1 10 22 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/fc5e5ea7c0d27b46906f8d21f4c3b44c.pdf d359a19c8cd4b412421724083bfb14fe PDF Text Text The Fools of April Pages 4 and 5 Artists as Activists Page 16 Affordable Housing Pages 10 and 13 STREETVIBES $1 A p r. 1 - 1 4 , 2 0 1 0 • A d v o c a t i n g J u s t i c e , B u i l d i n g C o m m u n i t y • I s s u e 1 7 4 Too Many Prisoners, Little Justice Widespread incarceration isn’t keeping us safe By marGo Pierce Contributing Writer C riminals: They all deserve to go to prison and be pun­ ished in perpetuity. That isn’t exactly an accurate summary of the criminal justice system in Ohio, but taking into ac­ count the budget crisis and the annual $1.7 billion line item for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilita­ tion, criminal policies and procedures won’t escape scrutiny. With 31 prisons and 13,000 employees, bricks and mortar are only one consideration – sentencing requirements, programming, post-release supervision and recidivism reduction, among other things, are also getting atten­ tion. It naturally follows that we ask, “Who are we putting in prison and why?” That was the focus of the March 25 panel discussion, “Prisons and Prisoners: Impact Ohio,” at Isaac M. Wise Temple. Rabbi Ilana G. Baden opened the discussion by explaining that the topic of prisons and prisoners has deep roots in Judaism. She referenced one of the most famous lines from the Torah – “Justice, justice shall you pur­ sue” – and went on to explain why this passage has “fasci­ nated” sages over the years. “The use of the verb … ‘pur­ sue,’ or ‘chase after,’ for how does one chase after justice or righteousness? Isn’t justice or righteousness something that we should just simply do?” Baden said. “Our tradi­ tion teaches us that justice and righteousness are more ongoing endeavors. It’s not so clear-cut, and we must always be heedful to follow through, to not just to do justly, but to also make sure that we con­ tinue, that we go back, that we ensure that we’ve done justly, that we continue to do justly.” She pointed out that the Terry Collins, former director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Corrections (L), David Yost, Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney (C), David Singleton, executive director, Ohio Justice & Policy Center (R), at the Prisons & Prisoners: Impact Ohio panel discussion, March 25, at the Issac M. Wise Temple, 8329 Ridge Road, sponsored by the Critical Topics Committee of Wise Temple and The Woman’s City Club. Jon Hughes/photopresse. sages also note the repetition of the word “justice,” which serves to underscore the point that justice is multifaceted. It is a call to practice justice for “all parties, not just for those who are wronged but also for those who are al­ leged to be wrongdoers and those who are found to be guilty. They deserve justice and righteousness as well.” This broad view made it clear that the panel, spon­ sored by 13 communityminded organizations, was See Justice, p. 6 ‘We Just Want to Work’ Immigrants and supporters rally in Washington By Samantha Groark Contributing Writer M Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, addresses a send-off rally for the proimmigration demonstration. Jon Hughes/photopresse. ore than 200,000 immigrants and ac­ tivists gathered March 21 in Washing­ ton, D.C., chanting, “Si se puede!” and “Yes we can!” Waving American flags and carrying signs saying, “Justice and Dignity for All U.S. Im­ migrants” and “We Just Want to Work,” the dem­ onstration filled five blocks of the National Mall. The rally was part of a nationally organized campaign supporting an immigration-reform bill in Congress. Supporters traveled from around the country in hopes that the rally will re-energize Congress to address the broken immigration sys­ tem, which affects the lives of nearly 12 million undocumented U.S. residents. With the help of the Cincinnati Interfaith Work­ ers Center, four buses full of local activists and im­ migrants traveled 10 hours to Washington to take part in the rally. One of the Cincinnati activists who attended the rally is Alma Díaz, a 28-year-old bartender and an immigrant from Mexico, who arrived in this country seven years ago. Shortly before the rally, Díaz said she felt over­ whelmed with anticipation and enthusiasm. “I feel like my heart’s on fire,” she said. Now she recruits other immigrant activists for the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center, which helps immigrants know their rights as laborers. In January the center helped organize a local im­ migration reform rally that attracted over 2,000 demonstrators (see “Demanding Justice for Im­ migrants,” issue of Feb. 1-14). U.S. Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, (D-Ill.), the leader of the immigration-reform movement in Congress, took the stage at the rally and applauded the ef­ forts of the thousands who gathered. He prom­ ised that he would work his hardest to continue to support them, but also added that activists would have to be steadfast in their efforts. “If we see this protest as a culmination of our struggle, we’re going to lose,” Gutiérrez said in an interview. “We have to take the struggle to the street.” President Barack Obama did not attend the demonstration because of the health-care vote taking place in the House of Representatives, but in a videotaped message on giant screens, he warned of the cost of inaction. “In the end, our broken immigration system affects more than a single community; it affects our entire country,” Obama said. “And as we con­ tinue to strengthen our economy and jumpstart job creation, we need to do so with an immigra­ tion system that works, not the broken system we See Work, p. 12 �2 The Vibe By The Numbers StreetWise 1 the percentage of construction contracts awarded to African-American firms by Cincinnati Public Schools (see page 2). 31 the number of state prisons in Ohio (see page 3). 91:1 the ratio of benefits to costs, measured in dollars, for advocacy programs in Los Angeles (see page 10). 13 the age at which Carmen Bowen Bush’s artistic talent was recognized (see page 16). 1 the number of atheists ever elected to Congress (see page 9). 89 the number of housing units to be built with a new federal grant (see page 13). 9 Holly Parker’s age when her parents raped her (see page 12). 200,000 the number of people rallying for immigration reform March 21 (see page 1). 62 the percentage of felons who stay out of Ohio prisons after their release (see page 1). 1971 the year Alex Chilton formed the band Big Stare (see page 11). By GreGory Flannery editor Public Administration Award for ‘Streetvibes’ designer Lynne Ausman isn’t only the Streetvibes art director; she’s also the person who makes the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless run day to day. As administrative coordinator, she manages the coalition’s finances, oversees fundraising, designs Streetvibes, maintains the computers, orders supplies and takes care of the mailings. Now a professional organization has taken note of her considerable talents and accomplish­ ments. The Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the American Society for Public Administra­ tion has named Ausman winner of a Public Administrator of the Year Award. Ausman received the award in the student division. She is finishing work on her master’s de­ gree in public administration at Northern Kentucky University. Ausman started at the Homeless Coalition in 2006 on a placement with Volunteers in Service to America. Her passion for social justice isn’t only local. In July she’ll serve a month-long internship in Bangladesh, working with a program founded by Muhammad Yunus. The winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, Yunus started Grameen bank, which gives micro loans to help poor people start businesses. ‘Off the Streets’ Gets Global Attention As Ausman prepares to study abroad, international visitors recently came to learn about Off the Streets, a program at Cincinnati Union Bethel that helps women escape prostitution. Five women with the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors Lead­ ership Program visited March 12 from India, Nigeria, the People’s Republic of China, Cape Verde and Turkey. Off the Streets, staffed by women who once were on the streets, provides emergency shelter, referrals to community resources and support and educa­ tion groups. “So much of the conversation about prostitution has been whether it should be le­ galized or not,” said Sumathi Kasturi, an advocate from India. “It was refreshing to see that instead your focus is on rebuilding the women’s lives and including them as hu­ man members of society.” In four years of operation, Off the Streets claims a phenomenal success rate for wom­ en who use its services for 30 days or more: Six months later, approximately 85 percent had no new prostitution convictions. NAACP Demands Work for African Americans Onto the streets is where Christopher Smitherman has taken his demand that Cin­ cinnati Public Schools hire more African-American contractors on construction jobs. Smitherman, president of the Cincinnati Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Rev. Dock Foster, president of the Baptist Ministers Conference, were arrested March 18 when they blocked a construc­ tion entrance at North Avondale Montessori School. The NAACP has criticized Cincin­ nati Public Schools’ contracting practices for years, recently filing a public-records law­ suit and winning Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland’s support for an audit. The school district has said it is proud of its minority-contracting record and is working to improve it. But after his arraignment on a charge of criminal trespassing, Smitherman said the media has helped the school district blur the issue by its use of language. “We’re not here standing for minorities,” he said. “We’re here standing for African Americans. We’re here because African Americans get 1 percent of $701 million (in contracts). They’ve been lying about the minority number. They’re saying it’s 12 per­ cent. But it’s actually 9 percent. Out of that, African American is 1 percent.” Smitherman and Foster, who pled not guilty, are free pending trial. Foster said the ar­ rests gave them a view of another racial disparity – this one inside the Hamilton County Justice Center. “It was 95 percent of African Americans in jail,” he said “Go over there and it looks like a slave ship. I was so shocked. They’ve lost everything. Their spirits are broken.” Health Bill Passes, Republicans Pout U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-Cincinnati) voted in fa­ vor of President Obama’s health-care reform. Obama signed the bill into law mere seconds before Republicans started threatening to sue to stop the reform. Driehaus had wavered but ultimately voted for the watered-down bill. Supporters of the mea­ sure rallied in front of the Weston Hotel as Driehaus hosted a campaign fundraiser attended by Vice Pres­ ident Joseph Biden. STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo. com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress. com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Graphics/Layout Intern Veronica Glass Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Valerie Fessler, Alecia A. Lott, Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Lew Moores, Larry Gross, Eli Braun, Jesse Call Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Anthony Williams, Vinit Murthy, Jon Hughes Proofreaders Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are proud members of: Jon Hughes/photopresse. �STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 8 Column 3 M I N U T E S Behind Prison Bars Being dumb on crime makes it worse and more expensive By marGo Pierce Contributing Writer T he average length of stay in prison for an Ohio in­ mate is about two years. Of the more than 52,000 people currently behind bars in Ohio, 98 percent will return to the community whence they came. Having done their time, the theory goes, they get a second chance. Not so, according to David Singleton, executive director of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center. This is because we, as a society, have labeled all of them “criminals” or “felons” and have created an extensive list of restrictions designed to keep “them” away from “us,” he says. “We have to fight hard against these labels that we put on people,” Singleton says. “When you think of some­ one as a felon or a criminal or a sex offender (it’s) a way of pushing someone to the margins. It’s a way of keeping them at arm’s length – and then when you do that, you don’t really care what happens to that person.” That alienation has consequences for everyone, includ­ ing a high recidivism rate. Up to 62 percent of all people convicted and sent to prison will reoffend. However, until they return to prison, they will be the woman next door and the man in the line at the gro­ cery. “The goal should be, “People in the criminal justice system are people who are going of the criminal justice to be our neighbors, who are going system, to make sure we keep the community to live amongst us, and we have to safe. … We don’t do that make an effort to see them as the when we make it impos- people they are,” Singleton says. sible for people returning “Because if we don’t, we’re almost going to guarantee that they’re go­ from prison to get on their feet and get a job. ing to go back to prison, because David Singleton. John Hughes/photopresse. … And all too often folks we’re going to tolerate the dumbon-crime approach that we’ve been give up and return to a life of crime because of doing here in Ohio for a long time the problems they face that says, ‘You never get a second by Collins allows those who fail to pay child support to remain in when they come home.” chance. You never can be trusted again.’ And when you say that message to the community and work. If they miss a scheduled payment, they - David Singleton people, eventually they go and commit more spend the weekend confined. By losing their freedom temporarily as crimes again.” an incentive to not miss the next payment, the individuals released Singleton was one of three panelists March 25 at “Prisons and on Monday to go back to work are more likely to pay support. If im­ Prisoners: Impact Ohio” at Isaac M. Wise Temple in Amberley Vil­ plemented statewide, this program alone would reduce the prison lage. The discussion addressed questions such as, “How does our population by 750 and cost less per person. community’s prison system really work?” and “How does sentencing “We need to also focus on making sure we have the right people policy affect society’s choice about prisons?” (See “Too Many Pris­ locked up behind bars,” Singleton says. “All too often we have loweroners,” page 1.) He explained that people with a conviction on their level offenders who could be managed and supervised in the com­ record are routinely denied employment, housing and essential ser­ munity at a much-reduced cost to the taxpayer. vices because fear rules legislation and public policies. “We have them behind bars in the state system, and it’s expensive. “The Ohio Justice and Policy Center represents individuals who They learn how to be better criminals when they’re locked up; and are in the criminal justice system … and we also advocate for what when they come home, they haven’t gotten the rehabilitation they we call smart-on-crime criminal justice reform,” Singleton says. need because prisons are overflowing and services are hard to pro­ “Smart on crime means having policies and criminal justice laws vide in an environment where everybody’s stretched thin.“ that are grounded in research and evidence and best practices that The state budget for maintaining the existing prison system is are shown to keep the community safe rather than a fear-based, re­ $1.7 billion annually for 31 institutions employing 13,000 individu­ actionary approach that says, ‘Lock up as many people as we can als. This doesn’t include the 352 county jails that are funded by 88 lock up.’ counties. Singleton believes we’re investing our tax dollars in a way “The goal should be, of the criminal justice system, to make sure that doesn’t accomplish the goal of community safety, and it’s time we keep the community safe. … We don’t do that when we make it for a dramatic paradigm shift. impossible for people returning from prison to get on their feet and “We have to double, triple, quadruple our commitment to making get a job. … And all too often folks give up and return to a life of sure that, when people return home from prison, they have an op­ crime because of the problems they face when they come home.” portunity to succeed – to get a job, pay their taxes, be good members Given the overcrowding in Ohio’s prisons – they are 130 percent of this community,” he says. “We all win when that happens, and we over capacity, according to Terry Collins, the recently retired director all lose when it does not happen. So, I think that’s really critical that of the Ohio Department Rehabilitation and Correction – inmates are we embrace meaningful reentry programs for people coming out. only being punished. Drug rehabilitation, GED and other services “We also have to be smart in terms of who we’re locking up. We’re that will help people find an alternative path on the outside can’t locking up people that we’re mad at, not necessarily the people who meet the current demand. With this in mind, support in the commu­ are the most dangerous. And we can’t continue that, because for ev­ nity for former inmates is essential for enhancing public safety. ery dollar that we spend on education, we’re spending 69 cents on One alternative to jail for a non-violent offender is community keeping people confined in the state prison system – and that’s just supervision. An example of a successful pilot program spearheaded absurd.” Many people work hard to make a difference for the less privileged in the Queen City. “Eight Minutes” is an opportunity to learn who those people are and what motivates them to be a positive influence. �4 STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 The Fools of April People Power: Rickshaws on Vine Street C incinnati City Council last week approved a plan to establish a six-mile rickshaw route from downtown to University Heights. The rickshaws will replace a $200 million streetcar plan previously approved by council. The city failed to win federal funding for the streetcars, derided in a congressional debate as “typical Cincinnati – reaching back 50 years for a path to the future.” The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) proposed the rickshaw line, saying it will promote multi-culturalism and attract upper-income residents to Over-the-Rhine. “People will enjoy being transported on rickshaws, and they’ll enjoy watching them go by,” says 3CDC President Stephen Leeper. “They have a certain charm that cars don’t have – not to mention reduced emissions, so this is a green project, too.” Council approved an ordinance requiring homeless people to pull rickshaws in order to qualify to stay at emergency shelters, eat at soup kitchens or receive treatment at city clin­ ics. The city will pay $100 million to 3CDC to provide and maintain a fleet of 30 rickshaws and to train and supervise the pullers. City Councilwoman Leslie Ghiz said the contract will save taxpayers money by keeping homeless people trim, thereby reducing long-term health-care costs. “This is the first fiscally responsible decision we’ve made as a council,” Ghiz said. Rickshaws are 3CDC's plan for employing homeless people and expanding public transportation. REUTERS/STR New. (Ima Tryin) Enquirer Nominated for 17 AP Awards Dunkin’ Isn’t Just for Donuts T he Associated Press Society and hardly ever get arrested. You of Ohio announced today could possibly step in it when they that the Cincinnati Enquirer, don’t use a can, and it really messes the leading newspaper on cincinnati. up the sweet smell emanating from com, is a finalist for the Ohio River 17 AP awards in 14 when the wind categories for 2009. “It’s an amazing testament blows north. “It’s an amaz• Best Explan­ to our commitment to ing testament to journalistic excellence. Sixty- atory Reporting: our commitment “We’re Pretty five newspapers in Ohio to journalistic exSure Laketa Cole sent in 2,794 submissions. cellence,” says EdiPees Standing Of course, we only compete tor Tom Callinan. against five other newspapers Up,” one of an “Sixty-five newspaindefinite series in our circulation group.” pers in Ohio sent in of articles explor­ - Editor Tom Callinan 2,794 submissions. ing why we find Of course, we only a strong black compete against five other newspawoman with political connections pers in our circulation group, and to be really, really scary. Hitler peed there are 35 categories if you count standing up, too. That’s just a fact. General Excellence, and usually about • Best Breaking News: “5 Million Atfour or five finalists for each category. tend Tea Party Rally; None of Them But we’ll leave that last stuff out of Have to Poop or Pee,” documentour press release, and it’ll look pretty ing the hoards of Great Americans good, and we’ll be keeping with our who attend every Tea Party event, general editorial policy of avoiding dreaming of their desire to end all too much information that hurts our gubmint and live in a Somalian readers’ heads.” paradise where all the women are Some of the nominations include: strong, all the men are good-look­ • Best Community Reporting: “Who ing and all the pirates are aboveKnew? The Homeless Poop, Too,” a average. shocking warning to the commu­ nity that selfish homeless people (Mo Cash) continue to have bowel movements C. Johnson Ocho Cinco Acht Fünf “Cincinnati is a German city, so I’m going with that. I love that chicken dance they do at Oktoberfest every year.” - Chad Acht Fünf H amilton County Sheriff Simon Leis Jr. says he will continue the use of waterboarding at the Justice Center. Waterboarding has decreased disciplinary infractions in the jail and saved the court system money, he says. In its first three months, waterboarding at the jail has prompted 63 confessions leading to felony convictions, saving taxpayers millions of dollars in court costs, according to Leis. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit in U.S. District Court in an effort to stop Leis from waterboarding prisoners, saying the practice is unconstitutional. Leis sneered at the lawsuit. “It was filed by the ACLU,” he said. “That should tell you something right there.” First used by the Inquisition during the Dark Ages and later by the Japanese Army during World War II, waterboarding is considered torture throughout the civilized world. The Bush administration was widely condemned for using waterboarding in the U.S. terror war. President Obama banned waterboarding of prisoners captured by the U.S. military but Leis says that ruling doesn’t apply in domestic criminal cases. “Obama might have taken over the auto industry and the hospitals, but he doesn’t run the Hamilton County Justice Center,” Leis said. “Obama can use his health-care reform to help the little darlings after we’re done with them.” The procedure isn’t as bad as critics make it out, according to the sheriff. “These criminals know what they did,” he said. “It’s just water – it isn’t poison. If a good dousing helps them talk, what’s wrong with that? When did discipline become a bad word?” The only negative impact so far has been a slight increase in the jail’s wa­ ter bill, Leis says. At a Tea Party rally in Western Hills last week, Leis won loud applause when he announced that he has a committee looking into other cost-ef­ fective ways to maintain discipline in the jail and encourage confessions. “You ever heard of the thumbscrew?” Leis said. “Nobody ever died from having their thumbs pinched, but I’ll tell you what: I bet the ACLU would object to that, too. We’re going to do whatever we can to fight crime, and the socialists can go straight to hell.” (Siegfried Heil) Eight Five Will be Eight Five C incinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ocho Cinco, nee Chad Johnson, will soon be known as Chad Acht Fünf. Ocho Cinco recently filed papers in Hamilton County Probate Court to legally change his name again. The move came after he was arrested in Middletown on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant. Ocho Cinco, who was born in Miami, Fla., is African-American. Butler County Sheriff Rich­ ard O. Jones, whose harsh anti-immigrant policies have attracted national attention, defended the arrest of the football star. “A lot of the Mexicans in Cuba are black,” he said. “In Brazil, too. A lot of their Mexicans are black. So that shows we’re not discriminating. It doesn’t matter to me what country they come from. They’re still Mexicans, not Americans. If he just had a regular American name, this wouldn’t have happened in the first place.” Butler County turned Ocho Cinco over to U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.), which released him after 24 hours. An I.C.E. spokesmen said the agency found that Ocho Cinco has some foreign ancestry but is a U.S. citizen. Ocho Cinco means “eight five” in Spanish, a botched translation of his jersey number, 85. Following his arrest, Ocho Cinco released a statement saying he now wants to be known as Chad Acht Fünf. “Cincinnati is a German city, so I’m going with that,” he said. “I love that chicken dance they do at Oktoberfest every year.” Acht Fünf means “eight five” in German, a botched translation of his jersey number, 85. (Bill Cunningman) �STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 5 The Fools of April Council Solves Metropole Controversy C incinnati City Council voted 8-1 to ap­ am. Paradox, is not.” prove $50 gajillion in grants and loans C3PO and its development partner, R2D2 to developers who plan to turn the Metropole Hotels of the out-of-town Louisville Empire, Apartments into a boutique hotel after they hope to use the vast surplus in city coffers to presented Council with “round out” the back­ a plan that would not stage entertainment dis­ “Homeless people, one of you, I trict by catering to drunk only please the current Metropole tenants, but am. State of mind, homelessness white people who think would cure all homeless­ paying obscene prices is. Force, you must use. Give ness in Cincinnati. money, I do; fiscal conservative, I for a 10-year-old Broad­ “It’s simple, really: way touring spectacle am. Paradox, is not.” We’ll just tell them to counts as a night of “go­ - Charlie “Yoda” Winburn Use the Force,” said Ste­ ing to the theater.” phen Leeper, president “I don’t care whatcha of Cincinnati City Center Planned Obsoles­ all do, you can kiss my ass because I’m outta cence (C3PO). here,” Princess Laketa added. Mayor Han Solo “Homeless people, one of you, I am,” said Mallory was doing reconnaissance work in Councilman Charlie “Yoda” Winburn. “State another galaxy. of mind, homelessness is. Force, you must use. Give money, I do; fiscal conservative, I (Leslie G. Whiz) Photo by Bill Haigh. Poetry Corner Berding Proctors Asshole Tax C We Won’t Give Up By chriS Bortz Over there, over there Kill the poor, cut them off, strip them bare Charity proliferation, hurts commercial masturbation So beware, God hates poor prayer. Kill the poor, cut them off, Nobamacare Problems will be over, the Rhine will be Over, And we won't give up until Over-the-Rhine is bare incinnati City Councilman Jeff Berding has revised an idea he proposed last year that would require panhandlers to pay a registration fee and car­ ry a sign when panhandling. “I thought, like many of my constituents, that all the problems of the city were caused by homeless people and others without power,” Berding said last night. “Now I realize the problems of the city are caused by assholes. “Assholes detract from our vibrant city and, some would argue, is one of the major impediments to attracting shoppers, diners and other visitors downtown,” Berding continued, reading from an op-ed he submitted to the Enquirer. “It is an uncomfortable truth, but one we need to face head-on. Enabling assholes is not the answer.” Berding wore a sandwich board saying, “Help me – I am an asshole” that all as­ sholes would be required to wear after registering with the city. In addition to the city asshole tax, Berding said there would be an aggressive billboard campaign to raise awareness of the negative impact assholes have on attracting new business to the region. “Look, I have consistently supported city funding for programs to help the as­ sholes,” Berding said. “Yet we continue to have this problem with assholes in the city, on council, broadcasting on the airwaves and generally telling the world that Cincinnati is a great place for assholes. Compassionate treatment means helping those in need – not enabling further destructive behavior. “It’s time to wipe out the assholes,” Berding concluded, smiling as he pointed to his sign. (Sarah Palor) Want more Streetvibes? Check out the StreetvibeS blog http://streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes vendors keep 75% of sales. Consider helping Streetvibes with our publication costs by making a tax-deductible donation or by purchasing a subscription. Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell it for $1, keeping the 75 cent profit. Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” I want to support Streetvibes and the vendors. $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: E-mail: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �6 Local News STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 Too Many Prisoners, Little Justice continued from page 1 going to challenge the popular focus of only giving weight to crime and victims, exclud­ ing the perpetrators. Such a radical departure from the “The politicization of crime current punishment meant is really disturbing to me, mentality and I think we all owe it to sparks were bound ourselves, to our children, to fly, and they did. to our grandchildren to put Posing the challenge to think differently the brakes on that.” were Terry Collins, - David Singleton recently retired head of the Ohio Depart­ ment of Rehabilitation and Correction, and David Singleton, executive director of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, with much disagreement from Delaware County Pros­ ecutor David Yost. Marianna Brown Bettman, a professor of clinical law at the University of Cincinnati and former Ohio appeals judge, moder­ ated the discussion. It began with the most pressing bottom line – money. Politicizing crime “Currently we spend close to $2 billion on Ohio’s prison system – money that the Co­ lumbus Dispatch recently editorialized isn’t going to schools, hospitals, libraries, parks, highways or health care,” Bettman said. “Ac­ cording to … the Dayton Daily News, prison populations are at 130 percent capacity in Ohio. If existing policies remain unchanged … the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction predicts the prison popula­ tion will rise 11 percent in the next decade. The cost to accommodate that increase will be $925 million annually … which is on top of the already existing costs.” Bettman said that State Rep. Bill Seitz (RGreen Township) has proposed a prisonreform bill, Senate Bill 22, to address this record-breaking increase in the number of people behind bars. Seitz says he is mov­ ing forward because, in his mother’s words, “You can’t put 10 pounds into a five-pound bag.” The Council of State’s Justice Center has been commissioned to collect data on Ohio’s criminal-justice system and develop solutions. If they talk with Collins, they’ll save a lot of time and cash, because he can tell lawmakers, based on firsthand experience, what he and a vast body of research already show. “The fact of the matter is when some­ one comes to the state prison system, they’ve got 90 days to do, they look at the staff … and say, ‘I don’t care about you. I don’t care about your programs because, guess what? I’m going home in 90 days, and there’s nothing you can do about it unless I commit a new felony.’ Coming to the prison system for just a few days does not work. “We have a lot of people in the state pris­ on system that should never get out. I will never argue that, but there’s a whole lot of other people who could be served in different, alternative options that would probably be far less expensive and much more productive and create a better rate of return for normal society.” Singleton used S.B. 22 as an example to illustrate how the exploding prison popula­ tion and unsuccessful policies have failed to achieve safer communities. He said the bill, proposed by a Republican, “narrowly passed” the Senate and is now being held up in the house by Democratic politicians who fear being “painted as soft on crime,” in part for showing support for the early re­ lease of some prisoners. He described those people who would qualify for this release as low-level, non- violent offenders whose release would help alleviate overcrowding and change the makeup of the prison population. “These issues ought not to be as political as they are,” Singleton said. “If I ever hear another politician say, ‘I’m tough on crime,’ I don’t know what I’m going to do. None of us like crime in our community. I’ve got a daughter, I’ve got a wife – I want them to be safe. I want to be safe. I want all of you to be safe. We have that in common. When we talk about ‘tough on crime,’ that’s just the rheto­ ric that pushes people’s buttons and allows us to … fall asleep at the switch where we go along with policies and laws that wound up exploding the prison population. “The politicization of crime is really dis­ turbing to me, and I think we all owe it to ourselves, to our children, to our grandchil­ dren to put the brakes on that.” (See “8 Min­ utes Behind Bars,” Page 3.) Batting .620 Yost stepped in to challenge Singleton’s assertion that the growing number of peo­ ple in prison is a bad thing. “The criminal-justice system is supposed to be about punishing the people that ac­ tually commit crimes and deterring other people who are similarly situation from do­ ing that,” he said. “What we ought to do is decide what people we need to lock up. … But at the end of the day this notion that sheer numbers should dictate our penal policy is absurd. We should figure out who needs to be locked up, who needs to be off the streets and then we should figure out a way to have them off the street. “What we’re talking about here tonight is rationing prison beds. The first function of government is public safety. Before we educate, before we medicate, we need to have safe streets and make sure there’s an ordered framework for liberty where we can all be safe and raise our families.” Yost offered no proof of his statement that punishment serves as a deterrent or that the growing number of people being incarcerated promotes public safety. “I don’t think our current approach is get­ ting us public safety,” Singleton said. “What we wind up having is a revolving door where we’re not really rehabilitating people Queen City. It’s all about perspective, and that’s what Collins wanted to add to the dis­ cussion about numbers. “To get people’s attention, you got to talk about numbers – 130 percent capacity, $1.7 billion budget,” he said. “When you talk re­ habilitation, 62 percent of the people who leave the state prison system don’t return. If I’m playing baseball and I hit .620, guess where I’m going to be? I’m going to be in the Hall of Fame. “But I don’t have anybody standing on the street corner saying, ‘I’m an ex-convict and I’m doing well.’ But let somebody do bad and it’s all over every paper across the country. I believe we can punish people without putting everybody in prison. I think we have to start thinking differently about what we do with individuals who break the law and what type of punishment do they get.” Collins wants the beds behind bars re­ served for “the worst of the worst” and al­ ways have space available for the people who should never leave prison. Closing debtors prison People who fail to pay child support oc­ cupy 750 beds in Ohio prisons. The illogic of throwing someone in jail for not making payments, which eliminates the possibility of keeping a job and fulfilling his commit­ ment, wasn’t lost on the panel. All agreed that alternatives are needed. In an effort to experiment with an alter­ native to prison for child-support violators, Collins helped implement a pilot program. Seven Ohio counties served as test sites. The success rate was astounding – an in­ crease of payment collection of more than 70 percent. “We went into seven different counties and said, ‘Don’t send those people to pris­ on,’ knowing that there’s some of them that need to come to prison but there’s more of them who don’t,” Collins said. “If you keep them in a job and make them pay their sup­ port and give intensive supervision … it’s a win-win situation to me because the chil­ dren were getting what they needed, the state prison system didn’t get somebody they didn’t need.” Yost agreed with this alternative ap­ proach. “How about instead of sentencing “I don’t get an incentive to take a shower. them to felony, we sentence them in­ stead to a first-degree misdemeanor I just like myself better and the way I smell and give them a 180-day sentence if I do take a shower. We shouldn’t have to to be served two days at a time?” he incentivize people to behave well.” said. “When you get paid, you show --Delaware County Prosecutor David Yost up to child-support enforcement agency, you make your payment and in prison. Some people may be beyond re- you go home and have your weekend. But habilitation, but there are some who should if you don’t make your payment, we’re not be rehabilitated, and we’re not focusing on going to put you in prison – we’re going to that. take you to jail on Friday night and you’re “They come home, they’re worse off, they going to stay there. … On Monday morning commit more crime. And I also agree that at 6 a.m. we’re going to roust you out of the we ought to decide who needs to be locked bunk. We’re going to throw you out the front up as a community and, yeah, the numbers door and say, ‘Go to work. Next paycheck, alone don’t dictate that. I wasn’t saying that. please pay your child support or we’re go­ My point is that our vision of who should ing to have another weekend.’ No fishing, be locked up is skewed by fear. … If we, as no hunting, no drinking beers, no football, a community, we let fear drive our policy, no hanging out with your buddies on the then we’re not going to lock up the right weekend. I’ll bet if you lost three or four or people. We’re going to over-incarcerate, and five of those weekends running, you’d start at the end of the day, that’s not helpful to to get the idea that you’d have to pay your community safety.” child support.” Singleton pointed to sensational crimes such as shootings highlighted in television ‘A better way’ news as a case in point of how a narrow sampling of crime “distorts our picture of Yost assumed that most people not paywhat’s actually going on.” He said, after liv­ ing child support have the kind of jobs and ing in New York and Washington, D.C., Cin­ disposable income to engage in sports cinnati has “got nothing” compared to poor and drink responsibly. He acknowledged areas in those cities, yet many people tell contributing factors him they don’t feel safe downtown in the such as addiction that See Justice, p. 10 �STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 Column Poverty and Grief 7 All suffer, but especially the poor 1 A few years ago a friend helped make was not just a place of fond memories of hot a video that documented the clos­ chocolate or old jokes about the intestinal ing of a White Castle restaurant in consequences of too many sliders. It was a Louisville. The restaurant stood at a corner place of genuine refuge. To these folks, poor where the bus lines crossed, and it had been and working-class people, mostly Africana popular place. It had been an institution for American, the White Castle at the crossroads years and served all sorts of people. I don’t re­ was a place of warmth in the winter, shelter call why it was closing, but I think it had to from the summer sun, the source of a hasty do with knocking the building down to make meal between jobs, a community hearth way for condos or corporate offices. where friends could meet. While those inside (What makes me say that? Do we ever go took part in a countdown to a midnight clos­ the other way? Do ing, a woman stood outwe ever knock down side and lamented, “What corporate offices are we gonna do now?” to make way for afHer image and her quesfordable housing for tion have remained fresh working families? in my mind for over 20 By Michael henson Does eminent do­ years. I’m not sure where main ever take over the line is between nostal­ a condominium at gia and grief, but I know half its value in order to build a school? Do I that what this woman felt was grief. Her loss even need to ask?) was real. The tone of the film was mostly upbeat. Interlaced with a countdown to a midnight * * * * * closing, the film’s producers interviewed a range of people for whom the White Castle Gwendolyn Brooks, in her poem, “Beverly restaurant had been a part of their lives. They Hills, Chicago,” tells of a carload of people interviewed businessmen and bus drivers, from the inner city who drive through an ex­ neighborhood characters, waitresses and a pensive suburb. The trip causes the poet to crew of Catholic high school students, one of ponder life and death and the difference be­ whom had prepared a rap for the occasion. tween life and death for the poor and life and It was a humorous rap. There was a lot of death for the wealthy. humor and a lot of light-hearted nostalgia. . . . . Not that anybody is saying that these Perhaps as a parody of the Ingmar Bergman people have no trouble. film, The Seventh Seal, a marathon chess Merely that it is trouble with a gold-flecked game ran in the parking lot. There was a lot of beautiful banner. laughter, a lot of celebration. Nobody is saying that these people do not But I remember also that there was a coun­ ultimately cease to be. And ter-current, visible on one side of the class Sometimes their passings are even more line but not on the other, a current of anger painful than ours. and grief. It is just that so often they live till their hair To some, the White Castle at the crossroads is white. ammered H They make excellent corpses, among the expensive flowers. I believe that the further we look down the economic scale, the more often and the more intensely we see grief. I do not mean to say that the rich don’t ex­ perience pain and loss. As Brooks points out in her poem, grief is built into life, no matter what your economic status. What I do mean, and what I think Brooks means, is that, for the poor, loss is more fre­ quent, more sudden and unpredictable, more likely to be violent, more often preventable and all the more painful for that. If you are poor, you’re more likely to see those around you die young, go to prison, disappear, dis­ locate, isolate. Connections across time and distance cost money. So even if the loss is not due to an early and preventable death, even if it is only that the loved one has had to mi­ grate to look for work, the loss is more likely to be permanent. The poor are more likely to lose children – to death, imprisonment, foster care and other official and non-official displacement – than their more wealthy counterparts. The work­ ing poor are more likely to suffer a careerending injury, so that the job that gave them a respite from the worst of poverty returns them to poverty with a vengeance. Those who go to prison suffer intense grief. They lose years from their lives. Children take their first steps, parents die, lovers discard them. … All sorts of losses can and do hap­ pen during the years of a sentence. No one disputes that everyone experiences grief and loss. The poor simply lose more, lose earlier, lose more painfully and lose more of­ ten. Intensified grief is one more example of how poverty is not simply a financial incon­ venience. It is a wound to the spirit. Michael Henson is author of Ransack, A Small Room with Trouble on My Mind, The Tao of Longing and Crow Call. Vendor Voice Street Life You’ve got to keep moving By riccardo taylor StreetvibeS vendor T he last time we were walking, we went on a stroll. Well, it’s good that we get to spend a little time together. Let’s walk and talk. Or better yet, let’s stroll and let me do the talking. Street life, not to get it twisted, is not the only life I know or understand. However, for the sake of explanation, you just listen and again I will do the talking. Just after midday we are on our way. Watch­ ing, listening to the sounds of the street. Voices raised in the heat of the beat that makes the street life move. Listening with your eyes and seeing with your ears, not much will get past you. It’s about being attentive to everything going on around you. Waiting for your opportunity to get in on some action. OK, enough schooling. Let’s get in the mix. Most days start out the same, though we don’t know how they will end. Nonetheless, starting out with little or no money, you have to come up with a bustle. For some of us, that can mean an honest day’s work, but for others it can be some deceitful move, playing some con game or engaging in some petty theft. Still, we all have the same objective in mind, getting those few dollars to see us through the day. Whichever option you use to get paid, one thing is for sure: You have to make something sleepers. In the life of the streets, everything is happen. We can cut to the chase. For me, trick­ a job. No vacations, no layoffs and most impor­ ery, theft or panhandling is not an option, tant, no giving up. The consistency of struggle so I revert to my norm, which is selling a few soon becomes routine. Sometimes it becomes Streetvibes, checking a few businesses to see if so much so that we are lost in its reality, miss­ they have something for me to do to earn a few ing an opportunity to get out of it. The feelings dollars or perhaps doing a little scrapping of of helplessness and hopelessness far outweigh meals. The least of my desires, but the misery that is part of the I know that there are always a few reality – in such a fashion that cans to gather or some discarded One thing is for this becomes the norm, and it meal to be found. becomes easy, almost essential sure: there is no Usually when you have your idleness in the life of for a person to just accept it. thoughts and ideas in the proper the street. Relaxing If you watch the faces, you see frame, things will come to you. Yeah, that abandonment. The actions is standing on the it takes a lot of effort at times, but tell you that this one or that one corner. Luxury is patience pays off. Well, we are sure hanging in the park. is lost in the ways of the street, to come up if we put in the time. often without the possibility of Every wakening One thing is for sure: there is no return to the mainstream. moment is being idleness in the life of the street. Re­ Yeah, well, we’ll stroll on. Up on the move. Body laxing is standing on the corner. the block, we cannot be fazed tired, mind racing, Luxury is hanging in the park. Every too much. The reality is that it’s one foot after the wakening moment is being on the better them than me. other beating the move. Body tired, mind racing, one Though I walk with some concrete. foot after the other beating the con­ compassion I fully understand crete. that the subjectivity is in stride During the summer we sweat without relief, with me, so I keep that glimmer, that belief that and in winter we freeze. Hands and feet cold, just a block or two away there is that possibility there’s nothing happening here, so we step to of help to lift me from the grips of the street, the next block. The consistency of movement is that hope that things will get better, so we’ll our guarantee that we will come up with some­ stroll another day. thing. Perhaps we can see what’s happening after Everybody knows that only dreams come to dark on our next stroll. Talk with you then. �8 STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 Artwork By Anne Skove By Anthony Williams ! ? t ha W y Sa ___________________ “Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities, has the power to make you commit injustices.” - Voltaire �STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 9 Book Review The Insufferably Atheist Buddhist Self-absorption by any other name By david heitField Contributing Writer L. Ron Hubbard was the most highly regarded in­ tellectual of his day, proven by his award-winning fiction and legions of celebrity followers, who with am glad I belong to a religion that wor­ their fame and wealth only followed the most ad­ ships a tree,” Stephen Batchelor writes in mired? his new book, Confession of a Buddhist Parts of the book are brilliant and engrossing – Atheist. his reconstruction of the actual person of Gotama Maybe that explains the Pew Research Study ear­ versus the myth of the king’s son who was sheltered lier this year that suggests while President Obama's from life until he escaped and saw people suffering election has possibly led to more acceptance of in­ is well worth reading. But by the end of the book, terracial marriages – 64 percent of African-Amer­ the whole thing seems as aimless as the middleicans and 71 percent of Hispanics would accept aged author regards much of his life. a child's marriage to a white, and 80 percent of Maybe it’s me, or maybe I’m just burned out on whites would accept a marriage to either – fully 7 of this New Atheist literature, which is more interest­ 10 Americans would not at all be happy about little ed in bashing religion as the root of all evil than in Michelle marrying an atheist. making cogent arguments about the existence of And considering that U.S. Rep. Pete Stark (D- God. The logic seems to be this: 1) 9/11 was an evil Calif.) is the only professed atheist in the history act caused by crazy fundamentalists; 2) We can’t of Congress, it's a pretty safe bet we'll see a female just blame Muslim fundamentalists, because that president, an Hispanic president and perhaps even would be politically incorrect; 3) Therefore, all reli­ a canine president before we ever see an atheist gions are responsible for all evil acts. president. Hitchens writes a blurb Of course, this might say praising Batchelor’s new book, While Batchelor seems very more about the institution of which is a little odd, consider­ marriage and that lack of rep­ ing that Hitchens had nothing sincere in his story-telling, it resentation in our representa­ does give one pause as to how nice to say about Buddhism in tional democracy than it does his book, calling it the sleep of far he was willing to sell out about the number of practic­ reason and Buddhists them­ to become one of the “cool” ing atheists. Church atten­ selves as mindless (and not in intellectuals of the moment. dance continues its downward a good way). While Batchelor trend in America, as the corol­ seems very sincere in his sto­ lary number of people who do not identify with any ry-telling, it does give one pause as to how far he religion rises. was willing to sell out to become one of the “cool” One could define theism as the old-school top- intellectuals of the moment. He does, in fact, do the down structure, in line with patriarchy – rules, mor­ deed that seems to be required for initiation to the als, life and meaning come from the top, the core club: He positively bashes his Tibetan lama teach­ of conservative authoritarian belief. The anti-the­ ers as fundamentalist idiots who were too rigid and ists believe the opposite, that the bottom-up order stupid to let go of little things such as reincarnation defines our existence, with meaning found at the or karma, when any thinking European Caucasian sub-atomic level, if anywhere. Naturalism is the can clearly see such ideas are silly. dominant liberal orthodoxy that many conserva­ Batchelor’s story is one of a man who abandons tives rail against in the academic community, but what he sees as sophistic inauthenticity, only to naturalism is no longer limited to liberals. Liber­ find what he sees as dogmatism, to arrive at the tarians and neoconservatives have been identified dogmatic sophistry practiced by the New Atheists. with the Brights movement, created to promote a It is part autobiography, part travelogue, part West­ naturalistic world view, including Penn & Teller, ern philosophy, part reading of the Pali Canon, part James Randi and Steven Pinker. revisionist history and part revisionist history of The atheism thing has gotten confusing, to say someone else’s revisionist history. the least. The ideas are not only jumbled, but he seems to miss his best opportunities for expanded stories. L. Ron Buddha Two examples: One, he talks about a version of the Pali Canon written by a man who was not only not a And so, spurred by the 9/11 attacks, we’ve had a Buddhist, but worked for a Nazi think tank explor­ coming-out party for atheists, who’ve written best­ ing the idea that the Buddha was of “good Aryan selling books that have inspired many to loudly stock.” While the Nazis were measuring Tibetan spout off about how anyone who believes in any skulls to see if they fit the mold, they were also de­ religion is functionally illiterate. They’re ironically ciding that the Pali Canon preserved the true Aryan known as the four horsemen of atheism: God Is Not spirit: Aristocratic, anti-spiritual, anti-evolutionist Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by neocon­ and (my favorite) “manly.” Not only does Batche­ servative journalist Christopher Hitchens, The End lor tell you nothing more about that, but he sorta of Faith: Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason leaves you thinking … What? This is the Pali Canon by Buddhist/Hindu sympathizer Sam Harris, The you’re placing all your prayer beads in as the one God Delusion by evolutionary biologist Richard and true Buddha? And you call the Tibetans nuts? Dawkins and Breaking the Spell: Religion as a NatuThe other story he doesn't flesh out has to do ral Phenomenon by philosopher Daniel Dennett. with his four years in a Zen monastery in Korea, Karmically flying into that self-congratulatory where he went after he started getting disillusioned pile is Batchelor, a former Tibetan and Zen monk, with Tibetan ideology. The story of his time in Ko­ a self-described Boomer hippie who traveled to rea is rather short – Zen was considered inferior in India to escape his horrible suburban existence in ideology by the Tibetans (Zen was outlawed in Tibet England in search of enlightenment. I greatly ad­ in the eighth century), so he accepted that at face mired his earlier book, Buddhism Without Beliefs, value, even though he couldn’t swallow the reincar­ a meditation of sorts on an agnostic Buddhism. nation stuff. But he liked the meditation better, and Now, however, he argues for what he calls “secular he was falling in love with his translator, who would Buddhism” and uses the Pali Canon, written sev­ soon become his wife, and he would have to dis­ eral hundred years after the death of Siddhattha robe in order to marry, so that was about all he had Gotama, stripped of what he deems to be biased to say about Zen. commentaries and things Gotama probably didn’t But he teases about some of the monks who had or shouldn’t have said, to show that the Buddha to go through mandatory military training and himself agrees with him. how they had no problem killing or dying for their If you are thinking Jeffersonian Bible and His­ country and thought Batchelor to be something of torical Jesus, I think you’re onto something. The a coward for being a pacifist. And then he explained problem I have with that reconstruction process is, how the first brutal South Korean dictators after in our lifetime, when have we ever seen a religious the war were Buddhists, while the first democratic movement built around the sane and rational? Will reformed-minded president was a Catholic – and scholars 500 years from now uncover evidence that again, a great story begging to be explored that goes “I nowhere. Dr. Phil, but enlightened Much of the book is just hard to read; and un­ like his earlier book, I don’t think it was because it required reflection. “What really matters is inner spiritual experi­ ence, which, by definition, consists of irreducibly private states of mind,” he insufferably writes in his chapter on embracing suffering. “Rather than dis­ miss the self as a fiction, Gotama presented it as a project to be realized. By ‘self’ he referred not to the transcendent Self of the brahmins, which, by defi­ nition, cannot be anything other than what it eter­ nally Is, but the functional, mortal self that breathes and acts in the world.” I’ll admit my knowledge of Buddhism is limited, but I believe that Is bullshit. If I understand correct­ ly – and I'm not at all sure that I do – atheist Gota­ ma wants you to practice self-development (even though you have no reason to). Atheist Gotama is a 2,500-year-old Dr. Phil. And it goes on like that. His long descriptions of the suffering in life made me scream out, “Dude, just read Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. It’s much briefer but more poetic and makes the same point that life is vain and meaningless, doo-dah, doo-dah.” Nothing new under the sun there. In fact, what Batchelor says we are left of the Buddha’s teaching, after stripping out the evil Hin­ du and other religious influences, are something like the 4 Ps of self-actualization: 1) The principle of “this-conditionality, conditioned arising”; 2) The process of the Four Noble Truths; 3) The practice of mindful awareness; 4) The power of self-reliance. Which I translate as: The only principle is sub­ jective relativism, and Truth is a process by which, through meditation, we learn to be completely selfabsorbed. How does one write a meditation on existential­ ism, religion and faith with barely a nod to Soren Kierkegaard? (Kierkegaard was a Danish 19th Cen­ tury Christian apologist regarded as the “father” of existentialism. He of the infamous “leap of faith,” which postulates that “faith” and “doubt” are insep­ arable; indeed, “faith” without “doubt” isn’t faith at all, but the mark of a Sarah Palin supporter.) Instead, he seems to wholly adopt Sartre’s view that any form of faith is an act of intellectual dishon­ esty. That’s French existentialist Jean Paul Sartre, he of the “Man is condemned to be free” school, a po­ sition I daresay modern behavioralists and neuro­ scientists would take umbrage at, if we’re gonna be scientific about it. Sartre also famously said, “Hell is other people,” inspiring generations of nihilistic alcoholics and addicts and, yes, ex-hippies who ran to India and found nothing of lasting import, out­ side of maybe worshiping a tree. �10 STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 Housing Issues Advocacy Pays Dividends Research shows the value of supporting advocacy organizations By Michelle Dillingham Contributing Writer E arlier this year I wrote about what advocacy is, and how an organized advocacy group like Affordable Housing Advo­ cates (AHA) can help your own advocacy. In this issue, I cover a research report that demonstrates that supporting advocacy actu­ ally results in increased community reinvestment. The Los Angeles Times article, “Getting More Back from Giving,” reports how researchers in Los Angeles County from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy collected data from 2004­ 2008 from 15 groups engaged in fighting poverty, improvThe 15 advocacy groups spent $75.5 ing health and education, de­ million over four years and generated fending minorities and other nearly $6.89 billion in benefits to resi- causes. A couple examples of dents. From this data, the Los Angeles these groups were: • InnerCity Struggle camTimes deduced that “for every dollar invested in the work of a selection of paigned for the construction of two new schools in East Los advocacy groups, there was $91 in benefits to local residents.” Clearly, a Angeles at a cost of $299 million. The first is set to open in good return on investment. fall 2010. • The Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and other groups helped persuade state leg­ islators not to abolish programs that provide food, cash and medical aid to legal immigrants. The 15 advocacy groups spent $75.5 million over four years and generated nearly $6.89 billion in benefits to residents. From this data, the Los Angeles Times deduced that “for every dollar invested in the work of a selection of advocacy groups, there was $91 in benefits to local residents.” Clearly, a good return on investment. As I write, my husband yells at March Madness basketball upstairs while I yell at the Senate vote on health-care reform downstairs. Soon thereafter, health-care reform has passed and President Obama ad­ dresses the nation. He assures us this historic change would not have been possible without community organizing “from the ground up,” that it would never have happened from the “top-down”. The “ground up” is what advocacy is about, and this remarkable change in health­ care policy again reinforces the argument of why organized advocacy efforts should be funded. Affordable Housing Advocates (AHA) had a membership drive ear­ lier this year, and some cited their inability to pay membership fees were due to the economic recession. Advocacy, like training and mar­ keting, is one of those costs that organizations tend to cut first in hard times. Another advocacy group that relies on membership dues is the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, an organization sup­ ported exclusively by contributions – and look at the immeasurable impact their advocacy has had. One example of an effort they led was the fight to retain human-services funding in the city budget. This funding was saved in the city budget in part because of the legislative monitoring, testimonies made before city council and the coordinat­ ed advocacy of the coalition and other non-profit agencies. AHA’s policy agenda for this year has highlighted legislative moni­ toring and public education on affordable housing issues as important initiatives for this year. We recognize that an essential part of advocacy is first educating. It is education about affordable-housing issues for those who oppose it. Also, it is educating supporters who might not be sophisticated enough to advocate in a compelling way. Simply put, I cannot make the case for affordable housing unless I have accurate information about the positive effects of affordable housing. I need to be armed with “myth-busting” information to counter those same old arguments – “not in my backyard.” When AHA receives funding, we can continue to invest in publiceducation initiatives that will ultimately support our mission: to fur­ ther the creation, retention and accessibility of affordable housing in our community. The research report cited above tells us that advoca­ cy has a positive impact on dollars being reinvested in communities. Take-home lesson? Support your local advocacy organization! Too Many Prisoners, Little Justice continued from page 6 plague much of the prison population, but he never acknowledged that the ability to address these issues and move toward noncriminal activity was part of the process of keeping communities safe. At one point he employed the dismis­ sive rhetoric used by many who see prison reform as a waste of time because some people are simply unworthy of attention, and anything beyond punishment is a priv­ ilege. “There is free will and “We in this state have a thing autonomy and many, that your debt to society has never been paid – that when you many, many go to prison and you get out of people will prison, your second chance ain’t not success­ fully be re­ your second chance.” habilitated,” --Terry Collins Yost said. “Re­ habilitation and drug treatment need to be an opportu­ nity and not the primary focus because you can’t fix people that don’t want to be fixed.” He disagreed that it is necessary to give inmates incentives to make changes in their lives to avoid returning to prison. “I don’t get an incentive to take a shower,” he said. “I just like myself better and the way I smell if I do take a shower. We shouldn’t have to incentivize people to behave well, to get treatment for your addiction. If you recognize that you’ve got an addiction, you ought to get out of it. If you recognize that you don’t have an education, you ought to take advantage of the opportunity that’s available. … “I do agree that we do have a sub-popu­ lation of people that require mental-health treatment, and of course they should be treated. I think the constitution does re­ quire that, just the same as if a prisoner has a heart attack, we’re going to take them to the hospital even if they’re a heinous mur­ derer. We also have things that are in place, for example, in my county, we have a mental-health docket. For lower level felonies, we are bringing these folks into court on a regular basis, they are being supervised and linked up to services in the community, and there’s been some success with that. “But let’s not make any mistake about it. We have mentally ill people among us inside and outside the prisons. And that is not a reason to relieve them of responsibility of their actions or to ignore the threat that they may pose to society. We need to recog­ nize that there are limits to our treatment and limits to our compassion.” Toward the end of the panel discussion, the moderator took questions from the au­ dience. Collins provided the best summary of the entire discussion. “There has to be a better way than what we’re currently working in this state,” he said. “People have chastised me, saying, ‘You’re saying let everyone out of prison.’ I’ve never said that in my life. … I never said, ‘Open the doors and let anybody out.’ I did say we should have earned credit. I did say we should give people incentives for peo­ ple to get education, to get drug treatment and do the things that will keep them out of prison because it reduces recidivism. “The reality of the matter is the bigger problem is not who comes to prison. It’s what happens when they leave prison, be­ cause we in this state have a thing that your debt to society has never been paid – that when you go to prison and you get out of prison, your second chance ain’t your second chance.” Call 513-421-7803 x11 to learn about Streetvibes subscriptions �STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 Music Review Remembering Alex Chilton 11 A legend known to few, a master of his own song 1 By Paul koPP Contributing Writer R Through various line-up changes, with Chilton and Stephens as the only constant members, they recorded three albums between 1971 and 1974. Though at the time of their formation Big Star was virtu­ ally unknown, there was a re­ surgence of interest in their music in the 1980s, which led to an almost cult-like follow­ ing for Chilton. Rolling Stone eventually put all three of Big Star’s albums in its top 500 greatest albums of all time. The story of Chilton and Big Star was a case of bad tim­ ing and complex and conflict­ ing personalities. The group’s name – taken from a chain of local convenience stores – and titles of their first two albums (#1 Record and Radio City) are sadly ironic considering the history surrounding them. Naming their first album #1 Record was clearly a joke by the band, maybe a half-heart­ ed attempt to coax the myste­ rious ways of pop culture in Alex Chilton. their favor. It also could have been Chilton letting the world know that he really didn’t care about mainstream success. If the band were going to become a hit, it was go­ ing to be on their own terms. #1 Record was recorded by producer John Fry at Memphis’s Ardent Studios and was released on the famed Stax Records. Though it might not have mattered to Chilton, all the elements were in place to break the band. Instead the album suffered from poor distribution and promo­ tion, despite positive critical reviews. Tension between band members and disappointment with the failure of the album led Bell to leave in 1972. Bell died in a car crash in 1978, and his ock musician Alex Chilton died March 17 of a heart attack. Chilton was best known as the front man of The Box Tops and Big Star, two groups he formed in his hometown of Memphis in the 1960s and 1970s. He later went on to a solo career, releasing nu­ merous albums over the past three decades. You might not know who Chilton is, but he should have been a bona fide rock star, in ranks with John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger. Instead he became an underground in­ die-rock icon, a mystical figure to a generation of record store rats who discovered his music long after it was made. Countless musicians and bands that went on to achieve much greater fame and recog­ nition than he ever did praised his work. The list of his followers includes REM, Ryan Adams, Elliott Smith, Wilco and many more. The Re­ placements even had a song titled “Alex Chil­ ton” with a chorus that says, “Children by the millions scream for Alex Chilton.” This lyric might have been a somewhat lov­ ingly ironic jab at the fact that Chilton, despite his incredible gift as a songwriter, never quite broke into mainstream American pop culture. As a tribute, it is fitting. What one realizes after studying Chilton and his career is that he prob­ ably never really wanted to be a star. He just wanted to be a musician and to have the free­ a time. The solo albums he released sounded dom to explore his own creativity. In today’s nothing like Big Star and were filled with ob­ world of pop culture excess, he was a true origi­ scure R & B covers and original songs with titles nal in that respect, especially as it would have like “Bangkok” and “No Sex.” They sounded lo­ been so easy for him to cash in on his talents. fi and edgy. Some songs sounded unfinished Discussing Chilton’s life is somewhat diffi­ and sparse but that added to their beauty. It cult, because little is known about his personal seemed he cut them in one take to capture life beyond his history as a songwriter and mu­ the energy of the moment, which worked. It sician. This is partly due to the innovative songs was like he was trapping pure rock ’n’ roll in its he will forever be associated with, as well as his most natural state. individual spirit that made his music possible. When revived interest in Big Star became ap­ The closest Chilton got to fame was with The parent, Chilton initially shied away from the at­ Box Tops in 1967, when they topped the charts tention. He was always interested in following with a song called “The Letter.” He was 16 at his own artistic direction, and because of that the time. Chilton’s instant success with he kept his integrity and legendary sta­ the group at such a young age might have tus. He could have sold out and jumped opened his eyes to the loss of freedom It seems that through all Chilton went through on the bandwagon of his old band’s new­ and integrity a musician sometimes faces found success, but he did the exact op­ in his life and career, he almost took on the when thrust into the limelight so quickly. mentality of a Buddhist monk, shunning attention posite. For him, it was a thing of the past. Based on the direction his career took, he It seems that through all Chilton went and accolades, keeping to himself and living obviously did not enjoy this, nor was he spontaneously and simply. He was at peace with in his life and career, he almost took on willing to play the game. the mentality of a Buddhist monk, shun­ his creative vision, and that’s all that mattered. After The Box Tops disbanded, he ning attention and accolades, keeping formed Big Star in 1971. The group in­ to himself and living spontaneously and cluded local Memphis Boys’ guitarist simply. He was at peace with his creative Chris Bell, bassist Andy Hummel and drummer own solo work wasn’t released until 1992’s I Am vision, and that’s all that mattered. In a New Jody Stephens. The band’s musical persuasion the Cosmos. York Times piece following his death, Paul was keenly grounded in their appreciation for The fate of Big Star’s second release, Radio Westerberg, Replacements leader and Chilton’s the classic British pop acts of the 1960s. What City, was similar. By the time they began re­ friend, remarked that the last time he saw Chil­ made them so interesting was the unique en­ cording their third album, Hummel had also ton, Chilton said that he had been living in a ergy and seeming innocence they crafted into left the group. That album, Third/Sister Lovers, tent in Tennessee. timeless pop anthems. Initially each member was considered too un-commercial for release In 1993 he reformed Big Star with Stephens contributed their own songs as well as collabo­ by Columbia, which held distribution rights to and two members of The Posies, bassist Ken rating and sharing vocal duties, including some Stax Records. It did not see release until 1978, Stringfellow and guitarist Jon Auer. They have amazing harmonies, but Chilton was their un­ when the group had already been disbanded released several live albums and studio album official leader – a title he probably wouldn’t for four years. In Space in 2005 as well as sporadically playing agree with. No doubt because of Big Star’s relative ob­ live shows. They were scheduled to play at this In Big Star’s early work, Chilton wrote lyrics scurity, they developed such a dedicated fan year’s SXSW. Instead Chilton’s remaining band about adolescent romance, teenage rebellion base over the years. Those who discover their members, and others, including Mike Mills of and angst but he did it in such a form, with music feel as if they are being let into a part of a REM, performed a tribute concert of all Big Star grace and attitude, that had never been done secret society, thinking, “How could music this songs. before or since. If anyone else would have sung good not be huge?” Fortunately, we still have his music, and fans his lyrics, it might have sounded trite and su­ That element of enigmatic energy carried will continue to be initiated into the secret so­ perficial. But his delivery struck a balance be­ over into knowledge of Chilton’s personal life ciety of Alex Chilton and Big Star for years to tween perfect harmony and the brash sincer­ as well. In the 1980s he moved to New Orleans come. ity of someone with a sensitive but hardened and kept a low profile working manual labor soul. to get by and often quitting music for years at If you like what you read, but don’t live in the Cincinnati area, you can subscribe to Streetvibes. Call us at 513-421-7803 x 12 to learn more about subscribing to Streetvibes. �12 Local News STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 The Poetry of Survival Holly Parker’s victory over abuse By valerie FeSSler Contributing Writer S ix children, 10 grandchildren, a book, abstract paintings and published poems. These are the many accomplishments of a woman beaten, bruised and raped before she had even reached dou­ ble digits in age. Holly Parker, a.k.a. Huniie, uses poetry and art to express her experiences as a young girl in an abusive household, a young woman in abusive relationships and a mother who has learned about self-worth. She has published some of her work in Streetvibes. Parker, 47, was born in Burlington, N.C. When she was 9 years old, her father and her mother raped her. Her mother used her as the reward to keep her father from cheating. This cycle continued for four more years. As the oldest of five children, Parker feels as though she was the “sacrifice” to her parents. Holly Parker. Photo by Vinit Murthy. At 13 years old, Parker courageously approached a counselor at school to explain the situation at home. She had always been afraid to tell someone because her parents threatened her. Parker was taken to the hospital and mentally and emotionally abused her. He is now deceased. found to be pregnant. The pregnancy was aborted by the hospital “Going through abuse growing up, you think that’s love,” Parker because her father was the baby’s father. says. Soon after, Parker was placed in the foster care system and a trial She had one child during her next relationship, but the man of­ against her parents for child abuse, molestation and rape ensued. ten cheated on her and was verbally abusive. Her sixth child was “The court prosecutor told me I was a slut and a whore, and it born to a man who left her while she was pregnant. was my fault because my clothes were too tight and too short,” Parker moved to Cincinnati in 2008 and “learned what love was.” Parker says. “Of course they were too small; they were hand-me­ She began to love herself, she says. downs.” In her book, Help with Your Inner Garden, Parker takes readers Her father was sentenced to 25 years in prison, but was paroled through a journey of exploration into the soul of a woman and after serving only 15 years. Her mother was never convicted. teaches them that growth is a lifelong process. Between the ages of 13 and 17, Parker was moved to numerous In April, Parker’s poem, “God, No, I Screamed” will be featured foster homes and orphanages in North Carolina and Virginia. Dur­ in an online magazine, The Village Griot, at www.thevilliagegriot. ing these years she again experienced the horrors of rape. One of com. her foster fathers raped her. Parker uses poetry, abstract art and spoken word to share her When Parker was 17, she left all the foster homes and orphanages message of hurt, hope and healing. In the future, she wants to be­ behind. She got a job and moved into her own place, but something come a motivational speaker and start a non-profit organization to was not left behind: abuse. Parker met a man, was in a relationship help those in similar situations. with him for 13 years and gave birth to four children. He physically, To find more information and learn more about Parker, visit www.huniiezxpressions.zzl.org. ‘We Just Want to Work’ continued from page 1 have now.” Obama said he would do everything in his power to forge a bipartisan consensus on immigration reform this year. Activists promise to hold Obama to that commitment. One local college student attended the rally because she wanted to represent other undocumented students who can’t achieve their dreams because of the broken immigration system. “I have a lot to offer,” said the woman, who declined to be identified in print. “I can do so much. My math professor wanted me to be an assistant and tutor students, but I had to decline; and I want to be a teacher after I graduate, but I can’t because I don’t have that nine-digit number or documents to show that I’m an American.” Despite academic achievements, she cannot move forward in a career in mathematics or seek out internships like normal college students. But she remains hopeful. “The rally has given me hope that something is go- ing to happen; and even if it doesn’t happen in May like we are hoping, I know we will continue to fight,” the stu­ dent said. “My original plan was that I was going to return to Mexico after I graduate, a country where I was born but did not grow up in, because there is nothing that I can do here. I refuse to work in a Mexican restaurant with a math degree. But this semes­ ter everything changed.” She has committed to remaining active in the immi­ gration reform movement and asks that others contact Congress and demand ac­ tion. “We have made a lot of noise,” she said. “Now we need to use the Easter recess to target (U.S. Sen. George) Voinovich for his support. We want to let Voinovich and (U.S. Sen. Sherrod) Brown know that we want immigra­ tion reform, and we want as many people as possible to call them or send faxes or drop in to their offices to tell them that we need their support.” Alma Diaz, a member of the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center (CIWC), rallies the marchers while Don Sherman (right), CIWC executive director; and Gary Gardner (second from right) of the AFL-CIO listen. A translator (left) from Voces de la Frontera takes notes. Jon Hughes/photopresse. For more information about immigration reform, text the word “Justice” or “Justicia” to 69866 or visit www.ri4a.org. �STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 Local News 13 Making a Bigger Pie in Cincinnati Community development corporations rebuild Cincinnati By JeSSe call Contributing Writer A major boost is coming to Cincinnati com­ munities to increase affordable housing and decrease blight. Eighty-nine housing units will be created in 2010 through the disburse­ ment of $400,000 in federal funds awarded to the city of Cincinnati, and another 140 will receive pre­ liminary work for scheduled completion in coming years. “This I am excited about because we haven't re­ ally had steady city funding on this order for quite a while,” says Patricia Garry, executive director of the Community Development Corporations Associa­ tion of Greater Cincinnati. “A lot of the (new hous­ ing units) will be coming on line this year.” Several non-profit groups have been established throughout Cincinnati to help rehabilitate neigh­ borhoods by using abandoned or dilapidated prop­ erties to develop housing or neighborhood-focused businesses. These organizations, community devel­ opment corporations (CDCs), bring together com­ munity members with banks, other businesses and the local government to collaborate for change. One of those programs is Over-the-Rhine Com­ munity Housing. It is developing the Jimmy Heath House in Over-the-Rhine, using the “housing first” model, which makes sure people have a safe place to stay so they can face their demons – not the other way around. In all, the project will create 30 hous­ ing units in 2010 and set up 72 more. Another is Cincinnati Housing Partners, which is rehabbing the Carthage neighborhood. It is a program “definitely growing in their production capacity,” Garry says. Cincinnati Housing Partners will have completed or started development on 10 units by the end of 2010, a huge growth for the program. The growth is a trend that Garry wants to see continue. A small pace of one house per year is all that some CDCs have been able to manage in years past. That rate will never catch on to the needs of the communi­ ties, particularly given the current national and local economic de­ cline, she says. “In Spring Grove, we were doing one house a year, and now they are doing three or four; and in a few years they will A CDC project house in Carthage. Photo by Vinit Murthy. be doing six or seven a year,” Garry says. “At that level, they can keep up with their need.” for the several CDCs throughout Hamilton County That need can only be met, however, if funding and parts of Northern Kentucky. continues to grow. The organization provides support in helping “Of course, I’d always like to see the money dou­ CDCs keep track of their financial accounting, pro­ ble or tripled,” Garry says. “We could get a lot more viding information technology and Web site devel­ things going with more money.” opment support, providing staff support to develop Garry says she is excited to be able to show how proposals and generally facilitating a spirit of coop­ much CDCs can do with so little money so that it eration instead of competiveness throughout the will help promote further funding. community building organizations. “As we demonstrate more bang for your buck “A neighborhood can make the plan, but they with this little bit of money, we'll build the case and don’t always have the staff,” Garry says. “We are this city will respond,” she says. going to start making that happen. That will mean The funding was administered through the Com­ a small CDC wouldn’t need a huge staff but could munity Development have one of our consultants to help make things Corporations Associa- happen. We don’t want to fight over the pieces of tion of Greater Cincin­ the pie. We want to work together to make the pie nati, whose role it is to bigger.” serve as a “back office” CDC Projects on the Way The following communities are developing housing units through a new federal grant: • • • • • • • • • Camp Washington Community Board: Three homes this year, three expected next year Cincinnati Housing Partners in Carthage & Hartwell: Six units this year, four more under development Northside: Six units this year Community Revitalization Agency on the West End: at least five and up to 12 units this year Cornerstone Corporation for Shared Equity: 17 units this year Over-the-Rhine Community Housing: 30 units this year, 72 more set up Westwood’s Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation: Three units this year Village Development Corporation: Four homes this year and set up 15-20 more to be completed within five years Working in Neighborhoods in College Hill, Northside and South Cumminsville: Eight units this year Are you interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a proofreader, writer, poet, artist or photographer? If so, contact Greg Flannery 513.421.7803 x 12 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com �14 STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 Poetry Page Ghost On Ludlow The Epistle of Saint Michael to the Marginal by MiChael o'brian Clifton is a ghost town. I saw a ghost today, walking dead. I’d seen him before in his same old Salvation Army clothes walking up and down Ludlow. Where’s he going? What’s he doing? He’s living to a death that won’t come soon enough. I’ve seen him ask for change for the bus. I’ve watched the suits turn in disgust. They’re educated. They know what the deal is. He doesn’t want change for the bus. He’s saving up his nickels and dimes to score a quick forty. Suits belt out their frustrations on him. Working men work hard. “Get a job,” they scoff. “Support your own habit.” He has a bad habit, homelessness. Suits drive west into Harrison sunsets. Suits aren’t fools. They play by the rules written by their white fathers. Black man, homeless man cheats the system. He doesn’t play by the rules because he’s lazy. He’s so lazy that he wakes up at the crack of dawn from his mission cot hoofs across the street to score a quick casserole breakfast. Then he’s out going curb to curb checking out the library at 10 a.m. so he can sit with a book that he can barely read. If he’s lucky and he’s quick, maybe he’ll score a forty by six. Then he could relax and remember living in his own house with a clean set of clothes each day. Maybe he could dream of the death that one day will save him from the street. by MiChael henSon You are not forgotten. You are not alone. The center is the fringe The fringe is at the center. There is no center. There is no fringe You cannot fall off the edge. There is no edge. You cannot fall out of the eye of God. You and I by Willa d. JoneS You and I must make a pact To be mindful of how we act Towards each other no matter what And not hold hatred down in our gut We need to understand that each one is unique And know that a change in the world is what we all seek With time, patience and the help from up above We can conquer hate and replace it with God’s love For only with God’s grace and his so many blessings Can we learn to live together without ever guessing We’ll know what it is to live on Earth as one together To love each other for who we are and not what we are For now and forever Suits sleep in brass beds with cuddling wives. Suits aren’t fools they play by the rules written by their white fathers. Black man, homeless man ought to learn to play by the rules. Maybe someone should teach him how to play. I saw a ghost today. If I come here tomorrow, I’ll probably see him again. Maybe I’ll give him change for the bus. No Words by Morgan W. broWn become a Fan of Streetvibes on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/streetvibescincinnati there is nothing one could manage to put into words with which to describe all about oneself and one's life. anything spoken or written would be either too brief or lengthy as well as overly boring or otherwise unbelievable at times, with differently sized fragments of a huge puzzle missing many pieces, gaps that often get distorted, even worse when done by others who think they know better about what happened or why, concerning deep dark holes that were long ago torn through one’s shattered soul, never truly mended or healed, attempts having been tried several times over and in several ways, including uttering thousands upon thousand of prayers, usually going unanswered, or so it seems. yet life is still passionately held onto as the precious gift it is, far beyond words could ever fully relate or express. Do you remember the magic of your First Book? Please consider giving the gift of reading to a low-income child in Cincinnati this year. Established in 2001, First Book - Greater Cincinnati has already granted more than 45,000 books and over $60,000 to local nonprofit literacy programs serving thousands of low-income children in Greater Cincinnati. Make checks payable to “First Book - Greater Cincinnati” I Want to Bring the Magic of Books to Children Who Need Them! $20 (10 books) Please return your contribution to: First Book Greater Cincinnati 572 Northland Blvd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45240 Name: Address: E-mail: $40 (20 books) $80 (40 books) $100 (50 books) Other $ _______ �STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 15 Resources Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel 381-SAFE 768-6907 557-2873 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 241-5525 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 DIC Live In Program Prospect House Starting Over Other Resources 721-0643 921-1613 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 961-2256 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Treatment: Women 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 721-0643 961-4663 Treatment: Both 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 Hamilton/Middletown 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS Brighton Center ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 721-4700 421-7803 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Health 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Letters to the Editor The World’s Biggest Terrorist To the Editor: Does the War in Afghanistan mean ensuring the reign of U.S. imperialism? Calling the recent increase of U.S. troops in Afghanistan “Enduring Freedom,” the U.S. military is sending bombs and cruise missiles raining down on targets inside Afghanistan. After President Obama increased troops in that country, we are now supposed to cheer, wave the flag and fall in line over this high-tech version of Wild West justice. The U.S. willingly sent money, arms and training to the Taliban to encourage and support them waging war against the former Soviet Union. The intent was to turn Afghanistan into another Vietnam for Russia. However, as often the case, even the best laid plans of imperialism go awry, and like many of the U.S.’s earlier creations, the Taliban turned on their master – something that happens often enough that the CIA has a name for it, “blowback.” President Obama and the rulers of this country would have you believe that the British shoe bomber arrested headed for the U.S. was more significant than the 400 people gathered for religious services perished as a result of U.S. bombing of the Amariyah bomb shelter during the Gulf War. But we learned during our time as terrorists for U.S. imperialism that the lives of the people of this country are not worth more nor the rest of the world worth less. However, we need to show as much concern, if not more, for the lives taken in our names. We need to look behind the words and lies of our rulers and put a stop to the invasions and interventions, to the death and destruction being carried out by this country. By putting an end to this country’s reign as the world’s biggest terrorist, we will take a real step towards ending terrorism once and for all. Sonny Williams, Vietnam veteran Clifton People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women Advocacy Center for Respite Care 535-2719 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 241-2965 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry AA Hotline CCAT Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-0111 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 761-1480 621-5514 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 241-2600 241-2563 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 First Step Home Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 458-6670 977-4489 784-1853 661-4620 Shelter: Both Drop Inn Center 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Anthony House (Youth) 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 872-9259 Charlie’s 3/4 House Mt. Airy Shelter Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach Treatment: Men Shelter: Men City Gospel Mission 562-8841 762-5660 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Vincent de Paul 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House FreeStore/FoodBank Crossroad Health Center Have something on your mind? Do you agree or disagree with an article? Let us know: 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvibes2@yahoo.com �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES April 1 - 14, 2010 Respect and Nurturance Carmen Bowen Bush paints to promote life “A rt is my lover, my friend, my companion,” says Car­ men Bowen Bush. “It is my everyday life. I cannot give individuals the time I devote to it. My artworks are my people and my communication.” Bowen Bush, a Cincinnati artist, grew up in Walnut Hills and Evanston, raised primarily by her loving grandmother. Her child­ hood was full and colorful, surrounded by many talented individ­ uals: Her father was a successful boxer; her aunt, Sadie Birch, an influential jazz singer; her grandfather, Samuel Birch, a muralist and a virtuoso piano player; her godfather, Wallace “Bud” Smith, the famous world lightweight boxing champion. Bowen Bush did not receive a formal art education; she is a selftaught artist. Art, however, has been part of her life since her early years. Already at age 13, in fourth grade at Hoffman Elementary School, her art teacher, Mr. Orr, recognized her talent and entered her work in an exhibit. This acknowledgement stayed with her all her life, gave her self-confidence and still encourages her to al­ ways strive for the best. After high school she entered the University of Cincinnati and graduated in social work, but only many years later, her studies Carmen Bowen Bush standing in front of some of her Cityscapes paintings. having been interrupted by marriage, childbearing, parenting Photo by Bill Howes and living in Germany, for a while. When she returned to the United States due to death in her fam­ ily, Bowen Bush decided to settle for good in Cincinnati. Art deepseated inside her and dormant until then reemerged. She started and being attacked by two guns aiming at its head but it is also at­ painting again, initially landscapes from images stored in her mem­ tacking, two pistols brandished from its sides. It serves as an allegory ories during her Euro­ for kids’ violent and destructive behavior, killing and being killed, and pean trips, then socially- for society’s indirect negligent role in favoring such a situation. By themed paintings mostly not providing the required education, the parental, secure and sup­ dealing with cityscapes, portive needed structure, the caring and all that it takes to shape a youth violence, the ero­ solid and responsible individual, society is contributing to the youth’s sion of society. death; and the youth, not knowing better, are furthering the damage as “All my art comes from by killing each other, thus favoring societal demise. my heart, from experi­ In addition, Bowen Bush purposefully placed a gun pointing from ences I’ve had, from what between the doll’s legs, where its genitalia would be, alluding to the By Saad GhoSn I know,” she says, “also prevailing lack of respect and also to the wide-spread permissive and Contributing Writer from what’s going on right unprotected sexual activity of teens – in her mind, another killer. She now in society.” also added on the child’s face red, yellow, white and green colors stat­ A recurrent theme in ing that the problem is not only limited to blacks, but affecting all her work has been the young society, its violence, its lack of respect of ethnic groups; and around his head, a halo of bullets, an ironic glori­ the elderly, but also its need for stronger foundations, stable families, fication of death. love, nourishment – all that builds one’s character. In Solution, a companion mixed media piece, Bowen Bush wanted Problem, a mixed-media construction painting, is her statement to provide an answer, addressing what should be done as a remedy. about what is wrong. A dark-skinned baby doll representing child­ She represented a growing tree with a baby doll at its root. The tree, hood and also teenage, is in the center of the piece. It is threatened shaped as a person, has a face outline and rings composed of black- eyed peas looking at the viewer; they seem to invite all of us to join in and participate collectively in fixing the problem. The child at the roots of the tree is being nurtured by society and at its turn fulfills its role contributing to society’s life and growth. Bowen Bush dispersed in the branches small birds, symbols of rebirth, and various bean seeds implying diversity and potential for change. Bowen Bush is now planning a painting that will depict a baby’s coffin surrounded by older individuals in wheelchairs, pointing to the ironic reality of youth dying first, leaving behind, uncared for, a dis­ abled society. “My heart goes out to the youth,” she says. “I have a young grand­ daughter, 11 years old. We need to provide them with stability and support. We need also to impart onto them the love, nourishment and moral principles essential for their healthy development. We need to plant good seeds. That’s what I got from my grandmother. That’s what I want to give back.” This is precisely what Bowen Bush did when she taught art to chil­ dren at Peaslee Neighborhood Community Center, giving them love and appreciation, but demanding at the same time respect and re­ sponsible behavior. Another subject that appears often in her work is that of Cityscapes. Bowen Bush associates the tall buildings sprouting everywhere in her paintings to chaos, to the rigid, tight and somewhat inhumane bureaucracy that governs our world, a bureaucracy she experienced firsthand working for the city for over 20 years and which, like these big structures, is difficult to move or change. In her recent solo show, Peace and Chaos, held in Covington, Ky., she contrasted on one side her paintings of tall, dense, oppressive and labyrinthine buildings to those, on the opposite side, of abstracted landscapes – references to freedom, harmony and peaceful escape. Bowen Bush will continue to use her art to speak loudly, express her feelings and values and contribute to the shaping of a healthier society. “I am passionate about what I feel,” she says. “My art always comes from my heart; it conveys and communicates my emotions and be­ liefs. I do not want it to stop there, however. I want it to provoke a Problem, mixed media construction painting by Carmen Bowen Bush. response in the viewer, to lead the viewer to think and ask: What I can Photo by Bill Howes do to help, to make things better?” A rtists ctivists Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource April 1-14, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Too Many Prisoners, Little Justice ‘We Just Want to Work’ Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: Eight Minutes Behind Prison Bars Pg 4: Enquirer Nominated for 17 AP Awards Pg 5: Council Solves Metropole Controversy Pg 6: Too Many Prisoners, Little Justice Pg 7: Poverty and Grief Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Pg 9: The Insufferably Atheist Buddhist Pg 10: Advocacy Pays Dividends Pg 11: Remembering Alex Chilton Pg 12: The Poetry of Survival Pg 13: Making a Bigger Pie in Cincinnati Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Respect and Nurturance Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 1-14, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Veronica Glass Jeni Jenkins Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Valerie Fessler Alecia A. Lott Jeni Jenkins Saad Ghosn Lew Moores Larry Gross Eli Braun Jesse Call Aimie Willhoite Vinit Murthy Jon Hughes Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Advocacy Aimie Willhoite Alecia A. Lott Alex Chilton Arts & Poetry Atheist Buddhist Carmen Bowen Bush Cincinnati city council David Heitfield Eli Braun Enquirer Gregory Flannery Holly Parker Immigrants Jeni Jenkins Jennifer Blalock Jeremy Flannery Jesse Call Jon Hughes Larry Gross Lew Moores Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Paul Kopp Prison Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Valerie Fessler Veronica Glass Vine Street Vinit Murthy Washington Work https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/7ac2eca7cc13f14b648d1d9daf7ddc67.pdf 21ce8745d6524464ce16e11c61e2855a PDF Text Text Human Trafficking Page 3 Artists as Activists Page 16 STREETVIBES $1 A p r. 1 5 - 3 0 , 2 0 1 0 • A d v o c a t i n g J u s t i c e , B u i l d i n g C o m m u n i t y • I s s u e 1 7 5 Development for and of the People Bank bail out or abolition? By Jesse Call Contributing Writer I s self-worth tied to work? For advocates participating in a recent community forum at Xavier University, the common thread among their perspectives was how the government can better the livelihoods of those experiencing poverty and homelessness by diverting funds to activities that will create jobs. That way, people will find value in making a contribution to their community. On April 5 Xavier University Students for Economic Justice, an organization promoting education and fair trade, hosted “Urbanomics Panel: Controversial Topics in Cincinnati Urban Development.” The panel consisted of Dan La Botz, a Socialist candidate running to represent Ohio in the U.S. Senate; Rob Goeller, human-rights outreach coordinator for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless; and Vlasta Molak, executive director of the Gaia Foundation. The panelists answered a range of questions from a student moderator before the audience was allowed to ask questions. The panelists agreed that local government is wasting re- See Development, p. 4 Dan La Botz, Socialist Party Candidate for U.S. Senate, makes a point at an April 5 panel discussion. The other panelists are Rob Goeller and Vlasta Molak. Photo by Jon Hughes/photopresse. The Stories of the Man in the Van Making art of recession’s woes By Dwayne Pride Street News Service D enver VOICE – Artprize is a national contest for fine artists and emerging artists from all around the world. It is said to be one of the largest prizes that an artist can hope to win to get recognized for his or her craft. All of the winners are chosen by the public. The top prize is $250,000. For most, when they think of somebody who would be part of a contest like this, they would not think of a poor man, a homeless man, as one of its participants. Artist/driver Aaron Heideman aka “The Man in the Van” proves this theory wrong. “I don’t want to panhandle,” he says. After losing jobs during the recession his life was more than just a struggle. He hit rock bottom. But he took a creative angle on his situation and found some freedom from a 9-to-5 with a road trip that eventually took him through at least 30 states. His mission: to make an enormous tapestry of people’s experience of the recession. State by state, city by city, he collected words. His project started in Medford, which he calls home. Driving through places like Portland, Fresno, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Denver, he met all types of people and had them share their experiences of a sagging economy and what it has done to their lives. People wrote their individual stories on rolls of 50-foot waterproof, tear-proof white Tyvek paper. All he asked was, “How has the recession affected you?” ‘There is no recession’ As people pass by Heideman hands them cards that say, “Help A Homeless Guy Make Art. History.” The card is how he starts every meeting with people before they write their stories on the van. “Tell Me Your Story” is written boldly on the side of the van to entice the public to participate in what he is offering them, a way to vent their feelings. People stop with a variety of comments. “There is no recession,” one man says as he refuses to take a card. “That’s a myth. The only reason people think Dwayne Pride literally took his show on the road. Photo by Aaron Heideman. there is a recession is because they say there is one.” Heideman says he is amazed by how many people blame Obama for all of the country’s problems. Despite his views, though, he has tried to keep his project open to everyone. “I’m not a Republican,” he says. “I am not trying to be political. It is not about what I have to say, it’s about what Americans have to say. I would like to have as many perspectives as possible. The object is to stay neutral.” About 5 percent of the people who walk by the van take a card and disagree and keep moving. By the end of his stay in Denver, Heideman came up with 137 stories from people who wrote what they felt as he stopped them or they stopped to see what the commotion around the van was about. Someone named VonHellFire ’09 on MySpace writes, “ ‘Thug Life’ hoping all of his criminal endeavors will pay off.” One man writes, “I sold my body!” Another person, responding to an onlooker’s comment – “Get a job” – writes, “Give me one.” See Work, p. 10 �2 The Vibe By The Numbers 7 The number of days between the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and passage of the U.S. Civil Rights Act (see page 10). 