part in the project.

The Kabul Golf Club opened for business in May 2004. It’s the only golf course in the country of Afghanistan. Donations of equipment and materials are helping to keep the operation running smoothly. It’s a sign of progress for a country that has known chaos for so long.

[Photo courtesy of Jonathan Edwards, www.sxc.hu]

On the long road that leads up to the President’s ranch, a mother who lost her son in the Iraq war is causing a stir. It is on that road that one grieving mother has begun a vigil in honor of her lost son’s memory.

Cindy Sheehan looks like any other Soccer Mom with her straw hat, shorts, and t-shirt. Her son, Casey, died in the Iraq War. Now she wants some answers from the President who sent him there. Her request is simple. She would like to meet with the President and have him answer a couple of questions. Sheehan plans to stay for the duration of President Bush’s vacation or until she gets an audience with him.

The road to the President’s ranch has attracted quite a gathering. There are those who sympathize with Sheehan. They have come to join her in her makeshift camp. Some opposed the war from the start, while others changed their mind as they heard about the Downing Street Memo and the evidence that their were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. They are a mixed group of senior citizens, anti-war protesters, and people who either lost a loved one in Iraq or have someone serving there. On the other side is another gathering. Those people believe Cindy is desecrating her sons memory by making so much noise. They support the President and the Iraq war. Their group is just as mixed and feel just as passionately that the war must continue. Each supports the troops, but each has a different opinion about the war.

Cindy Sheehan believes her son would have wanted her to act on her conscience. So, there she sits in Crawford, Texas. It takes a great deal of courage to make a stand especially when the odds are against you. She probably will not get to see the President. Even if she does, she most likely won’t change any policies. Still, it seems to have shaken America from our reverie. While nothing else about this war has diverted people from the daily routine of going to work, shopping for groceries, going to soccer games, and complaining about gas prices, Sheehan’s protest has struck a chord, or a nerve, depending where you stand. People are finally debating this war and the current administration’s policies. It’s always a good thing for democracy when citizens people ask questions, educate themselves on the issues, and have open debates. If nothing more, Cindy Sheehan has accomplished that goal. She has gotten us to stop and take notice.

Youth Movement Records was created two years ago to give teens something to do besides hanging out on the street. The recording company employs high school students who write, perform, and record their own music. They run the recording studio, produce CDs, and perform on stage.

Up to this point, the female participants have taken a behind the scenes role. Although half of the participants are female, most of the projects have been dominated by males.

But, all that’s about to change! The females are doing their own thing. They’ve put together a CD called “Taste Test” which is comprised of 15 songs all performed by females at YMR. They wrote the songs, performed them, and take center stage. It’s a showcase of their many talents.

YMR is a community based program. Chris Wiltsee is the founder and this is his second YMR program (the first was founded in Ann Arbor, Michigan). The goal is to give kids something positive to do with their time. As music programs in schools continue to get slashed, teens need a place for creative expression. They can create something tangible and learn about the recording industry too. Participation is free. The kids are encouraged to explore different music genres and to find their own style. Those involved in the recording studio credit YMR for keeping them busy and out of trouble.

[Photo courtesy of Chris Panteli, www.sxc.hu]

Would you wait 64 years to start your academic career? That’s why Daniel Oxmen did!

When World War II began, the military draft ended Oxmen’s scholarly aspirations. He did get some schooling under his belt before military service, but he didn’t have a chance to finish. When he got out of the military, he started his career as a dentist.

It always bothered him that he never got to pursue his dream of academic accomplishment. So, in his 50s, he went back to college. He balanced work and school by shutting down his dentist’s office a couple of hours a day. He took night classes as well.

He completed his courses and earned a bachelor’s degree in history. The education bug had bit him. He kept going to college and kept earning degrees. He has degrees in Philosophy, English, History (two of them!), Renaissance Reformation, Art, and Comparative English. At 72, he began working towards a doctorate. At 85, he earned a master’s in English. Nine degrees in all!

Special educational programs for senior citizens helped him out financially. Now that he’s retired, he can study all he wants. Each course intrigues him more than the last. He yearns to learn more and he keeps taking classes.

[Photo courtesy of Renata Jun, http://www.sxc.hu]

One of the best things about going back to school was when your parents took you for back to school clothes. You’d get to pick out a bunch of stuff and then couldn’t wait to show it off on the first day of school. Usually, you bought things that would last through the winter. And, so there you set off with your hoodie, jeans, and long sleeve top with the temperature hovering around 85F. You were sweating, but you thought you looked cool.

What if your family had no money? What if you’d grown out of everything, but your parents couldn’t afford to buy replacements? Back to School meant showing up in hand me downs.

Mervyn’s Department Stores, which are nationwide, has tried to make a difference. A special fund is set up by the department store chain and this year 11,000 kids aged 5-15 got a Mervyn’s shopping spree. Each child was given $100 plus 10 percent off–all sales tax free. The kids were encouraged to bring a shopping list of needed items. No parents were allowed as they tend to be disruptive. Then they were assigned to an assistant whose job was to find what they liked but get them the most bang for their buck.

This is the 17th year that Mervyn’s has participated in the Back to School shopping spree. While they can’t help every child in need, there are 11,000 kids who’ll be beaming in their new clothes come the first day of school.

No one would ever consider a death row inmate a role model. But, a former gang member who was convicted of murder and is now on death row has found himself in that position. He just received a Presidential Award from the Presidential Council on Service and Civic Participation given to those extolling “the outstanding character of America”.

Stanley “Tookie” Williams is the former founder of the gang the Crips. In 1981, he was convicted of murdering four people. He is imprisoned at San Quentin Prison and is waiting for the Supreme Court to review his request for clemency.

While waiting, Williams took a hard look at his life. He has become an anti-gang activist. His efforts have been channeled into books–he’s written 10 of them. Most of his books are written for children and center around keeping kids out of gangs. In 1998, he wrote the book “Life in Prison” which is used in after-school violence prevention programs throughout the country. Proceeds from the sales of these books go to programs to help children at risk. He receives thousands of letters from former gang members who point to his writings as the reason they left gang life behind.

William A. Harrison of Old Catholic Orthodox Church in Louisiana nominated Williams for the honor. He believes the convicted murdered has been redeemed. Others are not convinced that a convicted murderer deserves such an honor.

This is not the first time Williams work has been recognized. In 2001, he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. He has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature.