At 5:00AM, on a balmy Tuesday morning, November 4th 2008, Jeanne, my companion, and I awoke. Thus began an 18 hour day working at the local polling places in Barrington, RI. I was appointed clerk for Precinct 105 and Jeanne a supervisor at the Town Hall.
The clerk is responsible for managing the voting supplies, resolving registration issues, helping voter to understand how to fill out various forms, and certifying voter affirmations and provisional ballots.
At 10:00 PM, the end of the day, and 1348 voters later, I delivered the seal ballot boxes and document bag to Town Hall. Mission accomplished.
It was a blustery November morning in 1960. The last of the leaves clung to the elms on College Green in front of Sayles Hall on the Brown University campus. At noon of Tuesday the 10th, I, along with 500 other sophomores, hiked into the hall to attend our bi-monthly, obligatory “Chapel.”, Chapel was the one of the last vestiges of Brown’s Baptist religious origins. It was a formal event, requiring a jacket and tie, mandatory for all freshman and sophomores.
Seating was alphabetical. We met here on my first day at Brown. We were told to look to our left and our right. “Next year one of your neighbors will no longer be there,” the Dean announced. This was my third semester. I almost became one of the missing. But I had survived and moved up 10 places. Now I sat just right of center in the front row.
As the campus bell tolled noon, I looked up at the pulpit/lectern. The Chaplain stood up and offered a invocation. The Dean followed, said some words I don’t remember and then introduced a tall, well dressed black man, a preacher from Georgia. He was to be today’s speaker. I vividly remember the large gold watch that he wore on his left wrist. Its crystal face caught an occasional beam of sunlight and flashed in my eyes. He looked out of place in this Ivy League bastion.
Sitting there, I worried about my German dialogue due in an hour and a half. I had no idea who or why the Preacher was there. Then he began his speech,” Facing the Challenges of the New Age." This is how I met the Reverent Martin Luther King, Jr.
By the end of the speech I found myself reborn from a nervous 19 year class conscious white kid who felt out of place in this world of rich elite WASPs. I felt empowered. I learned that I could make a difference. The feeling was reinforced two months later, when on Friday, January 20, 1961 the newly elected President John F Kenney proclaimed:
Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans -- born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
On that day he was speaking to my generation.
I spent the summer of 1963 raising the money for my final year at Brown. On August 28, 1963, I watch the March on Washington from a distance when King said, in his “I have Dream Speech,
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
His speech re-enforced the sense of empowerment I felt on that day in November, 1960.
Three months later, on Friday, November 22, 1963, the nation was shocked when President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. As the word spread, I recalled Kennedy’s generational challenge
And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; Ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
8 months later, after graduation, I joined the Peace Corps. In September 1964, I left to spend 2 years in Peru. During that time, I followed the black Preacher’s career on Voice of America, as he and others pushed for the Voting Rights Amendment. When President Johnson signed the Act on August 6, 1965, I was so proud of my country and generation.
When I returned in July, 1966, America had changed. It was the Age of Aquarius. In New York City, the Love generation was holding a “be-in” in Washington Square. And, we were at war. I entered graduate school at the University of Arizona that fall.
As the Viet Nam war dragged on, the love turned to hate. Civil rights gave way to the anti-war movement. Yet the dream remained.
On April 4, 1968, I, along with millions of others, was shocked and angered. Rev. King was fatally shot at 6:01 p.m. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN. Then, on June 6, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in Los Angeles right after winning the California Democrat primary.
Forces opposed to the American dream were killing off our leaders. I remembered JFK’s warning.
All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days; nor in the life of this Administration; nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin
Still in graduate school, I decided that instead of a safe academic career, I would dedicate and apply my talents and commit to the mission for the long term.
Forty eight years later
When I arrived home, Jeanne was there. She had just returned from the Town Hall voting site. We were exhausted, but not so tired that we could not share our impressions of the day. Big crowds, of pleasant and happy voters; a feeling that something new was about to happen; and most of all new young enthusiastic voters voting.
We turned on the TV to watch the early returns. But it was a little too early and we were too tired to stay up any later. The next morning we awoke to the headline in the New York Times
OBAMA Racial Barrier Falls in Decisive Victory
In the fateful words of Martin Luther King on the night before his assassination:
… I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
In my mind’s eye, I thought saw a flash off his gold wristwatch when President Elect Barak Obama noted in his acceptance speech:
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.
I feel my generation’s mission has been accomplished. I am proud to have witnessed it and played a small role in it. Yet there is much more to do.
I pray that this new generation will heed Obama’s words and enlist for the long term. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America -- I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you -- we as a people will get there.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Pay It Forward -- Martin Luther King's Birthday
What good deed did you do today?
Tomorrow is the inaugeration of President Barak Obama and today in memeory of Martin Luther King's Birthday. To honor Dr. King, Obama has asked us all do something (volunteer)for our neighbor, community or others. This reminds me of the 2000 movie, "Pay It Forward," which dealt with the theme of idealism and pragmatism.
After 24 hours and two snow storms, this morning my neighbor came over and help me to shovel out from the 10" on snow. We then went to another neighbor's house occupied by an elderly couple and dug them out. Not earth shattering
So what have you done today?
Today, We are trying to adjust our personal lives to the monesterous changes of the past decade. There is fear and anger out there. Our faith and trust have been severly tested by the greed, arrogance and stupidity we have witnessed over the past decade. But those are things we can not change. Starting today, do a good deed and instead of asking, "what will I get out of it?" tell the beneficiary, Pay IT FORWARD.
Martin Luther King preached a message of love.following the examples of Ghandi and Christ. On this his birthday maybe we can begin to apply his method and start to around things here in Rhode Island, and the world.
Tomorrow is the inaugeration of President Barak Obama and today in memeory of Martin Luther King's Birthday. To honor Dr. King, Obama has asked us all do something (volunteer)for our neighbor, community or others. This reminds me of the 2000 movie, "Pay It Forward," which dealt with the theme of idealism and pragmatism.
After 24 hours and two snow storms, this morning my neighbor came over and help me to shovel out from the 10" on snow. We then went to another neighbor's house occupied by an elderly couple and dug them out. Not earth shattering
So what have you done today?
Today, We are trying to adjust our personal lives to the monesterous changes of the past decade. There is fear and anger out there. Our faith and trust have been severly tested by the greed, arrogance and stupidity we have witnessed over the past decade. But those are things we can not change. Starting today, do a good deed and instead of asking, "what will I get out of it?" tell the beneficiary, Pay IT FORWARD.
Martin Luther King preached a message of love.following the examples of Ghandi and Christ. On this his birthday maybe we can begin to apply his method and start to around things here in Rhode Island, and the world.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Change is Possible in Times of Crisis
Change is Possible in Times of Crisis
Rhode Island is facing a significant short fall in it 2009 Budget. It is time for all vested interests to recognize that that their interests are sub-ordinate to our collective interests.
Governor Cacieri fireside chat on January 7th outlines the problem and proposed solutions.
My feels are that this is long overdue.
Rhode Island has been a leader for liberal ideals but Rhode Islanders have been very conservative in their willingness to take the long term steps to implement those ideals. The Legislature and their constituents are unwilling to give up their own privileges to achieve their alleged ideals. instead they find have spent the past quarter century squandering the state's resources for a quick fix.
If the public can not come to some agreement to make the necessary sacrifices then there maybe another alternative, Option 2
There are certain advantages for all parties if Rhode Island were to unincorporated, and split into two separate units, east and west. These units would be free to unite with their respective neighboring state. Among the reasons
· Economies of scale arising from a county system of government.
· The geographical benefits that would come from adding coastline to each of the neighbors, bringing the Taunton River Watershed under a single jurisdiction.
· Western Rhode Island shares a strong economic interest with Eastern Connecticut, while Eastern Rhode Island shares interests with Southeastern Massachusetts.
Of course, there is a downside such as the loose of 2 Senatorial seats in the U S Congress. This might be offset by stronger Congressional representation in the House.
The real issue is what do the people of Rhode Island do if their insistence on 19th century local government causes the State which makes that structure possible goes bankrupt?
CRISIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. This is what the lively experiment is all about!
WHAT IS A BLOG, IF NOT A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AN INTERNAL CONVERSATION?
I think I started this Blog off on the wrong foot.
RI Legacy started with the idea of presenting an objective praise and critique of my home state. Native Rhode Islanders have a tendency to put down their own state. Unless they leave for several years and then return with a new set of eyes, many natives lose sight of the beauty and uniqueness of their home. Especially, in times such as this at the end of 2008, we can lose sight of the past accomplishments of and tend to dwell on the present negatives.
This is the direction I started to take here.
But as I have thought about it, there are plenty of websites that fill in the details of the good and bad elements of Rhode Island’s legacy. Rather than repeat facts and stories, rather than telling you about the Legacy, I have decided to take another approach and show you.
I was born and raised in Rhode Island before I left at the age of 22.
I spent the next quarter century living elsewhere.
When I returned, I had my new eyes. My praise was to be a salute to contributions Rhode Island has made to the evolution of religious, political and economic development of the United States over the nearly 375 years since its settlement. These are just a few of the positives in the legacy Rhode Islanders have inherited -
* Roger Williams and Religious freedom through separation of church and state, 1636
* Leadership in establishing political independence from Great Britain prior to any of the other colonies in 1776
* General Nathanial Green led George Washington’s southern army, in the freeing of the southern colonies during the revolutionary war.
* Samuel Slater introduced the Industrial revolution to North America by building the first cotton mill in Pawtucket in 1793.
* Commodore Matthew Perry, the U.S. Navy Commander of the “Black Fleet,” compelled the Japanese to opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854.
* Openness to immigrants from southern Europe, northern and Eastern Europe in the 19th and early 20th century and from South and Central America, Southeast Asia in the late 20th century fueled a diverse and rich cultural life.