26.6 The salary, in millions of dollars, of the CEO of Procter and Gamble (see page 14). 6 The number of years artist Kevin T. Kelly worked in New York City (see page 16). 16 The date in March when Linda Zachary died (see page 14). 137 The number of stories elicited by the question, “How has the recession affected you?” (see page 1). 3-in-27 The number of field goals missed by Texas kicker Hunter Lawrence (see page 13). StreetWise By Gregory Flannery Editor Painter Completes First U.N. Cases Judge Mark Painter of Cincinnati, the only American on the new United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT), returned April 2 from Geneva after the court’s first session ever. Sitting for three weeks in Geneva, the court decided 33 appeals. After translation, the cases will be released and posted on the UN website later this month. The UNAT is the highest court of the new internal-justice system, instituted in 2009 to provide access to independent and professional courts for U.N. employees and management. The judges were elected by the General Assembly. Cases included disputes over employee promotions, discipline, pensions, sexual harassment, contract matters and other issues. Because the court is new, the first cases begin the development of the U.N.’s internal law. “We had originally scheduled 27 cases, but we added more,” said Inés Weinberg de Roca, the court’s president. “One goal of the new system is timely justice, so we want cases to move as fast as is reasonable,” Painter is a former judge with the Ohio First District Court of Appeals. In addition to him and Weinberg de Roca of Argentina, the other judges are Jean Courtial of France, Sophia Adinyira of Ghana, Kamaljit Singh Garewal of India, Rose Boyko of Canada and Luis Maria Simón of Uruguay. We Were Only Kidding The truth can now be told. So far as we know, the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) isn’t really planning to start a rickshaw line powered by homeless people, Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis Jr. doesn’t really use waterboarding on prisoners, Bengals player Chad Ocho Cinco isn’t really contemplating changing his name to Chad Acht Fünf and Cincinnati City Councilman Jeff Berding hasn’t really been seen wearing a sign saying, “Help me, I’m an asshole.” These were among stories published in our April 1-14 issue. Satire is a dangerous business, because some people fail to see the humor. Others get taken in and believe what they read – and education isn’t always a barrier to credulity. Thus, we are sorry to report, an attorney, a former congressional candidate and a person with a master’s degree are among the people who fell for the gag, even though we tried to warn readers, posting “Fools of April” at the top of the two pages containing these stories. We won’t tell you the names of the people who got pulled in. They know who they are. Got to Keep Moving 1,740 This is no joke. So eager is the city of Denver, Colo., to keep homeless people from littering the landscape that it is illegal to sit or lie down in public, downtown areas between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. We learned this while researching a story on the criminalization of homelessness in the United States and Canada (see “Being Homeless is Against the Law,” issue of March 1-14). Tim Covi, editor of the Denver VOICE – a street paper – explains the anti-sitting law. 12 “The amazing thing is that it was passed in the spirit of the 10-year plan to end homelessness,” he says. “This is going on all over the state right now. Communities are defaulting to 10-year plans, saying they're being proactive by trying to implement housing programs and such, but pass punitive laws or maintain them in the same breath as they adopt 10-year plans. It's like the carrot and the stick. They say they won’t make arrests, they'll direct people to services, but that they're not going to tolerate people sitting around. The problem is that it sounds so rational and reasonable, it seems to impress people." The number of citations for public drinking issued by the Portland Police Department (see page 5). The age at which a Toledo girl was made a sex slave (see page 3). 3,000 The number of empty buildings in Cincinnati (see page 1). 4 The number of cloves of garlic in Veggie Spaghetti (see page 8). Correction An article in the April 1 edition (“Eight Minutes Behind Prison Bars”) misstated Ohio prison overcrowding. The article should have said that state prisons are at 130 percent of capacity. Kids Aren’t Inanimate Objects Maybe Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters was trying to sound rational and reasonable – or maybe he just wanted to impress people – when he denounced two suspects for allegedly giving sleep aids to children at Covenant Apostolic Church Day Care in Springfield Township. Both Pamela Hartley of Cleves and Donna Scott of Cincinnati were charged with three counts of child endangering. Deters’s outrage was well placed. But we wish he’d choose his words more carefully. He issued a statement denouncing the alleged drugging of children. STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo. com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress. com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Graphics/Layout Intern Veronica Glass Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Valerie Fessler, Alecia A. Lott, Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Lew Moores, Larry Gross, Eli Braun, Jesse Call Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Anthony Williams, Vinit Murthy, Jon Hughes Proofreaders Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are proud members of: “I understand how upset the parents of these children must be," the statement said. “Daycare workers are responsible for a very valuable commodity and must be held to a high standard.” Children are not commodities. People are not commodities. Language has consequences, and one possible result of viewing people as items to be bought and sold is that sometimes they are (see “Ohio is a Slave Market,” page 3). �STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 Local News 3 Ohio Has a Thriving Slave Market State begins studying human trafficking By Gregory Flannery Editor O hio is one of only eight U.S. states that have not enacted laws against human trafficking. Yet Ohio is a thriving market for human beings, according to a new state study. “Report on the Prevalence of Human Trafficking in Ohio,” issued by a subcommittee of the Ohio Trafficking in Persons Study Commission, is a first step in quantifying and addressing the problem of human trafficking in the state. Some of its findings are startling: • As a proportion of population, Toledo is the busiest slave market in the United States. • Children who have been involved with the juvenile-justice or foster-care systems are at high risk for being trafficked. • Police, hospitals, social workers and others largely do not understand and therefore do not properly respond to evidence of human trafficking. • The report includes first-person accounts by former slaves in Ohio and concludes that the state has failed to respond to the tragedy of slavery within its borders. Recommendations include legislation banning human trafficking, treating child prostitutes as victims rather than criminals and the establishment of safe houses across the state where slaves can seek refuge. Media and law enforcement can miss human trafficking when they see prostitution. Photo by Kay Chernush. are involved in the underground economy practices of sex trafficking. Those are the criminal justice system, the social-service system and the health-care system. Each system’s response, it could be argued, has been either ineffective or insufficient.” The study recommends several steps to improve Ohio’s response to the growing problem of human trafficking: ‘Most vulnerable’ • Stop arresting and incarcerating child victims of sex trafficking. Trafficking in humans is the second • Pass a state anti-human trafficking largest criminal enterprise in the world, law that includes provisions for protecexceeded only by illegal drug sales, the “Given that the city of Toledo’s population is 298,446 and tion, prevention and prosecution and report says. Quantifying the number of Lucas County’s is 440,456, this area can be considered to that attends to the overall issue including victims is difficult because the trade in lead the nation for the number of traffickers produced and the supply (victims), demand (customers) people is conducted underground, so and distribution (traffickers). number of victims recruited into the sex trade per capita.” the study used a series of models to de• Improve the oversight of massage - Report on the Prevalence of Human Trafficking in Ohio velop estimates. parlors, agriculture and other “traditionThe numbers show the problem is ally exploitative” markets not rare, with 783 foreign-born persons estimated and Las Vegas, Nevada. • Train health departments on human traffickto be trafficked into the labor or sex trade in Ohio ing. “Given that the city of Toledo’s population is and 1,078 youth who have been trafficked into the 298,446 and Lucas County’s is 440,456, this area can • Ask the Coalition on Homeless and Housing sex trade over the course of a year. in Ohio, when interviewing homeless youth, be considered to lead the nation for the number of A variety of factors make Ohio fertile ground for traffickers produced and the number of victims to ask whether they have traded sex for housthe slave trade. One is geography. ing or if pimps or boyfriends take their monrecruited into the sex trade per capita,” the report “Ohio’s proximity to the Canadian border makes says. ey. it possible for victims to be moved through MichiIn just the past four years, 60 U.S. citizens in To• Appoint an ongoing committee to coordigan and be trafficked in various venues throughout ledo have been identified as child victims of sex nate anti-trafficking activities of ImmigraOhio,” the report says. “Toronto’s international air- trafficking. tion Customs Enforcement, the FBI, state port has been identified as one of the arrival destiBut the crime goes on throughout the state, with and local law enforcement, child welfare, nations for some victims who are trafficked in Can- prosecutions for labor trafficking in Cincinnati, Coand the juvenile justice system. ada, while others are moved through to the United lumbus and Cleveland. • Have Ohio included in the national Human States.” Trafficking Reporting System’s database to A growing population of immigrants also means Rescue is only step one obtain better understanding of the problem a higher incidence of human trafficking. in Ohio. “Most of the migrant labor in Ohio and the UnitThe study details the horrors to which slaves are If Ohio is to stop human trafficking, a systemic ed States is concentrated in poorly regulated in- subjected – not just lack of wages or freedom of overhaul is in order, according to the study. Rescudustries that demand cheap labor,” the report says. movement but also beatings, broing slaves is only a first step. Take “Such industries include textiles (sweatshops), ag- ken bones, malnutrition, rape and the case of “Julie,” a 12-year-old Toriculture, restaurants, construction and domestic torture. After being freed, victims The lack of support for ledo girl pressed into sexual bondwork.” often suffer long-term psychologivictims isn’t merely age, servicing men at a PennsylvaBut not all slavery in the United States involves cal problems, sometimes leading to nia truck stop. a matter of tender immigrants. Ohio’s growing poverty rate makes suicide. “With the help of a truck driver feelings. Slaves are often “In 2007, one trafficked girl in ToU.S. citizens vulnerable, too. and an adult friend, also recruited treated as criminals “Those domestic populations who are most vul- ledo who testified in a case outside from Toledo into the sex trade, they – prosecuted for nerable to human trafficking are the poor,” the re- of the state of Ohio returned home were able to escape and call the poimmigration violations port says. “In 2008, 1.5 million Ohioans lived below to find little support, no safe halice,” the report says. or for engaging in the poverty level. This is the highest rate since 1994. ven and no escape from the interThe traffickers were prosecuted, prostitution. Since 2002, the population in Ohio grew a total nal depression and external stigma but Julie’s troubles didn’t end with of 1.2 percent while the number of those who are she found,” the report says. “With a her apparent liberation. poor grew to over 40 percent. … According to the baby left to care for, she ended her life at 17 years “Rescue out of the sex trafficking is not the end of National Center on Family Homelessness State Re- old.” the story, but the beginning The lack of support for victims isn’t merely a port Card (2009), Ohio is ranked 20th among the 50 of a longer, more difficult road to recovery,” the states for child homelessness, but is ranked 42 out matter of tender feelings. Slaves are often treated as study says. “After returning to school, Julie was ridiof 50 states for children’s vulnerability to homeless- criminals – prosecuted for immigration violations culed by her classmates for being a ‘prostitute.’ As ness, which in turn contributes to a higher vulner- or for engaging in prostitution, for example. a result, she refused to attend school, quickly fell “Ohio’s response to child sex trafficking is weak,” behind and quit.” ability to child sex trafficking.” Perhaps the most disturbing marker for children the study says. “There are three conventional instiSix years later she was struggling to overcome anat risk of becoming trafficking victims is having tutions that will intersect with trafficked youth who other kind of slavery – addiction to crack cocaine. been involved in the very systems that are meant to help troubled kids, namely foster-care, children’s services and juvenile court. “In Toledo, 77 percent of the trafficked youth had been involved with child welfare at some point in their lives and 52 percent had been involved in the foster care program,” the report says. Toledo has received the most attention in Ohio for human trafficking, with more arrests than any U.S. cities other than Miami, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; �4 STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 Local News Development for and of the People continued from page 1 to go to outsiders. “These are jobs that don’t sources on community devel- do anything for the communiopment projects that could ty,” Molak said. “There should be used for jobs creation to be a link between work in a community help the unand jobs. employed That link is and under“There are all these employed. beautiful empty buildings not clear in “ C h a r - in Over-the-Rhine. There is this society. ity is bad for no reason there should be … There is not much atpeople,” La 3,000 empty buildings in Botz said. Cincinnati and no reason tempt made “We don’t why we should have at any to help people learn want handone time 900 homeless.” trades and outs. They - Vlasta Molak then crewant a job. ate jobs that They want to contribute to society and would actually do something useful in this city.” have an identity.” Instead, the money should Jobs created under existing community-development be used to rehabilitate homes projects are often temporary in places such as Reading and don’t make a lasting im- Road, as that would better pact on Cincinnati neighbor- benefit the citizens of Cincinhoods, the panelists said. In nati, Molak suggested. “There are all these beautiaddition, developers don’t give preference to residents ful empty buildings in Overfor these jobs, allowing them the-Rhine,” she said. The Land of the Po “There is no reason there should be 3,000 empty buildings in Cincinnati and no reason why we should have at any one time 900 homeless.” Molak criticized the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) and other downtown interests. “The city council members have delegated their brains to 3CDC because they think these people know better. …They build stadiums and they don’t fix things in the community that needs to be fixed,” she said. The answer is for the community to take a stand and demand jobs, La Botz said. “What has to happen – there has to be a social upheaval from below in this country,” he said. “It would be the best thing to build a movement of the working class people of this city and help to set them in motion.” But not everyone in the au- dience was buying in to the idea that jobs creation was a solution. “Americans generally need to recalibrate their expectations,” said one audience member who identified himself as experiencing homelessness. “You live in a society which your parents created. Their expectations might be unrealistic. You have competition that they never experienced or anticipated. … I don’t know if jobs should be the end-all in this country.” One audience member asked the panelists, “Demand jobs from who?” All the panelists explained that they felt the government should create jobs, even if this means increased taxes. All the panelists also agreed that organizations such as 3CDC try to make it look as if they take the needs and viewpoints of community members into consideration and have made redevelopment a democratic process. But that is where it ends, according to the panelists: Meetings at which input is solicited are simply “smokescreens” at which developers “put up a façade” that they care about input from the neighborhoods they are changing. La Botz accused developers of engaging in “ethnic cleansing and class cleansing” to remove people of color and people experiencing poverty from Cincinnati neighborhoods. “These are not democratic processes anywhere,” he said. “We live in a society where banks rule. I think the banks and corporations which dominate our society are institutions that have outlived their time. We have to become the abolitionists of the corporations to become a democratic nation.” Letters to the Editor Eloquent Memorial To the Editor: To the Editor: Such is life in the Land of the PO and those homeless in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Nasty Natty – Know place like it in the World. We sit around and discuss the ills and proudly display the wounds given in the life of poverty and disappointment of being deserted by our families who have it so much better, almost as if a sort of pride in infirmity is present. There is the use of canes, as if all should lose the so human trait of bi-pedaling lacking them there walking skills. And we parade our injuries as if medals, our illnesses as if they are something to be desired, to accept and be prone to get and bask in the painful glory of being well, all messed up abiding with this sort of do-nothing spirit. My Me noticed that especially in the land of the homeless or the dire strait of being just poor there seems to be a certain amount of Unlikely Glee. Which is most likely found in that anticipation of a monthly check issued for a real or exaggerated, sometimes imagined, usually mental condition. And too many times we just hope for the status of that mental impairment as a Governmental Approved Check. Disability which pays the rent by the payee and buys the dope because you no longer need to work and you have nothing else to do like manage you own little piece of First of the Month Money. It is a strange selection of the meaning of status with just a hint of prejudice within this gargantuan fiction of holding wealth. My I knew for this sort of fantasized certainty that this privilege of being proud held too many aspects of elation, considering being held captive so far below at the Gott Damn Bottom of that there poverty line totem pole. Once in a while, standing in one of the too many Free Food Lines, a statement is made that was the truth but lord knows unfortunately this truth it should never be. The positioning of anyone at this location or station within this so beautiful life is really sad and depressing and just miserable. My own humble opinion is that being Po is nowhere that anyone desires or fondly wishes to become, and the Land of the Po and those in this city who choose to visit down here call us Po people and Homeless folk. “The people who ain't got nothing … those of you on the street.” These co-cohabitants just kinda smirk in that slander, being assured that they at least got more than us, as they put it, more than them if indeed they merely have housing; however, the fact that they are present – not in a voluntary way as in a civic duty capacity like the volunteers at the soup kitchens – is evidence that they, too, ain’t got that much. You see, they stand in the same line with all of us “ain't got nothings” to feel as if what they got is no less but so much more. Well, it ain’t. You ain't got nothin’ either and that, my friends, is a crime against nature. It sucks to be poor in Cincinnati, the Nasty Natty Know place like it in the World. “A voice is a human gift; it should be cherished and used, to utter fully human speech as possible. Powerlessness and silence go together.” Margaret Atwood’s words are a reminder of just how important having a voice in society is. In the world today, this human right has become a rare luxury. Through tyranny and fear, voice has been stripped from millions of human beings, whether it be because of their nationality, their religion or their sexual orientation. But where this loss also has a major effect is in economic status. Those who suffer from being homeless not only live without material positions, but without a voice of their own. In losing that right, these people lose a part of their dignity, of their persona, of themselves. The cover article in the Jan. 1 edition of Streetvibes says it all. “May They Finally Rest in Peace” is the title of Paul Kopp’s article, a heartening piece about those homeless who passed away in 2009. Kopp tells the story of many homeless individuals who died this past year and broaches a salient point about the effect of this condition. Homelessness strips a person of his or her voice in society. Too often homelessness is misconstrued as a result of laziness and poor choices by society. But this perception is often a falsehood. Homelessness can happen to anyone. It is often a matter of luck or health. And even in those situations of bad choices, those choices have root. They have root in family history, in severe addiction. But what brings one to homelessness is hardly the issue compared to the effect of the actual condition. As Kopp eloquently writes, “It seems that those who are homeless have lost their voice in society. Though they suffer from problems similar to those who judge them, they are ridiculed for their mistakes and viewed as a lesser class.” A voice is a human right. It is a personal definition. It is a mark of identity. Those who pass away without having the opportunity to have that voice need to be remembered. They were people. They deserve that much. Walter Madison Washington Jr. Over-the-Rhine Cody Pomeranz Cincinnati Unique Content To the Editor: I want to express my appreciation for your last issue (March 15-31). The two front-page articles (City Ignores Plea for Fair Hiring” and “Council Turns Backs on Metropole Tenants”) were quite interesting, and neither were something that I was likely to see in another place. Keep up the good work! I am a regular customer of the Streetvibes vendor who occasionally sells your paper outside of Saint Monica-Saint George after mass. He has been doing it for some time and is always a gentleman. Lawrence J. Mazlack Clifton �STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 National News 5 Street Drinking and Free Markets The value and the cost of public sobriety By Amanda Waldroupe Street News Service Neighbourhood Involvement, says another are some of the most popular products at the group of concern are teenagers and people stores. Street Roots interviewed nine storeowners in their twenties drinking in public while on ortland, Ore. – City Commissioner their way to shows, house parties and other for this article. Three requested anonymity Amanda Fritz’s office and the Of- social outings. Another population of street because they feared political backlash from fice of Neighbourhood Involvement drinkers, Marchetti says, are youths known the city and the Oregon Liquor Control Com(ONI) is attempting to decrease the amount by the police to favor boxed wine. mission (OLCC). For this article, they will be of public drinking in downtown Portland by Proponents of the alcohol ban say street referred to as Storeowner #1, Storeowner #2 convincing grocery storeowners to voluntari- drinking leads to other livability issues, such and Storeowner #3. ly not carry certain kinds of alcoholic bever- as aggressive panhandling, public urination Owners expressed concern about how the ages. agreement drafted at the first meeting would and defecation and an increase in littering. But all the initiative is resulting in so far is The Downtown Neighbourhood Associa- impact their sales. fury from grocery-store owners and collective tion, Old Town/Chinatown Neighbourhood “In this economy, I can’t believe that they’re agreement that it is not a real solution, with Association, Old Town Chinatown Business trying to do something like this when so many only a fraction of them agreeing to comply. Association, Downtown Retail Council, Travel small businesses are struggling,” Storeowner “VibrantPDX,” as the initiative is called, is a Portland and the social service agency voluntary agreement between grocery stores Central City Concern (founded in 1979 and the Office of Neighbourhood Involve- to specifically provide services for peo- The Portland Police Bureau gave 1,740 citations for ment not to sell alcoholic beverages with ple known as “public inebriates”) sup- public drinking in downtown Portland in 2009. That high-alcohol content. That includes malt li- port the initiative. accounts for 53 percent of all public drinking in the quor and beer with names such as Old Eng“We would like to see a limit on the city. Twenty-five percent of all individuals being lish 800, Steel Reserve, Milwaukie’s Best Ice accessibility of certain types of alcohol held in detox came from the downtown area. and Camo Malt Liquor. that are more amenable to chronic alSixty-seven grocery stores within assigned coholism that people are dying from,” limits of the city’s downtown area have been says Ed Blackburn, executive director of Cen- #3 says. asked to sign an agreement. The purpose of tral City Concern. “I can’t think of a good reaBoyer recognizes that concern and says the program is to decrease what proponents son to keep these high-level alcoholic bever- that economic considerations have stopped some owners from signing the agreement. ages available.” “It’s a tough pitch to make in a rough econ“These high-alcohol volume drinks are pretty mar- omy,” he says. Doug Peterson, owner of Peterson’s Conketed to our types of clients,” venience Stores, says 10 percent of his store’s Mattsson says. In exchange for entering sales are in beer. One storeowner said his sales into the agreement, Mar- could drop by as much as 20 percent. Chris chetti told storeowners that Girard, the owner of Plaid Pantry, is skeptical they would be recognized by that sales would be impacted, based upon his Commissioner Fritz for be- store’s experience in Seattle. Boyer argued during the first meeting that ing socially responsible and would have their store logos the grocery stores would ultimately become prominently displayed on her more profitable because stores would gain customers who in the past had been unwillWeb site. Public meetings with stor- ing to shop at those stores. Storeowners argued that the reason their eowners were held Feb. 4 and 18 and March 4. The meet- sales would be so negatively impacted is that ings, Marchetti says, were very few of their customers are street drinkdesigned to solicit feedback ers. from storeowners about the “I’m not catering to these people,” Peteragreement. son says, referring to the majority of his cusMalt liquor is among the products targeted in downtown Portland. “This is meant to be a col- tomers as “middle America” people. Photo by Amanda Waldroupe. laborative effort,” she says. One owner used the term “smorgasbord” to But from the moment the describe his clientele. During the first public call “street drinking” or drinking in public. It public process got out of the gate, there were meeting, it was expressed loud and clear that is illegal in Portland, and offenders are given problems. condo owners, Portland State University stua citation, which does not come with fines or dents, culinary students, tourists, people on other types of punishment. The economics of microbrews their way home from work, middle-income The Portland Police Bureau gave 1,740 ciand even higher-income people represent The first meeting Feb. 4 was attended by the majority of the people doing business at tations for public drinking in downtown Portland in 2009. That accounts for 53 percent of approximately 20 storeowners. All expressed grocery stores. all public drinking in the city. Twenty-five per- concern with the agreement as it had been “We have a lot of customers that prefer the cent of all individuals being lower cost beer without abusing held in detox came from the it,” Girard says. “We would like to see a limit on the accessibility of certain types downtown area. Girard’s point gets at a probof alcohol that are more amenable to chronic alcoholism that Steve Mattsson, the manlem with the alcohol ban more ager of Hooper Detox’s sobasic and philosophical than people are dying from. I can’t think of a good reason to keep bering station for intoxiimpacted sales. these high-level alcoholic beverages available.” cated individuals, says the Some business owners feel ~Ed Blackburn, executive director of Central City Concern. station has 12,000 admislike they are being told what to and what not to sell as it is. Many sions a year. Fifty percent of would only say off the record that the city is those people will return “on a repeated basis,” drafted by Marchetti and ONI. The agreement would have banned all acting inappropriately when telling busihe says. In his mind, there is no doubt that 16-ounce and 24-ounce containers, sold in- nesses what to do. The program, one owner there is a street drinking problem. “Over the last two years, one of the most dividually or in six-packs, and all beer with an says, negatively impacts free enterprise and frequent complaints we get were problems alcohol content over 5.75 percent per ounce. limits an individual’s ability, one said, to exaround street drinking,” says Mark Friedman, That would have included all beers from Old ercise free will. English 800 to beers made by local, popular “Let the consumer decide,” Peterson says. a Central Precinct officer. Owners, especially Peterson, argued that “It is a compelling problem in a small area,” breweries. Marchetti says the agreement’s original much of the agreement unfairly penalized says Theresa Marchetti, ONI’s liquor license stipulations were based on research that had stores. specialist. “The problem is pretty much identified She emphasizes that it is a location-based been conducted on other municipalities that had created similar programs, such as Seat- with cheap, high-alcohol content,” Peterson – not a store-based – problem. says. “The microbrews are not cheap. The “(And) it’s not a problem we can really ig- tle. “We started with what we thought was go- prices are too high for street drinkers.” nore,” Marchetti says. As a result of the initial meetings, Oregon Sources for this story largely pointed to ing to be the most effective way to deal with microbrews are now listed as an exception to homeless people when describing the pop- the issue,” she says. Storeowners pushed back when it came to the ban. Sixteen-ounce singles and six-packs ulation of street drinkers. But Mike Boyer, a crime prevention specialist in the Office of 16-ounce singles and six-packs, saying they were also listed as exceptions. P �6 National News STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 Street Drinking and Free Markets Continued from p. 5 As a result of the changes, Peterson says he probably will not have a problem signing the agreement. Girard would like a few more exceptions to be made so Plaid Pantry could continue carrying particular types of popular beer. He has been working with ONI to see whether those changes could be approved. If they are, he will sign on. Sketchy data The core data and statistics ONI used when crafting the ban agreement are not the citation reports from the Portland Police Bureau, but from Portland Patrol, Inc., according to Marchetti. Portland Patrol, Inc., a private security firm that contracts with the Portland Business Alliance to patrol downtown Portland, conducted a targeted mission between May 21 and June 17 last year to make contact with people drinking in public to find out what kind of alcohol they were drinking, where they were drinking it and what size container it was in. Portland Patrol officers made 289 contacts during that time. Portland Patrol, Inc. would not make the records available to Street Roots (the records are not public). Nor was the data made available during any of the three meetings. But a spreadsheet of compiled data provided by the Office of Neighbourhood Involvement shows that the common containers were 16and 24-ounce bottles and cans of beer with an alcohol content of 5.9 percent per ounce. (For comparison, Deschutes Brewery’s Mir“I don’t think (the street ror Pond Pale Ale is 4.53 percent alcohol drinking problem) is per ounce.) overwhelming, I do Many storeowners think that the reason said they were suspithey are finding so many street drinkers in cious of the data at downtown Portland is the Feb. 4 meeting. In that we have, through what parts of downthe (Portland Business town were the street drinkers found? What Alliance), we have (Portland Patrol, Inc.),” exactly did the statistics show? How was - Chris Girard ONI making a connection between street drinking and the stores? There are two reasons why the data would cause concern. First, Portland Patrol only patrols downtown. Any street drinking that takes place in inner Southeast Portland, for example, would not have been recorded or noticed by ONI. Second is the timing of Portland Patrol’s mission. The summer months in Portland, though glorious for much-awaited sunlight and farmers’ markets, are also the time when there is a noticeable influx of people and activity on the streets. “I don’t think (the street drinking problem) is overwhelming,” Girard says. “I do think that the reason they are finding so many street drinkers in downtown Portland is that we have, through the (Portland Business Alliance), we have (Portland Patrol, Inc.),” Girard says. Not so voluntary Responses from all stores were expected by March 12. April 1 is the date set for the beginning of the alcohol ban. A review will take place in October, according to Marchetti, to review how well the program is working and if there were any “unintended consequences.” As of March 17, only 12 of 67 stores had signed the agreement. Marchetti says she is not surprised more storeowners have not signed up, because the final draft of the agreement was not available until late in the week of March 8. Marchetti and Boyer were conducting street outreach to each store to make a last-ditch effort to get stores to sign the agreement. What the success of the program depends on, Boyer says, is bigger stores in the downtown area, such as Safeway, Whole Foods and Plaid Pantry, signing the agreement. Small stores will feel compelled to sign on if there is a critical mass. “If they don’t take the lead and step forward, you’re not going to get 100 percent compliance,” Boyer says. Marchetti is willing to up the ante if compliance isn’t voluntary. City council can be petitioned to allow Marchetti to work with OLCC to declare downtown Portland an “alcohol impact” area. Doing so would create mandatory guidelines storeowners would be required to follow regarding types of alcohol they could and could not carry. A similar string of events happened in Seattle. Seattle declared parts of its downtown “alcohol impact” areas in 2003 to respond to problems associated with street drinking. The program was voluntary at first. But businesses were not willing to voluntarily stop carrying particular types of alcohol because they were concerned “it was going to hit their bottom line,” says Kimberly Archie, the deputy director of Seattle’s Department of Neighbourhoods. As a result, “we weren’t seeing any improvement in chronic public inebriation,” Archie says. Seattle petitioned the Washington State Liquor Control Board in 2006 to make the alcohol ban mandatory. Archie says there were no legal repercussions. Since then statistics have shown a 21 percent decrease in admissions to detox centers, a 35 percent decrease in calls to the police and a 61 percent decrease of drinking in parks. Marchetti is hoping for similar results, voluntary or mandatory. An extensive public process is required before the OLCC can make a recommendation that the alcohol ban be mandatory. Marchetti says it would take at least a year, starting late this summer or early fall. than other places. It’s not feasible.” Spreading out the social services and low-income housing, self-policing stores, increasing fines and punishment for street drinking and increasing fund“In the long run, what ing for treatment solves the problem is were all ideas offered providing services that by storeowners. help people get off the Many storeowners streets and support already make efforts them in efforts to stop to self-police whom their drinking.” they sell alcohol to, - Ed Blackburn checking a person’s ID or asking for rent receipts given out by hotels to ensure that a customer has a place to take the alcohol to. “We’ll sell them alcohol if they have a street address,” Peterson says. “It’s easy to do,” Storeowner #1 says. This storeowner also thought it would be beneficial to require all store clerks to take the same class the OLCC requires of servers at bars and restaurants. Part of what that class teaches is how to recognize people who are visibly intoxicated. Clerks who sell alcohol to such people, or to people whom they know are chronic drinkers, should not have jobs at grocery stores, the storeowner says. Boyer and Marchetti said that, when the VibrantPDX initiative was being crafted, there was no effort to include a component that would increase the amount of alcohol treatment available or create some sort of outreach or education program for individuals engaged in street drinking. “This is the start of the efforts,” Boyer says. But is there an effort to partner with Multnomah County, which is the principal funder for alcohol treatment in the county, to increase spending or outreach for alcohol treatment? “There is not a well-thought out plan at this point,” Boyer says. Marchetti says treatment was not considered along with the alcohol ban because “our expertise and understanding of the problem is more on the supply line.” Marchetti says she is also not sure if alcohol treatment is relevant. “I don’t think we could say that all of the street drinkers are alcoholics,” she says. As Seattle crafted its alcoholic impact areas, investing further in alcohol treatment was not considered, Archie says. Yet she recognizes that Seattle’s policy is not “a total solution to the problem.” ‘Help people get off the streets’ Storeowner #2, along with a few other storeowners, said he would be willing to donate Almost everyone interviewed for this article the amount of money lost in sales as a result thinks downtown Portland has a street drink- of the alcohol ban – or at least a fraction – to ing problem. But no one will stand behind the social-service agencies that provide alcohol street drinking initiative as a solution to street treatment. There is a precedent for business drinking. At best, it will mitigate the problem. associations such as the Portland Business Al“It makes it harder for them to get a lot of al- liance putting their financial resources toward cohol,” Blackburn says. “I would never suggest creating programs and policies that address sothat it’s a cure to this type of alcoholism.” cial problems. “We don’t expect this to eliminate the prob“In the long run, what solves the problem is lem,” Marchetti says. providing services that help people get off the She does expect it to decrease. streets and support them in efforts to stop their Some think it will simply decrease because drinking,” Blackburn says. street drinking will move to other areas of the “I would say that every single one of our clicity. ents want treatment,” Mattsson says. “There are at least four stores just on the But the likelihood that they will actually enother side of the Interstate 405,” Storeowner #3 ter a treatment program is slim. Ten people says. “They can walk over there. What’s the dif- are discharged from Hooper each day. Only ference? It doesn’t make any sense to me.” 10 treatment slots open up per month. That It is not possible, Marchetti says, to make the means that people who have the potential to program citywide because “there are definite successfully complete a treatment program pockets of places that exhibit greater problems are only cycling through detox, over and over again. “It’s not the best way to treat these clients,” Mattsson says. Follow Streetvibes “We have to expect we’re going to see them over again.” www.facebook.com/streetvibescincinnati Reprinted from Street Roots © Street News Service: www. twitter.com/streetvibesnews street-papers.org streetvibes.wordpress.com �STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 Column Poverty, Choice and Serenity Deprivation and what we do with it 7 poverty lead to spiritual renewal like that of these others? Actually, most people in poverty do make the best of a bad situae had a pretty rugged winter this year, but I know at tion. And many achieve great spiritual levels. I have had great spirileast two people who slept out-of-doors through the tual teachers from among the poor. whole of it. I believe it has nothing to do with he weakness or failure of the One is a client. Driven by alcohol and poverty, he spent his nights individuals, and everything to do with the difference between volsleeping behind a downtown restaurant. On the reuntary and imposed poverty. Choice, in certain matally bad nights, he snuck into a parking garage. He ters, makes all the difference. For example, going back laughs about the experience, but there is an edge to to my friend the monk, there are only two sorts of peoThere is a sort of his laughter. He’s in his forties now. How many more ple who sleep in a cell: monastics and prisoners. The back-to-the-land, winters like this can he take? off-the-grid, out-of- monk chooses to take to his or her cell and can revoke I also have a friend the-rat-race poverty that choice at any moment. The prisoner is stuck in who lives a pretty celebrated by these his or her cell until the state decides. There is a world rugged life. He sleeps of difference between going on a fast and having your poems, stories outside year-round, food stamps stolen. If I’m on a fast, I can choose when and songs that is even in the harshest to start eating again. If I have been thrust into poverty, characterized by By Michael Henson weather. He owns I don’t necessarily have the choice. simplicity, dignity, nothing, or next to Choice is everything when it comes to the conseorderliness, calm nothing. If he wants and serenity. It is a quences of deprivation. But there is more than one to get somewhere, he usually walks. He will walk for poverty of freedom kind of choice. miles. He’s often alone for long stretches of time and and unfettered-ness. There is the choice some people make to go into really expects to stay that way. It improves the mind voluntary poverty. They are the most likely to gain But he suffers little, if at all, from the rigors of his something on a spiritual or personal level from the and spirit. It is the life. Although he lives in poverty, he is not poor. And poverty of the saints. experience of poverty. They go into it with a specific he has a serenity and peace of mind, something we all agenda; and there is a vast body of teaching, both resay we value, even if we don’t do much to get it. ligious and secular, that will take them through the My friend is a Trappist monk, one of many men and women who, experience. The other great advantage of voluntary poverty is that in joining a contemplative order, take a vow of poverty. (They also you can always leave. I’ve known several people enter monasterusually take a vow of chastity and obedience as well, but those are ies, then return to their lives, both spiritually and monetarily better way out of my topic.) off. There is a tradition in literature and song that associates poverty Then there are those who “choose” poverty by their actions. They and serenity. “The world is too much with us,” the poet tells us. gamble away their savings, either at the slots or in the stock mar“Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.” The poetry of ket. They drink it up and piss it out. They snort it up their nose or William Blake is haunted by the horrors of urban poverty, which burn it up in a pipe. They might “choose” to be born into the wrong he contrasts to the simple life of the rural poor. Yeats’s “Lake Isle family and they might continue to make choices that compound of Innisfree,” Thoreau’s Walden, and Willie Nelson’s “Luckenback their poverty: They have too many children, or have them too early. Texas” are all of the same mythic material. Blow up your TV, sings The wrong marriage or the wrong divorce can have John Prine: disastrous consequences on a person’s finances. I believe it has . . . Throw away your papers, But none of these choices involves an intention Go to the country, to become poor. People enter poverty for a vari- nothing to do with he Build you a home. ety of reasons, many of which have nothing at all weakness or failure Plant a little garden, to do with choices they make (corporate layoffs, of the individuals, Eat a lot of peaches, outsourcing, an injury, an illness – any one of these and everything to do Try and find Jesus will do the job nicely). with the difference On your own. People who enter voluntary poverty generally between voluntary It works for my friend. A photographer and poet, he is one of the benefit from it. People who have poverty thrust on and imposed poverty. happiest and most creative men I know. There is something about them generally suffer from it. Why? Choice, in certain giving up the race for more money and more status that clarifies the I read recently of Saint Juan of the Cross, a Spanmatters, makes all mind, lifts the spirit and soothes the soul. There is a sort of back- ish monk who was thrown into prison and tortured the difference. to-the-land, off-the-grid, out-of-the-rat-race poverty celebrated by for beliefs his tormentors could not understand. these poems, stories and songs that is characterized by simplicity, The result included the long poem we know of as dignity, orderliness, calm and serenity. It is a poverty of freedom “The Long Dark Night of the Soul. “ and unfettered-ness. It improves the mind and spirit. It is the povBut we are not all saints. erty of the saints. Is it real? My friend lives it. Poverty, involuntary poverty, is not just an economic problem. So if poverty is so damn good for us, why don’t more of us choose Poverty is a wound to the psyche. Some people have more wounds poverty? And why aren’t more poor people as happy as my friend? and deeper wounds than others, and it makes no sense to judge or The poverty most of us see is characterized instead by dirt, dis- to compare. ease, uncertainty, violence, stress, trauma, indignity, scorn, disorThat I have decided to make something positive out of degradaderliness, blocked goals, contempt and self-contempt. tion does not mean it stopped being degradation. Perhaps, instead of judging or comparing, we should consider Why should it be this way? Why can’t poor people get themselves together and make the best of a bad situation? Why doesn’t their eliminating the degradations of involuntary poverty. W ammered H Michael Henson is author of Ransack, A Small Room with Trouble on My Mind, The Tao of Longing and Crow Call. Streetvibes vendors keep 75% of sales. Consider helping Streetvibes with our publication costs by making a tax-deductible donation or by purchasing a subscription. Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell it for $1, keeping the 75 cent profit. Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” I want to support Streetvibes and the vendors. $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: E-mail: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �8 STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 Recipe “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long…” Veggie Spaghetti Serving Size: 3-4 bellies. 16-oz. package spaghetti or angel hair noodles 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 white onion chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 zucchini squash, diced 2 14.5-oz. cans stewed tomatoes, undrained 6-oz. can tomato paste 1/8 cup sugar 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 teaspoons dried basil or ¼ cup chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 2.25-oz can black olives, undrained Photo by Jeni Jenkins. By Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer T his dish is one that I have enjoyed weekly most of my life. My mother says that, when I was a child, I would have eaten spaghetti for breakfast, lunch and dinner, if she would have allowed it. Apparently when I was too young to even pronounce my words correctly, I would beg her for “basgetti.” Even as an adult, when I return home for visits, she teases me playfully, indicating her sarcastic surprise when I voice my desire to make spaghetti. This dish is one of the many spaghetti recipe variations I have explored over the years. This has become my favorite way to make spaghetti, combining my love for veggies, red sauce and stringy noodles. 1. Begin preparing the noodles as directed. 2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium low heat and sauté the onion and garlic 3-4 minutes until the onions turn translucent. 3. Add zucchini to the onions and garlic and sauté an additional 2 minutes. 4. Turn the heat up slightly to medium high and add the stewed tomatoes. Cook approximately 2 minutes, stirring continuously. 5. In a bowl, combine the tomato paste, oregano, basil and sugar. Stir with a spoon until smooth. Carefully add the mix to the skillet. 6. Add the undrained olives and stir, simmer an additional 4 minutes. 7. Spoon generous helpings of the prepared sauce over the finished noodles. 8. For added yum factor, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the hot sauce and serve with garlic bread and fresh salad. 9. Voila, FEED! Artwork By Anthony Williams ! ? t a h W The fundamental rights of humanity are, first: the right of habitation; second, the right to move freely; third, the right to the soil and subsoil, and to the use of it; fourth, the right of freedom of labor and of exchange; fifth, the right to justice; sixth, the right to live within a natural national organization; and seventh, the right to education. – Albert Schweitzer Say___________________ �STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 9 Poetry Page Poetry is the Language of the People, and All is Poesy, and All is Holy By Carolyn R. Hanks I go among the people of the earth Listening and hearing all languages and manners of speech; I wander Among the fathers and sons of the earth and I hear the cries of their children And their children’s children, and to my ears all is Poesy. I go also Among the mothers and daughters and sons; I hear the holy sounds of their voices, All poetry, and all holy. I was told that the Word is a manifestation of thought: So in the beginning, the Great mother-Father God/Goddess was the Word, and the Word became Light, and there was Light. So also there was darkness, as well as All seasons and all days and nights, and also all holy. My lips were opened and I sang a song, it became my song for the people, And I, too, became holy, in the presence of the Great Spirit, whose many names Are Mother Walking Bear, Sister Moon and Brother Wolf and Goddess Kali and Mother of the sons and daughters of men and women and of God, And all is Poesy, all is Holy. Better than Rust By Spencer Ledyard “My god,” Laura said. As she felt the red, Thick weight of welling tears. “My dear, it’s been years.” “Oh, I know. Like ten, right? That is a while, a good while. So, what are you doing? Kids and a family, like everyone else?” “I work here, downtown, But no children, I’m not wed. I’m engaged to Harry Brown From high school,” Laura said. “Really! My old Harry! I haven’t thought of him in so long. We went to the Spring Formal! In 10th grade … 10th grade.” Laura said, “Oh yes, You wore that blue dress And I was there with … Umm … Joseph Smith?” “Joey was there but I think he was with Cheryl then ’Cause you started dating him After I broke up with Harry.” “You could be right,” Laura said, “I don’t recall. Anyway, later tonight We’ve got the Mayor’s ball.” “So you got to be going. Okay, sure, see ya later. Tell Harry I said hi. And, Laura, you have a good night.” Art by Steven Paul Lansky Poem of Inaction By Steven Paul Lansky yes i like doctrine of inaction it is the same as action only without movement presence of stillness lake is calm glass mirror very reflective The Ghost Bird By Chelsea Ostrow Through searing heat, In a sand coated tent hospital, A whip of pain, Fighting for life, The wheeze of a respirator greets Artistic Expression You’ve Been Dreaming Of. Welcome to the depths of the Beautiful Stranger. Words create Worlds Cementing the future. New life begins. A vast trove of buried treasure Recycling Instrument of Remembrance Introducing a Revolutionary New Dimension In The Happiness Effect. Nadav Kander recommends using a Permanent Birth Control. Something to put about. It lives! Real ingredients are ingredients you understand. Welcome back. “Well, now, hold on … how … Is there something I can, Can do for you, like, now?” Laura said, wringing her hands. “You got a couple bucks, That would be good. And Don’t ask me how it happened. This is just how things are.” Story World By Chelsea Ostrow Little Bo Peep fucked her sheep Maiden Mary was appalled This caused such a ruckus, The Lady in the Shoe stopped fucking Douglas And all her kids were mauled. The Three Blind Mice heard this thrice they couldn’t imagine the sight! Jack and Jill got a divorce and Jack ran off with Snow White The Seven Dwarfs shot Jack in the head after he took the Little Mermaid to bed. The entire time Alice thought she was just a little brain dead but truth be told she took a hold of what the White Rabbit was dealing. She followed the Rabbit down his hole hoping he’d put it in hers, she got on her knees, simply said please and the Rabbit gave it to Alice while kneeling. Alice died and lost her pride. and that was the end of that. Now you know that what you’re told can’t be all but true. Take into consideration the different aspects of information and everything you thought you once knew. �10 STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 Housing Issues King’s Death Led to Fair Housing Ending housing discrimination: The urgency marches on By Michelle Dillingham Contributing Writer O ne of my favorite quotations is credited to Otto von Bismarck: “Laws are like sausages. It’s better not to see them being made.” Yet one of my hobbies is to read about legislative history, sort of like how some people like to watch horror movies. Go figure. To research this article, I reviewed the legislative history of the federal Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act was adopted in 1968 and made it illegal to discriminate in housing transactions based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, disability or familial status. I discovered an article written by Jean Eberhart Dubofsky contemporaneous to the law’s passage. It tells the story of how fair-housing legislation was added into the Civil Rights Act as an amendment by U.S. Sen. Walter Mondale in 1967. It is really fascinating but too lengthy to cover here. Near the end of the story, after much political maneuvering and debate, we find the bill referred to the House Rules Committee, where action was deferred and hearings were dragging on. On the morning of April 4, 1968, many feared the Senate’s civil rights bill might perish in committee. That evening, Martin Luther King was assassinated. “Martin Luther King’s death accomplished one thing; it dislodged the Civil Rights Bill of 1968 from the Rules Committee,” Dubofsky writes. “On April 8, shaken by the disorders in Washington, the committee concluded its hearings. …On April 10, with National Guard troops called up to meet riot conditions in Washington still in the basement of the Capitol, the House debated fair housing. … On April 11 the Civil Rights Act of 1968 became law. The new law begins with the following words: ‘It is the policy of the United States to provide, within constitutional limits, for fair housing throughout the United States.’ ” How bittersweet that King’s tragic death catapulted fair housing into the civil rights bill, and his passing provided the urgency needed to help that bill became law. Fast-forward 42 years. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) declares 2010 a “Time to Act” – a slogan to reflect the urgency of ensuring fair housing. As time passes, new varieties of housing discrimination continue to rear their ugly heads. HUD reports that it “for the first time ever is examining the prevalence of housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and discrimination based on a tenant’s use of government assistance to pay rent.” Forty-two years later we are still urgently fighting housing discrimination. And then there are fair-housing issues related to land use and zoning. Two years ago the Cincinnati Planning Department proposed zoning text amendments that set limits on where certain organizations may serve certain people. Many citizens came out in opposition, including Elizabeth Brown, executive director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME), who testified that the proposed changes violate the Fair Housing Act. The planning department did not pursue the text amendments, although they will undoubtedly resurface in another form. I was recently asked to serve on behalf of Affordable Housing Advocates on the City/County Fair Housing Advisory Committee. Fair housing is not the same as affordable housing. Affordability refers to one’s ability to meet his or her housing needs. Fair housing refers to one’s right to engage in housing transactions that are not influenced by race, color, national origin, religion, gender, disability or familial status. However, often the affordability and discrimination are connected, because many people who live in subsidized housing happen to be families, minorities and people with disabilities, which are protected groups under the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Committee’s charge is to help identify strategies to implement the recommendations made in the document, “Impediments to Fair Housing in Hamilton County” written by HOME last year. This committee is also in place because HUD requires municipalities that receive federal funding not only to refrain from discriminating, but also to exceed the basic requirements and affirmatively further fair housing. We gather for a noble cause, to make sure the recommendations made in HOME’s report are not shelved but rather implemented. This month, let us reflect on the untimely death of Martin Luther King Jr. and how it enabled us to have the Fair Housing Act. Learn about what your housing rights are. Help educate your friends, family and neighbors about housing discrimination. The Fair Housing Act protects all of us – black and white, male and female. We were all children once; and if we are lucky enough to live long, we will all have disabilities in old age. For more information about your fair-housing rights, please contact Housing Opportunities Made Equal at 513-21-4663. HOME exists to eliminate illegal discrimination in housing, especially racial discrimination, and to promote balanced living patterns. The Stories of the Man in the Van continued from page 1 A New Stage The project is putting Heideman in a new stage in his life. A better understanding. He has never made a living at art before, but has been making it since he was 18. Most of his work has been two-dimensional oil paintings. Some galleries in Seattle have displayed the paintings. He was supposedly the youngest artist to ever display his work in the Woodside Braseth Gallery. Before starting “The Man in The Van” project, Heideman was working on a screenplay. He eventually scrapped it, deciding that “The Man in the Van” project was a better way to express himself. He wants to try to build relationships again, so why not just start with the general public? “I wanted to be less selfish … have empathy,” he says. By letting others write, he thought he could reach out more to people. “This is much more rewarding,” Heideman says. “I don’t want to become a preacher. I don’t want to be political. The real goal is to get people out of their rut.” Since his visit to Denver, he has travelled the country and has experienced setbacks along the way. Sometimes he thought that he would not make it. But he never gave up. Heideman reached his destination, Grand Rapids, Mich., for the Artprize competition, though things did not end up as he had planned. “The Man in The Van” did not even place in the top 100. “That’s OK,” he says. “It wasn’t about winning a big prize. … I’ve been able to inspire a lot of people and spread a message of empathy and compassion.” Now, after a long road, Heideman is trying to get on with other parts of his life. He is moving to Seattle with a newfound sense of adventure. He has had a few offers from movie producers to discuss “possibilities.” “I’m also hoping to write a book about the whole experience (including transcribed stories), but that’s tough right now because things are a little stressful,” he says. “I’ve been living in a van for over one year now, and I’m ready to move on with my life.” But winning isn’t everything. “It’s amazing what kind of rewards come when you have the courage to serve others,” Heideman says. Reprinted from Denver VOICE © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org If you like what you read, but don’t live in the Cincinnati area, you can subscribe to Streetvibes. Call us at 513-421-7803 x 12 to learn more about subscribing to Streetvibes. �STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 11 Column A Night Walk Reveals the Action F or the average street person, the on- in and out all night, only being caught by set of the night is the crown of the the first light of day. Then it’s time to wind day. It often brings about fear – or down, to sleep most of the day. Amazingperhaps relief from the constant shuffling ly, you might give it some kin to the old of the day. Making one’s way to that place of Temptations song, “Psychedelic Shack.” refuge, which we call our spot, one can end For those who frequent this place, it is the day with a bit of sleep. However, for some where it’s at. of us, it’s just the beginning of a part of our Of course a visit to the Bat Cave is not routine. the only action of the night life. There is The night person is a small percentage of always the waiting game: waiting for the the overall, but is still a feature of the life of right person to come along or the right the street. They wear a telltale sign of the life- situation to occur. Vying to get what you style. Often known seek, you have to spend time by their movetrudging back and forth, from ments, they are a block to block, seeking those breed of a different who live like you do, doing species. Living off the things that you do. Living of their wits, they on the edge, the street people maintain by whatare oblivious to danger in the ever means necesnormal sense. The only fear sary. Most are honone has is of being stopped est by nature, but or detained by the police. The By Riccardo Taylor the life of the street worst-case scenario is to end Streetvibes Vendor can change that. up in jail. The violence, comWe are out on the petition, or other distractions block. OK, let’s see what’s happening. Let’s of the street pale in comparison to havgo over to the “Bat Cave” (usually an aban- ing to spend a night in the holding tank. doned building). Batman doesn’t live here, There is no getting back that time you and the only Robin you’ll see is the one try- lose sitting in the Justice Center. Time, the ing to turn a “trick,” or trick you out of some- most important element of the street life, thing. The Bat Cave is a squatters’ paradise, cannot be wasted sitting in the can. Every Riccardo Taylor. Phpto by Aimie Willhoite. usually set with electricity from a nearby moment of every day has to be utilized building. Without running water, buckets or for the betterment of one’s condition, the canteens are used for the water supply. The hustle for survival. The later – or, if you will, the earlier – the Bat Cave is furnished with discarded furniSomehow you become invisible in the hour, the slower things get. Feet starting to ture that the occupants have found. Keeping night as you duck and dodge through the hurt from all the walking, eyes feeling heavy, with its name, the Bat Cave is only alive with streets. Taking in every step, you don’t miss you know it’s time to find that spot to sleep. A few hours is all you expect. action during the late night. The fluttering a beat. Knowing where the Hate to miss any action, but of arms and legs in swift movement in and action is, you start that way. out of the cave gives the impression of those Anticipating the scene, your There is no getting back I’m done! In places where most who frequent the place, back and forth with- mind picks the route. On this that time you lose sitting people would be appalled, out direction. walk we see a huddle on this in the Justice Center. There he is the houseman directing where or that corner or cars passing. Time, the most important the street person is right at to sit, who gets in and who leaves. His main An occasional shout, an alert element of the street life, home. A lot of us are cast into job is to collect the entrance fee, usually a to which way to go, a nod cannot be wasted sitting the role we play. You learn to go with the flow, so to speak. hit of dope or a few dollars. Everybody tend- signals that it’s right here. in the can. Every moing his own habit: 40-ounces being passed, Often the walk is where the ment of every day has to Still, that reality that things a crack pipe being pushed or perhaps a action is. Much more move- be utilized for the better- are different and that we can joint being shared, each in their own world. ment than if we are stuck in ment of one’s condition, have a part of that eludes our senses. Chase the action, usThough it seems chaotic, there is order in the Cave or held up in some the hustle for survival. ing up all of your facilities the cave. The stays are generally short. When house. It’s the darting in and to come to the same conyou have nothing left to share, it’s time for out that attracts you, so you you to go; or when you have had your plea- walk the way that you know something is clusion. This becomes the mindset of those sure, you realize that it’s time for you to get happening. Number-one rule: Avoid conflict who live this way, and life goes on. The walk back to the block to come up. or dispute. There is enough mistrust and po- continues. The residents of this humble abode are tential violence waiting. Street Life Affordable Rates etvibes? tre nS rested in Advert Inte isin gi Many sizes (full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page) Black & White and Color available Discounts for Nonprofits Contact Lynne at 513-421-7803 ext. 11 or lynneausman@cincihomeless.org for more information. Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor Invitation to a dialogue with our readers Streetvibes vendors see a lot that you might not. For example, some can describe what goes on in an abandoned building at night when they sleep there. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to stand on a street corner selling newspapers? That’s hardly a common occupation anymore. How much money do Streetvibes vendors make – and what do they do with it? Do they have other jobs? If you have questions, some of our vendors would like to answer them. “Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor” will be an occasional feature, with questions submitted by readers and answered by Streetvibes vendors. You may direct your question to a specific vendor or we’ll invite one to respond. Only include your name if you want to. Send questions to streetvibes2@yahoo.com Or to Streetvibes, 117 E. 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Go ahead. Ask. Missed an Issue? Check out the Streetvibes archive at www.cincihomeless.org/content/streetvibes �12 Guest Column STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 Russian Women, American Men A cultural experience between young adults By Jeremy Flannery Contributing Writer F ive women from Russia visited Cincinnati in April 2003 to taste the sweet existence that is American. My roommates and I met them through their enrollment with the American Work Experience, a program that offers European college students a fourmonth summer adventure in the United States as low-wage workers. What was their American work experience? They became cashiers for McDonald’s in Corryville and Chipotle in University Heights. One of the women worked with one of my roommates. While at work she told him that they realized their landlord was “scary,” and they needed a new We pointed out such place for the summer. That landlord must sights as Fountain Square have been scary indeed if he compelled women from another nation to flee into the and the concrete river home of three unknown men. And so they that resembles the Rhine moved into the vacant third-floor bedroom River in Deutschland. of the Corryville house we rented. We told them the Taste The women were very shy at first. The of Cincinnati was third floor had a kitchen and bathroom with approaching, one of the a shower, but there was no way to bypass few times per year when the second-floor living room, where my hordes of suburbanites male roommates and I hung out, to access feel safe enough to visit the rest of the house. Even so, I never saw downtown and trash it. our new roommates after leaving work from downtown and the rest of the evening. As a gesture to show they seemed reclusive, I placed a cup of water next to their bedroom door every day. Maybe they thought it was some bizarre local custom – or simply considered it annoying. After two weeks of this routine, the Russian women filed down the stairs one night to join us in the living room. My roommates and I were the most American Americans in America at that time, so the ladies were fortunate to have us to guide them through Cincinnati. We pointed out such sights as Fountain Square and the concrete river that resembles the Rhine River in Deutschland. We told them the Taste of Cincinnati was approaching, one of the few times per year when hordes of suburbanites feel safe enough to visit downtown and trash it. We explained how University Heights becomes a lively locale thanks to the University of Cincinnati students, and we made sure the women knew how to reach University Hospital or call 911 for emergencies. We even said our local government is proficient with assisting people in need. And then we admitted we lied. At the time Cincinnati had a law requiring panhandlers to have licenses. “Why would you need a permit to ask people for money on the streets if the U.S. has freedom of speech?” they asked. Good question. One of the ladies fluently spoke Russian and German and learned some English words during her flight to the U.S. Whenever she couldn’t complete a sentence in English, she would add her native language. “I go to the university in Berlin and, um … (insert many Russian words).” The ladies laughed at our bewildered facial expressions. One was fluent with English and was dubbed the household translator. The other three understood varying degrees of English, but two often requested translations. When my roommates and I told jokes, their laughter became a chorus line, with the Berlin student excluded Interested in volunteering with Streetvibes? Contact Greg Flannery at 513-421-7803 x 12 or by e-mail at streetvibes2@yahoo.com from the crescendo as she awaited a full translation. College tuition didn’t exist at their universities in Russia, and they were required to study a second language by age 8. Cincinnati has more skyscrapers, while their Russian hometown provides more public transportation. These were the only significant differences they noted. The women enjoyed reading the local newspapers and collected bundles of copies to take home. I was surprised. Who actually reads newsAbove all, they reaffirmed my papers? They would huddle and read together as the household translator belief that humans everywhere clarified the writing. are equals simply divided by One of my male roommates prelanguages and national borpared to smoke marijuana. He asked ders. And they proved that it’s the women if they preferred that he possible to survive in the Unitdidn’t. ed States if you’re a Russian “It’s OK,” one of the ladies said. “We female visiting where American understand it is a part of your cul- fast-food chains proliferate, are ture.” accompanied by four friends My roommates and I laughed, and and have three American men the women seemed puzzled by our re- willing to disregard rent when action. faced with a scary landlord. “It’s actually illegal in this country,” God bless Siberia. I said. That is a cultural component of the “Land of the Free.” You might think it’s inappropriate for unmarried women and men to live together. How would we situate cycles to clean our clothes? One of my roommates and I thought we were alone in the house one weekend afternoon. The Russian ladies left to visit the Newport Aquarium. Apparently the Berlin student thought she was alone because she came down the third-floor steps wearing a T-shirt and no pants. She tried to explain she needed to get her clothes from the dryer. We couldn’t understand her, so she pendulously waved her hand, returned from the basement with her clothes and took them to her room – where she remained for the day. I hope she laughs at the memory now. Living with these women for three months was an educational experience. They showed us the Russian alphabet and some words to construct basic sentences. We’d hear them say “knee,” which is short for “nyet” or “no.” If you don’t speak Russian, it would sound like “knee, knee, knee,” and you might think they were about to kickbox. They cooked what they claimed to be Lebanese breakfast for us at 3 a.m. before we strolled through UC’s campus. The meal was pancakes and fruit jam. Then they added an unknown topping and said, “Now it’s Lebanese.” Above all, they reaffirmed my belief that humans everywhere are equals simply divided by languages and national borders. And they proved that it’s possible to survive in the United States if you’re a Russian female visiting where American fast-food chains proliferate, are accompanied by four friends and have three American men willing to disregard rent when faced with a scary landlord. God bless Siberia. My roommate and I drove the women in our cars to the Dayton Airport the night they left in early August. We thanked them for an interesting time and warned that not everyone in the United States is safe to live with. Then they were off to San Francisco. �STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 Sports Kickers Are People, Too 13 Time for the Bengals to draft one By B. Clifton Burke Contributing Writer W ith all the attention surrounding tall receivers and big guys named Tank and Bobbie, the small problem of the kicking situation remains in question. Shayne Graham is an unprotected free agent this year, and there has been no word about the Bengals showing any interest in resigning him. Cincinnati did bring back Dave Raynor – the kicker the Bengals signed after Graham injured himself in the pre-season – but can we trust Raynor more than Graham to make kicks in the playoffs? The Bengals could look to draft a kicker to develop; they selected Cincinnati native Kevin Huber in the fifth round last draft and turned him into an immediate upgrade at the punter position. Special-teams Coach Darren Simmons has attended various college pro days around the country, but that is a pretty standard off-season occurrence and probably shouldn't be analyzed too deeply. Still, there are a few good prospects in this draft. One is Kentucky native Aaron Pettry, an Ohio State alumnus, who is ranked atop many draft charts for kickers this year. Pettry showed a strong leg by making field goals from 50 and 52 yards last season, but his accuracy might be a concern as he missed four times with 40 yards. Texas kicker Hunter Lawrence only missed three times in 27 attempts but didn’t convert anything over 50 yards. There is always an emergency kicker in the free agent market – Billy Cundiff comes to mind – and the Bengals will have to address a long-term answer for that dainty yet crucial spot on the team someday anyway. To take a decent kicker in the middle rounds of the upcoming draft (April 22-24) makes a lot of sense and would be a welcome pick to most fans. But if the team finds itself at its next training camp with Raynor as the only kicker in sight, I think Chad Ochocinco should get a legitimate shot to compete for the starting kicker. We all saw that point-after split the uprights with grace, altitude and distance. Then we watched his ensuing kickoff driven deep to the 10-yard line. The man has a motor mouth, but he also apparently has a kicker’s leg, and it seems worth testing its range. Why not? It would save a roster spot and generate more interest in the team. Eighty-Five is a freak athlete who could probably play professional soccer and who once outraced a horse on television. He has the sleek elegance of a jungle cat on routes and can become boneless around the sidelines to get his feet in. He is a terrific football player, and that could very well include kicking. It is unlikely that Chad ends up the kicker next year, same as Graham. That still just leaves Raynor, and I don't think that’s good enough. The Bengals should either draft a kicker this year or allow Ocho to expand his carnival to special teams. To leave it unaddressed would be foolish; kickers might be small, but they matter too, damn it – they matter, too. Are you interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a proofreader, writer, poet, artist or photographer? If so, contact Greg Flannery 513.421.7803 x 12 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com �14 Vendor Voice STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 Take Power From Corporations There are more of us than them By George Herrell Streetvibes Vendor W hen it comes to deciding the future of any populated neighborhoods, one would think that the residents would have a say. However, unfortunately for some citizens in one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city of Cincinnati, this is not the case. In fact, according to a 2008 study by Dan La Botz – “Who Rules Cincinnati?” – there are seven corporations that, by virtue of their enormous wealth and power, dominate not only the economic but also the social life on Cincinnati. They are Procter & Gamble, Kroger Co., Macy’s Federated Department Stores, Fifth Third Bancorp, Western & Southern Financial, American Financial Corp. and E.W. Scripps. These corporations, combined with some other influential companies, guide all of the important civic, cultural and social organizations of the city. To achieve their goals, large Cincinnati corporations have created a series of private organizations: the Cincinnati Business Committee, Downtown Cincinnati Inc. and Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. Together, these organizations have managed to seize democratic control from the city council, from city agencies and from the public. They’ve managed this by a number of methods – by creating the “strong mayor” system, by abolishing the city planning department and by handing over public planning functions to private organizations, all but destroying public discussion, debate, and democratic control. As any corporate executive will tell you, corporations exist solely to produce profits for their stockholders. Corporate control of the city’s economic and political life for the profits and the accumulation of corporate wealth and property has made Cincinnati the third-poorest midsized city in the United States. Furthermore, it has also served to preserve and sometimes deepen patterns of racial segregation and discrimination. Meanwhile, the corporate CEOs and leaders continue to rake in enormous salaries: *A.G. Lafley of Procter & Gamble, $26.6 million *Terry Lundgren of Macy’s, $16. 3 million *Ken Lowe of E.W. Scripps, $9.8 million *David Dillon of Kroger Co., $7.5 million *Carl Lindner III of American Financial Group, $7.1 million *S. Craig Lindner of American Financial Group, $6.8 million *Fernando Aguirre of Chiquita Brands, $1.9 million *Mike Contreras of E.W. Scripps, $1.3 million The sheer wealth of corporate directors and executives makes it possible for them to have a tremendous influence on the economic, social, and political life of Cincinnati and the region. The millions of dollars they earn in salaries – not to mention other sources of wealth – makes it possible for them to fund political parties, to donate to charities and to give to the arts. Through all of these activities they exert their influence on every aspect of life in our city. Yes, the power of corporations is enormous and yet the situation is not hopeless. The hope for the future of Cincinnati lies not with those at the top who now rule it, but with the majority of the city’s middle-class and workingclass people who, in a democracy, have (if they organize) the numbers, the power and the votes to decide the city’s fate. When Cincinnati citizens voted against David Pepper, the son of a Proctor & Gamble CEO, and for Mark Mallory, many were voting against corporate control and for a larger voice for the people, though others (keeping it real) cast their vote against the long history of white domination over what is now a half-black city. We need to unify our African-American organizations; our progressive churches, temples and mosques; our community-based organizations, our unions and our city’s immigrants. We can accomplish this if we create opportunities for African-American, white and immigrant community activists to meet to talk about organizing unified movement for social change. We need to unite around common struggles and common issues of concern, and we need to find opportunities to put forward candidates of the local social movements. If we are to challenge corporate power, then we must create platforms that speak to working people and to poor people in our city. There must be no more chances for corporate-backed organizations to attempt to herd human beings around the city like they hope to the tenants of the Metropole Apartments for no other purpose than to fuel their all-consuming corporate engines. Stand up, stand out, stand strong! One mile from corporate headquarters. Photo by Rob Goeller Personifying Recovery Remembering Linda Zachary By Larry Gross Contributing Writer A fter battling cancer and surrounded by family and friends, Linda Zachary passed away March 16. Zachary wore many hats as an employee at the Recovery Center – a openly about her own mental illness, schizophrenia. “The more I learn about my illness, the more I let them (her family) know, because my illness runs in our family,” she said. Regarding her involvement with the Recovery Center, she said, “It’s like missed by many. Linda had amazing talent as an artist and dreamed of becoming an art therapist. In the near future, the Recovery Center will be setting up a fund to establish a scholarship fund in honor of Linda to help “Linda has touched many of our lives and truly personified what Recovery was all about. She will be greatly missed my many. Linda had amazing talent as an artist and dreamed of becoming an art therapist.” ~ Linda Ostholthoff non-profit, consumer-driven agency located in Walnut Hills. The agency offers peer support, self-help, and education and community involvement activities for those recovering from mental illness. Zachary taught classes, answered the phone and even swept the floors if needed. She was featured in “All Right to be Different” (see issue of July 1-14, 2010), a story about the Recovery Center. In the story, Zachary talked home. You don’t have to put on airs. There’s peace.” Zachary made a mark at the center, according to Linda Ostholthoff, training coordinator. “Linda has touched many of our lives and truly personified what Recovery was all about,” Ostholthoff says. “She will be greatly Linda Zachary. Photo by Andrew Anderson. a student wanting to become an art therapist.” For more information on The Recovery Center, visit recoverycenterhc. org or call 513-241-1411. �STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 15 Resources Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel 381-SAFE 768-6907 FreeStore/FoodBank 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 557-2873 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Salvation Army 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 762-5660 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Other Resources 872-9259 Charlie’s 3/4 House Shelter: Men 784-1853 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 DIC Live In Program Prospect House 721-0643 921-1613 961-2256 381-0111 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 661-4620 First Step Home Shelter: Both 621-5514 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart Treatment: Women 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter Starting Over 241-2600 241-2563 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 961-4663 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Anthony House (Youth) 961-4080 Treatment: Both 761-1480 AA Hotline CCAT 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 621-6364 Hamilton/Middletown 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Advocacy Northern Kentucky Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS Brighton Center 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Health Center for Respite Care 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 421-5211 241-2965 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn Our Daily Bread 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women Off The Streets 535-2719 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 Do you remember the magic of your First Book? Please consider giving the gift of reading to a low-income child in Cincinnati this year. Established in 2001, First Book - Greater Cincinnati has already granted more than 45,000 books and over $60,000 to local nonprofit literacy programs serving thousands of low-income children in Greater Cincinnati. Make checks payable to “First Book - Greater Cincinnati” I Want to Bring the Magic of Books to Children Who Need Them! $20 (10 books) Please return your contribution to: First Book Greater Cincinnati 572 Northland Blvd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45240 $40 (20 books) $80 (40 books) $100 (50 books) Other $ _______ Name: Address: E-mail: Call 513-421-7803 x11 to learn about Streetvibes subscriptions �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES April 15 - 30, 2010 Dark Humor and Harmony Kevin T. Kelly’s spiritual trek “A rt is the tangible manifestation of an eternal spirit that flows through all things,” says Kevin T. Kelly. “When I get immersed in creating art, I lose track of time and space; I am only in the ‘now’ moment, communing with the sacred and spiritual, with a universal energy, a force bigger than me that manifests itself through me. I feel deeply satisfied and connected, as if touched by the hand of God.” Kelly is an artist and educator who grew up in Ludlow, Ky. After high school he attended the Art Academy of Cincinnati and earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in sculpture. He moved to New York City for six years, working as a studio assistant to Pop artist Tom Wesselmann. As a child Kelly drew non-stop, inspired and coached by his father, who nurtured his talent, teaching him perspective, creating images for him to copy. Although his degree is in sculpture, Kelly shifted entirely to painting after college. “My sculptures were more akin to assemblages, comparable to drawings in 3D,” he says. “I always Kevin T. Kelly stands in front of his new landscape paintings. Photo by Bill Howes. liked the Pop genre and decided to explore it in painting to reflect my perceptions on personal experiences, the huWith humor, Kelly’s work examined various facets of the human man condition, as well as on society in general. “ drama. Family issues, relationships, communication and mispercepFrom the beginning, tions all found their way into his paintings, often with a dose of cyniKelly felt that art needed cism and sarcasm. content and that it needParadigm Lost is based on a car advertisement from the 1950s. A ed to convey a message. man is driving; his wife is blindfolded. The message of the ad is that He is not an abstraction- the car runs so smoothly the wife is not even aware of the ride. Kelist, but rather a figurative ly re-contextualized the image to reflect upon the issue of the everas painter whose work tells changing roles of gender and identity in society. a story, is socially aware, In Club Lust, an apparently wealthy married couple is shown in and taps into the emo- the intimacy of their bedroom. While the wife is waiting, sitting on By Saad Ghosn tions of the time. As an the bed, her husband is instead admiring and enamored with a golf Contributing Writer undergraduate he cre- driver. The bedroom window opens on a golf course and an image of ated works on apartheid the same hangs on the wall. Kelly used the painting as a metaphor for and Nazism, in particular the hidden aspects of relationships, for what is expected, what actuthe “Monster of Vienna,” a Nazi with no remorse for his atrocities – ally happens or does not happen; he depicted in it the openly unspotopics prominent in the news. While working at Wesselmann’s studio ken truth, reality versus perception, the dissonance of the moment Kelly continued his own art. He created a series of black cutout still encountered in personal exchanges. The painting also alluded to the lifes that did not satisfy him; they prompted him, however, to move in role sports play in people’s lives, particularly at retirement – a curse a different direction – Pop art. and a blessing at the same time. “Pop art allowed me, through visual metaphors, to establish allegoMany of Kelly’s topics come from his personal experiences and reries and narratives which looked at personal dilemmas and percep- flections. The more he delves into them, the more he connects with tions, and apply them to a general societal context,” he says, “It let me himself, his emotions, his beliefs and values. It is an uncovering proopen a visual dialogue with the viewer while trying to get to universal cess, like peeling off the skins of an onion, exposing layer after laytruth.” er. Often and sometimes after the fact , he says, he realizes that his paintings subconsciously relate to his own history – his divorce, for instance – yet have a universality due to their basic human subject. Kelly always tries to convey his thoughts and messages with subtlety and humor. He does not want his paintings to impose his views; he strives to understand and represent the other side, engaging viewers in the debate, expanding their awareness, indirectly leading them to the spirituality of life. All along Kelly has been interested in his own spiritual quest. A year ago he became dissatisfied and wanted to part with the cynical dark humor of his work, striving instead for more beauty, joy, serenity. He began reevaluating his belief system, meditating daily, embracing Taoist philosophy and learning the disciplines of Qi Quong and Tai Chi. This led his work into a new direction. He is now focusing on painting calm and harmonious landscapes, conveying the awe and grandeur of nature, its perpetual change, its peace and spirituality. They are small, intimate, meditative paintings. “I began looking at places I’ve passed hundreds of times, really noticing their beauty and abundance for the first time,” Kelly says. “Nature is in a continual state of becoming, and I equate it metaphorically in these new landscape paintings to one’s journey from ego to spirit. “It’s my attempt at conveying to the viewer a transpersonal experience which transcends the mundane veneer of just focusing on personal and societal ills. I want to offer in these works the gift of serenity, a haven of solace and tranquility for anyone willing to take the time to look.” Kelly’s art always comes from his heart. Whether through Pop art or new landscape paintings, it affirms who he is, conveys his beliefs and worldly views, shares his spiritual journey. Using symbols and metaphors, it aims at a higher level of understanding Club Lust, acrylic painting by Kevin T. Kelly. Photo by Kevin T. Kelly. and consciousness, at the fullness of life, at the universality of truth. A rtists ctivists Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource April 15-30, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Development for and of the People The Stories of the Man in the Van Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: Ohio Has a Thriving Slave Market Pg 4: Development for and of the People Pg 5: Street Drinking and Free Markets Pg 6: Street Drinking and Free Markets Continued Pg 7: Poverty, Choice and Security Pg 8: “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long...” Pg 9: Arts and Poetry Pg 10: King’s Death Led to Fair Housing Pg 11: A Night Walk Reveals the Action Pg 12: Russian Women, American Men Pg 13: Kickers Are People, Too Pg 14: Take Power from Corporations Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Dark Humor and Harmony Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 15-30, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Veronica Glass Jeni Jenkins Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Valerie Fessler Alecia A. Lott Jeni Jenkins Saad Ghosn Lew Moores Larry Gross Eli Braun Jesse Call Aimie Willhoite Anthony Williams Vinit Murthy Jon Hughes Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aimie Willhoite Alecia A. Lott Anthony Williams Arts & Poetry Bengals civil rights David Heitfield Eli Braun Gregory Flannery Human Trafficking Jeni Jenkins Jennifer Blalock Jeremy Flannery Jesse Call Jon Hughes Kevin T. Kelly Larry Gross Lew Moores Linda Zachary Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Martin Luther King Jr. Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Ohio Paul Kopp poverty Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Slavery Valerie Fessler Veronica Glass Vinit Murthy https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/2ad596bc0bc4c8839b4224a6e4adb28c.pdf 98cab100c716a187357b786daea4d626 PDF Text Text Barbara Gamboa’s Life-Canvas Page 16 CUE Page 6 ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNITY Aug. 1-14, 2010 • Issue 182 • One Dollar A Joyous Hammer Strikes Again Clowns and courage against nukes By Janice Sevre-Duszynska Contributing Writer Oak Ridge, Tenn. – “For those of you on Serious clowning. General Mayhem (right) and a companion clown submit to arrest. Tom Bottolene/CircleVision.org. probation, turn off your ankle bracelets,” said folk singer/songwriter Steve Jacobs, a member of the St. Francis Catholic Worker in Columbia, Mo. About 250 activists began the July 3-5 gathering for Resistance for a Nuclear-Free Future at Maryville College. The purpose of the weekend was to increase awareness about nuclear issues and to promote direct action. Thirty-seven activists were arrested. “The timing – two months after the 2010 NonProliferation Treaty Review Conference and before the mid-term congressional elections – provided an opportunity to focus attention on nuclear disarmament and the need for nuclear-free and carbon-free energy,” the Nuclear Resister reported. Participants celebrated the 30th anniversary of Nukewatch, the Plowshares movement and The Nuclear Resister. The conference received a message from the Rev. Louis Vitale, written from the federal prison in Lompoc, Calif., where he was held until the end of July for trespassing during a protest at Ft. Benning, Ga. Participants also wrote messages of support for other anti-nuclear and anti-war prisoners. ‘Imperial darkness’ Ralph Hutchison, coordinator of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA), related the history of the protests at the Y-12 nuclearweapons complex in Oak Ridge. “On Aug. 6, 1988, the 43rd anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, the blue line at Oak Ridge was crossed, and the first nuclear resistance there began,” he said Ralph Hutchinson. “It has been maintained ever since. In 1998 six actions launched modern-day resistance. After 9/11, the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Complex was renamed the Y-12 National Security Complex." Y-12 was the code name for the site that enriched the uranium for the atomic bomb that the United States used to destroy Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. The plant produces essential components for all U.S. thermonuclear warheads, according to See CLOWNS P. 4 ‘Streetvibes’ Boycotts Own Award Vendors aren’t allowed to work there Staff Report T he Cincinnati Human Relations Commission announced it would present an award to Streetvibes on July 26 for giving job opportunities to people who have disabilities. But Streetvibes declined to attend the award presentation because it was on Fountain Square, where vendors are prohibited from distributing the newspaper. “If our vendors aren't welcome on Fountain Square, the staff and volunteers don’t want to be there either,” said Gregory Flannery, editor of Streetvibes. The Human Relations Commission held a fourhour celebration July 26 to mark the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The federal law forbids discrimination in hiring practices and requires public facilities to be accessible to people who have disabilities. Speakers included U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-Cincinnati) and City Manager Milton Dohoney. Streetvibes is an employment system for homeless and other low-income people. Vendors, some with physical or emotional disabilities, purchase copies of the paper for 25 cents each and offer them for a donation of $1. The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) manages Fountain Square under a contract with the city. A city ordinance and 3CDC rules effectively forbid Streetvibes vendors from distributing the paper on Fountain Square, according to Kelly Leon, spokeswoman for 3CDC. Flannery says he questions the constitutionality of any ban on distributing a newspaper on public property. He also points to a 2002 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court throwing out an ordinance that banned religious displays on Fountain Square. Justice Paul Stevens cited “the square's historic character as a public forum.” “I doubt that 3CDC’s rules trump a Supreme Court ruling or the First Amendment,” Flannery says. “Fountain Square is a public forum. How can the city of Cincinnati ban a newspaper from a public forum?” Flannery says efforts to get 3CDC and the city to allow Streetvibes vendors to work on the square have so far been fruitless. Leon directed him to call the city solicitor’s office, which didn’t answer phone calls or an e-mail, he said. Last week, on the paper’s behalf, attorney William Gallagher wrote to the city solicitor. "I write this to you hoping you will take steps to remove a practice that strikes me as unfair and many as unconstitutional. … 3CDC permits corporations to make money on the square on a regular basis by selling food, drinks and products,” Gallagher wrote. “It permits CityBeat to distribute daily its newspaper on the square. The Enquirer is immediately accessible to someone on the square. However, members of our community who are struggling to find shelter, food and stability are denied an opportunity to sell a newspaper on public property by a private corporation allegedly working in the city’s interests.” Flannery says he hopes the matter can be resolved without the need for further litigation against the city. Streetvibes is published by the Streetvibes can’t be distributed on Fountain Square. Anne Skove. Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, which filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the city last month. At issue in that case is a city regulation that requires homeless shelters to take action against residents who panhandle. If the Human Relations Commission presents the award to Streetvibes anywhere besides Fountain Square, the paper will be glad to receive it, according to Flannery. “The 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act is an occasion worthy of celebration,” he says. “But to offer an award for our work with vendors at a location where they are unwelcome – prohibited by law – is insensitive at best and hypocritical at worst.” �2 The Business of Journalism By The Numbers 23,000 The profit, in taka, that a Bangladeshi woman made on the sale of a cow (see page 8). All The number of Streetvibes vendors prohibited by 3CDC from distributing the paper on Fountain Square (see page 1). 2001 The year Joy Friedman broke free from prostitution (see page 3). 25 The number of years Barbara Gamboa taught disabled and emotionally impaired children (see page 16). 80 The age, in years, of a linden tree that 3CDC will destroy in Washing ton Park (see page 4). 50 The amount, in dollars, for third place in the Streetvibes essay contest (see page 5). 30 The number, in millions, of copies of To Kill a Mockingbird that have been sold (see page 13). 3 The age of a child who cooked make-believe chicken at Interfaith Hospitality Network (see page 5). 1989 The year the fictional Arjuna became supervisor at the Pauline Warfield Lewis Center (see page 7). STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 Editorial By Gregory Flannery Editor Newspapers have a role, if they will fill it I n the mid-1990s I worked for a small daily newspaper that decided to put a feature story on the front page everyday on the theme, “Everybody Has a Story.” The theory was that people want “good news,” and we were going to give it to them. The statement is true so far is it goes. Every human being has a unique story about how she became who she is. But as a matter of journalistic principle, the statement is absurd. Not everyone has a story that merits attention in a newspaper, let alone on the front page. I protested the rule to no avail. Then, when it was my turn to write the front-page feature, I wrote about a dog that ate bees, wondering if – no, hoping – it would be too stupid to be published, thereby breaking the hold that this notion (“Everybody has a story”) had on the newspaper’s management. Sure enough, the editor put my story about the bee-eating dog on the front page. In fact, a clipping of the article was posted on the newsroom bulletin board, with a note saying, “An excellent use of the genre.” It seems that every dog has a story, too. I think about that editor when I see CNN anchors reading messages that viewers send on Twitter and when I see meaningless videos posted on local news shows: female cats nursing puppies. I think my former newspaper editor was onto something – and it’s not healthy for journalism or for civic dialogue. What we’re increasingly seeing on news broadcasts is the popularization of narcissism. Everybody has a story, everybody has an opinion and now, thanks to “social media,” everyone can publish it. If it’s outrageous enough or cute enough, it will get on the news. Equal access to the means to express oneself is certainly democratic. But journalism isn’t supposed to treat all views and all stories as equal. Central to the role of journalism is the act of discrimination: This story is more important than that one. This fact is essential; that one is not. This opinion has more merit because it’s informed, whereas that opinion is merely inflammatory. Have you ever read the comments about news stories posted online by readers of the Cincinnati Enquirer? Some are funny, many are vicious and most are irrelevant. The impulse to treat all opinions, all views, all perspectives as valuable has resulted in a lowering – rather than an elevation – of public discourse. All this comes at a time when the current wisdom holds, “Print journalism is dead.” Don’t believe it. We had been told that television was destroying newspapers. Now we’re told that the Internet is destroying newspapers. It’s no secret that newspapers in the United States are in trouble. Many have gone out of business in recent years, including the Cincinnati Post. Many more have dumbed down their content in a misguided bid to attract readers. This is true of daily newspapers as well as some that once considered themselves “alternative newsweeklies.” Analysis, investigation and enterprise reporting have lost ground to entertainment. As I write this, I’m preparing to attend the annual conference of the North American Street Newspaper Association. Streetvibes is part of a worldwide phenomenon: the growth and expansion of street newspapers. In the past year, new street newspapers have begun publishing in Toledo, Philadelphia, New York City, Seoul and other places. Many street papers, including Streetvibes, have seen their circulation grow. We received a letter last week from someone who said she has long bought Streetvibes in order to support the homeless people who distribute it but who, having read the content, now buys it in order to keep reading. If you look at street papers around the world, what you notice is a concentration on serious content – stories about human suffering, injustice, the victories of poor and oppressed people. Street papers have limited resources, an abundance of earnestness and a growing readership. There’s a story there: Write something worth reading, and they will come. I often meet with students from colleges and high schools and tell them that Streetvibes is the oddest newspaper in Cincinnati: written and photographed almost entirely by volunteers, our circulation is growing, while for-profit newspapers seem to be struggling. Throw in the fact that our paper is distributed by homeless and other low-income people trying to make a small living, and readers understand that we (and other street papers around the world) have a sense of mission that larger mainstream newspapers and broadcast news stations seem to lack. Print journalism isn’t dead. And everybody doesn’t have a story worth publishing on the front page of a newspaper. Readers want meaningful content. In the next edition, I’ll let you know what happens at the annual conference of the North American Street Newspaper Association. These things are important, just as it’s important to know that the city of Cincinnati bans the distribution of Streetvibes on Fountain Square (see “Streetvibes Boycotts its own Award,” page 1). 2 The number of clowns recently arrested at a nuclear-weapons plant (see page 1). www.facebook.com/ streetvibescincinnati twitter.com/ streetvibesnews streetvibes. wordpress.com Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo. com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress. com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Graphics/Layout Nick Swartsell Veronica Glass Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Corey Gibson, Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Lew Moores, Larry Gross, Eli Braun, Steven Paul Lansky, B. Clifton Burke, Michael Fanning Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Anne Skove, Vinit Murthy, Jon Hughes Proofreaders Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are proud members of: �STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 3 Beyond the Bootstraps Free at Last, Now Freeing Others Joy Friedman. Chris A.P. Bedell Breaking free means a safe place and people who care By Margo Pierce Contributing Writer I am a survivor from the life, of the life of prostitution. Everything that we represent here I am a survivor of—domestic violence, prostitution, drug addiction, criminal justice system, homelessness, rape, all of that. I came here as a client and was a participant in the program in the beginning in 2001. I came straight out of incarceration into treatment and treatment introduced me to Breaking Free. Joy Friedman, women's program manager at Breaking Free in St. Paul, MN, makes direct eye contact as she speaks. There is no edge in her tone of voice and no hesitation in her manner. She is an advocate in a house of advocates helping women leave prostitution. When the door is closed to her office, what was once a bedroom in a converted house at 770 University Avenue West, her presence fills the space between boxes, piles of papers on a cluttered desk and the two guest chairs that leave only a skinny floor space for navigation. We educate the girls on what they [get] caught up in, cuz a lot of times we, as victims, blame ourselves and society helps us with that, saying, “You should do something else. You should have never gotten in this. It’s your fault. You cause this to happen to you. You chose this.” In these groups we actually talk about what led up to it. Little girls don’t daydream about being involved in prostitution. I didn’t ask to get raped at 15 by a pimp and have three of his guys torture me and be held captive for 24 hours. Yeah, I survived it and got out of it, but the trauma that was done to me is with me the rest of my life. That’s a big piece people don’t really look at or seem to forget, is that in prostitution it’s not just the sex piece. It’s not just, “OK, stop having sex, get you a regular job.” If you’ve had sex with one guy or 1,000 guys that impact of how you had it—the fact that we’re bought, you compromised your morals, your values if you had them in the first place—and here a stranger is doing things to you that’s supposed to be done in an intimate, loving, caring, respectful, agreedupon relationship. That stuff sticks with you. You feel less, you feel dirty, you feel, “Oh my God, what have I done?” and that itself can be torture. And then you get that soiled feeling of, “Who’s going to want me after that? Am I ever going to be able to get the husband, the white picket fence, the dog, the family? Who’s gonna want a prostitute for a wife?” And there’s a lot of people who will help you with that as, “Once a ho, always a ho.” Tricks help you with that. Pimps help you with that to confirm, “Don’t go anywhere else because nobody’s going to accept you. Who in society is going to have a prostitute as their day care provider, or their receptionist? You’re never going to be anything. And once they find out about your life, they’re going to get rid of you. So stay with me, I love you for who you are and what you do. Don’t worry. It’s safe, we don’t judge you here.” Breaking Free is one of only a few dozen organizations in the United States that is available to assist an estimated 100,000 prostitutes leave “the life.” Breaking Free offers those currently caught in the life of prostitution as well as survivors of prostitution a lifetime of support through peer counseling, support groups, temporary and permanent housing, case management and access to essential services such as health care, mental health support, addiction programs and more all in one place. By providing a safe place, the house in the heart of an urban center becomes a haven. The first step is a 14-week program called Sisters of Survival. The dynamics of prostitution is what we talk about in there, such as boundaries, recruitment, self-esteem, do you want this job? We compare the job versus a career, or a real 9-to-5 versus prostitution, escort services or dancing. Is that a job? Then we look at the differences in jobs, like workman’s comp protection, 401k plans, taxes. You look at all that. That’s the thing about prostitution people don’t understand, you have low self-esteem and somebody in that lifestyle opens their arms to you, it’ll come down to “I need someone to appreciate who I am. I need someone to make me feel important.” So, a lot of girls get trapped through dancing. When you go into dancing, you’re actually the center of attention. Men come to see you. They give you money, they’ll buy you drinks. We know there’s an ulterior motive, but that feeds that missing piece. This is a process for every girl. It’s a process for me and I’ve been out 10 years. I still have problems of my own, where I have to deal with issues—like I don’t have a relationship. Why? Cuz I don’t know how to have one. Even though I’m up here working with women and I’m helping them understand where we’ve come from and where we can go, that piece of relationship—mmmm. Can’t do that yet. Sex, it has no meaning to me. If that’s what a relationship’s about I guess I won’t have one because I’ve had enough sex to last me a lifetime. If that’s what he wants and that’s what it’s all about then I’m ok with being by myself. A woman knocks and opens Friedman’s door. I’ve got a girl on the phone who’s in desperate, desperate measures. I don’t know exactly how to handle this. Friedman picks up a pencil at the same time she picks up the phone and begins to talk. Where ya at? It’s OK, honey. Are you OK at the moment? Are you safe? You remember me? Where did I see you? Good for you! You don’t want to do it anymore. You need to see your probation officer. Do you have an addiction? Keep it real with me. Last time you used? What’s your drug of choice? Have you ever been to treatment, honey? It’s OK You’re tryin’ to fix a problem by admitting to it. That’s not a bad thing. You can let ‘em know you been sober. It’s not like you’re tellin’ on yourself negative, you’re tellin’ them you need help. It’s not your fault—someone’s using your situation. Whatever we’re askin’ of you ain’t nothin’ compared to where you been. We want to get you someplace safe to stay. Have your probation officer call me. Getting Free The following organizations provide services to women and men either in the criminal justice system or trapped in the sex trade. The Empowerment Program Provides education, employment assistance, health, housing referrals and support services to women who are in disadvantaged positions due to incarceration, poverty, homelessness, HIV/AIDS infection or involvement in the criminal justice system 303.320.1989 1-800-659-2656 TTY http://www.empowermentprogram.org/ Sex Industry Survivors' Anonymous Mission: Support groups for women and men who are currently in the sex industry and are trying to get out or who have already gotten out but are trying to find recovery. Membership requirement is a desire to leave the sex industry. Services: Peer support meetings of survivors talking to one another. Meeting formats may be downloaded at no cost to all who want to set up local meetings. 888-702-7273 (toll-free) http://www.sexindustrysurvivors.com Polaris Project Polaris Project is a national organization working to end human trafficking and slavery. They conduct direct outreach and victim identification, provide social services and transitional housing to victims and operate the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) serving as the central national hotline on human trafficking. National Hotline: NHTRC@polarisproject.org 1-888-3737-888 http://www.polarisproject.org I can advocate on your behalf. You don’t have to be with those men. You don’t have to do this. You deserve better than that. You can do this. It’s going to be hard because it’s going to be change but you can do this. You got bigger and better things waiting on you out there. It’s OK where we are right now. Friedman hangs up the phone, makes some notes and then looks up. The girls are real willing and open to hearing me because I talk our language, so they know I’ve been there. There are certain things about that lifestyle that, if you’ve been in it, there’s just certain language and certain things you know that you can’t just read that and learn it. See FREE P. 10 �4 Local News STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 A Joyous Hammer Strikes Again CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 1 OREPA. Jay Coghlan of Nuclear Watch New Mexico talked about President Obama's Nuclear Posture Review, which includes the new Uranium Processing Facility at Y-12; the Chemistry and Metallurgy Research Replacement Project at Los Alamos, N.M,; and the first new nuclear weapons plant in 32 years, in Kansas City. A protest is planned there for Aug. 14-16. Recommendations at the conference included focusing on abolition – treating nuclear weapons as something as evil as slavery – and revitalizing public opposition to nuclear power. The issues are linked, according to Hattie Nestel, a member of the Shut It Down Affinity Group, active against the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vermont. “No nuclear weapons and no nuclear power,” she said. Kathy Kelly of Voices for Creative Nonviolence recently returned from a month-long visit to Pakistan. She spoke about people trapped during night raids and U.S. drone attacks in connection with the so-called War on Terror. Kelly said she met an Afghani man who is one of 7,000 people who drive cars for the U.S. Army. A roadside bomb, an “improvised explosive device,” shattered his arm and leg. Soldiers took the man to an Italian hospital, and he never heard from them again. He whispered that he had seen U.S. forces kill people without any reason, Kelly said. Workshops covered a wide range of peace and justice issues, from “Nonviolent Blockading” to Protesters block the road at the Y-12 nuclear-weapons facility. Tom Bottolene/CircleVision.org. “The Second Part of the Action: Representing Yourself in Court.” Liz McAlister of Jonah House, widow of Plowshares Eight member Phil Berrigan, discussed a quilt draped in back of the stage, quoting the Hebrew Prophet Isaiah: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares. Nations shall learn war no more.” “Isaiah announced the impossible,” she said. “And we must, too, in times like now of imperial darkness, of duplicity and conniving in high places. They dust off their tomes to ‘just wars,' but the words of Isaiah must come to pass. These words surpass the human even while they demand conversion of hearts. We are not objects of fate. Despair is to our shame. Come forth. Come forth … They dent the weapon in seeking to transform the object, and the transformers are transformed themselves.” Hammer time The Rev. Carl Kabat, a Catholic priest for 51 years, has spent 18 years in prison. He sometimes dresses as a clown – “a fool for Christ”– during protests. He reminded activists not to be too serious. He also reminded Catholics that the hierarchy has condemned nuclear weapons. “Working for justice is a constitutive element of the Gospels,” Kabat said. “It can be legal or illegal. Then we celebrate.” Kabat quoted Rosa Parks, famous for refusing to yield to racial segregation on a bus in the southern United States in the 1950s: “You mothers know. You do it because it needs to be done. We have a part in heavenly decisions.” Kabat is one of the Plowshares Eight, who entered a General Electric weapons factory in King of Prussia, Penn., in 1980 and used household hammers to start destroying warhead cones on missiles. Molly Rush, another of the Plowshares Eight, talked recalled her skepticism about the late Phil Berrigan, a former Catholic priest who was a legend in the anti-war movement. Rush said she and Berrigan were brainstorming. “We talked about how we would get inside the GE plant,” she said. “When Phil Berrigan said, ‘Perhaps we could drive up in a floral truck, bringing flowers’ … I thought it was a crazy idea.” She quoted Berrigan: “Human beings made these (bombs), and human beings can unmake them.” The lesson of the first Plowshares action? “It takes vulnerability,” Rush said. “When I hammered down on the warhead, a piece of it chipped away and cut me under my chin. I was not invulnerable." Thirty-seven people were arrested in protests at the Y-12 plant – 23 for blocking the road with a banner and 14 on federal trespassing charges. (Disclosure: The writer was among those arrested. So was Jon Blickenstaff of Cincinnati.) Neighborhood Rejects Takeover Killing trees, pushing out the poor Bonnie Neumeier, director of the Peaslee Neighborhood Center, reinforced the point. “African-American children drown at a rate three times higher than others,” she said. By Gregory Flannery Neumeier also pointed to the larger issue, the Editor use of 3CDC to make Over-the-Rhine more attractive to people with high incomes, displacing nstead of welcoming plans to “improve” many of the poor people who have lived in the Washington Park, residents of Over-theneighborhood. The park takeover, for example, is Rhine gathered July 24 to mourn what intended to appeal to patrons of concerts at Music they’re about to lose. Hall and residents of condominiums that 3CDC The city of Cincinnati has is developing in formerly low-cost given control over yet another apartments. public space to the Cincinnati “Do not spend our money “(Vice mayor) Roxanne Qualls Center City Development Corp. herself literally suggested the on something we do not (3CDC), which plans to close people who live around this park want.” Washington Park for 18 months could be charged to maintain it,” -Vermel Perkins while it destroys the swimming Neumeier said. pool, basketball court and 59 She then listed some of those trees. An underground parking garage, dog park neighbors: the Drop Inn Center, shelter for homeand water-play area are part of the estimated $47 less people, which the city is trying to force out; million renovation. Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, which proVermel Perkins, a longtime resident of Overvides affordable housing for low-income people; the-Rhine told the gathering that the changes are and churches that have long served the neighborunwelcome and dangerous. hood. All this comes as city council pursues zoning “What I don’t want to see in this park is the sochanges that would restrict non-profit agencies in Over-the-Rhine. called sprinkler system,” she said. “I am in favor “We don’t want a manicured, fancy, expensive of saving lives and teaching children to swim. You cannot learn how to swim in a sprinkler. Do not spend our money on something we do not want.” See TAKEOVER P. 12 I Avtar Gill likes Washington Park. Vinit Murthy. �STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 5 Local News The Games Homeless Kids Play Real rice and imaginary snakes By Angela Pancella Contributing Writer “ Are you a volunteer?” a 4-year-old wants to know. Another small boy, 5 years old at most, is careening through the yard zapping imaginary spider silk from his imaginary web shooters. I help him up when he lands flat on his back at the bottom of the slide. “Thanks, Spidergirl,” he tells me. I’m at the Interfaith Hospitality Network’s Day Center. Yes, to answer the 4-year-old’s question, I am here to volunteer. The task of all us volunteers is simple/complex/humbling/utterly gratifying: We help children play. I’ve been at this twice a week for a couple weeks now; while the experience is still new, I’d like to share a bit about what I’ve learned so far. The Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) matches religious congregations with families experiencing homelessness. In the evenings, families stay at places provided by a variety of local churches and synagogues, eat dinner and spend time with volunteers from congregations. In the mornings, all the families go to the IHN Day Center in the old St. Michael Church complex in Price Hill to work on getting into a more stable housing situation. Several case managers are on staff. Most of the day, the children remain under their parents’ supervision. Four days a week there are morning classes in budgeting, parenting and life skills that the adults attend, and then in the afternoons the adults do chores around the center. It is during these times that volunteers and staff help most with the children. I went to IHN after taking classes in early childhood education through the College of Mount St. Joseph and after working at Our Daily Bread in Over-the-Rhine. Through my classes, I’d learned much about the resiliency of children even in times of great hardship. Through Our Daily Bread, I knew people experiencing homelessness might be going through hardships I can’t begin to understand. It made me wonder: What would the children at IHN be like? The first morning I volunteered, Will Leever, IHN’s child-care coordinator, brought out uncooked rice in a large tray along with measuring cups, spoons, funnels and plates. A small group, infants to 5-year-olds, clustered round to check At play at the Interfaith Hospitality Network Day Center. Courtesy of IHN. out these treasures. Older children were attending a summer camp, thanks to Cincinnati Public Schools’ Project Connect. Soon little chefs were presenting home-cooked pretend meals for us to taste. “What’s this?” I asked a girl who offered a plate of rice. “Scrambled eggs!” I acted like I was gobbling it all up. A 3-year-old boy gave me his plate of rice next. That was chicken. Another plate was cake. So what are the children at IHN like? They are children. They love pretending, they love attention, they love exploring. Love of pretending means play that mimics adult tasks such as cooking, because play is the means by which children rehearse their later lives. It also means that when I am turning a jump rope for a small boy, he suddenly decides the rope is a snake that must be run from, and then a snake that must be caught. In class, we talked about how make-believe provides a space where children can feel in control in a world where so much is out of their control. When my snake-hunting friend triumphantly grabs the rope, this no longer feels theoretical. “I won!” The children’s love for attention means that if I help push a child in a Little Tikes car around the play yard, I must be prepared to give a turn to every other child, too – and I must keep careful track of how many turns everyone has had. There is no finer-tuned sense of justice than that possessed by 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds. I give turns as best I can; there will be other opportunities for them to learn how life can be unfair. Love of exploring means all volunteer eyes have to be sharp. All parents know the lament, “I just turned my back for one second.” Our job is to make sure no one gets hurt, no matter where they run, climb or crawl. I love watching the determination of very small children climbing the ladder on the playhouse – just as long as there’s another volunteer to catch them going down the slide. I’ve loved my time at Interfaith Hospitality Network. I encourage anyone who has an interest in children’s development, who wants to provide support for families experiencing homelessness and who values play to call IHN at 513-471-1100 or write info@ihncincinnati.org. The more volunteers who are there regularly, the more individual attention each child can receive – and children thrive on this. How to Improve Our Country ‘Streetvibes’ essay contest L ots of people move to the United States, but a lot fewer ever decide to leave. For example, in 2002, 27,299 Canadians immigrated to the United States, but only 5,299 Americans permanently moved to Canada. Last year more than 1.1 million immigrants became legal, permanent residents of the United States. That speaks volumes about how great a place America is, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t make it even better. Whenever we have a federal election, millions of citizens go to the polls and vote for the candidates they believe will work hard to improve things, yet millions of others – at least 40 percent of eligible voters since 1970 – do not even bother to vote for a president. By not voting, they waste a very important freedom. If you think voter apathy is a problem, you’re on the right track. Now just tell us what you’d do to correct it. Or even if you’re one of the more than 2 million Americans in a state or federal prison, let us know if you think crime in America is a significant problem and tell us how to reduce it. It’s no secret that in 2008 more than one in every 100 adults in the United States was behind bars, the highest documented incarceration rate on earth. Of course, other countries have lots of people who do bad things, such as the drug barons who force us to try heroin and cocaine. Is that the way it is, or do Americans voluntarily hand them tens of billions of dollars every year for highly addictive chemicals that ruin our lives? What if only 10 percent of that money would be used instead to help homeless people or to train Americans for better paying jobs? Do you think we have any problems worth mentioning? Poverty? Racism? Homelessness? Domestic violence? If so, tell us what they are and what we should do to solve them. You could win up to $100 and help to make our nation an even better place to live. Explain what you know about one problem in the United States and describe in detail your plan to help solve it. The importance of the problem you mention will be considered, but more weight will be given to how insightful and practical your solution is and to the quality of the writing. The prizes will be $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place. Send your essay of up to 1,000 words to streetvibes2@yahoo.com or Streetvibes Essay Contest, 117 E. 12th St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Entries must be received by Sept. 1. Include your full name, age, mailing address, phone number or an email address where we can reach you. If you are a student, tell us where you go to school. Judging will be by the volunteers who contributed the prize money and by Streetvibes staff. Donors for the prize money include Robert Pohowsky. Are you interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a proofreader, writer, poet, artist or photographer? If so, contact Greg Flannery 513.421.7803 x 12 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com �6 Local News STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 Homeless and Hopeless No More Gregory Flint and the power to change By Gregory Flannery Editor bitter at me for not being in his life. He’s scarred. The whole family has to heal.” Flint says his life changed this year. Jan. 7 was his last day of drinking, he says. On Jan. 11 he started a program at the Salvation Army intended to help end his addiction. He graduated July 4. G regory Flint is on his way. It’s been a long journey out of homelessness, addiction and prison. After growing up in Avondale, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 18, serving from 1984 to 1992. “I became homeless after getting discharged out of the Navy,” he says. “That’s when my drug addiction and alcoholism started. I stayed with a couple of women, having children. Then I was sleeping in front of the courthouse, in abandoned buildings. I’ve been to the penitentiary twice on drug charges.” Flint’s familiarity with inebriation came very early in life and set his course for decades. “I started drinking at the age of 5,” he says. “My Dad would give me beer to help me sleep. I started liking the way it mad me feel. I didn’t really know myself because, growing up, I was always using. I was basically a loner. I had two brothers beneath me but I never felt like I fit in. I was the black sheep of the family.” That sense of isolation, fueled by addiction, affected the next generation as well. “Being homeless doesn’t just affect me,” Flint says. “It affects my family, too – the lack of sleep, the lack of rest for my mother worrying about me. I took from my Mom. I stole from her. My son is still Gregory Flint has been sober six months. Jeni Jenkins. “God delivered me,” Flint says. “I have a little over six months sober.” He wears a lapel pin marking him as a member of the Salvation Army’s “Redeemed team.” “You only get this when you graduate,” he says. “I wear it proudly.” The changes in Flint’s life have been dramatic. He attends Constellation Baptist Church in College Hill, where he is a member of the men’s chorus. He goes to daily Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Now living in the Salvation Army’s transitional housing, where he’ll stay two months, Flint plans to move onto long-term transitional housing. “It’s been suggested by my sponsor that I stay in structure for two years because I was a chronic user,” he says. A little more than a month ago Flint was hired as a prep cook and dishwasher at Via Vite. His employer knows about Flint’s background – and therein lies the moral of Flint’s story, he says. “My employer was very pleased with the way I’ve changed my life,” Flint says. “He knows my background. If a person just looks at the things you’ve done, they’re not looking at you. Society will try to label you. I have two felony convictions but I’m not a felon. Spiritually, a person can look at you and see if you’re a good person. Then they’ll see that you made some mistakes but that’s not who you are.” Flint says he knows his struggle isn’t over, but he is proud of the progress he has made this year. “I have to do a lot of self-talk: ‘You’re a good guy, Gregory. You’re doing a good job.’ Meditation is very important to me,” he says. “I journal: How did I feel when things didn’t go my way? Was I close to relapse?’ Being vigilant is very important.” As for the future, Flint knows exactly what he wants. “My goal is to further my education in culinary arts,” he says. “My dream is to be an executive chef and own my own restaurant.” Learning by Serving Poor People Cincinnati Urban Experience By Brian O’Donnell Contributing Writer F or many students, summer is a time for pool parties and beach vacations; but for a group of 36 high-school students from Green Bay, Wis., summer is the season of volunteering and extra-curricular education. Since 2007 the Cincinnati Urban Experience has coordinated with parishes, non-profit groups and universities nationwide to bring students of a variety of ages to Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. This is the same neighborhood that a year ago WLWT (Channel 5) reported was the most dangerous neighborhood in the United States. The program and the neighborhood offer an opportunity for students to gain awareness and become active within the community, according to Jeni Jenkins, education director for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Most of the students who come for Cincinnati Urban Experience trips are completely unaware of the neighborhood’s condition and its perceived problems, she says. “It’s considered a dangerous neighborhood, but I don’t focus on the negative stuff,” she says. Kendra Burbach is a 17-year-old student from Green Bay who didn’t know much about the neighborhood except for its name and location. Burbach, along with her peers, expected a large city like Chicago, unlike Green Bay, which she described as small by comparison. But instead the students found themselves surrounded by Overthe-Rhine’s striking architecture. The students volunteered at local non-profit agencies such as Tender Mercies, which assists homeless individuals who suffer from mental or Jenkins says. Many of those who speak to the emotional disabilities. students during the education sessions are activ“I always wanted to do something like this,” ists or are formerly homeless. Jenkins also includes Burbach says. speakers of differing viewpoints, such as CincinVolunteering at the Peaslee Neighborhood Cennati Police officers. ter, distributing food at the FreeStore FoodBank The students glean much from the experience, and other agencies has an impact, the students and the non-profit agencies appreciate the help. say. “They appreciate “Everyone the fact we bring has been them steady volunthankful,” says teers,” Jenkins says. Carly Ripp, 15. One of the most Cincinnati important aspects Urban Experiof Cincinnati ence, however, Urban Experience is not simply is how the trip can volunteer change the particiwork. Without pants, Jenkins says. context, the Students are someessence of times surprised volunteerism by the notion that is lost, Jenkins homeless people says. The idea deserve dignity is to combine Students from Green Bay, Wis., volunteer in Over-the-Rhine. and respect, she service with Jeni Jenkins. says. Participants education, begin to think including time to reflect and talk about the work more critically about homelessness and have their being done. eyes opened to things they didn’t know about, “If I reach at least one of them who come on the Jenkins says. She hopes these ideas will stay in trip, I’ve made a difference,” Jenkins says. the students’ minds when they start their careers, She wants the students not only to interact with improving understanding of poverty and breaking the community, but to understand the issues that stereotypes. affect the area, such as gentrification and the idea “I learned to be thankful for everything we do of a living wage and how minimum wage often have,” Ripp says. “I wanted to help people. I look fails to meet that standard. at the world from a different viewpoint. … People “One of the things Jeni is informing us a lot with all the money and power are taking over with about is what the city is doing against poorer no regard.” people,” Burbach says. In the end, Jenkins encourages students to ask, Education on these issues is not without bias, “Where do we go from here?” �STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 7 Short Story Seeking the Wild Cleanliness Starting with mangled care By Steven Paul Lansky Contributing Writer 1989 A gray slop sink with four old frayed mops, knots hooked in clumps of filth, orange plastic handles lying at odd angles in a state of utilitarian neglect. The white tile halls of the Pauline Warfield Lewis Center looked neglected, too, barely cleaner than the maintenance closets, rags scattered, paper towels strewn, stacked with supplies. Begging, stuttering patients in ill-fitting clothes lurked with nicotine-deprived and psychotropic drug-induced tremors behind nearly every locked door. “Got a cigarette?” was their halting mantra. Green walls, wooden doors with small, square wired windows swung into areas between the wards keyed only by staff or supervisor. In the odoriferous custodial closets the new supervisor, Arjuna, driven to work by need for income, found brass and rubber squeegees without extension handles, empty and busted spray bottles, spent orange aerosol cans in need of disposal, food wrappers stuck to the yellow tile floor, orange and black vacuums clogged with dust, rubber belts broken, black cloth bags with damaged fasteners and no new replacement green liners. Stacked among boxes of toilet tissue and paper towels were half-empty five-gallon buckets of red, yellow and blue floor solutions, each with a specific use. At the hallways’ ends were brown steel doors without windows that, when keyed, swung into corners with external doors, also locked and windowless. This was a dark place to be walking with a cleaning crew of former patients pushing housekeeping carts of heavy brown plastic and bright yellow vinyl. Churchill was the best of all janitors Arjuna ever supervised. Church trained Arjuna to run a fourman cleaning crew at Lewis Center, a dirty, neglected state mental institution. Tile floors became endless corridors, a maze of doorways keyed by a fistful of master keys turning sometimes clockwise and other times counter clockwise. Scratched in the paint or plain wood above each knob was an arrow to indicate key direction to the uninitiated. Each supervisor carried keys; workers could only borrow them. The patients waited by the locked doors begging for a soda or a cigarette. Arjuna shared with the crew but not with the patients. One of the originals had been fired; and when Arjuna saw him at the central office and supply center, the worker stuttered that he wanted to be friends. “Could I have your number? Will you call me?” And Arjuna was cold and distant, had his own priorities. The worker knew trouble like the supervisor never could. Arjuna heard the man leapt to his death from a freeway overpass. The poet turned supervisor could not face his former employee’s funeral. Hoist a pint for him – someone (Arjuna had given up booze and weed). Now a college graduate, he’d had to beg for a job – no name please … one of the lost janitors of the ’80s. He never hurt anyone but by embarrassment of his pitiful nature. Ashamed to be pitied. Churchill was patient with Arjuna until Church was the last of the original four-man crew Arjuna had inherited. Church and Arjuna had had one night when they disagreed. Churchill had fight in him though mostly was gentle as a lamb. Arjuna had to call Captain Star, the neatly uniformed tough talker of the campus police. Everyone referred to them as “security” but Star fumed if it wasn’t “Officer Star” or “Captain Star.” A flash of eye and tooth and flaring tempers were quenched in a thirsty cool soda while Star stood by, his arrogant mustache bristled with calm. “A disagreement between two good men, two good workers.” Lisa, the other supervisor, had been a problem. Now that she’d been fired, Arjuna had responsibility for the whole crew, the whole building. Church had difficulty adjusting to the supervisory change, his job was no longer set; he had to face a team approach with Arjuna making more decisions. As many as 14 workers might turn up on a given night, or as few as five. Arjuna’s task was to settle things down and to clean the building. In training, Arjuna, Churchill and the freaky suicidal toilet man had cleaned half the building. Lisa and her crew cleaned the other half. Over a period of months the job had expanded and it became increasingly more difficult to finish in the allotted time. Arjuna had asked Nate, a thin white manager who moved with the frantic energy of a speed freak, to talk to Lisa about helping at the end of the night. At least, Arjuna asked, she could send some fellows over when they were through. Thin Chuckie was set in his ways, though, and Lisa didn’t want to disrupt his routine, she claimed. Once Arjuna was under the stars, smoking a glowing Camel, giving himself a break alone, when he saw Lisa driving around the parking lot in the company van. It wasn’t even that late. Arjuna had mentioned it to Nate. “If she has time to drive around … couldn’t she drive over to the far end with some crew members and help us knock out the kitchen and the kitchen hallway? It’s not fair, Nate. She’s finished and I’m still milking my cunt.” scared, but had a sense that he was on the other side now. No more joints with Riley, the welfare artist, Arjuna had hung with before he got the job. No more fighting Lisa. He told Nate he’d take the job. Nate agreed to bring him back to his car after he took the crew home. It was a clean sweep. Now he turned his back on Riley and the drugs; he headed for responsibility. Soon Arjuna would be a non-smoker. Trains pass at switches in the night— head beams cut gleaming paths like two janitors methodically backing mops— one out of a room, arms in locomotion, legs, patterns of moving oaks steady over damp rag heads, the room butts against a hall, where the other works easily, pausing to clear doorways. I stand in the twinight of my struggle, where they intersect – a rock, between them and a hard place. At Ronald’s Bar “Are you serious?” “Yup,” Ned answered. “Quit your job?” “Spent the day in the park drinking wine.” “No painting? No writing?” “No. It’s OK till next month and the bills come due.” A homeless man sweeps the floor at a shelter. REUTERS/Brian Snyder. Arjuna had heard the phrase from a Scottish folk singer. Nate had been stunned. He had talked to Lisa. Then she started sending her crew over to help for awhile. A week and a half passed that were better. Tommy, her floor man, was cheerful, a laconic talker. “Arjuna, we understand one another,” he said, as he noticed Arjuna growing out his hair, wearing a headband and a short ponytail. Tommy did this handshake thing, with the fists and the thumb. Arjuna had the sense they were dopers. “I caught Lisa smoking dope with Tommy and Thin Chuckie in the van while you were in the kitchen.” Nate was waiting for Arjuna in the lobby late. “Could you drive the van home and drop them off? You’ll have an extra five hours a week.” Arjuna had cracked his hardest habit. He was So I sidle over to the counter after thinking, “Good luck. Wouldn’t want to be unemployed without support in this slush.” Major slush raining from the sky. First time ever the plow driver lifted the blade so he wouldn’t coat me in icy spray. Coffee … The dishwasher, a toast of a chick, says she quit her day job today, too. “Finish the shift?” “Yep.” She had worked at the movie theater. Go figure. The bartender, Ned, he’ll land on his feet, 14 years on the job without incident. Ronald’s Bar & Grill changed owners. Regulars beware. Things will be changing. Yep … change is in the wind. The first time I heard the song, “Man in the Long See CLEANLINESS P. 10 �8 STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 Issues I’m So Far West that I’m East Life and lending in Bangladesh By Lynne Ausman Staff Writer L ynne Ausman, who is art director for Streetvibes and administrative coordinator for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, is in Bangladesh for a five-week internship. Ausman is studying the Grameen Bank, founded by Muhammad Yunus, co-recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. Grameen bank pioneered the concept of microlending – making small loans, without requiring collateral, to help people in Third World countries to help them establish businesses. While in Bangladesh, Ausman has been blogging about her experiences. Following are some excerpts. To follow Ausman’s adventures, visit “So West I’m East” at sowestimeast.wordpress.com. The Drive July 8 Driving in Bangladesh is a life-changing experience. Even native Bangladeshis typically do not drive. If they have the means, they will purchase a car and then hire a driver by the day to drive the car. In short, travel by vehicle in Bangladesh is mostly a guessing game governed by horns, luck and close calls. At 70-plus kilometers per hour, vehicles come up on bicycle-powered rickshaws very quickly and changing into a lane that already has a massive bus or extravagantly decorated truck is tricky. It’s a lot of stop-and-start and speed-and-swerve. When we arrived at the village of Dhambhamari, we walked to the bank branch. The countryside is lush and green – beautiful scenery; and we weren’t even that far out of the city. It’s quiet in the village, with few horns blaring and smogfree air. After about a five-minute walk through we boarded a rickety water taxi to take us across the flooded plain. Followed by another five-minute walk, we arrived at a small tin hut with 40-plus women packed inside, all chatting and preparing to pay their loans to the center manager and discuss various business-related issues. After the meeting and speaking with some of the women, we were invited by several to go to their homes and see how they make their products. Muhammad Yunus and Lynne Ausman. Brandi List. One woman used the money from the loan to purchase a cow for 17,000 taka beautiful and well-maintained. However, it was and grain for 10,000 taka. She fattened the cow not the memorial that kept our attention. Upon and used the milk from the cow for six months. entering the grounds, we were immediately being She then sold the cow for 50,000 taka, making a followed by a large group of teenage boys. This 23,000 taka profit. (1 U.S. dollar equals 70 taka). In following and staring happens to white foreigners addition to paying off loans, women are also able all the time, but rarely is the group aggressive. This to put money into a savings account and into a group of boys were polite but insistent on havlife-insurance pension plan. ing their picture taken with me. So somewhere in We visited the National Martyrs Memorial, Bangladesh there is a group of boys with a picture dedicated to the men who lost their lives in the of me and them. A little later, we were posing for Bangladeshi fight for freedom from Pakistan in a group picture and there were Bang;adeshi men 1971. The memorial is large, and the grounds are See BANGLADESH P. 12 “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long…” Re-Done Potato Broccoli Scramble Serving Size: 3-4 bellies 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons butter (or substitute for vegans) 1 cup chopped red onion 3 cloves fresh garlic 4 leftover baked potatoes, cubed 3 cups pre-cooked broccoli florets 1 tablespoon curry powder Salt and pepper Optional for vegans: 1 cup chopped or sliced American cheese 4 eggs, scrambled Re-Done Potato Broccoli Scramble. Jeni Jenkins. By Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer L ast week I hosted an amazing group of 35 students from Green Bay, Wis., for the Cincinnati Urban Experience (see “Learning by Serving Poor People,” page 6). Cincinnati Urban Experience is an alternative break program designed to provide participants with an experience of meaningful service and social-justice education that will motivate them to become active in the fight to end poverty and homelessness. On one of the students’ nights here, they kindly • Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. • Add onions and garlic and sauté 1 minute. • Turn heat slightly down to medium and add potatoes. Mix evenly with onions and garlic. • Add broccoli to the top of the potatoes, and continue cooking the potatoes for 1 minute, then mix broccoli and potatoes together and continue to cook an additional 3-4 minutes until potatoes are crisp and brown. • Sprinkle evenly with curry powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste. • For non-vegans, push veggie mixture aside in skillet and pour in eggs. Scramble until cooked to your liking and then mix eggs and veggies together. Turn off heat. • Sprinkle with American cheese and cover for 1 minute or until cheese is melted. • Serve with toast or English muffin and fruit. • Voila, feed! • invited me to partake in a baked-potato dinner. As an Idahoan with a fondness for the glorious root, I graciously accepted. We feasted on baked taters loaded with broccoli, red onions and cheese, and it was fabulous. A couple days later as they were packing for home, they informed me that they had bagged up these leftovers for me to take home. After they left, I took them home to a nearly empty fridge. I was famished, so I decided to quickly whip up this recipe using the leftovers. This was so tasty that I feasted on it every meal for two days. It works for breakfast, lunch or dinner. My suggestion is to reserve one night for baked potatoes, save the leftovers and then throw together this scramble for a lovely brunch the next day. Enjoy! Interested in volunteering with Streetvibes? Contact Greg Flannery at 513-421-7803 x 12 or by e-mail at streetvibes2@yahoo.com �9 Vendor Voice STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 Prisoners Help Save City Pools Meanwhile 3CDC plans to eliminate one By Lee McCoy Streetvibes Vendor T Lee McCoy distributing Streetvibes. Eamon Queeney. he men at London Correctional Institution (LCI), I want to give you a note of praise. I understand the hard work that you had taken upon yourself to raise $1,000 to help the kids in Cincinnati so they can get out of the heat. You had to sell a lot of veggie pies and other items. Being an ex-guest myself of LCI, my state pay was $18 a month. Your $1,000 could have brought a lot of commissary items. I want you to know I see a lot of kids splashing around having a good time. It was nice seeing them there instead of hanging on a corner, getting in trouble. My hat goes off to you guys. Good luck. God bless each and every one of you. Stan Chesley, the Cincinnati lawyer, led the fundraiser to keep the city pools began this spring knowing after the Cincinnati Recreation Department announced it would close four pools because of the budget. The fundraising effort gathered donations enough to keep the pools open in Mount Auburn, College Hill, Fairview Heights and the East End, and the donations are enough to keep some of the pools open two weeks after most are scheduled to close by. Just keep on swimming. But now let’s get to the nitty gritty. The World Choir Games will be here in 2012. It is our mayor’s pet project. If you don’t know where the festival will be, let me enlighten you: It will be in Washington Park (see “TAKEOVER, page 4). I mean a renovated Washington Park – minus a swimming pool. Was I supposed to say that? Oh, well. Sink or swim. About 200,000 spectators and 20,000 participants are expected from 70 countries. I can imagine the revenue the city will generate. No wonder the swimming pool was not open. Back in 1978 I was a Navy SEAL officer on a submarine called U.S. Enterprise. We were 4,000 fathoms under the sea and the sub exploded. Fighting my way to the surface, I grabbed an air bubble. It busted, so I did what comes natural – I passed gas and grabbed that. I fought all kinds of creatures. I even had sex with a mermaid. She got pregnant and had twins. Out came Charlie Tuna and Bumble Bee. If you believe this, maybe you believe next summer all pools will be open. Art by Anne Skove Art by Anothony Williams Say ! ? t a h W It may well be that our means are fairly limited and our possibilities restricted when it comes to applying pressure on our government. But is this a reason to do nothing? Despair is nor an answer. Neither is resignation. Resignation only leads to indifference, which is not merely a sin but a punishment. – Elie Wiesel �10 STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 Beyond the Bootstraps Free at Last, Now Freeing Others CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 3 Word has traveled so a lot of people know me or know of me. And they know me from the streets and they know me from this side. The women are real receptive to it because they want out. A lot of girls are falsely convinced that there is no way out and they’re terrorized or tortured into believing that if they try to get out this individual will find them, hurt them or hurt their families— that instilled fear is real to us. It may not be real to everybody else, but it’s real to us and that’s all that matters. “I believe he’s going to go hurt my kids or my mother or my family members because I’ve watched him do it to other girls.” So you’re scared to even try to attempt it, you feel trapped mentally, not to mention physically, so that you don’t go nowhere. You don’t try to escape because you’re scared of the consequences, ‘What if?’ Right now I have a lady that needs to move into transitional housing. I have two of them actually— one of them is coming from the criminal justice system, one is coming from treatment. Now both these young ladies both these girls have extensive criminal backgrounds and they want to get out. But once again, those barriers of, “If I get out, what kind of job am I going to be able to have?” I’m a role model for both of them right now because they’ve seen me come up out of the dirt, literally, out of jail with nothing and advance up the ladder as I have and get that respect and bring back things that I never thought I’d have and getting positions that we never would have thought women like us could be in. Vednita [Carter, Breaking Free founder] believes in hiring survivors, regardless of the backgrounds. We believe in second chance opportunities and empowering them. But with these women I show them that we can do this despite our records, despite everything in that. All they have to do is want it. If they want it, Breaking Free and myself are willing to walk, Vednita is willing to walk not in front of them but side by side with them, hold their hand the whole journey, not halfway through it. This program offers a lifetime of support. So it’s not like after 14 weeks you’re done with our program or the funding ran out so your stuff is over. This is ongoing so if you leave us today and go back to the life, we’re not going to feel any different about you. We’ll pray for you and try to hope that God protects you while you’re out there. And that you come back to us alive. We’ve got many women that haven’t made it back and that we ended up attending their funerals. So what I do is just let them know, “If you fall, it’s OK. Call me.” We have an emergency cell phone, they can call any time. I’m out in the streets doing outreach, so when I see them I treat them no differently from the first day that I met them, which means a lot to them. We want people to know that we’re human— don’t have that sympathy and pity for us—poor her, poor her. No, it’s just a situation happening. I need help and support to get out of it. We’re women like you. We are somebody’s child. How would you want your child to be treated if this happened to her? No one’s exempt from this. The women involved in this didn’t cause this. The facts here are a woman’s caught up in a very violent situation and as a community we need to come together and embrace her, otherwise why should she get out of it? The American myth of individualism tells people who are struggling with addiction, abuse, mental illness or poverty to simply pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. In reality, specially designed services and other kinds of support are essential to the process of transformation. This column is the second in an occasional series that will explore what it takes to Forget the Bootstraps in order to live a better life. Seeking the Wild Cleanliness CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 7 Black Coat,” I was coasting down Reading Road into Over-the-Rhine in my ’73 yellow Plymouth Valiant in the rain. As the song vibrated my frayed speakers, Kent Wright asked, “Who sings this?” Kent was 10 years older than me. He was a temporary worker and my assistant supervisor. We were on our way home from the Pauline Warfield Lewis Center at 11 at night. Rainwater splashed around my balding tires. I supervised a crew of 13 janitors, all mentally ill client-workers, part of a mangled recovery program. (We were in the habit of calling managed care “mangled care.”) Kent smelled of sweat and alcohol in the damp smoky car. I puffed on a strong filter-less cigarette, braking for the light at the corner of Liberty and Reading. “It sounds like Bob Dylan,” I said, “but I’ve never heard it before.” I had given up drinking nine months earlier, and the tangy alcohol smell on Kent was frustrating. He wasn’t considered one of the clients because he was a temp worker. His black skin glistened in the wet light of Cincinnati’s deep struggling night. “Where do you want me to drop you?” I asked. “It don’t matter,” he said. “Anywhere along here.” I wondered where he was going, what his home was like right now … but I had to take care of myself first. That meant getting home, up the three flights into the big high-ceilinged rooms where I must get to sleep to wake early to go tutor English at the university tomorrow. The cigarette smoke tickled my nose as Bob Dylan’s nasal voice rattled. Earlier Kent and I had played basketball oneon-one in the hospital gymnasium as the crew finished putting away the orange and black vacuums, yellow and orange buckets and long-handled mops. By now they knew the routine. The new workers followed the example of the old-timers. Kent kept me puzzled with this amazing scoop move under the hoop. He switched his dribble in the lane from left to right, then made a figure in the air as his right hand swept the ball away from my reach. Neither of us had an outside game. Kent was bigger, heavier, but quicker. I had the reach and height advantage, though. We both smoked and wheezed with fatigue as we approached 11 points one by one. I felt I had to establish some kind of dominance over this man so that he wouldn’t undermine my authority with the rest of the crew. Kent knew floor product, stripping and waxing and the scrubbing machine better than I did. And he knew he knew. It was best to let him work alone. But, then I might find him on a phone in an office, not working, or smoking in a non-designated area. If I could beat sted in Adv erti Intere sin gi Affordable Rates tvibes? tree nS Kent in one-on-one it would mean a lot. Bob came into the gym just as I scored, rising gracefully over Kent with a right-handed finger roll. Bob had been a welder. He had a pocked gray face from when an acetylene regulator blew up in his face. Two days earlier I had come up behind him in an office as he was eating fried chicken out of a wastebasket. “Bob,” I said, “You had lunch with the crew. You don’t need that.” “Oh, man, it’s habit.” He looked at the floor, kicking at the carpet. “I was homeless back in ’82 and I just got into the habit. Now when I see food, I just can’t help …” “It’s OK. There’s no shame in having been homeless. I’ve been there, too.” “Yeah. You won’t tell Nate.” “No,” I said. Kent stood and waited, his hands on his hips. His shirt was soaked through, rings of sweat around his eyes beaded. “Man, that was a move. Do it again.” I dribbled with my right hand, turned with my back to him, crossed the dribble, spun into a reverse pivot and swept past him to the basket. “That’s 11!” I said. “You can’t win,” he said. Many sizes (full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page) Black & White and Color available Contact Lynne at 513-421-7803 ext. 11 or lynneausman@cincihomeless.org Call 513-421-7803 x11 to learn about Streetvibes subscriptions �STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 11 Housing Issues Granny Flats & Backyard Cottages Accessory dwelling units could be the fix By Michelle Dillingham Contributing Writer I have always suspected that the problem of homelessness was in some way related to the lack of affordable housing. My suspicion was confirmed when I read what Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, has written: “The solution to homelessness is housing.” It’s interesting how so many people try to make it about something else. Seeking policy solutions to our local affordablehousing crisis, I again ventured in search of best practices and found Seattle’s Affordable Housing Report supporting the idea of “accessible dwelling units.” Whenever I research a best practice being used to help alleviate the lack of affordable housing, I inevitably find myself reading zoning codes, alas. This adventure was no different as I delved into the fascinating world of accessible dwelling units or “ADUs.” The ADU has been defined a few different ways, but the simplest definition I found is: “An accessory dwelling unit is a habitable living unit that provides the basic requirements of shelter, heating, cooking and sanitation.” Homes with detached garages, daylight basements, two-story homes, larger homes and alley access apparently lend themselves to ADUs. Simply put, an ADU is any dwelling that is secondary to the main dwelling but that can provide adequate facilities to be an independent living unit. In 2008 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a report, “Accessory Dwelling Units: Case Study,” that explains how the rise in popularity of the ADU can be attributed to the need for smaller housing despite a large stock of large houses with surplus space and a growing elderly population that hopes to “age in place.” HUD’s report looks favorably upon this housing option and notes other positives: ADUs can assist homeowners to bring in additional revenue by having tenants pay rent. Companionship or services are other benefits. ADUs add affordable units to existing housing, which is as an efficient use of existing housing stock and infrastructure. ADUs offer units in single-family neighborhoods for people at various stages of their life cycle or for people with disabilities who want to live independently but still can be close to needed support. Opposition comes in its usual form: concern about increases in parking and traffic, decreases in property values, the threat to the “single-family character” of a neighborhood. However, these concerns have not been borne out in cities that have allowed ADUs with zoning regulations that provide controls. In a quick on-line search of the city of Cincinnati’s zoning code, I saw no reference of ADUs or cottages. Supporters like the fact that there would be a decreased need for government subsidies, presumably because there would be more affordable “market rate” ADU units available. Also, new housing units are created while the look of a single-dwelling development is maintained. ADUs provide a means for senior citizens, single parents or families with grown children to remain in their homes and neighborhoods and obtain extra income. Most compelling to me is that the ADU can provide a broader range of accessible and more affordable housing. I encourage affordable-housing advocates to explore these creative ways to identify more affordable housing – affordably. There are a seemingly endless number of resources online to help communities codify zoning to support ADUs. For example, Vermont has a great brochure online that provides a wonderful synopsis of ADUs, “Adding an Apartment to Your House: New Opportunities for Homeowners: Accessory Dwelling Units.” At a Bar Near You: Guns R Us Ohio prepares to let firearms in saloons By Nicholas Hoesl Contributing Writer I n the Gulf of Mexico, we know that oil and water don’t mix. What about guns and alcohol? Ohio permit holders cannot yet carry loaded handguns into bars, restaurants and sports stadiums, but Senate Bill 239 breezed to passage. Some say it was “ram-rodded.” It passed without any meetings to hash out compromises on both sides of the aisle. Who said bipartisanship is dead? Earlier this year the National Rifle Association (NRA) helped passengers to tote guns on Amtrak, hardly as an effort to boost ridership. Then an amendment allowing concealed weapons in national parks was snuck into the popular creditcard reform bill. Now you’re safe from people and bears. There’s more. Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have agreed to a special exemption from new finance-disclosure laws for the NRA. They’re on a roll. What next? How about opening up the Cincinnati Zoo to those packing heat? Get a gun lobby to sponsor “Gun Day” – great practice before going to the big parks. Of course, endangered species would be off-limits. Now that we have casino-style gambling at church festivals, introducing a few loose cannons into the crowd would liven things up. If this sounds far-fetched, last year 200 people showed up for “Take Your Gun to Church Day” in Kentucky. I don’t know if “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” was the favorite hymn. Not to be outdone, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal recently signed yet another “Bring Your Gun to Church” bill. The city of Kennesaw, Ga., went beyond the right to bear arms. By law, every home in that city must have a gun. Do you remember the incident in Watford City, North Dakota, when a rancher gunned down three men at an American Legion club after he was served two glasses of what he called “unsatisfactory beer?” In my neighborhood, a bar went out of business after a murder took place there. On the door of my library is a sign, “No Concealed Weapons.” Just keep it all up front. If you’re in a long line, does a gun get you better service? Do saloonkeepers believe that guns in bars will boost sales or bring back the smokers, or do they long for the blazing saddles of the Wild West? Can time-honored gentlemen’s duels be far behind? I’m all for honoring a long tradition. Every American should be allowed one single-shot, muzzle-loading flintlock musket. Today’s guns should be at least as hard to get as a fishing or driver’s license. There are well-meaning folks who believe that, if we gave a gun to everyone who entered a plane, it would be a real deterrent to terrorists. I first heard that one from Archie Bunker. Our recent gun-slinging culture has evolved from the Saturday Night Special to the Sunday Street Sweeper. Buy a sweeper and you can skip target practice. It’s as easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Another tip: Pass over the licensed gun dealers and go to the gun shows, where few questions are asked and there’s no IQ test. Pick up a few hotpotato grenades. The NRA endorsed Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland after he said he would sign the bars-restaurant bill if it passes in the Ohio House of Representatives. It wasn’t long ago that U.S. Sen. George Voinovich commented on Ohio’s proposed concealed-weapons law: “If guns made us safer, we’d be the safest country on Earth.” Keep in mind that our governor hails from the south end of the state, where people still talk of the feuding Hatfields and McCoys. Never mind that the Fraternal Order of Police, county sheriffs, police chiefs and state associations representing county prosecutors all called this bill a dangerous idea. The politicians seem to be saying, “What do they know?” and “They don’t have the gun lobbies on their backs.” In the past election, Democrats got $1.2 million from the NRA. This could be more than a shotgun wedding. Nicholas Hoesl is a retired pharmacist and author from Westwood. Want more Streetvibes? Check out the Streetvibes blog http://streetvibes.wordpress.com �12 STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 Issues I’m So Far West that I’m East CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 8 surrounding our translator, who was taking the picture, to watch the photograph be taken. Rolling Blackouts July 11 Bangladesh is still considered a Third World country. However, the country’s economy and world presence is growing quickly, especially in the garment industry. As a result, there are rolling blackouts constantly. At first, all of us would stop and wait for the generators to kick on before continuing what we were doing. However, we all noticed that no one else seems to notice the blackouts. Last night solidified in all of our minds how much we have adapted to the blackouts in such a short time. There were six of us hanging out in my hotel room at the end of the day when the lights went out and the dull hum of electricity went out, and we all kept talking and carrying on like nothing had even happened. By far the safest and possibly easiest way to get around, other than walking, is by hiring a car and driver for the day. It’s pretty cheap – usually between 200 and 500 taka per person for the day. Yesterday 10 of us decided to go to Bashundhara City, the largest shopping mall in Southeast Asia. We had the hotel hire us a van. We all piled in and three blocks later we were sitting on the side of a road with an over-heated vehicle in 100-degree heat and 100 percent humidity. However, in order to get to a safe place to pull over, we had to do a U-turn into oncoming traffic – and I’m serious about the oncoming traffic, large buses, rickshaws and other cars coming straight for us as we go the wrong way on the wrong side of the road. The driver called another driver, and off we went to the mall. This gigantic mall has eight floors of shops of all kinds. I purchased a pair of Gucci sunglasses, priced at 2,000 taka. I paid 1,500 taka after some haggling – for a total of about $25. I also purchased some scarves and gifts. We had the opportunity to meet Muhammad Yunus yesterday. “Each of us have the capacity to change the world,” he said. Sirajgonj July 18 In the village we spent most of our time visiting Grameen loan recipients and learning about how Grameen has changed their lives. We spoke with a new borrower, an experienced borrower, a student loan recipient, a struggling member and Grameen Bank staff. We also spent a good amount of time just hanging out outside the bank, where villagers would stop by because they heard foreigners were in town. We stayed at the bank branch in two rooms – no air conditioning (mosquito nets a must), giant roaches, spiders, geckos and squat toilets. We were lucky. One of the other groups didn’t have showers and had to use a bucket on the roof. Oftentimes we would be hanging out in our room after dinner, playing a card game and several children would sneak upstairs and get us to come outside. When we went outside, 20 or more people would be in the yard waiting to see us and teach us some Bangla phrases. The children would A micro-loan helped this woman make a large profit on her purchase of a cow. Lynne Ausman. beg to have their pictures taken – mostly so that they could see themselves on the camera screen. We also visited a local primary school where the children sang songs and showed off their English skills. Neighborhood Rejects Takeover CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 4 park,” Neumeier said. “Who’s going to be living in Over-the-Rhine?” The planned destruction of the trees was especially galling to participants in the rally, held when the temperature was in the mid-90s. A linden tree estimated to be 80 years old is among those scheduled to be destroyed. Johnny Ridley first talked about swim meets he participated in at the Washington Park Pool when he was a child. Then he pleaded for the trees to be saved. “I don’t want to see the trees cut,” he said. “If it weren’t for the trees, we’d be burning up right now.” Theater director Michael Burnham talked about the way other cultures regard old trees, including England and Germany. He mentioned the German immigrants who settled in Over-the-Rhine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, giving the neighborhood its name. “You are sitting in the living room of the city of Cincinnati, the one place where you can go when it’s hot and there is shade,” Burnham said. “Linden trees grow here. They also grow in Germany, where they are considered sacred. We had some German folks here. Ever wonder how that tree got here 80 years ago? If we lose that tree, what does it say about who we are?” Burnham led a ritual in which he twirled with a watering can, watering the condemned trees and inviting the crowd to join him in dedicating the trees to the people who run 3CDC, their ancestors and descendants. “We dedicate you in the name of those who would cut you down,” Burnham said. “In their name, we dedicate you to their ancestors, who may have known better. And we dedicate you in their name to their children’s children for as long as it takes to grow a tree, so that they may know better.” Become a fan of Streetvibes on Facebook! Streetvibes vendors keep 75% of sales. Consider helping Streetvibes with our publication costs by Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 13 Poetry The Mockingbird that Never Died Celebrating a classic novel’s anniversary By Lew Moores Contributing Writer J ean Louise “Scout” Finch is a tomboy. She is 6 years old as the story begins, has taught herself to read even before the first grade, yet hates the idea of going to school, addresses her father by his first name and refuses to back away from – indeed, even initiates - a good physical fight with boys. She lives in fictional Maycomb, Alabama. The Great Depression began a couple of years earlier and FDR is president. Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square. … There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. But it was a time of vague optimism for some of the people: Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself. The story is told through Scout’s eyes. She lives with her brother, Jem, and father, Atticus Finch, a lawyer. At the outset, she and Jem befriend a boy named Dill, who is spending the summer with his aunt, who lives next door; and they spend much of their time early in this classic novel figuring out how to flush out a neighborhood recluse named Boo Radley. It was Dill, Scout points out, who “first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out.” But while this coming-of-age novel starts off as an evolving story of a child’s awe of the mysterious and a child-like excitement over a pending sense of adventure, it quickly becomes a more profound exploration and examination of race and class and poverty, of the evil and the noble, in the Deep South of Depression-era America. A quick summary: Atticus Finch is asked to defend an AfricanAmerican man accused of raping and beating a white woman at a time when rape was a capital offense and black men could be extra-legally lynched just for whistling at a white woman. Part of the canon This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1960 publication of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, a book that won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961, was made into an award-winning film in 1962, has sold, by media accounts, more than 30 million copies over the years, and is widely taught in high schools across the country. One media account noted that in 1988 the novel was being taught in 74 percent of the country’s public schools. The 50th anniversary is being marked across the country with readings, panel discussions, music and performances at libraries, bookstores and other public forums. The New York Times noted in late May that at least 50 events had been planned. The National Endowment for the Arts has issued a list of discussion questions for those studying the novel – “How does Atticus quietly protest Jim Crow laws even before Tom Robinson’s trial?” – as well as the historical context of civil rights in the United States. The New York Times also noted that recent sales of the book have been “robust,” especially in the South and in the Midwest in states like Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. HarperCollins, the novel’s publisher, notes on its Web site that most events took place last month, with another handful this month and more in September, from Mobile, Ala., to Boston to Des Moines, Iowa. In Cincinnati, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center marked the anniversary by showing the film July 11. More than 30 school-age children from Dayton attended. Andrea Faulkner is the manager for English/ Language Arts curriculum for Cincinnati Public Schools. While the novel is not required reading at CPS, many teachers have taught the novel. “It’s being taught at different grade levels, mostly at the high-school level,” she says. “We supply a district-adopted textbook. Many teachers supplement that textbook with novels that are part of the English canon.” Faulkner taught the novel for eight school years while she was an English teacher in Brown County and at Northwest Local School District in Colerain Township. She chose to teach the novel. She says she always prepped her class for what they were about to read, the history of Jim Crow, of the Depression, about Harper Lee and how this would become her only work (she is now 84 years old), an introduction to some of the characters her students would meet in the novel and also the language. The phrase “nigger-lover” is quite common in the text, and the alleged crime is rape. How did she deal with the language in the book? “I pre-warned every group of students I had,” Faulkner says. “But I’m going to teach the book as written. I tell the students, ‘When it’s your turn to read, if you choose to leave that out, I respect that, but I don’t want you to replace it with anything.’ I asked my African American students, ‘Am I offending you by doing this?’ I asked my white students the same. It’s also part of our standards to teach how language changes, is affected by events and time. “As you teach it, you take the children and have them go back and look at how they would respond to this injustice. Now this is the 1930s and you’re white, so how do you respond? You’re African American, how do you respond? Female, how do you respond?” Faulkner asks her students to transport themselves back close to 80 years to and step into the shoes of a character from the 1930s, much as Atticus asks Scout to “climb into his skin and walk around in it,” referring to anyone whose motives are hard to fathom. Were Faulkner’s students able to appreciate the events that took place during the Depression, with a pre-civil rights-era America? “It depended on the group of kids and on how much detail I would need to go into,” she says. “Depression, they got – especially Brown County, where there is quite a bit of poverty. A lot of students could understand poverty. The Depression was not the big issue. It was trying to understand the racial issues.” Could they wrap themselves around the racial issues? “They can,” Faulkner says. “It just takes a little more exposure. They have very limited exposure.” ‘Moral Ritalin’? Mockingbird is more often taught at the highschool level, rather than college, according to Jennifer Glaser, assistant professor of English and comparative literature at the University of Cincinnati. “That’s primarily because of the age of the main characters and the fact that it has become a classic adolescent fiction,” Glaser writes in an e-mail. “Coming-of-age novels are often absent from American lit curricula. Sometimes, for better or worse, the popularity of a novel keeps it out of the college classroom as well. “However, I think there’s definitely room for (Mockingbird) in the college English department. The novel brings up a lot of important issues about the history of American attitudes toward race, the use of pejorative language for African Americans and the like. I think it would invigorate discussion for many college students and would let them compare how their own attitudes toward race have changed from the first time they’ve read the novel until now.” Glaser has never taught the novel at the college level. “Although I think it could be a great book to teach in a class that focused on American attitudes toward race, Southern literature,” Glaser writes. “What’s interesting about Lee’s novel is the way in which it provides a particular snapshot of the Jim Crow South of Harper Lee’s childhood. If I were teaching the novel, I would definitely talk about how important Lee’s exploration of racism in the South was, but I’d also allow my students the room to be critical of the work and some of its pieties. The writer Malcolm Gladwell recently published a great critique of the novel/film in the New Yorker that I’d have my students read alongside all the glowing criticism the novel has inspired.” The piece Glaser refers to appeared in an August issue of the New Yorker last year. The piece is provocative. Gladwell calls the fictional Atticus a “Jim Crow liberal” and compares him to some Southern politicians of the 1950s, such as Gov. Jim Folsom of Alabama, who believed that African Americans should be accommodated, treated well, with a sense of noblesse oblige. They should be treated with a sense of neighborliness. But that didn’t mean legally ending segregation or opening polling places. Atticus Finch was one of them. He didn’t rail against injustice, was in no way a political or civil-rights activist. He accepts with stoicism – we’ll appeal – Tom Robinson’s guilty verdict. “If Finch were a civil-rights hero, he would be brimming with rage at the unjust verdict,” Gladwell writes. “But he isn’t. He’s not Thurgood Marshall looking for racial salvation through the law. He’s Jim Folsom, looking for racial salvation through hearts and minds. “Here is where the criticism of Finch begins, because the hearts-and-minds approach is about accommodation, not reform.” Others have chipped away. Thomas Mallon, writing in the New Yorker in 2006, on the publication of a biography of Harper Lee, called Atticus a “plaster saint,” and said that if the novel were widely read in public schools, “it is less because the novel was likely to stimulate students toward protest than because it acted as a kind of moral Ritalin.” The syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker, writing last month on the 50th anniversary, took issue with Gladwell’s assessment. “Lee’s famous and only novel has earned scorn as critics opine about the way things should have been, not only in real life but also in the artistic treatment of the era,” Parker wrote. She is suggesting the setting is 1930s Alabama. What would you expect of Atticus Finch? William Kunstler? The late Allen Brown of Cincinnati? It would be close to another 30 years before we get to Martin Luther King Jr., Medgar Evers, civil rights and voting rights bills. ‘Stand up’ Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father’s passin’. It is a moving passage. Tom Robinson has just been convicted, but the African Americans in the balcony at the courthouse , from where Scout and her brother have watched the proceedings, pay homage to the man who tried to defend Robinson. One of them, the Rev. Sykes, asks Scout to stand. “The Depression era setting of the novel may seem foreign to 21st-century students, but I think Lee still makes the novel infinitely relatable by focusing on young characters who are being introduced to the pain of the adult world for the first time,” Glaser writes. “The work endures because it spoke to truths about race that still resonate in the present day. “ What did Faulkner want her students to take away from the work? “I think the major points they took away were injustice and to be intolerant of injustice,” she says. “The story appeals to today’s students. If the kids didn’t quite understand being treated poorly or persecuted because of the color of their skin, they did understand injustice. So when Tom is found guilty, the kids, just like Scout, are mad. “What excites me is just the desire of our young people to read.” �14 Have something on your mind? Want to comment on an article or vendor? STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 Let us know: 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvibes2@yahoo.com If you like what you read, but don’t live in the Cincinnati area, you can subscribe to Streetvibes. Call us at 513-421-7803 x 12 to learn more about subscribing to Streetvibes. �15 Resources STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 FreeStore/FoodBank Central Access Point Bethany House 381-SAFE 557-2873 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 762-5660 241-1064 562-8841 872-9259 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men Other Resources Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 921-1613 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 961-2256 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 961-4663 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Treatment: Both 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside 241-2965 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women Off The Streets 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 768-6924 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Advocacy Northern Kentucky Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS Brighton Center ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. 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Airy Shelter 241-2600 241-2563 Crossroad Health Center 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-2247 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES August 1-14, 2010 Barbara Gamboa’s Life-Canvas Barbara Gamboa in front of her painting, Guerlain, the Song of Haiti. Bill Howes. Freedom fighter wages art A s a teenager, Barbara Gamboa was known as “the freedom rider.” The youngest person in the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), she would spend her free time designing signs and posters to be used in marches and demonstrations. This was in the mid-1960s, when segregation was prominent and the civil rights movement expanding. Gamboa, of African American origin, was born A rtists ctivists as By Saad Ghosn Contributing Writer in Selma, Ala., a city the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. put on the activists’ map. At age 4 she came to Cincinnati to join her parents, who had preceded her, leaving their fields in the deep South for a new and free life, working in the kitchen of downtown’s Mills Restaurant. In Cincinnati, she lived in many places, and as a child, art would always busy her hands. “Art came to me very early,” Gamboa says. “I would draw pictures in the sand, paint with nail polish and charcoal pieces, make dolls and clothes from paper bags, create designs from chewinggum foil …” High-school art teacher and well-known Cincinnati artist Jack Mueller recognized Gamboa’s talent and encouraged her to attend the Art Academy. Tuition was high, though, and not knowing what to do, Gamboa, 17, joined the army to become a surgical nurse. She worked mostly in the operating room, in an orthopedic treatment center in Fort Gordon, Ga., witnessing many limb amputations due to the Vietnam War. The violence she encountered then has stayed with her ever since. After three years in the army and an interlude living in California, Gamboa returned to Cincinnati, now married with children. She decided to pursue her education, earning a master’s degree in education, focusing on developmental disability, at the University of Cincinnati. For more than 25 years she taught disabled and emotionally or behaviorally impaired children in the Cincinnati Public Schools. Whether in high school, in the army, unemployed or teaching children, Gamboa always used art as a means for self-expression and as a tool to achieve her social and educational objectives. In high school, she used her art for justice and equality. In the army, her paintings addressed problems of poverty and malnutrition in Biafra and the colonialist wars in Africa at the time. While teaching, she used art to engage her students, introduce important concepts, address timely issues and illustrate history. To help her students learn to read, she drew images, connecting them to words. Teaching black history, she used collages from old newspapers creating artistically attractive bulletin boards to capture kids’ interest and attention. For each subject taught she would organize her art to coincide with the topic, art becoming itself part of the learning. During that period Gamboa received four teacher art grants from the “Keep Cincinnati Beautiful” program. The grants funded her use of photography to teach kids about the environment, recycling and community values. She and her students traveled the city, taking photographs about environmental issues. The grant also helped start school gardens, teaching children about foods, their origins, their role in a healthful diet and a green environment. Five years ago Gamboa retired from teaching. The violence she had experienced both in the army and dealing with kids’ problems resurfaced as post-traumatic stress disorder, causing her heart arrhythmia. Having more free time, she started making art daily; it helped her recovery. Gambo’s art addresses race, slavery and other issues. “All issues are whole, interconnected, generalized,” she says. “Their causes stem from the same well. It is not only black and white; it is most often good and evil, right and wrong.” Good Ship Fidelity, a mixed media sculpture, represents a small boat in which she positioned, naked, hair cut and chained, Barbie dolls she painted silver. It reconstituted, based on historic diagrams, the physical reality of a slave boat. “While making this piece, I was always in tears,” she says. “It made me relate directly and emotionally to the fate of thousands of my distant relatives; (it) also put me in touch with the bigotry and injustice still prevailing in our society.” Gamboa features dolls and baby figures in other installations. She uses them as innocent, vulnerable indicators and victims of neglect and violence. “When I was young, I thought more in terms of race,” she says. “Now I realize that, in our maledominated society gender … control and domination of women is often the real issue.” Her painting, Guerlain, the Song of Haiti, is about poor indigenous living conditions of Haiti, perceived as a tropical paradise by insensitive tourists. Upstream is about Katrina and the wiping away of family structure as a result of the physical ravage. In The Greeting, a woman in the background, a hummingbird and lush vegetation depict her longing for a welcoming garden. When not doing her own art, Gamboa curates shows, bringing together artists of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds, connecting them by ideas and themes. The shows concretize her views of a reconciled, tolerant, happy world. I See Africa: Perceptions, Reality and Imagining, a show she recently curated at the Kennedy Heights Arts Center, allowed a group of diverse artists to bring forward their concepts of Africa, contributing to a multifaceted reality not only of the continent but also of life in general. “I am an activist through my own art,” Gamboa says, “also through my use of art to empower others. There are things I won’t bear, and I respond to them. For me, life is what counts, and kindness and good human qualities are the essence. There is no separation between my life and my art. My canvas becomes my life; both blend together.” Composite image of Good Ship Fidelity, mixed-media sculpture by Barbara Gamboa. Bill Howes. Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource August 1-14, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: A Joyous Hammer Strikes Again ‘Streetvibes’ Boycotts Own Award Pg 2: The Business of Journalism Pg 3: Free at Last, Now Freeing Others Pg 4: A Joyous Hammer Strikes Again Continued Pg 5: The Games Homeless Kids Play Pg 6: Homeless and Hopeless No More Learning by Serving Poor People Pg 7: Seeking the Wild Cleanliness Pg 8: I’m So far West That I’m East Pg 9: Prisoners Help Save City Pools Pg 10: Free at Last, Now Freeing Others Continued Seeking the Wild Cleanliness Continued Pg 11: Granny Flats & Backyard Cottages At a Bar Near You: Guns R Us Pg 12: I’m So Far West That I’m East Continued Pg 13: The Mockingbird that Never Died Pg 14: Information is Power Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Barbara Gamboa’s Life-Canvas Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 1-14, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Veronica Glass Jeni Jenkins Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Corey Gibson Saad Ghosn Lew Moores Larry Gross Eli Braun Steven Paul Lansky B. Clifton Burke Michael Fanning Aimie Willhoite Anne Skove Vinit Murthy Jon Hughes Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF 3CDC Aimie Willhoite Anne Skove B. Clifton Burke Bangladesh Barbara Gamboa Boycotts Cincinnati Corey Gibson David Heitfield Eli Braun Gregory Flannery Gregory Flint Jeni Jenkins Jeremy Flannery Jon Hughes Journalism Larry Gross Lew Moores Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Michael Fanning Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Ohio Paul Kopp Prisoners Protests Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Steven Paul Lansky Streetvibes To Kill a Mockingbird Veronica Glass Vinit Murthy https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/4959cd661b1c08e30445d756a4ad7e9c.pdf a88ffe7d9511531bfdbe4696eb74d24e PDF Text Text Interview with Artists as John Mellencamp Activists Page 7 Page 16 Aug. 15-30, 2010 • Issue 183 • One Dollar ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNITY No Fence Sitting in This Match The art of fencing and overcoming By Corey Gibson Contributing Writer C Edward Wright, an Olympic fencer, teaches children the sport. Vinit Murthy. A Quarter-Century Cause IJPC still working for peace and justice By Brian O’Donnell Contributing Writer A ug. 6 marked the 65th anniversary of the day the United States killed 140,000 people in Hiroshima, Japan, with an atomic bomb. In a quiet park along the Ohio River near downtown Cincinnati, the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center remembered the event with a candlelit walk at dusk through paper sunflowers representing renewed hope and life. The mood was visibly somber as guests were invited to read the messages on the sunflowers, inscribed with quotations of peace and forgiveness from the likes of the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and poet Maya Angelou. (L to R) Eunice Timoney Ravenna, Sr. Alice Gerdeman, and Kristen Among those in attendance was Sister Janet Barker of Intercommunity Justice and Policy Center. IJPC. Schneider of the Sisters of Divine Providence. Born four years after the end of World War II, she remembers recognition of Hiroshima’s destruction. learning in school of the atomic bomb as necessary to end “Partly, we haven’t learned from it, but it’s more of a the War, that it was OK. Her understanding of the event now sorrow,” he said. “Especially since it’s likely it could happen sees it as “a horrible devastation that 140,000 people were again.” killed by a bomb the United States dropped.” Mark Burwinkel said his attendance at the park was in See Cause, p. ontending for an Olympic medal is itself an accomplishment. But some athletes, such as Edward Wright, had to contend with more than just the rigors of sport and competition to get there. Wright had to struggle as a child to even be allowed to get into the game. 1963 was a momentous time for the civil rights movement in the United States. President John F. Kennedy promised a civil rights bill. James Meredith became the first AfricanAmerican student to graduate from the University of Mississippi. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech and issued his letters from Birmingham Jail after being arrested during protests against racial segregation – protests sometimes broken up by police with fire hoses and attack dogs. 1963 was also the year Edward Wright would join Brooklyn High School’s fencing team. Thirteen years later he would fence in the Olympics. On a Saturday in late July, Wright walks into the Corryville Recreation Center wearing a worn yellow T-shirt that says, “A Champion Maker” in bold, black lettering across the front. He is hardly what someone would picture when they think about an Olympic fencer who is just past his prime. He is stocky, about six feet tall, with long dreads that dip just past his shoulder. A few wiry gray hairs stick out in all different directions. He is wearing black sweats and Timberland boots. Little beads of sweat trickle down his forehead as he arrives at the gymnasium, as if he were warming up before the class had even started. Wright tells his See Fence, p. 3 �2 The Vibe By The Numbers 24 The deadline, in number of hours, for a city council committee to post its agenda prior to a meeting (see page 11). 50,000 The number of West End residents displaced by the construction of Interstate 75 (see page 12). 1492 The year American Indians began fighting terrorism (see page 16). 12 The number of years Pat Clifford served as executive director of the Drop Inn Center (see page 12). 1996 The year Edward Wright won a national fencing championship (see page 1). 11 The hour of the morning by which Rose was blissfully drunk (see page 6). 140,000 The death toll from the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima (see page 1). 13,000 The amount, in dollars, needed to keep the executive director’s position at the North American Street Newspaper Association through the end of the year (see page 6). 5 Andrew Martin’s age when his mother left his family (see page 13). 48 Joann Burton’s age when she died in Washington Park (see page 9). StreetWise By Gregory Flannery Editor “A Result of the Work’ The Drop Inn Center is under pressure from the city of Cincinnati, from its satrap – the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) – and from Downtown Cincinnati Inc. – so its decision to fire Pat Clifford, executive director, must be seen in that context. That’s why no one is talking: It’s too hot to handle. Clifford, who has worked at the Drop Inn Center for 20 years – the past 12 as executive director – learned Aug. 9 that he was no longer needed. The board fired him without giving a reason, Clifford says. “I was called to a meeting, where I was told,” he says. “Some board members were present, and they informed me. The staff members were informed the next day. It’s basically a decision to part ways. The board hires and fires the director. I work by their leave: ‘Your services are no longer required. A decision has been reached, and that’s that.’ That was basically the tone: ‘We wish you the best.’ ” Clifford says he didn’t see it coming. “Yeah, I was surprised,” he says. “It wasn’t like anything had happened to lead me to think this was going to happen, I don’t want to speculate as to why.” Clifford is a consummate professional, but the context for his dismissal is no mystery to outsiders. He cares about homeless people. He believes in the mission of the Drop Inn Center. These mark him as the enemy of the forces that forced him out. Cincinnati wants the Drop Inn Center’s property for other purposes. It’s in the way. He’s in the way. “It’s an internal restructuring, a result of the work that’s been done, without any political pressure,” says Elissa Pogue, president of the board of the Drop Inn Center. Sure. “The work that drives all of this is to do what’s best for homeless people,” Pogue says. The board of the Drop Inn center has named Arlene Miller, the center’s chief financial officer, its interim director. Clifford’s successor isn’t yet known. “Right now we don’t have anybody in mind,” Pogue says. Nor does Clifford know where he’ll go next. “I don’t know,” he says. “I want to be of service somewhere. That’s who I am. I’m concerned about basic human necessities, making sure people have those.” The poor kind fool. That is so not in sync with Cincinnati. It’s Just a Coincidence Similarly, the death of Joann Burton – run over by a police car as she lay in the grass in Washington Park – can be seen as a freak accident. Or it can be seen as an illustration of the forces that mark Cincinnati as a place hostile to homeless people. Washington Park, across the street from the Drop Inn Center, is about to be closed off from the neighborhood, with 59 of its trees destroyed, the dead who lie beneath it disinterred to make way for an underground parking garage, its swimming pool and basketball court destroyed, in order to make the park more appealing to the upper-income people whom 3CDC and city council want to inhabit Over-the-Rhine. These things are all coincidences. Don’t bother yourself with the deeper meaning. Naughty Language Streetvibes recently declined to participate in a ceremony honoring its work on behalf of people who have disabilities (see ‘Streetvibes’ Boycotts Own Award,” issue of Aug. 1-14). The Cincinnati Human Relations Commission wanted to present the award on Fountain Square, where a city ordinance and 3CDC’s regulations forbid our vendors to distribute the newspaper. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported our position, which prompted a conservative Catholic blog (richleonardi.blogspot.com) to weigh in. The blog called Streetvibes “the profanity-filled newspaper published by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless.” We think this refers to words such as “cocksucker,” used by rocker John Mellencamp in an interview in this edition. For the record, we believe that any organization, such as 3CDC, that forces poor people out of Over-the-Rhine or closes its park qualifies for the term “cocksucker.” Progress Comes to City Hall But let us not be glum. Progress happens – slowly, slowly. Thus Cincinnati City Council has grudgingly decided that the city will no loner automatically bar all persons everywhere who have ever been convicted of a felony of any kind anywhere under any circumstances from being hired for a city job. The city will no longer require job applicants to answer a question on its application form about criminal records. Rather, applicants can make their case in the interview process. Granted, this is a small change, but an important first step. The Ohio Justice and Policy Center labored long and hard to get this far, arguing that a person convicted of a crime and imprisoned for it has already paid her debt to society and now deserves a second chance. Otherwise, what’s a person who made a mistake to do? Sleep in Washington Park? That can get you killed. Work at a homeless shelter? That can get you fired without warning. It’s a cruel cocksucker of a city we live in. STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo. com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress. com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Corey Gibson, Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Lew Moores, Larry Gross, Eli Braun, Jesse Call, Michael Fanning Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Anne Skove, Vinit Murthy, Jon Hughes Proofreaders Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are proud members of: �STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 3 Local News No Fence Sitting in This Match Edward Wright, left, teaches students the art of fencing. Vinit Murthy. “I even stopped going to church,” Wright says. “I wanted to make the team.” students to start preparing for the The practicing paid off and Wright hour-long class. His voice is grizzly made the team and worn, the in 1963. And he voice of someone has been at it who continually “Because he stresses ever since. Wright shouts. Yet Wright, form … and execution, placed fifth in a soft-spoken the movement is done the team-fencing individual, correctly. That translates event in the 1976 never yells at the into the kids not just Olympics, was students and tries stabbing or swinging a U.S. National to help them not or move backwards or Championship only understand forwards – they are having Fencing finalist fencing, but to have the discipline to do and most understand where the movements correctly.” recently, in 1996, fencing can take - David Jacobs won the U.S. them in their National Veteran futures. Championship. Reaching that level of competition ‘Not just stabbing’ was a struggle for Wright because of the color of his skin. Wright’s fencing career started in “Most of the clubs kept black the form of soccer. He played soccer for three years on his Brooklyn junior people from joining,” he says. The New York Fencing Club, at high-school team in the late 1950s, the time, had only one or two black before dreaming of making the highmembers when Wright tried to join in school football team. At the time, the late ’60s. Wright didn’t agree with Wright was a lot smaller than he is the stipulations the club set for him today and he couldn’t make the cut and decided not to join. for the high school football team. So “They were racist,” he says. he went back to playing soccer, even Luckily, the man revered as “the though the coach would never put father of American fencing” Georgio him in. Santelli, was seeking out Wright. At “I’d tell the coach to put me in,” first Wright was a bit timid to study Wright says. “I’d say, ‘Coach there’s under Santelli because of the intense five minutes left and we’re winning workouts; Wright says he could 10 to nothing.’ He never put me in. hardly last 10 minutes. But after a That’s how bad I was.” few years he began studying under Wright’s soccer coach suggested Santelli. he try out for the fencing team. “He made champions out of Although fencing was a foreign idea bunch of us,” Wright says. “And by a to Wright at the time, he found a bunch of us, I mean a bunch of black place that taught fencing, gave it a shot and practiced seven days a week people.” Wright wants to do the same thing for an entire summer, sometimes for his students. He wants them to practicing three to four hours a day. Continued from page 1 learn discipline, he wants them to become the best fencers they can possibly become and he wants to get scholarships for his students. Watching one of his classes, it is easy to tell that Wright pushes his students to perfect every aspect of their fencing. “Because he stresses form … and execution, the movement is done correctly,” says David Jacobs, Wright’s assistant fencing instructor. “That translates into the kids not just stabbing or swinging or move backwards or forwards – they are having to have the discipline to do the movements correctly.” The class is more of a workout than one might expect from a sport that has bouts as short as three minutes long. Although the air was humid and sweat droplets were forming on the forehead of Wright and most of his students, the grueling workout continues. The students, who range in ages from pre-teens to much older men and women, receive flurries of instructions from Wright. “En-guard” Wright yells, clapping his hands to a beat he wants the students to follow as they lunge forward, ending with a thrust of the sword at an imaginary opponent. The students keep attacking forward until they reach the other side of the room. Wright then makes the students practice their retreat back to the side of the gymnasium they were previously on. The attack and retreat exercise continues for a short while as Wright dodges in and out of the seven students, correcting the stances of each and every person until they are all in unison, lunging across the gymnasium. The right of way After a few more times back and forth across the gymnasium, Wright stops the students in place and tells them to hold out their swords, called “foils,” for upwards of 60 seconds. Although a foil only weighs slightly more than one pound, the students counted off the 60 seconds in less than 30 seconds, just to get the exercise over with quicker. Wright continues to make the students hold out their foils and count at lower increments, from 60 to 30 to 20 to 10 and finally 5, until the students are visibly tired. After another short break, the students, who all have their own bags of fencing equipment, put on their fencing masks and all-white fencing uniforms in preparation for the final phase of the class. Nearing the end of the class, Wright takes each student aside for some one-on-one teaching while the rest of the students have their own bouts, in which two students fence and the others act as the referees. Scoring a point in fencing seems difficult, but refereeing a bout might be even more so. To score a point in fencing, and ultimately get to the five touches needed to win a bout, the fencer has to have “the right of way.” That is, the fencer has to initiate the attack or execute a block of his opponent’s attack, called a “parry,” before he can score. The tip of the foil is the second fastest moving object in sports, after a marksman’s bullet, so refereeing a bout seems impossible. Each referee calls on the others to assist one another in making the correct calls during the impromptu See Fence, p. 4 �4 Local News STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 No Fence Sitting in This Match from the student he is fencing with. After a one-on-one session, bouts. Wright gives tips to the student and Even though the students’ bouts calls the next over, only to repeat the are impressive, the highlight of process again. the class is Wright’s one-on-one DeAndre Cruse, a newcomer, says interaction with them. As a student’s he enjoyed the class. He spent much and Wright’s foils clash together of his time with Jacobs, Wright’s in combat, assistant, who also called a taught Cruse The attack and retreat “conversation,” the proper way exercise continues for a short it is as if Wright to hold his foil, knows exactly the form he while as Wright dodges in and where the needed to use out of the seven students, student is when making correcting the stances of going to strike. lunges and other each and every person until He stops the requirements. they are all in unison, lunging bout and takes Cruse’s mother, across the gymnasium. the tip of the Jerri Williams, student’s foil, says she enjoys points it to his chest and thrusts it watching it. into his dark black uniform, telling “And I think he enjoyed doing it,” the student to hit him there. The Williams says. conversation between the swords She also says the workout and continues again as the student tries the discipline her son was going to to hit the spot – succeeding only receive were an added bonus. when Wright lets him. With his eyes Wright moved from New York to half closed, Wright retreats, fending Cincinnati nearly 15 years ago to off thrusts from the foil, and then teach fencing. He says he still enjoys lunges forward for a halfhearted it, even after teaching thousands of attack that catches the student off students in his 35-year career. guard. Wright casually looks around “I want to make champions,” the room and observes his other Wright says. “I just want to make students as they fence each other, champions.” all the while still defending strikes Continued from page 3 Edward Wright. Vinit Murthy. A Quarter-Century in the Cause have small successes along the way but there’s tries to limit the influence of military recruiters in always the next step.” public high schools and offers students alternative The vigil in Theodore Berry International Working alongside other groups locally and ways to serve the country. Her other programs Friendship Park was not only for remembrance of nationwide, IJPC continues to advocate a growing relate back to IJPC’s origins in education and the dead, but also a call to activism. list of causes, including the use of the death understanding. “One of the biggest reasons I came is it creates penalty in Ohio. “It’s about broadening your mind,” Barker says. energy, energy for a “We get very disappointed “We just want people to be informed.” difference,” Burwinkel every time there is an execution,” IJPC’s Day of Dialogue program brings said. “We will not be a part of any Gerdeman says. together people with opposing viewpoints to Sister Alice Ohio has executed a total of 382 discuss controversial topics and slow down the activity that has violence Gerdeman, IJPC’s prisoners in its history, according conversation. as one of its strategies. The coordinator, spoke to the Ohio Department of “This offers a chance for transformation and power of non-violence and of the upcoming Rehabilitation and Correction. learning,” Barker says. good is greater than any evil.” U.S. Senate vote on Despite holding political views In a continuation of its commitment to - Sister Alice Gerdeman ratification of the that can polarize people, Gerdeman education, IJPC offers “Peace Team/Nonviolence” new Strategic Arms says God provides and gives IJPC training. This offers people skills for successfully Reduction (START) Treaty, which calls for nuclear what it needs. intervening in potentially arms reductions by the United States and Russia “We’ve always managed to violent situations without “We need a new start,” she said. scrape by,” she says. In the 1980s, IJPC escalating them. Barker says Gerdeman has been with IJPC for 19 years. From donations by advocated for justice in there is no shortage of people She says IJPC acts as an advocate for issues individuals and grants, IJPC wanting to train, and she has Latin America, in particular ranging from immigrant rights to racism to the has managed to continue its a waiting list for upcoming for refugees who fled the environment. Now celebrating its 25th year, advocacy for 25 years, always training sessions. civil war from El Salvador. Gerdeman recalls how the organization has through non-violence. With its 25th anniversary This led IJPC to a courtroom changed since 1985. “We will not be a part of celebration on the way, IJPC victory against the U.S. The group was very educational in its infancy. any activity that has violence provides more than 20 services State Department, allowing It “built on education to advocate,” she says. as one of its strategies,” and activities in the name of the refugees to enter the In the 1980s, IJPC advocated for justice in Gerdeman says. “The power social justice. United States. More recently, Latin America, in particular for refugees who “In order to confront of non-violence and good is the focus on Latin American fled the civil war from El Salvador. This led IJPC violence and war, we need to greater than any evil.” rights has shifted to human to a courtroom victory against the U.S. State Kristen Barker heads up be the opposite of it in the way rights in general. Department, allowing the refugees to enter the IJPC’s peace and non-violence we speak and act,” Gerdeman United States. More recently, the focus on Latin program. Her program has says. American rights has shifted to human rights in two goals: uproot war and tear down unjust IJPC’s 25th anniversary celebration will be Sept. general. structures. She works toward these goals through 25 at Purcell Marion High School. Call 513-579“Justice work never stops,” Gerdeman says. “You various programs such as Before You Enlist, which 8547 for ticket information. Continued from page 1 Follow Streetvibes www.facebook.com/streetvibescincinnati twitter.com/streetvibesnews streetvibes.wordpress.com �STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 5 Issues Street Papers Revolt at Meeting Layoff of staff prompts uproar By Gregory Flannery Editor C hicago, Ill. – Members of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) reacted angrily to news that the board of the organization planned to lay off Executive Director Andy Freeze. The July 30 annual meeting of NASNA turned into a rump parliament, with delegates from street newspapers across the United States and Canada forcing the board to reconfigure the conference schedule in order to debate the layoff. The board said it’s out of money due to unexpected rent expenses at its office in Washington, D.C., and the loss of a grant that had paid for the executive director’s position. The layoff is necessary in order to avert bankruptcy, according to Serge Laureault, a NASNA board member and executive director of L’Itineraire in Montréal, Canada. Freeze, who is the former education coordinator for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, is NASNA’s first and only paid staff. Israel Bayer, president of the board, said NASNA had no paid staff for its first 12 years and will now continue as an all-volunteer organization. Bayer is executive director of Street Roots in Portland, Ore. Representatives of street papers criticized the board for not informing them of the fiscal crisis earlier. Bruce Gimbel, who recently started a street paper in Tampa, Fla., said he would have gladly raised money to help keep Freeze as executive director. Several new street papers said Freeze was instrumental in helping them. The heated debate led to several last-minute nominations for vacancies on the board (see “Differences as Strengths,” page 5). The NASNA annual meeting re-convened July 31. The board said it needed $13,000 to keep Freeze on the job through the end of 2010. Freeze then announced that, for the good of the organization, he would not continue in the executive director’s position. Freeze said his strength has been in member services, not in fundraising. Board members Rick Barnes, publisher of the Denver VOICE, and Ben Siew, a psychologist affiliated with Barnes’s for-profit and non-profit work, were absent from the session. The meeting at DePaul University was in a room containing a blackboard. The board listed as one of its future priorities “better communication with members.” Laureault, who has been a NASNA board member for six years, announced that he would not seek election to another two-year term. Andy Freeze, North American Street Newspaper Association executive director. Lynne Ausman. Laureault is president of the board of the International Network of Street Newspapers. With no executive director, NASNA reverts to an all- volunteer organization, with the board responsible for the tasks that Freeze had performed. Differences Build NASNA’s Strength NASNA builds a new board of volunteer leadership By Margo Pierce Contributing Writer board. They come from cities of varying sizes and geographic location and hicago, Ill. – Street bring essential skills to the papers have two things in tasks of fundraising and common: a commitment to developing journalistic serving economically disadvantaged excellence. The new board individuals and a passion for members are Gregory supporting those people. The list of Flannery, editor of differences is significantly longer Streetvibes; David Jefferson, and ranges from opposing views editor of Spare Change News on editorial content and political in Boston, Mass.; Kathleen activism to handling vendor training Porch, development and the importance of paid staff. manager for Real Change Bringing these varied perspectives in Seattle, Wash; and Eddie together is the reason for the annual Young, executive director of conference of the North American The Amplifier in Knoxville, Street Newspaper Association Tenn. (NASNA). In an organization Approximately 75 people from utilizing journalism to street papers all across the United make a positive impact, States and Canada gathered July 30 Flannery says he hopes -Aug. 1 to learn from each other and Streetvibes Editor Gregory Flannery pitches in. to use his experience to participate in the annual meeting. improve the credibility of This year’s conference included a the street-paper movement. dramatic change in the makeup of A biography on NASNA’s NASNA’s board Web site of directors. (nasna.org) says “I learned a long time ago that the board must do all this while After a heated “I learned a long time ago Flannery “made a small newspaper can make a big trying to maintain services in the debate about his mark by difference,” Flannery says. “If you face of a budget shortfall resulting in that a small newspaper can the loss of exposing illegal put a whole lot of small newspapers the layoff of Executive Director Andy make a big difference. If funding for the wiretapping by the together, they can make a huge Freeze, NASNA’s only paid staffer. you put a whole lot of small organization Cincinnati Police difference. That’s what NASNA is.” “The board has to do a better newspapers together, they (see “Street Department” With each paper representing a job of communicating with the can make a huge difference. Papers Revolt at and “later wrote different community, culture and membership,” Flannery says. “At That’s what NASNA is.” Meeting,” page articles that led local priorities, it’s going to be a the general meeting, we saw what -Gregory Flannery 5), members to the successful challenge to keep this volunteerhappens when the membership wanted prosecution of driven governing body focused learns there is a problem. The more from their board: more three Catholic priests who had on broader and commonly shared members set aside their differences communication, more input, more sexually abused children.” Also challenges – the criminalization of and became engaged and tried to accessibility. noted is the 2009 “Best Feature homelessness (see “Being Homeless help. If we can channel that energy To make that happen, four people Story” award he received from the is Against the Law,” issue of March and commitment on our shared offered their time to fill vacant International Network of Street 14), panhandling restrictions, objectives, the board can help move positions on the nine-member Papers. inadequate shelter space, etc. And the street-paper movement forward.” C �6 STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 Column Parsing Poverty and Community Rose celebrates her birthday, and mourns R ose’s birthday started early, and it started out happy. Rose is not but she seems glad to see them. her real name, but Rose is what we’ll call her. She hangs out nearly It’s not much of a life and it’s not that many dollars. every day on the steps of a building near the place where I work, and But she does have her friends. we have become friendly. She is a small, damaged woman with a random collection of teeth, a history of grief and a fondness for Steel Reserve malt * * * * * liquor. She’s damaged, I say, in all the ways that alcohol and living can cause, but you can see that she might have been a lovely woman at one time. She’s At various times in my life, I have worked as a community organizer. slim – probably too slim – and has a ready smile, and she manages to bring a For part of that time, I had a mentor in the field who told me that what we certain stylishness to her clothing, in spite of it all. were doing was not necessarily winning victories for a community. In doing For her birthday, she and her friends had gathered in the morning in front community organizing, we were organizing community, he said, and the of the apartment building right next to the office where I work and where creation of community was a victory all by itself. some of them lived. At 8:30, as I was scrambling to get in to work on time, she Think about what we build when we build community. We create bonds stopped me and asked, did I have a safety pin? among a group of people who share some common interest and common “It’s for my first dollar,” she explained. She reminded me it was her need and, in the process of addressing that interest and need come also to birthday. share an identity and a sense of fellow-feeling and an ethos of I didn’t have a safety pin, but somebody did, mutual support. This is worth having even if we don’t win the for when I saw her a couple hours later, she new playground or stop the power plant (though I won’t deny waved to me and pointed to a pair of dollar that winning is nice). bills pinned to her blouse. They fluttered there By Michael Henson all day. She must have collected many more * * * * * dollars; by 11, when I stepped out again, she was blissfully drunk and her eyes were glazed. Even the best of birthday drinking cannot always She had an open can of Steel Reserve in her hand and her friends, equally outmaneuver pain. By mid-afternoon, when I come back from an errand, drunk, were all around her, laughing loudly and singing snatches of song. Rose is in tears. She has moved from the steps to the shade of a tree and How could a birthday be better than that? she sits at the foot of the tree, sighing and cursing and lamenting in words too obscure and unprintable for me to repeat here. She has a lot to lament: * * * * * husband, children, false sisters, her health, her teeth – all gone. But – this is the miracle of poverty as a gift: Her friends are all around her, right on the One of the paradoxical effects of poverty is that it drives people apart, but ground with her. What they said was as obscure and unprintable as Rose’s it also brings them together. People in poverty are pushed to the fringes of curses and lamentations, but it seemed to be a comfort to her to have them society, but they are also pushed into the arms of one another. If we study lamenting and cursing right along with her. communities in poverty, we see a great deal of horizontal violence, in which Rose lamented, and her friends comforted. people who are pressed down attack each other instead of the oppressors. And so the day wound down. Her friends did what friends do – they stayed But we also see heroic acts of mutual support. Rose and her friends have at her side and they comforted her in her hour of need, just as they shared her no steady income, but they have an “abandominium” they have developed joy hours earlier. out of a nearby abandoned building where they share space, food and other resources, just like a commune, minus the bean sprouts and fortified by malt * * * * * liquor. This is an aspect of poverty rarely noted or commented on: the bonds of To break with poverty is to break with the mutually sustaining community mutual support, usually manifested in family, but also extending to others. of the poor. And such a beak can be painful and dramatic. There is a whole This is not something very often measured or praised. Any night we can turn literature dedicated to the pain of that break (as in Great Expectations by on the news and see reports of violence in poor communities. If we read the Dickens or Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence). “Don’t get above your raisin’” reports, we can know how many reported acts of violence happen each year, warns an old country saying (and an even better bluegrass song). To break city by city, neighborhood by neighborhood, and we know these numbers are with this community is to mark oneself as proud, arrogant, self-centered, only a fragment of what actually occurs. But for the acts of kindness, sacrifice, puffed-up, better than others. And the person who leaves poverty might solidarity, we have no measure at all. We may not know of all the abuse that experience a great deal of alienation, isolation, guilt, prejudice, disorientation occurs, but we have statistics. But we have no statistics for the frequency of and loneliness. nurturance, care, or support. Crime? We can tell you. But what is the opposite And yet, for addicts in poverty, such a break with the community might be of crime? We don’t even have a word for what happens when a person has crucial to recovery. Old people, old places, old things is a formula for relapse. every reason to commit crime but doesn’t. The recovering person must find new community quickly, before the terrible sense of isolation, coupled with the cravings of addiction, bring the addict * * * * * right back to the corner. Hence, the urgency of the 12-step programs, which build a new community Who paid for Rose’s party? It had to be the people around her, her for the addict, as well as after-care planning and other systems of support. neighbors and friends. Pensioners gave up a little of what they had. The metal scrappers came back from Garden Street with a little of what they made * * * * * turning car fenders and abandoned refrigerators into cash. Somebody went downtown and flew a sign on Court Street for a few hours, so people were When I left for home, the sun had shifted again, and Rose’s party had able to eat and, more important, drink through the day. moved across the street. She had drunk herself nearly numb, and her eyes What does Rose have left to celebrate? Most of her teeth and most of her were distant and abstracted. She was weeping more quietly now, and only self-respect are gone, as are her husband to cancer and her children to foster two of the friends remained. They were drunk and subdued as well. Perhaps care. they were thinking of their own losses. Perhaps they had drunk enough Steel I think there is a certain purity to her celebration, like that of a saint or a Reserve that they did not need to think at all. Bodhisattva, for she has nothing left to celebrate but another day of living. The dollars still fluttered from Rose’s blouse. She waved again, and I You or I might not call it living, but it’s her life to decide what she’s living. crossed to wish her happy birthday one last time. If it’s too far a stretch to compare a sloppy drunk in Over-the-Rhine to a She wiped back the latest tears from her cheeks and she thanked me and saint or a Bodhisattva, then let’s leave her to celebrate the generous dollars she smiled. that have come her way. You can be sure they will be gone before morning, Her friends smiled with her. ammered H Michael Henson is author of Ransack, A Small Room with Trouble on My Mind, The Tao of Longing and Crow Call. www.facebook.com/ streetvibescincinnati twitter.com/ streetvibesnews streetvibes. wordpress.com �STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 7 Music Interview When the Walls Come Tumbling John Mellencamp on poverty and music T oledo, Ohio – Editor’s note: John Mellencamp met last month with Ken Leslie of the Toledo Streets. They discussed Mellencamp’s long career in music and his commitment to social justice. Reprinted with permission of the Toledo Streets. Ken Leslie: On behalf of 1Matters, Toledo Streets and the street paper movement and everyone who has lost domestic or financial autonomy in our country, thank you for your time today. We first met two years ago or so when you made an un-promoted stop at the annual Tent City, Project Homeless Connect, in Toledo. You just wanted them to know they matter. Bob Merlis (Mellencamp’s publicist) told me you were touched by the experience. How so? John Mellencamp: When you see what progress can produce, and also what progress can discard, it makes a feller wonder if some of the progress, let me put it this way, calling it progress does not make it right. In this country right now there is no middle class, no place for middle class. You are either really rich or you are really down and out. It’s hard times in this country right now. KL: You brought your wife, Elaine, and son, Speck, with you to Tent City. When you had your private talk with some of the unhoused, at first Speck stood back, but by the end of your conversation he was in the circle listening to every word. Compassion is a pretty cool thing for a father to pass on to a son. Did he share his thoughts on the experience before and after? JM: I don’t remember exactly, but I will tell you he is a very activist type of kid. I found that out when he was pretty young. He did some research at school on some chocolate company and he wrote them a letter and it said, “You cheapskates, why don’t you hire and why don’t you pay fair, ya so-and-so.” And he almost got me into trouble last year, too. KL: How so? JM: He had a petition on Facebook to try to get me to stop smoking. He had, I think, about a half a million people sign up and he had to get a million. The whole conversation was just at Thanksgiving last year. We had completed our Thanksgiving dinner and I lit up a cigarette at the table. He looked at me and he went like, “Really, Dad?” And I said, “What do you mean, ‘Really Dad’, I smoke all the time?” And he said, “Yeah, but it’s Thanksgiving, I’m not done eating.” I said, “OK, I’ll go somewhere else; it’s a big house.” So I went into another room. A couple hours later he walks up and said, “Hey Dad, if I get a million people to sign up on Facebook, would you stop smoking?” And I said, “Yeah, go ahead.” That was the end of the conversation. By the time the thing had started, ya know, a couple weeks into it, Larry King wanted him to come on, Good Morning America asked him, and of course I wouldn’t let him go on anywhere. First of all, I don’t want him talking about my bad habits; and second of all, ya know, I knew he’d reach his mark. KL: And then what? JM: And then I’d have to stop smoking. KL: Would ya? Have you tried? How many times have you tried? JM: Listen, I have no desire to stop, so there’s no reason to even have that conversation. If I would have wanted to stop smoking, I would have years go. KL: Took me like 32 times of quittin’ to finally do it. JM: Yeah, well, you wanted to stop. I’m confirmed. KL: And your other son, Hud? JM: He’s 16 years old and he fights tomorrow night. KL: Boxer or Extreme? JM: Boxer. He holds five state championships John Mellencamp says an early band mate was shunned for being black. Toledo Streets. right now. He just got back from Annapolis. They want him to be a boxer for them and he went up and trained for two weeks. KL: Was that nerve-wracking to see him box? JM: No, I know how much Hud trains. He’s ready to fight. His record is 20-2. He’s a bad-ass, I can tell ya that. KL: Did you ever box? JM: No, I could fight in the street, but this is a sport to him. He’s very good at it. I’m proud of them both. KL: When you were on stage at Tent City, you spontaneously decided to invite everybody there to your concert, all of the unhoused people. JM: Right. KL: Sixty to 70 people went, and I understand you talked to them from the stage about hope. As you know, one of the guests came back from the show and said “Ken, John talked to us from the stage – I guess I really do matter.” That was the founding moment of 1Matters and actually that’s why we’re here today. Your whole career, you’ve had the compassion for and worked for those with little or no voice. What is the root of that compassion in John Mellencamp? Where does it come from? Was there something in your childhood maybe that started this feeling of compassion? JM: Well, for me, it started with race. I was in a band when I was 13-14 years old and it was the mid-’60s and it was a racially mixed band. I was the lead singer, and this black kid was a singer. He was a couple years older than me, really good. We’d play every weekend at fraternities and in hotels and stuff like that. It was a soul band. And I saw the way people treated him. Ya know, it was like wow, really? Wait a minute, you loved him on stage, but now he’s gotta go wait outside? And so I think that made quite an impression on me as a young guy. KL: How’d you respond? JM: Well, there were times that there were fistfights. I remember in a little town in Indiana there was a fistfight in between one of our breaks because of his race. So, ya know. KL: And since then you’ve carried on standing up for farmers, for the people. I remember Jena. You stuck up for people there and actually put a lot of your work and effort into that. JM: Well I’m Sisyphus myself; I’m always the guy who’s rolling the rock up the hill. Ya know, and every time I get too close to the top, I either let it roll back down on purpose or it just rolls back, catches on fire and rolls down at someone. So I know what it’s like to have to work at something. My struggle is obviously different than some folks’ struggle, but nevertheless we all have our problems. KL: How would you define your struggle? JM: Um, well I’ll answer it like this: A man writes to what he strives to be, not what he is. KL: The crucible that caused me to get involved in this movement in 1990 was a result of performing in comedy clubs all across the country in the late ’80s and seeing more and more people on the streets. It was the statistic that 60 percent of them were families with children that forced me to act and do something. For you, with Farm Aid, tell me about that one moment that caused you to be a part 25 years ago and to maintain it even today. JM: I had written a song with a friend of mine called “Rain on the Scarecrow,” and I had just made an album about what I had seen – ya know, what prosperity had done to the small towns, how they had leveled them out and devastated small-town America. So we made this record called Scarecrow; and then when Willie (Nelson) called, there was like, it took me about a second to decide I wanted to be a part of Farm Aid. When Willie called up, he had like a vague notion of what Farm Aid was gonna be. It was no more than just a vague notion, and we really had no idea it was gonna last. We have our 25th anniversary coming up October 2. KL: What was Willie’s notion? JM: Ah, he didn’t really have much of a notion, it was a bunch of maybes and guesses and “I don’t knows,” ya know. KL: Did that start because of Bob Dylan’s comment at Live Aid? JM: Ah, that’s what he said, you know, that Bob had said something about, you know, that we should try to take care of our own people. I think that inspired Willie. KL: One of the things that I’ve always admired about you is your courage in social justice. You take a huge pile of truth, dump it in front of them and say, “Smell this.” Based on your lifetime of fighting for the truth, has your position changed in the sense See Wall, p. 10 �8 Food and Art STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long…” Grilled Cheese w/ Tomato on Sourdough Serving Size: 1 belly ½ tablespoon unsalted butter (or substitute for vegans) ¼ tablespoon fresh minced garlic 2 slices sourdough bread 4 slices fresh tomato 2-4 slices aged white cheddar cheese (or substitute for vegans) Tired of plain ol' grilled cheese sandwiches? Try this one on for size. Jeni Jenkins. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds or until lightly browned. Place cheese and tomatoes on sourdough and saute each side for approximately 1 minute or until each side is toasty brown, making sure garlic coats each side. Voila, feed! Cartoon by Anne Skove ! ? t ha W y Sa ___________________ We’ve got to take back the ideal of justice. We’ve got to take back this principle of human dignity. We’ve got to take it back from vengeance, from hatred. We’ve got to say, “Look, we’re all in this together. We are human beings.” – David Kaczynski �9 Local News STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 Officer Runs Over Woman in Park Crushed to death while lying in grass By Gregory Flannery Editor J oann Burton’s death in Washington Park remains under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. She died July 27 of injuries sustained after being run over by a police cruiser as she lay on the grass. Burton, who was homeless, was 48. The Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office will decide whether to file criminal charges against Cincinnati Police Officer Marty Polk, who was in the park on a routine patrol. Polk drove off a service road and into the grass, according to the police department. Officers at the park initially told Streetvibes that Burton had only sustained a foot injury. County Coroner O’dell Owens ruled the death accidental, caused by blunt-force injuries. Burton suffered a lacerated liver and pelvic and rib fractures, according to Owens. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless organized a vigil in Burton’s memory in Washington Park the night of the fatal accident. Josh Spring, executive director of the Homeless Coalition, also called for a change in police procedures. “The Burton family and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless anxiously await the results of the state investigation,” Spring says. “The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless demands a change in policy. Other than in extreme situations, such as a shooting, police must not be allowed to drive through the grassy, pedestrian areas in parks. This practice is simply too dangerous. Together we can prevent such a tragedy.” Cleo’s Joke Corner What do you call a detective who takes bubble baths? Sherlock Foam. Thomas J. “Cornbread” Oats (center) listens to a hymn sung by an unidentified woman (right) July 27, while friends and acquaintances of his wife, Joann Burton, construct a makeshift candle-lit memorial during a vigil. Burton, 48, a homeless woman, was killed late that morning when a Cincinnati Police cruiser ran her over while she was lying on the grass in the park. Jon Hughes/Photopresse. Poetry Corner Four Haiku Poem Cancer Treatment: B D S. P The Unknown Story y avid ointer *** Needle exchange site where night shift teens mainline towards love *** Blue reef surfers rumble and ride a dream *** Three strikes out of trouble at the bowling alley *** Elder’s rag box off rez homeless shelter now arson ash Woman By Elisa Hill God gave her that title that you just can’t tuck away. God gave her that throne that you just can’t dismiss today. God gave her that voice in which to call out his name. God gave that torch to light up the lands. God gave her that rib to show she has purpose. God gave her that husband to show she is worth it. God gave her that child through so much adversity and pain. God gave her that glory to survive all the rains. God gave her that peace in which her eternity is heaven sent. God gave her that receipt that she paid her dues well spent. See, God gave her his blessing to be whatever she chose to be. She chose to be a great woman, now all life chooses to envy. Thank God! Rock on to all great women! By David S. Pointe Need based assistance Was met with greed Based resistance as Dr. Royal Rife’s new Microscope and cure For cancers’ stemming From viruses and bacteria Were suppressed by an Earlier cunning congress Seated in service to the Medical and pharmaceutical Fortunes to be made then Multiplied when more Unsuspecting people Became patients seen By strategically silent Doctors providing a Certain brand of Quality Care like mortuary assistants Specializing in an untold Spectrum of dark The Men By David S. Pointer It wasn’t a box car supper social They weren’t exchanging job leads A badger-haired hooligan rammed The yard bull into a cattle horned Hat rack for ruining the fish soup The men trampled egg wire baskets And pumpkin goulash trying for a train �10 Music Interview STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 When the Walls Come Tumbling music, as opposed to building a record or constructing a record. KL: How did you choose the locations? that does authority always win? JM: By the way the tour was routed. I knew that I was gonna be close to JM: Oh, I’m a hypocrite, there’s no question about it. Don’t you know a Memphis, and I knew I was gonna start in Savannah and I have a house hypocrite when ya see one? You’re looking right at him. Ah yeah, I’m in the in right outside of Savannah on an island, so it gave me an opportunity to wind all the time because ya have to be in the wind all the time. If you’re stay there and work a couple days, and then we went to Memphis. Then we steadfast on your commitments … I have a new song. It’s called, “Save Some tried to go to Texas to the building where Johnson also recorded, but it was Time to Dream,” and I address that and it says, “Always keep your mind open condemned and they wouldn’t let us in. So we ended up having to go to San and always question your faith.” You can’t just say that this is my position and Antonio, which was kind of out of the way, but we were only there two days. this is my position for life because, ya know, you discover new information, KL: We absolutely love “Right Behind Me” – the sound, the feel. From the very you see, you grow up. You see things through different eyes. So, you know, I start with Miriam Sterm’s attacking strings. suppose that in the world’s eyes, I’m a hypocrite because I’ll say one thing JM: It’s that corner, that’s the same corner that Robert Johnson recorded and do another, but I said one thing 25 years ago and being judged for an “Hell Hound’s on My Trail” in San Antonio, Texas, Gunter Hotel. And like action that I did today. So, ya know, things change, man. T-Bone (Burnett) said, that’s the best-sounding corner I ever heard. KL: How so? I hear more respect for you and your work in fighting authority KL: Right, that is such a great song. And the hook, the hook is incredible – and I see you winning over time in the things you’re taking on. Is that an you know, “You know the devil, he thinks he got me, he ain’t got me.” illusion? Last question, I can tell you that from when I was unhoused and living in JM: I guess that’s an illusion, ’cause I don’t feel that way. my car, you nailed the feeling of hopelessness in “Graceful Fall.” KL: How do you feel? Since 2007, foreclosures and job losses increased the number of families in JM: I feel like you’re damned if ya do and damned if you don’t – so to hell shelters nearly 30%. Each night there are 640,000 unhoused Americans who with it. That’s what I feel about it. have lost domestic autonomy and are living on the streets and in shelters; 15 KL: Just go with your spirit then. percent are veterans. Some of those will be selling the very street papers which JM: Yeah. are carrying your words right now. As you did from the stage in Toledo, what KL: In the past few years there have been people talking about drafting you are your words of hope to all of our brothers and sisters who are living on the to become an authority, to get you involved with politics. I see you as too honest streets of our country? for that. JM: Wow, that’s a big question, that’s an awfully big question. I wish I had JM: Oh, I couldn’t do that at all. My “cocksuckers” and “motherfuckers” something that I could say that seemed to address that question, but I’m not would probably not fly very well in conversation in the Congress, ya know. sure I really do at this point in our country. So, I don’t know, you know. KL: I could see you on the floor: “Your honorable son of a bitch …” KL: You’ve always been a fighter, you’ve always had hope. JM: “Ya’ lying ccksucker.” Yeah, I don’t think it would go very good. JM: Well, I’ve always, ah, I’ve always had a bunch of dumb cliché things KL: Which is a real good that my family taught me segue to… that I always passed on to JM: Besides, why was my kids. My grandfather that job open? Cause passed them on to me and the guy that was doing it they’ve always provided couldn’t stand it anymore. some sort of hope in my He wanted to quit because life. the hypocrisy was too great They’re not very for him, so he said, “I can’t eloquent, but the greatest do this anymore.” Not me. advice I ever got in my life KL: You’ve always fought and, it’s not very eloquent, convention in your work, but “If you’re gonna hit your life and your music. a cocksucker, kill him.” And No Better Than This And what my grandfather is the perfect example meant when he said that of busting convention was, if you’re actually to shreds. It’s so not the going to do something, McMusic they play on the don’t talk about it, don’t McRadio today. This is a brag about it, just go do it tasty CD. What was your and do it to the best that inspiration for the whole you can possibly do. And premise? that’s what he was saying, JM: Well, I knew I was don’t be threatening, gonna go on tour. Bob don’t be talking, don’t be (Dylan) and I did a tour bragging. I think that, as un-eloquently as it was last summer, and I knew said, it was probably one of I was gonna come close the most important things to all these places. It was said to me in my life. kind of a leisurely tour, so KL: Which is a perfect I thought, well hell, at the thing to say to the people time, let’s make the most on the streets, because if out of this – we’re gonna be Mellencamp's music has long featured political themes. Toledo Streets. you’re gonna get off the in these places, and that streets, you can. was just how it started. JM: You can, you need to! See, the problem is most people give up too early And then I wrote the songs and I wrote all those songs in about in about 10-15 and I’m not talking about just the people on the street, I’m just talking about days, I don’t’ know. It was just I’d get up every morning and I’d write. I’d write two or three songs in a day and I let the songs write themselves, as opposed to people in general. They give up on relationships too early, they give up on themselves too early, they give up on life too early. I mean I’ve been writing sometimes when you write songs you try to steer them a way that you would that since I was a kid. In the song called, “Jack and Diane,” you know they like them to go. But these songs, I just, they kind of wrote themselves really, I were only 16 and already giving up. People just give up too early, they just just let them go wherever they wanted to go and that’s how they ended up. quit, you know: “This is too hard” or “I don’t wanna do this anymore.” KL: What about the idea of the recording process, recorded in mono? I think that’s a problem, and I think that’s a problem our country has. JM: Well, of course, it was a rebellious act of, ya know. There is a song on Over the decades it was allowed to happen by the work ethic and through the record called, “The West End,” and it says “It’s worse now, look what capitalism. A lot of things that affect this country that allow people to think progress did.” So I decided that, you know, to go just as far away from the that way, that the world owes them a living. And as soon as you start thinking popular culture of music as I possibly could and just go back to where it that somebody owes you something, forget it, man; you’re done. And as soon began. The whole record was recorded on one channel and, ya know, one as you start thinking you’re right and everybody else is wrong … It’s like the tape machine (a 1955 Ampex), and the whole band played it once and there guy who was married six or seven times, hell, I think it might be me – I think was one microphone. this could be me, I’m starting to think this is my problem. KL: It is such a pure sound. Ken Leslie has been throwing starfish back in the ocean since 1990 and can JM: There are no over-dubs, no echo, there’s no anything. It’s just what the be contacted at 1Matters.org. room sounded like