In Search of the Human Spirit

The House has recently voted to gut programs for the poor, disabled, and elderly in order to pay for hurricane relief. It appears that the cruelty of sticking it to the disadvantaged to help the disadvantaged is lost on them. One Senator tried to pay bills without hurting the poor. He wanted to cut frivolous projects from the budget and use that money for Louisiana, Mississippi, and other states that are being pounded by hurricanes.

Tom Coburn, Republican of Oklahoma, proposed legislation that would cut pork barrel projects to pay for the mounting hurricane bills. This included dumping such projects as the bridge to an Alaskan Island where 50 people live. The project carried a $200 million price tag. Several other projects would have been axed. The money would have helped those who really need it.

Selfishness won out in the end. Only 15 Senator voted yes on the amendment. The others clearly were too worried about winning votes than doing what is right in a time of need. I think most Americans wouldn’t mind giving up pet projects if it meant rebuilding areas that desparately need it. Balancing relief efforts on the backs of the middle class and poor just isn’t right.

Tom Coburn should be applauded for trying to raise the bar and make sure that every pitches in for Gulf Coast Recovery. All 15 Senators deserve thank you cards for putting aside politics for a day. A national emergency should take precedence over special interest groups. Here are the names of the Senators. Let them know that you appreciate their actions even if the amendment failed in the end.

In this day and age of stereotyping, artists and jocks aren’t supposed to mix– right? Well, Greg Van Hoesen is out to prove all the critics wrong.

Greg is a sophomore at Cal Berkeley. He’s a 6 foot 3, 225 lb linebacker. He’s also an art major. Even at the diverse Cal Berkeley, it’s unusual to blend athletics and arts.

Greg has been drawing since he was 6 years old. It wasn’t until high school that he found his hidden talent–painting. He loves football and enjoys being on the team. When he’s on the field he’s one tough customer. In the artist’s studio, he’s at peace. While football allows him to burn off aggression and steam, painting allows him to mellow out and relax.

Many of his paintings reflect his passion for football. He’s painted plays on the field, players’ facial expressions, and everything else related to the game. Greg isn’t sure where his art will take him. Although alot of his art leans towards football, he’s experimenting with different themes and media. In addition to painting, he dabbles in drawing and sculpting.

Coaches and teachers praise Greg’s determination, persistence, and hard work. Those are skills that will propel him into whatever field he chooses. So far, his experience on the football field has blended with his artistic expression. This first hand look at football may just be his niche.

If you’ve lost your wallet, don’t give up hope! This man lost his 43 years ago and it’s found it’s way back to him.

Robert Gibson was in the Air Force 43 years ago. He’d just gotten back from Germany. While waiting at a bus station in Pittsburgh, PA, his wallet was stolen.

The bus station is being demolished. The asbestos inspection crew came in to check out the site. Leroy Fillmore, one of the technicians, noticed the wallet sitting next to some pipes. He realized the ID card was for someone in the military and contacted the Army recruiting office.

Capt. Jason Hearn took up the case of the lost wallet. He tracked down Robert Gibson who was incredibly happy to get his wallet back. The $300 was gone, but the wallet holds sentimental value for Gibson. It harkens back to a part of his life long forgotten. Besides, how many people find a lost wallet after 43 years?

Two years in a row, the baseball Gods have deemed that the cursed teams should take home the pennant. Last year the Boston Red Sox broke the curse of the Bambino. This year the White Sox put to rest the Black Sox scandal of 1919. That was the year several players threw the World Series.

Baseball players are a superstitious group. Some eat certain meals before games, some won’t shave, other never step on baselines. So, believing that a team is curse only seems natural.

This year the White Sox seemed to be charmed. They jumped out ahead under the leadership of Ozzie Guillen, a man with a unique style of managing. They feel off in September, but righted the ship when they needed it the most–the last week of the season.

Then came the playoffs. In the first round, they took out last years dream team, the Red Sox, with ease. Next stop, Anaheim! And, they were as quickly dismissed.

The Houston Astros seemed to be fighting demons of their own. They had never even been to the World Series. Their road to the championship was as dramatic as they come. They were the wild card team. They beat off the Atlanta Braves and then the St. Louis Cardinals. The Killer B’s getting hits when everything seemed to be over.

This year the charmed team was the White Sox. The White Sox got the breaks,the timely outs, and the lucky hits. They played four hard fought games, two of which could have gone either way. In the end, the White Sox got the champagne and the Astros gave the “what went wrong speeches”. They both had excellent seasons, fought off the critics, and made it to World Series. Both teams should be proud of their accomplishments.

It tooks 88 years for the Sox to break the curse. So, who is next? Will the Dodgers overcome their drought? Will the Cubs overcome the curse of the billy goat? Or will the Astros get another shot at the brass ring? I can’t wait until Spring Training!

A couple of years ago my niece was in kindergarten and learning about the Civil Rights movement. I remember her telling me all about Rosa Parks and how people wanted to take her seat on the bus and how it wasn’t fair. She should be able to sit down. She didn’t really grasp the whole complexity of the issue, but her 5 year old sense of what was right said it all.

When I was in elementary school in the early 1970s, I also remember learning about Rosa Parks. She was riding the bus home after a hard days work. Her feet were sore and sitting down felt good. A white man demanded her seat because the distorted laws of the day said he could. But, she refused to leave her seat. She was thrown in jail for her defiance and fined $14 which probably was a good size sum in 1955.

Our textbook version of Rosa Parks is a little distorted. We never learned that she was active in the NAACP and had taken part in acts of civil disobedience prior to the bus incident. However, on that day in 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to get out of her bus seat, something changed in America. That simple act of standing up for herself and for what is right sparked a movement that spread like wildfire. A boycott of the bus system was ordered by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who was unknown at the time. That boycott lasted 381 days, made Rosa Parks a symbol, and propelled Martin Luther King Jr. onto the nation scene and towards greatness. Although people were already mounting small protests in the US, that day Rosa Parks changed the course of history. In 1956, the US Supreme Court ruled that segregation in the transportation system was unconstitutional. It wasn’t until 1964 that the Jim Crow laws were overturned at the Civil Rights Act became the law of the land.

I think about what Rosa Parks did and how much courage it took for her to stay in her seat. She had to know that people would do everything in their power to make her life miserable. After that day, she had trouble finding work. She was seen as a trouble maker and her life was threatened. She eventually left Alabama for Michigan where she became an aide to Representative John Conyers.

Rosa Parks died of natural causes–she was 92. She is one of our most revered and beloved public figures. She had a quiet strength that always shined through and she will be greatly missed. I don’t remember a world without Rosa Parks. Her story is intertwined with the history of America. You can’t think of the greatness of our nation without mentioning Rosa Parks.

Teens are banding together to gets some changes in Bay Area radio stations and the content of the music they play. 50 teenagers set out for the Clear Channel headquarterses to show their discontent. Their protest focuses on two radio stations with urban music formats. They don’t have anything against the format, just the negative subject matter of the music played.

The Youth Media Council is comprised of about 20 organizations including La Pea Cultural Center, Media Alliance, Youth Movement Records, and EastSide Arts Alliance. The teens within these organizations are tired of radio stations playing music which promotes violence, gangs, and negative stereotypes. They believe that it has an impact on those who listen. Some don’t even listen to the stations anymore because it turns them off. They want to hear more of a variety and would like to see local artists get more air time.

Many teens are turning away from radio. Between the violent lyrics and limited playlists, they are looking elsewhere for their music. They can find what they like on the internet, satellite radio, and websites. They don’t have to depend on local radio to find out what’s new on the scene.

Clear Channel is a major player in radio across the nation. They own 1,200 stations nationwide. The youth organizations don’t want the radio stations yanked off the air. They are asking Clear Channel to listen more to the community and be more responsible about what they play.

In 2002, 30 year old Mukhtar Mai of Meerwala, Pakistan, was gang raped near her home in Pakistan. The rape was ordered by the village council as retribution for her 12 year old brother’s alleged affair. In addition to the rape, she was paraded naked throughout the village. Mai was expected to take the punishment meted out for her brother’s trangression in complete silence.

Mai was one of 151 women gang raped in Pakistan that year. The majority of the woman took their punishment then went on with their lives. But, Mai stood up for herself and spoke out publicly. It was not easy for her to do. She had to stand up against village tradition and threats against her life. She withstood it all and pressed charges against her rapists. She won the case and received a monetary award from the government. She has used the money to build two schools in her village.

Three years later, the fate of the rapists is still up in the air. One appeal court overturned the verdict and ordered the release of the men. A retrial was ordered and the case now waits in Pakistan’s Supreme Court.

Although she was vindicated, she still had many hurdles within her country to overcome. She had opportunities to travel outside Pakistan to meet with human rights organizations, but was blocked at every turn. Her passport was confiscated at one point and a ban was applied for out of country travel. It’s ironic that at the same time she was banned her from travel, her fellow citizens honored her. In August 2005, Mai received the Fatima Jinnah gold medal which is awarded to those showing courage and bravery.

