In Defense of Community Organizing
Last week I sent this email to everyone on my list.... it was prompted by a couple of petitions/emails from different lists I belong to, not to mention my own shock/outrage/anger/surprise/disbelief/whatever
--------------------------------------
Dearest Friend,
In her acceptance speech last night at the Republican National Convention, Vice Presidential nominee and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a `community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."
Nominally, her words were an assault on Barack Obama's early career as a community organizer on Chicago's south side. But the impact reaches farther than that and is a direct affront to the thousands who have dedicated their lives to making America great.
As an organizer myself, I took these comments personally. As you may know, these last few years -- first as a volunteer organizer for the department of peace campaign, and then as a paid organizer with ACORN -- have taken a tremendous amount of time, energy --- and responsibility. Oftentimes, the weight of the responsibility has been overwhelming because there is just so much that is needed to be done and every organizer I know, puts in long hours, with their heart and soul to do their part --- taking upon themselves the ultimate responsibility of a world citizen in a democratic country -- participation, learning & sharing that knowledge, holding elected officials accountable to their words and their actions and their job description, and empowering others to do the same. I just signed a petition to tell Governor Palin to apologize for her disparaging remarks about community organizers -- I hope you will too.
Please have a look and take action.
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/defend_community_organizers/?r_by=-243650-nGSuF_x&rc=paste
Thanks!
Bobbi Jo Chavarria
Head Organizer, San Bernardino ACORN (www.acorn.org)
State Regional Coordinator, Department of Peace Campaign (www.thepeacealliance.org)
-----------------------------------------
So then my friend Darin responded...
"I do not think that Sarah Palin was talking about ALL community organizers,,,,, just Borack Obama. It seems to me that a lot of people take themselves way too seriously. Each side takes offense at what the other one says but they fail to realize that they both do AND say the same thing. What Ms. Palin did for the candidate race was add some life to it. I cannot sign the petition because I do not feel that she said anything wrong against ALL community organizers. If I signed a petition each time someone offended me,,,,, well,,,, my fingers would be numb."
------------------------------------------
My response to Darin:
like so many things --- opinions are plentiful and need no qualifications to exist. I shared mine... thanks for sharing yours. =-) Hope you're doing well.
Peace,
Bobbi
------------------------------------------
And then I get a phone call from my dad... which is funny and weird and had nothing to do with this mess except he was listening to a guest host on the Rush Limbaugh show this morning talking about the mortgage crisis and the government takeover of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac and a caller asked just where were the people and groups that were taking on these companies and CEOs who are getting paid bonuses, cashing in stock options, etc. while people are losing their homes. My dad thought to call me because the guest host said it was groups like ACORN who were doing it... and causing trouble for these lenders, making them work with homeowners to save homes.
At the end of the conversation it wasn't about whether or not it was a good thing or a bad thing, it was just that an organized group of people is an empowered group of people who just doesn't roll over and let things happen to families, neighbors, and their community without holding those responsible for the problems or the solutions accountable.
****Disclaimer/note**** Let's not even begin to reason why my dad listens to Rush Limbaugh... we disagree on a LOT of things. We've had many conversations about my work on the Dept. of Peace and with ACORN.
My dad, to his credit, did leave me with this idea that I liked.. and I'm paraphrasing here.. but it was something to do with what he had heard from a pastor a long time ago justifying their action, "We are problem-solvers not trouble-makers."
Returning to Gov. Palin's slam and the whole GOP convention tone in general --- a little bit less valuable than adding "life" to the campaign --- adding judgement, pettiness, and simplification of a really complex society just to get some applause and stir up things to stir up things without offering any kind of solution, just talking smack.
... got this video from another ACORN organizer and wanted to share
... and Jon Stewart right at the end, nailed it.
--------------------------------------
Dearest Friend,
In her acceptance speech last night at the Republican National Convention, Vice Presidential nominee and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a `community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities."
Nominally, her words were an assault on Barack Obama's early career as a community organizer on Chicago's south side. But the impact reaches farther than that and is a direct affront to the thousands who have dedicated their lives to making America great.
As an organizer myself, I took these comments personally. As you may know, these last few years -- first as a volunteer organizer for the department of peace campaign, and then as a paid organizer with ACORN -- have taken a tremendous amount of time, energy --- and responsibility. Oftentimes, the weight of the responsibility has been overwhelming because there is just so much that is needed to be done and every organizer I know, puts in long hours, with their heart and soul to do their part --- taking upon themselves the ultimate responsibility of a world citizen in a democratic country -- participation, learning & sharing that knowledge, holding elected officials accountable to their words and their actions and their job description, and empowering others to do the same. I just signed a petition to tell Governor Palin to apologize for her disparaging remarks about community organizers -- I hope you will too.
Please have a look and take action.
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/defend_community_organizers/?r_by=-243650-nGSuF_x&rc=paste
Thanks!
Bobbi Jo Chavarria
Head Organizer, San Bernardino ACORN (www.acorn.org)
State Regional Coordinator, Department of Peace Campaign (www.thepeacealliance.org)
-----------------------------------------
So then my friend Darin responded...
"I do not think that Sarah Palin was talking about ALL community organizers,,,,, just Borack Obama. It seems to me that a lot of people take themselves way too seriously. Each side takes offense at what the other one says but they fail to realize that they both do AND say the same thing. What Ms. Palin did for the candidate race was add some life to it. I cannot sign the petition because I do not feel that she said anything wrong against ALL community organizers. If I signed a petition each time someone offended me,,,,, well,,,, my fingers would be numb."
------------------------------------------
My response to Darin:
like so many things --- opinions are plentiful and need no qualifications to exist. I shared mine... thanks for sharing yours. =-) Hope you're doing well.
Peace,
Bobbi
------------------------------------------
And then I get a phone call from my dad... which is funny and weird and had nothing to do with this mess except he was listening to a guest host on the Rush Limbaugh show this morning talking about the mortgage crisis and the government takeover of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac and a caller asked just where were the people and groups that were taking on these companies and CEOs who are getting paid bonuses, cashing in stock options, etc. while people are losing their homes. My dad thought to call me because the guest host said it was groups like ACORN who were doing it... and causing trouble for these lenders, making them work with homeowners to save homes.
At the end of the conversation it wasn't about whether or not it was a good thing or a bad thing, it was just that an organized group of people is an empowered group of people who just doesn't roll over and let things happen to families, neighbors, and their community without holding those responsible for the problems or the solutions accountable.
****Disclaimer/note**** Let's not even begin to reason why my dad listens to Rush Limbaugh... we disagree on a LOT of things. We've had many conversations about my work on the Dept. of Peace and with ACORN.
My dad, to his credit, did leave me with this idea that I liked.. and I'm paraphrasing here.. but it was something to do with what he had heard from a pastor a long time ago justifying their action, "We are problem-solvers not trouble-makers."
Returning to Gov. Palin's slam and the whole GOP convention tone in general --- a little bit less valuable than adding "life" to the campaign --- adding judgement, pettiness, and simplification of a really complex society just to get some applause and stir up things to stir up things without offering any kind of solution, just talking smack.
... got this video from another ACORN organizer and wanted to share
... and Jon Stewart right at the end, nailed it.
Comments