As small as it is, Rhode Island, its institutions and citizens have made, and continue to make significant contributions to nation and the world.
But Rhode Island is no paradise. The beauty of Narragansett Bay and the Beaches in South County, the quaint New England villages of Wickford and Scituate, the glamour of Newport and its Mansions, the history of Providence and the Blackstone Valley, are not enough to offset a number of negatives that also are part of the Rhode Legacy.
* A strong legislature with weak Executive and Judicial branches of government has from the beginning created a local political climate ripe for corruption and insider dealing.
* A fragmented system of local government created to meet the needs of 19th century mill owners continues to plague the state of 1,000,000 inhabitants with 39 independent cities and towns each with its own local government and expenses.
* A strong set of public employee labor unions that along with the remnants of unions left over from the manufacturing hay days of the mid-20th century, dominate the legislative to promote labor interests over those of the public and business in a 21st century world.
* Provincialism, on the level of the Balkan, among the natives who have near really left the state and where a person will sell their house to be 5 minutes closer to their work, fosters a sense of inferiority and irrational sensitivity to criticism.
These are just some of the negatives that part of the RI Legacy.
These are negatives that must be addressed if Rhode Island is to compete in the 21st century. They must be addressed if those of us who have growing up here, left and returned, and if those who come here from elsewhere and seen and felt the potentials, are to stay and contribute in a meaningful way to “the lively experiment” that is Rhode Island.
So, as I see it, there is the context and the problem. The point of this blog from now on will be to explore my feelings and reactions to this legacy. As an heir to the “lively experiment”, what have I done to promote the good and to change the bad in this legacy?
Stay tuned.
RI Legacy started with the idea of presenting an objective praise and critique of my home state. Native Rhode Islanders have a tendency to put down their own state. Unless they leave for several years and then return with a new set of eyes, many natives lose sight of the beauty and uniqueness of their home. Especially, in times such as this at the end of 2008, we can lose sight of the past accomplishments of and tend to dwell on the present negatives.
This is the direction I started to take here.
But as I have thought about it, there are plenty of websites that fill in the details of the good and bad elements of Rhode Island’s legacy. Rather than repeat facts and stories, rather than telling you about the Legacy, I have decided to take another approach and show you.
I was born and raised in Rhode Island before I left at the age of 22.
I spent the next quarter century living elsewhere.
When I returned, I had my new eyes. My praise was to be a salute to contributions Rhode Island has made to the evolution of religious, political and economic development of the United States over the nearly 375 years since its settlement. These are just a few of the positives in the legacy Rhode Islanders have inherited -
* Roger Williams and Religious freedom through separation of church and state, 1636
* Leadership in establishing political independence from Great Britain prior to any of the other colonies in 1776
* General Nathanial Green led George Washington’s southern army, in the freeing of the southern colonies during the revolutionary war.
* Samuel Slater introduced the Industrial revolution to North America by building the first cotton mill in Pawtucket in 1793.
* Commodore Matthew Perry, the U.S. Navy Commander of the “Black Fleet,” compelled the Japanese to opening of Japan to the West with the Convention of Kanagawa in 1854.
* Openness to immigrants from southern Europe, northern and Eastern Europe in the 19th and early 20th century and from South and Central America, Southeast Asia in the late 20th century fueled a diverse and rich cultural life.
As small as it is, Rhode Island, its institutions and citizens have made, and continue to make significant contributions to nation and the world.
But Rhode Island is no paradise. The beauty of Narragansett Bay and the Beaches in South County, the quaint New England villages of Wickford and Scituate, the glamour of Newport and its Mansions, the history of Providence and the Blackstone Valley, are not enough to offset a number of negatives that also are part of the Rhode Legacy.
* A strong legislature with weak Executive and Judicial branches of government has from the beginning created a local political climate ripe for corruption and insider dealing.
* A fragmented system of local government created to meet the needs of 19th century mill owners continues to plague the state of 1,000,000 inhabitants with 39 independent cities and towns each with its own local government and expenses.
* A strong set of public employee labor unions that along with the remnants of unions left over from the manufacturing hay days of the mid-20th century, dominate the legislative to promote labor interests over those of the public and business in a 21st century world.
* Provincialism, on the level of the Balkan, among the natives who have near really left the state and where a person will sell their house to be 5 minutes closer to their work, fosters a sense of inferiority and irrational sensitivity to criticism.
These are just some of the negatives that part of the RI Legacy.
These are negatives that must be addressed if Rhode Island is to compete in the 21st century. They must be addressed if those of us who have growing up here, left and returned, and if those who come here from elsewhere and seen and felt the potentials, are to stay and contribute in a meaningful way to “the lively experiment” that is Rhode Island.
So, as I see it, there is the context and the problem. The point of this blog from now on will be to explore my feelings and reactions to this legacy. As an heir to the “lively experiment”, what have I done to promote the good and to change the bad in this legacy?
Stay tuned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)