Mai is ready to add another honor to her collection. Glamour Magazine has selected her as the 2005 Woman of the Year. The prize is $20,000, which she plans to use towards earthquake relief in her recently devasted Pakistan. This time she will be on hand to receive the honor. President Musharraf has lifted the travel ban and Mai has already left Pakistan for New York. Mai is truly a hero of international proportions.

Cinderella is going to the World Series! And, not just one Cinderella but two. No Yankees this year. The White Sox and Astros are going to the Ball (field) and the evil stepsisters, the Yankees, get to watch it from their living rooms.

What can be said about these two teams? The White Sox almost blew a huge lead at the end of the season. Under Ozzie Guillen’s unusual style, they righted themselves to capture the division title. Their pitching staff dominated the playoffs and left the competition in the dust.

The Astros fought off practically every team in the National League East for the Wild card spot. They almost left the playoffs early, but outbursts of run production at the right time downed the Braves and then the Cardinals.

It’s hard to say which team deserves to win the pennant more. The White Sox are battling a curse. The last time they went to the World Series was 1959. They haven’t won it since 1917. In 1919, the several players on the team threw the World Series, thus earning lifetime bans and the nickname the “Black Sox”.

The Astros have been around since 1962 and they’ve never been to the World Series. The Killer B’s, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, have played on the same team together for 15 seasons, yet neither has been to the World Series. It’s an interesting contrast to their teammates, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite, who’ve both been to the World Series multiple times.

Whose Fairy Godmother will answer the call? Time will tell what the Baseball Gods have in mind. These two teams have played with heart and hopefully they’ll bring that to the championship games. On with the Fall Classic!

[Photograph credit: Tracy Scott-Murray, www.sxc.hu]

Oh, the elderly women who make up Raging Grannies are a wily bunch. This week they planned an anti-war demonstration inside the enemy’s lair. They donned their traditional floppy hats and were heading to the Army recruiting substation to get some answers.

The small group of women converged on the Belmont, California recruiting office. Their ambush must have been foreseen as the “open” sign was in the window and their were Army inside, but the door was locked. The Marine Recruiting office was just a short distance away. The Marines met them with open arms and allowed them to enter their recruiting office.

What happened next was purely diabolical. Once they gained entrance, they surrounded the staff and served them…cookies and tea. They weakened them with kindness, buttering them up with soldier shaped gingerbread men.

Although the Raging Grannies oppose the Iraq War they support those in the military. The cookies and tea were meant as a peace offering. But, they were on a mission. They wanted answers about some of the military recruiters’ tactics, information on military insurance plans, and a chance to talk their minds. How were they received? The military staff commented that it was a very nice meeting and that the women were respectful and pleasant to talk to. They had a nice conversation though they had varying points of view. One staffer made note that this was the first time anyone had ever baked them cookies and he hoped that they would come back again.

It appears that the Raging Grannies channel their rage is most unconventional ways. By showing a little bit of kindness, they were able to work their way into the hearts of the people they spoke to that day. They may not have changed any opinions about the war, but they were able to make some friends. We will always find people who disagree with us, so it’s important to have differences of opinion and still be able to have a friendly conversation over gingerbread men and tea.

It was the Army’s loss that day. They may not have had to answer those adamant grannies. But, the Marines got the cookies and tea!

On February 27th, Ken and Marcia Powers did something no one else has done before. They walked 4,900 miles on the American Discovery Trail. The journey took them through 13 states and took almost eight months to complete.

The Powers set out from Delaware last February. The couple walked an average of 22 miles a day. They saw an America that most of us don’t get to experience close up and in person. They traversed from coast to coast and saw a variety of landscapes. They met the challenges of snow, rain storms, and the heat of the desert. They met many interesting people along the way. On October 16th, they reach the end of the trail in California.

The Powers were no strangers to cross country hikes. Previously they had done what’s called the “Triple Crown”. The Appalachian, the Continental Divide, and the Pacific Crest trails. Each winds 2,000 miles or more.

The American Discovery Trail is relatively new. It was opened to the public in 2000. It’s the first coast to coast trail and the Powers are the first to complete it.

The trail spans 6,800 miles and runs through 15 states. It starts at Cape Henlopen, Delaware and finishes up at Point Reyes National Seashore in California. The trail merges with other hiking trails 5 national scenic trails, 23 national recreational trails, and more. It’s the first coast to coast trail made entirely for hikers–no cars allowed!

The Powers kept a blog throughout their adventure. If you’re interested in reading more about it, here’s the link: Marcia & Ken Power’s 2005 Journal