and it was fun because it was musicians actually playing Continued from page 7 Want more Streetvibes? Check out the Streetvibes blog http://streetvibes.wordpress.com �STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 Vendor Voice 11 Four Subjects: A Scenario Things aren’t always as they seem L ife on the street can take many turns or, if you will, present many different scenarios. A day can have circumstances and situations that can be baffling, unwarranted or dangerous. In all conclusion, it’s just another day in the life – that familiar way of doing things, if you haven't heard, then sit a spell and hear the way it goes. Street life, disaster and triumph all rolled into one, each episode an integral part of the life – or, if you will, perhaps we'll call it “the game.” Changes and adjustments all included, we begin the games that constitute the life. Applying my minor skills with the language, we'll use four different subjects. “Be not naive, get it straight.” Every player actual exists. Let us start with the Profound Dude. True to the game, he lives his name. Profound! This dude comes up with everything he needs. A professional finder. A place to sleep, something to eat, a dollar or two for his pocket. A way to get to his next stop, these are his objectives in life. A life where sadness and joy are equal. Never to be one without, he has questions for all the answers; seek, and you will find. Always endured with an air of contentment, prowling the neighborhood for his next find, he lives life without concern. Never seeking change, his pleasure in life is to find that one big score, that find that will allow him to retire his cart. Meanwhile he will keep searching for his next find. Profound! Next on our list of characters is the Con Man. He is an investor. Oh, does he have something for you! A line that can't be true, full of promises that you’re sure to believe. A small investment will get you nothing, perhaps an attitude because he has hoodwinked you for a dollar or two. Down the block he strolls looking for his next mark. A seller of dreams and hopes that, for the sake of your common sense, you want to believe. Yet that is his game! Hey, want to buy a bridge (Brooklyn’s)? Or perhaps a wall (China’s)? Ah! The Trickster. Now this is a dude that you have to watch, because he is out for what he can get at your expense. His game is based on pure lies. Though you think you might have heard this before (the con man), there is a difference. Unlike his closest of kin, the Trickster is asking for small change – that is, until you go into your pocket to spare him the change so that he can get something to eat. The moment he sees your wad, he remembers he has to ride the Metro, so now it’s, “Can you spare more?” The dissimilarities don’t end there. The Trickster can be an illusionist. He might have a month-old hospital band on his arm to convince you that he just left the hospital for some terminal injury. So do you have a little more for a prescription he can’t afford? Listen to his spiel and you’re sure to be tricked. Now we come to the last but not the least of the players. Mr. Pitiful. Think you’ve heard every story that’s ever been told? Well, he has a new one for you. The day his wife left and his children ran away from home, and his poor dog died from starvation. Then there’s the one about how he’s new to the area, just got off the Greyhound. Can you direct him to the nearest shelter or perhaps tell him where to get a meal? Better yet, “I’m starved. Can you spare $5? Please, please, I need pity on me. Can’t you see that I can’t do anything on my own?” Of course, not all street players have some deception in mind when you encounter them. However, the reality is that those who are out to deceive you are on the prowl. It is my belief that, if you have at least some indication of who you encounter, then you will have a better judgment of the people who have that life of the street, thus allowing you to better judge the needs you perceive. Ah, such a familiar term: “Perception.” The golden rule: Things are not always what they seem. Nor can we react in that pre-determined way of our beliefs or ideas. We all tend to do what we know and know what we do. Suzy Cincinnatian Finds Her Voice How to advocate for affordable housing By Michelle Dillingham Contributing Writer H er name is Suzy Cincinnatian. She believes everyone should have the opportunity to live in housing whose appliances work, free of roaches, free of chipping leadpoisoned paint; that families should not have to decide between paying the rent, and paying for medications or food. Sometimes Suzy Cincinnatian hears about a developer getting a tax break from the city for a redevelopment project yet there is no plan to include affordable units, and the developer plans to move out the people of lower incomes who live there now. Sometimes she hears that some city politicians are delaying a much-needed transitional-living apartment project, or they want to displace a homeless shelter. She is angered: This isn’t right and wishes there was a way she could share her opinion. She wonders, “Isn’t anyone going to do anything about this?” The first thing Suzy needs to know is that much of what happens that impacts affordable housing, such as subsidies and projects, is centered in the legislative process at City Hall and the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners. This is why Affordable Housing Advocates AHA, as an advocacy organization, encourages monitoring and weighing in on decisions made by officials elected to those bodies. An effective way to engage with Cincinnati city leadership is to review council’s calendar and write an e-mail or call to let them know your opinion. Anyone can review the city’s committee agenda to see what is on deck for discussion and action. Sometimes the agenda does not come out on the city’s Web site until right before the deadline, which is 24 hours before the meeting. Something Suzy Cincinnatian might not know is that anyone can call the council member who is chair of the committee and simply ask her staff what, if anything, is on the calendar related to housing. They will refer to something on the agenda as an “item,” which can be in the form of a motion, an ordinance, a resolution or communication: Motion: A motion is a formal proposal by a member of council, in a meeting, that the council take certain action. Ordinance: An ordinance has the effect of local law in the City of Cincinnati. Ordinances are codified in the Municipal Code of the City of Cincinnati. Resolution: A resolution is an action by the Council that generally does not have the effect of law. A resolution generally expresses council's will, intent or policy on a particular matter. Also, the council generally appoints individuals to serve on authorities, boards and commissions by the adoption of a resolution. Communication: A communication can be a letter, an e-mail, or any written form of communication from anyone that a council member can add to the agenda so it can be a permanent part of the city’s record. An Internet search strategy to monitor housing issues in Cincinnati is to check “Council On-Line” linked to the city’s Web site. Here you can put in the word “housing” for a search and it will provide you with any and all items that have come through City Hall related to housing. Having a vocal, visible presence from those who advocate for affordable housing is important to help set a pattern of response and awareness of the affordable housing agenda by council and commissioners. Opponents to affordable housing testify, write and meet with city and county administration, employees and elected officials to dissuade them from supporting affordable housing. We must do the same to provide a balance as they contemplate decisions that have a great impact on all of us. There are a great number of issues that Suzy Cincinnatian can get involved in: the development of Over-the-Rhine, which includes significant changes to Washington Park and its surrounding housing stock; participating in “PLAN Cincinnati,” our city’s planning document for the future; and a plethora of state and federal legislation that affects affordable housing locally, to name a few. Of course, another way to get involved is to come to AHA’s monthly member meeting and get informed on all the most upto-date events and happenings related to affordable housing in Cincinnati. AHA members are effective advocates collectively and we can always use more voices: We attend meetings of the board of the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Board and city council and in the near future will be meeting with political candidates to educate them on the affordable housing community’s concerns. If you are like Suzy Cincinnatian, she now knows that AHA is here to help find her voice for affordable-housing advocacy. For more information on how to get involved with AHA, call Michelle Dillingham, AHA project coordinator, at 513-602-4260. �12 Guest Column STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 ‘Streetvibes’: An Appreciation And a hope for things to come By Martha Stephens Contributing Writer I ’m retired, and I spend the winters with my daughter in a progressive town in New Mexico. The first thing I look for at home are my back issues of Streetvibes – I want to see what’s really happening. Coming back this spring, I saw that Cincinnati life seemed to be going from bad to worse, that progressive people are not organized, that big money is in the saddle sitting taller than ever, moving to take over every foot of downtown space, for instance, for its own profiteering, buying its own Republican City Council, hoping to ride the rest of us into the abyss. We are to have the city they want us to have, like it or not. To me it feels like an occupied country here. Street papers are wonderful, though. I love them, and I was happy to read about street papers around the world in the June reports by Greg Flannery (see “Do You Want to Hold Me?,” issue of June 1-14). It’s wonderful that Greg was able to go to Australia and compare notes with other editors and tell us how they do things and how we compare in Cincinnati. And we do well! We have a heckuva good paper here and good numbers, selling 8,000 papers a month through the work of no less than 50 vendors and a great many talented writers, individuals willing to work hard just for conscience and no pay. Street papers, Greg tells us, all provide income for vendors; but for me, at least, their value goes way beyond that, for the best of these papers tell us not just about poverty and homelessness but the root causes of poverty and homelessness and help us map out the struggles we have to wage to provide every citizen a place to live and a job and health care and all the rest – in short, to change our whole rapacious economic system. ‘We need to know’ Business values are not human values, and money machines are quite ready to throw people out of their spaces if they can’t make money off them. Tom Dutton knows this better than anyone, I’m sure, and I was glad to see his comprehensive piece called “Over-the-Rhine: A context for the city’s attack on the Drop Inn Center” (See “District 9: Over-the-Rhine,” issue of June 1530). The brutal displacement of people who get in the way of commerce is an old story in Cincinnati, and I appreciated Dutton’s careful outline of the displacements of recent years – from the Milner to the Metropole; from the ordinance in 2001 to control low-income housing in “impacted” areas, to the attempt to zone out service agencies from Over-the-Rhine. What was in it for the refugees? Nothing but promises – never kept. For the hundred units lost at the Milner Hotel in 1994, where low-income individuals had found a home for many years, not one exists today, Dutton writes. I had wondered about that. If people don’t want homeless faces staring at them from the streets and doorways of downtown, gazing at the responsible citizens strolling down the sidewalks to Music Hall, shouldn’t we provide, as Dutton says, more decent-paying, lower-skilled jobs? Some affordable housing, some treatment for addiction, some health care, some child care, some education? Aren’t those the ways to reduce homelessness? Seems all too obvious, yet apparently it can’t be done. “The crisis of affordable housing” is the subject of Michele Dillingham’s report in the same June issue, and the data on Section 8 availability seems truly amazing – 24,000 subsidized units for the 121,000 families who need them. Dutton’s piece, and Dillingham’s, moved me to go back to a certain book I possess on the blood-smeared history of the West End, a book called Contested Ground by John Emmeus Davis (Cornell University Press, 1991). It tells quite a story. Over 50,000 residents, mostly black and some of them householders, became refugees from the West End during the so-called urban renewal cataclysms of the 1940s, ’50s an ’60s – throwing out citizens from their homes for the sake of industrial takeovers, for “improved” housing and for the clear cutting of hundreds of acres to build Interstate 75. In those years a whole vibrant way of life was lost. The black churches were lost, the black settlement houses, the black schools and libraries, the nightclubs, the rich musical New York-style entertainments. Author Davis came down from the east during the ’80s to research and write this story. He studied a lot of documents and interviewed a lot of citizens, some of whom still remembered all that had taken place. He interviewed Maurice McCracken. Beginning in the 1960s, West Enders had gotten organized and fought back. They won back some of their rights, and Davis was particularly interested in this fightback in Cincinnati against the power elite of the city/business coalition of the time, the same one we struggle against today. In Greg Flannery’s report, “Beggars Must Now Be Choosers,” we learn that this alliance is now trying to take away the long-standing right of the Coalition for the Homeless to set minimum standards for its members, which have allowed for the sheltering of people who also panhandle (see issue of July 1-14). One must watch to see what happens to the coalition’s lawsuit to block the city’s new panhandling rule. It is a suit that also tries to restore the coalition’s prerogatives, and the loss of the role traditionally played by the coalition seems like a very serious matter. We should all be contacting the city, perhaps, about this ugly denial of free speech for the poor and about the attack on the coalition. “Brother, can you spare a dime” is a plea not to be spoken in Cincinnati? The physical violence against the homeless around the country is well documented in the July report by Margo Pierce (see “Hate Wave,” issue of July 1-14). It makes painful reading. Anger against people who are in need or simply different is rising in these hard times, and we read in “Sheriff Wants to Follow Arizona” about a local sheriff who flies off to Arizona to study the anti-emigrant law he hopes to emulate in Butler County (see issue of June 1-14). What next for poor old Cincinnati? Haven’t we seen it all? On emigrants, I was glad to read Jeremy Flannery’s report on the International Socialist Organization’s (ISO) forum at the University of Cincinnati. I’d have looked in on this meeting, had I known about it. An ISO activist from Chicago came down to participate, and another speaker was Dan La Botz, who’s running for the U. S. Senate and knows a great deal about the lives of Latinos. He is the author of the book, Democracy in Mexico: Peasant Rebellion and Political Reform. We need to know the bad and the ugly in his town and all that the power elite is up to – but also that people of conscience are still among us. I liked hearing about the doctors and other workers at the McMicken Dental Clinic, about the defeat of a strange new sex-offender law, about the Avondale Youth Council, about the “New Marijuana Majority” (see issue of July 15-31). I enjoyed the reports by Saad Ghosn on engaged artists and Bonnie Neumeier’s poem “If Only” about her dreams for Overthe-Rhine. ‘We must organize’ It was good to read about the presence in Northside of four individuals speaking out around the country for nuclear abolition, in the report “Sad Anniversary for the A-Bomb” (see issue of June 15-30). I wondered if this group knew about Carol Rainey’s book, A Hundred Miles from Home, on the long-hidden nuclear waste in our own area. Their work report made me think about a favorite little verse of mine by John Hall Wheelock, called “Earth”: “A planet doesn’t explode of itself,” said drily The Martian astronomer, gazing off into the air -“That they were able to do it is proof that highly Intelligent brings must have been living there.” I appreciated the column by Michael Henson, “A Message to Social Workers” (see issue of July 1-14). Helping is wonderful, he writes, and many of our social workers are very good at it, but workers can help only “too late and too small,” and so should also work to change the system that is creating such massive need. “We are bound,” he writes, “to operate on good, evidence-based practices. But it is not enough. We have to be political.” I was glad to see this view expressed. During my long years at U.C, I ran into officials and faculty who felt that teachers should not express their own views about society in the classroom. I felt we had a perfect right to do just that, whenever it was relevant to what we were teaching, and as long as we gave students a chance to speak up, too. I tried to design courses that would lead to vivid exchanges and change students’ minds about society, and I hope we did change some minds. Also in July was the splendid frontpage picture of solidarity people marching through the Arizona desert to simulate the desperate journey of the migrants, whose bones are so often found in that scorched Sonoran earth (see “Trail of Tears, Trail of Death,” issue of July 15-31). Churches are in the forefront of struggle these days, and it was good to read about the work for jobs of the Amos Project, their support for Senator Brown’s Local Jobs for America Act and their delivery of 1,000 job applications to the offices of U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-Cincinnati) and U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio). Certainly workers are in a cruel position these days. Paul Kopp makes this clear in his July report, “Championing the Workers’ Rights” about the attack on union supporters at Champion Windows and Doors (see issue of July 15). Most people can hardly find out about struggles like this any more – they aren’t considered news by our morning newspaper or on TV, but maybe it’s just as well. I recall that, in the first issue of a magazine I once edited, The Cincinnati Review, a piece was sent us by a young journalist who was being placed on probation for union-organizing at Cincinnati Suburban Press (CSP). His name was Greg Flannery, and after wild and almost comical performances by CSP officials at a National Labor Relations Board hearing, he wrote up that story, too: “On the Union Battlements: More Dirty Tricks.” Here was the Streetvibes mode before there was a Streetvibes. I think street papers are the souls of cities. I wish we could print 10 times, 20 times, more papers than we do. All of us readers should perhaps get up from our desks and computers and figure out how to help circulate our street paper, help it reach out to all the citizens who could engage with it and who might become as disturbed as we are by the crimes against humanity we see around us every day. We must organize –somehow – against the ruination of life on our small, inconspicuous planet. Should we all go out and stand in the street and say, “We won’t move until …?” I don’t know, but we must do something – together. We like to remember that there’s more of Us and than there is of Them. If there’s power in numbers, we have the numbers. Why then are we so abjectly shy and silent so much of the time? ß Does anyone have the answer? Martha Stephens is the author of The Treatment: The Story of Those Who Died in the Cincinnati Radiation Tests. �STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 13 Book Review From the Streets to the Sanctuary I met God while I was homeless better life and a more normal American life. The American dream was all I wanted but I was in jail because nobody seemed to believe that I needed By Andrew Martin a good night’s sleep. The judge understood me and freed me without any Contributing Writer criminal record, and he even flew me back to Cincinnati. I missed most of all just having a bed to sleep in at night, a nice shower and a place to eat three ll the first 21 years of my life I traveled and lived with the homeless, meals a day. This judge was the first of many times that God began to help me whether it was in my father’s house or on a beach in Tampa, Fla. and show me that He cared for my life. When I was 5 years old, my mother left my father with seven In 1984, God answered my prayer by sending a youth pastor of an children. Life became difficult with her departure, and I learned to live international student ministry to call me. With this youth pastor, I began to without many of the bare essentials of life. My Dad housed many homeless seek God for his answers through the study of the book of Genesis. I came to people in our house as we were growing up, and I got to hear their stories realize that God created us all and he had a wonderful purpose for our lives. and understand the amazing Though I was now 21 years of age, never finished high school, was variety of lives that they lived a sorrowful single father and never held down a real job, I decided to until they fell on hard times. As the years went by, I saw my own life trust God to make a new start and go to college. It was his love that I grew up in Mount Auburn fall apart from the poor decisions I made. motivated me and gave me courage to face the “Red Sea” that was in with my Dad and my six other front of me. It was His love that changed this shy boy into a man with I was taken from my family and put into siblings. Since we were very great confidence and hope for a bright future. In the past, all I knew an orphanage. Later I became a teenaged poor, most of my friends were was hardship and failure. God’s love motivated me to reach out to single father and a high-school dropout. those whom my Dad invited to my brothers and sisters who lived on the streets and were homeless. I began to lose all hope in life, and began stay in our house. Amazingly, it I used to spend every day witnessing on the streets God’s love to to turn to alcohol and drugs. Many nights was these street people, many those who walked by. I discovered that God has a great purpose for I found myself sleeping on the streets homeless, who watched us as everyone and that even failures or being homeless does not mean when I was just in my late teens. Deep children while my Dad was at defeat or hopelessness. In fact, in God, they are places or stations in despair crept into my soul, and I really work and we got to know them your life where you can grow in faith and love. felt that there was no way out. like family. I began to write and speak out every chance I could get – even My father was a roofer and writing a few articles in the past in Streetvibes and other newspapers. painter who worked in Cincinnati. I learned early in life that every person After graduating from five colleges and becoming a registered nurse, in 2005, has a story. I learned that many homeless people were once very successful I wrote my first book, Crossing the Red Sea, named “inspirational book of the in the world's eyes. Due to poor choices, addictions or tragedies, they lost year” by Christianstoryteller.com. God helped me to write this book because everything. One homeless man I knew was once a millionaire who built I wanted to share my story with others, including those who lived on the customized homes but fell in the trap of alcoholism and lost everything. streets and the homeless. In many ways, living on the streets or becoming homeless can happen to I had an interview with Barbara Cain on 93.3 FM radio station, and stories any one of us. Yes, there are some who could get a job and better their lives have been written about the work of God in my life in some of the local but others are just victims of life’s challenges or choices that went bad. In newspapers. Those who live on the streets or who are homeless represent all my teen years I became homeless for a while and understand the everyday of us. They all have stories and it is great to have a newspaper like Streetvibes hardships just to find a shower or to get a meal without being looked down on that enables the homeless to have a voice so that they can be heard. by the rest of society. Homeless people are not looking so much for handouts Last year I wrote a second book, His Vision, His Beauty, and His Glory: Our but for support and help so that they can get back on their feet and work out life and purpose on planet earth. I recently finished my third book, To Be things that went bad in their lives. There are always going to be people who With God. My books are read all over the world, but at one time I lived on the are unemployed in our society. streets. A few years ago my supervisor at work went to Rome and gave Pope As the years went by, I saw my own life fall apart from the poor decisions I Benedict XVI a signed copy of Crossing the Red Sea. made. I was taken from my family and put into an orphanage. Later I became I find much of what I learned on the streets and from the homeless people a teenaged single father and a high-school dropout. I began to lose all hope who lived with us over the years is the wisdom of God. God’s truth is seen in life, and began to turn to alcohol and drugs. Many nights I found myself so clearly through their struggles of life. Jesus teaches us in the gospel to sleeping on the streets when I was just in my late teens. Deep despair crept embrace all people and that the good news must be preached to the poor into my soul, and I really felt that there was no way out. (Matthew 11:5). Everyone deserves the right to be heard and the dignity of life At the age of 16, I left home and found myself wandering on the streets in which has been given to all of us by our creator. We must lift up the fallen with Tampa. I was eventually arrested and put in jail. The day that I was arrested prayer and let them know that there is always hope in God. There is no shame I was sleeping in an abandoned truck in a gas station in Tampa. Though the in living on the streets or being homeless; even Jesus was homeless. Instead, truck had no tires, I was falsely accused of trying to steal the truck, but only may God’s good purpose be carried out in all of our brothers and sisters, no slept in the truck to get a good night’s sleep. In jail, I thought long and hard matter where you are in life. You are not alone; God is with you. about the meaninglessness of my life and I got on my knees and prayed Andrew Martin is pastor of University Bible Fellowship Church in Highland sincerely to God for the first time, “Dear Lord, Help me. Amen.” Heights, Ky. Like many who live on the streets or who are homeless, I just wanted a A There’s A Gleam in the Bengals And no holdouts as the season begins By B. Clifton Burke Contributing Writer I t was January 11, 1986, at Cleveland's old Municipal Stadium where Marty Schottenheimer gathered his troops on the sideline and told them that there existed a part of football beyond that of our physical senses. He called it “the gleam.” He didn't go into detail; he simply told them it existed and to go get it. I used to think he was the only one who ever knew anything about the gleam and that perhaps he was a mystic, but reading about the Bengals lately, I think I can sense the gleam, too. I'm an emotionally cautious person these days when it comes to the Bengals. I used to get all fired up when training camp would roll around and pronounce them serious contenders … every year. Then the 2008 season came along and crushed my spirit. Obviously, last year soothed some of that trauma, yet nonetheless, I've tried to remain guarded about my favorite team – it just isn't working. They have a gleam to them. Even when I try to think analytically about the whole thing, it still equates to the Bengals having a great season. I don't detect a clear weakness in this team, and they were damn good last year with what seems like half of this year's roster. They're deep at nearly every position, they have a platoon of healthy players returning and now they have real star power. The coaches can feel it, the players can feel and I can, too. Something is certainly shining in Georgetown, Ky. right now. I know what you're thinking: It's TO that's getting me so excited. Well, you're mostly right. What I am dying to find out is how the Bengals will attack the New England Patriots in Week 1. Even if Antonio Bryant still isn't healthy, suddenly Cincinnati has one of the deepest receiving corps in the league and can throw to a plethora of targets. Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network said that what he hears from scouts is that Owens is best when teams put him in motion and move him around to seek out match-ups that favor the offense. Buffalo wasn't able to use TO like that last year, but our offense can put him all over the field and still not draw double teams. With Chad Ochocinco and Jermaine Gresham on the field, too, defenses will have to pick their poison against these guys. That's even if we pass all that much. Bob Bratkowski has been steady with his remarks that this remains a power-run team, and that, he says, won't change. Who can blame him? Now that Cedric Benson is officially off the hook with the commissioner's office, might as well use him up – considering he becomes a free agent after this season. The line is built for the run, especially if that fat ass Andre Smith can get it going, and the stable of running backs complements one another nicely. I don't think anyone has a problem with the Bengals racking up the rushing yards, but it's when they need to pass that needs improved, and after a vigorous campaign to improve just that, I think they will be. Not one player held out because they didn't like their current contract, despite the upcoming labor skirmish swirling around the new collective bargaining agreement and despite its being the cool thing to do. No one (of importance) hurt himself in the off-season. No one got suspended. Fans are flocking to Georgetown in record numbers to scream support to their team. National pundits now like the Bengals. Mike Brown just pulled off one of the most successful off-seasons in recent memory. Crazy things are happening. It's the gleam! Mojokong—bubbling over. �14 STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 Guest Column Likes and Dislikes in My Life Why is one so often connected with the other? By Larry Gross Contributing Writer Feel free to let me know if I’m full of it, but it seems in everyday life – at least in mine – there are things I like that are so often connected with things I don’t like, or vice versa. Sometimes you have to put up with some of life’s discomforts and nuisances to get to the pleasures. Sometimes it’s the other way around. I’ll give you some personal examples of what I’m getting at. I dislike the whole process of showering in the morning, getting the hot water right, using the soap and washing my hair while getting shampoo in my eyes; but afterward, I like the idea that I’m clean. Shaving is something I never look forward to, but I like applying after-shave to my face when the task is done. I’ve been using this Arctic Blue stuff for years and like the way it stings when it touches my shaved face. I’m sad and don’t like it when family and friends pass away, but cheer up when I remember how lucky I was to have had the chance to know them. I like talking to strangers while riding on the bus but I don’t like it when I start to suspect that the person I’m talking to is crazy. I hate having to record all those ATM receipts I have stuffed in my wallet but I love the fact I always know exactly how much money I have in my checking account. Having President Obama in office is something I like, but I dislike the fact that he’s turned out to be a conservative. Even an old fart of my age still enjoys having sex, but even old farts like me don’t necessarily enjoy a lot of small talk after the sex is over. We can talk later. Not that I sleep around that much, but when I do get a “date,” I like touching real breasts on feel when I’ve had too much of it. women. Those breasts can be of any size or color; I I believe in and like taking public transportation don’t care. What I hate discovering are fake breasts but dislike it when that public transportation of any size or color. I know doesn’t show up on time. immediately if they’re not I enjoy lending books to When I go grocery shopping at real. It’s a turnoff. friends that I think they might I dislike having arguments like but I become annoyed Kroger, I really dislike it when or disagreements with and dislike it when months I hold up the line and have friends, but like the fact that or even years go by and they to tell the cashier that I need I know them well enough to don’t bother to return the cigarettes and she or he has simply say what I think. book. to go to the service desk to When I go grocery Getting back to the old fart get the key to go and unlock shopping at Kroger, I really business, I like the fact that the cigarette case to get the dislike it when I hold up I still look at pretty young cigarettes; and I especially the line and have to tell the girls but dislike the fact that dislike it when he or she gets cashier that I need cigarettes sometimes I feel like a dirty the wrong brand and has to and she or he has to go to old man. repeat the whole process, but the service desk to get the I like listening and I like it when the ordeal is over key to go and unlock the watching thunderstorms for both of us. cigarette case to get the or heavy rain but dislike it cigarettes; and I especially when I’m caught out in those dislike it when he or she gets the wrong brand and thunderstorms or heavy rain. has to repeat the whole process, but I like it when I like snow but don’t like it when it starts to melt. the ordeal is over for both of us. While I don’t like the fact that I’m getting older – While on the subject of cigarettes, there’s I wish time would slow down – but it’s better than nothing I like better in the morning than a the alternative, which is being dead. I like the fact cigarette with a cup of coffee, but I dislike the fact that I’m smarter than I was 20 years ago. I wish I that probably both coffee and cigarettes are killing knew then what I know now. me. All right, I’m done. Those are my examples I like the alternative press like Streetvibes of likes associated with dislikes or vice versa. but dislike the fact that so many newspapers, Actually, writing this has given me a bit of a including those I don’t like, are struggling. headache. While I dislike taking aspirins to get rid Cooking fancy meals for guests or even for of headaches, I like the fact that the aspirins get rid myself is something I enjoy, but I dislike having to of the headache and in this case have enabled me do the dishes afterwards. to finish this column on a somewhat intelligent I like looking at Jessica Simpson but can’t stand note. to hear her sing. The same goes for Faith Hill. Or maybe not. Vodka is my drink of choice and I like it very much, but dislike how I Affordable Rates etvibes? tre nS rested in Advert Inte isin gi Many sizes (full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page) Black & White and Color available Discounts for Nonprofits Become a Fan of Streetvibes on Facebook Contact Lynne at 513-421-7803 ext. 11 http://www.facebook.com/streetvibescincinnati or lynneausman@cincihomeless.org for more information. Streetvibes vendors keep 75% of sales. Consider helping Streetvibes with our publication costs by making a tax-deductible donation or by purchasing a subscription. Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell it for $1, keeping the 75 cent profit. Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” I want to support Streetvibes and the vendors. $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: E-mail: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �15 Resources STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside 381-SAFE 768-6907 FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 535-2719 591-2246 762-5660 562-8841 872-9259 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Crossroad Health Center 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men Other Resources Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 921-1613 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 961-2256 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 961-4663 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Treatment: Both 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 621-6364 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women Off The Streets 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 Hamilton/Middletown 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 Northern Kentucky Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) AA Hotline CCAT Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 381-0111 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 First Step Home 961-4080 621-5514 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 661-4620 Shelter: Both Anthony House (Youth) 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Treatment: Women 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 241-2600 241-2563 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Brighton Center 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES August 15 - 31, 2010 Found Objects and a Found Voice Thomas Phelps speaks through his art “I am a tinkerer,” Thomas Phelps says. “All my life I have collected stuff – found and discarded objects I have used to make things out of my imagination. I give them a new life and a voice. They end up speaking for me.” Phelps, a mixed media/installation artist, was born in 1939 in Cincinnati, where he currently resides. He is of African-American origin, the son of parents who relocated from the South. Until the age of 21 he grew up in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati, in the Lincoln Courts housing project for low-income families. In elementary school he was introduced to art, and his creative ability was recognized and encouraged by his art teachers all along. He won several art contests, including a citywide contest in ninth grade, sponsored by Shillito’s; it earned him a one-year scholarship to attend the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Phelps’s social awareness was practically lacking while growing up. The housing project where he lived and spent most of his time was his world; it kept him isolated and protected, disconnected from the rest of society. There and at school he mostly encountered fellow African Americans, with no direct reasons for racial questioning or confrontation. His parents, who had experienced the oppressive South, did not want him to deal with such issues. “My social awakening to racial and ethnic discrimination came only at the age of 17,” Phelps says. “It was, however, in relation to the Native Americans’ plight. I read by chance an article describing the slaughter by thousands of buffalos to starve the Indians who relied on their meat; also how at one point the Indians were given blankets infested with smallpox in order to decimate them. I was appalled and revolted, and these injustices stayed with me.” Phelps’s artwork, until as then with no specific statement, started addressing the American By Saad Ghosn Indian situation. Mr. and Contributing Writer Ms. Red is a painting that depicts an isolated and powerless Native American couple, separated from their community. They Slaughtered Me to Kill Us, a mixed-media piece, superimposed the image of an American Indian and that of a buffalo, a reflection on the history of the U.S. government as it pertains to Native Americans. Who Are the Founding Fathers?, a mixed-media hanging quilt incorporating found objects, shows a picture of four American Indian men positioned in front of the four U.S. presidents on Mount Rushmore. In the center of the piece is a T-shirt depicting American Indians on horseback and in war apparel; it says, “Fighting terrorism since 1492,” ironically questioning who are the terrorists when it comes to Native A rtists ctivists Thomas Phelps in his basement studio. Saad Ghosn. American history. In the 1960s, thanks to the civil rights movement, Phelps became more aware of the issue. His black identity, its culture and its ancestral roots became very important to him. Through the Cincinnati Art Museum and traveling traders, he discovered African art and artifacts; he was taken by the fetishes, their imagery, their meaning. He also came across yard art brought from the South that connected him to the spirit of African ancestors. “Society was trying to de-Africanize and demonize us,” he says. “They associated our culture with voodoos, devils, sorcery. For me, these artifacts spoke loud through their rawness and sense of mystery; they grew on me, impacted me strongly even when not fully understanding them.” Phelps’s work shifted then to mixed-media installations influenced by the African art he was experiencing; they became his identity statement, a cultural connection to his background and origin. “I did not use my art to make statements about the civil rights movement going on at the time,” he says. “I used it instead to assert who I was, to connect to the history of blacks in this country and elsewhere. Once I found the link to my roots, I kept speaking to it, and nobody could take it away from me.” In the 1980s, with Jimi Jones and Ken Leslie, two African-American artists from Cincinnati who felt like him, Phelps co-founded the Neo Ancestral artists’ collective movement. Their goal was to make artistic visual statements related to African-American identity, legacy, community and culture. On his own or as part of the group, Phelps continued creating his statement in mixed-media installations. He would exhibit them in public or private venues, outdoors or indoors, such as at Third World Gallery, which featured African-American art, and at the Arts Consortium, the Contemporary Arts Center, the Weston Art Gallery and the Cincinnati Art Museum. Imprisonment, created for the Weston show, consisted of fences, posts, bars, a hanging body, a target image and weapons. It alluded to institutional prisons, but also to the isolated and confined condition of many minorities, the vulnerability and violent victimization of the poor and weak in our society. Watermelon Mama and the Melon Chilluns Fetish, recently exhibited at the Cincinnati Art Museum, was part of a series of installations Phelps created based on postcards that debased and degraded the black race, associating it with watermelons, cotton and animals. It shows on one side a black baby in a cradle with a watermelon and a cross, the baby in his innocence and nakedness reminiscent of Jesus Christ, also a victim to this world; and the cross symbolizing the hypocrisy of hateful acts in the name of Christianity. The other side displays an African lady, two babies, watermelons, cotton and crosses. “I meant my piece in defense of all human beings, plants, animals, objects and subjects of unjust, vulgarized characterization, by civilized, God-avowed human beings in the USA,” he says. Phelps also used his art to make statements about wars, their casualties and the military-industrial complex. His installation, Weapon of War Fetish, created for an SOS Art show, reflects on how military efforts support and produce aggressive weapons, propaganda and monetary gain. “I will always be a pacific activist,” Phelps says. “My art advocates my ideas, my beliefs, my history. It is my outlet and my voice. It empowers me and possibly others who want to hear; I do not use it, however, to convince or impose my views.” Watermelon Mama and the Melon Chilluns Fetish, front and back, mixed media installation by Thomas Phelps. Thomas Phelps. Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource August 15-30, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: No Fence Sitting in This Match A Quarter-Century Cause Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: No Fence Sitting in This Match Continued Pg 4: No Fence Sitting in This March Continued A Quarter-Century in the Cause Continued Pg 5: Street Papers Revolt at Meeting Differences Build NASNA’s Strength Pg 6: Parsing Poverty and Community Pg 7: When the Walls Come Tumbling Pg 8: “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long…” Pg 9: Officer Runs Over Woman in Park Pg 10: When the Walls Come Tumbling Continued Pg 11: Four Subjects: A Scenario Suzy Cincinnatian Finds Her Voice Pg 12: ‘Streetvibes’: An Appreciation Pg 13: From the Streets to the Sanctuary Pg 14: Likes and Dislikes in My Life Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Found Objects and a Found Voice Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 15-30, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Jeni Jenkins Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Corey Gibson Saad Ghosn Lew Moores Larry Gross Eli Braun Jesse Call Michael Fanning Aimie Willhoite Anne Skove Vinit Murthy Jon Hughes Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Advocates Aimie Willhoite Anne Skove Bengals Cincinnati Corey Gibson David Heitfield Eli Braun Gregory Flannery IJPC Jeni Jenkins Jeremy Flannery Jesse Call John Mellencamp Jon Hughes Larry Gross Layoffs Lew Moores Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Michael Fanning Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Music NASNA Paul Kopp police brutality Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Thomas Phelps Vinit Murthy https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/2596cef9891db2743d9364840f3a6fea.pdf a5fd001ee3888f91fd192816ddef2537 PDF Text Text Eight Minutes Page 3 3CDC Bans Tenants Page 14 Remember Miep Gies Page 11 STREETVIBES $1 Feb. 1 - 14, 2010 • Advocating Justice, Building Community • Issue 170 Demanding Justice for Immigrants Large rally backs reform legislation By Samantha Groark Contributing Writer M Current U.S. immigration law sometimes splits families. Photo by Aimie Willhoite. ore than 1,500 immigrants and activists gathered Jan. 16 at the Hartwell Community Center, chanting, “Si se puede!” and “Yes we can!” The rally was part of a nationally organized campaign supporting an immigration-reform bill in Congress. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 75, Su Casa, AMOS project and the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers helped organize bus transportation for immigrants in various neighborhoods and provided child-care services during the rally. The rally was coordinated with nationwide demonstrations led by Reform Immigration for America to gather support for the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009. U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill) introduced the bill along with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and more than 90 House Democrats in December. In a press release, Gutierrez said, “This bill is not complicated. … It keeps families together, but understands we must secure our borders. It keeps people working, but understands the needs of our economy. It gives a pathway to citizenship, but understands that immigrants must learn English, pay taxes and contribute to their communities.” The immigration-reform movement is in a critical phase because it is now up to the Senate to produce a similar bill, according to Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who is running for the Senate. “This legislation is important and it will take courage on everyone’s part,” Brunner told the crowd. “That is why we are here. This is about families, legal or not, tax payers and employers working for a better America.” U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), the Chairman of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, is tasked with creating a bipartisan bill that would likely include curbing illegal immigration, focusing on family reunification as a key value of the immigration system and initiating the registration of undocumented immigrants as a path toward U.S. citizenship. This path toward citizenship would require a criminal background check, a good employment record and fluency in the English language. Esther Lopez, director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department of the UFCW, spoke over the crowd’s chanting. “Today Ohio, like the rest of the United See Justice, p. 9 Homecoming of Reggie Williams Stop AIDS remembers hometown AIDS activist By Larry GroSS Contributing Writer “I have had a wonderful life – I can’t say that enough. If I had to die tomorrow, it would be just fine, as I have lived. You have to have lived to be able to accept your own death. I’ve had a lot of love and support from my family, my lovers, my friends. I have been lucky enough to have been surrounded by wonderful people and have tried to circumvent those who have not been.” — Reggie Williams, 1987 E leven years after his death, Reggie Williams, one of this country’s first and leading AIDS activists, is coming home. Stop AIDS will host the Reggie Williams Exhibit from Feb. 7 through March 7, during Black History Month, to raise awareness of HIV in Cincinnati’s African-American and gay communities. The Cincinnati exhibit completes a three-city tour. The first was in Los Angeles in 2001, then in San Francisco in 2002-03. Williams lived in all three cities. “People can expect a very colorful exhibit of the lifetime of Reggie Williams,” says Wolfgang Schreiber, who’s bringing the exhibit here. “We’re going to have several computers where people can watch videos, but it’s mainly photographs that give you an impression of who he was. “He described himself as the little black boy from the projects, and I want to share what he had achieved.” Schreiber is paying homage to his friend and to his late lover, who had AIDS. Originally from Germany, Schreiber moved to Amsterdam in the early 1980s. He met Williams there in 1992. Williams was in Amsterdam for an AIDS conference, and Schreiber knew immediately that there was a connection. “There was a group in Amsterdam called Strange Fruit, for immigrant gays and lesbians, and I had always been wanting to go, so I went,” Schreiber says. “I’d been dancing my ass off, and he was sitting at the bar when we smiled at each other. I thought maybe he was looking at somebody else.” This encounter eventually led Williams to live in Europe after leaving Cincinnati and spending time in Los Angeles and San Francisco. See Williams, p. 4 Reggie Williams was an AIDS activist until his death in 1999. Photo by Andrew Anderson. �2 The Vibe By The Numbers 72 The number of years before personal information is made public by the U.S. Census (see page 7). 46 The number of vendors selling Streetvibes (see page 13). $560 The price of a ticket to a Tea Party convention in Nashville (see page 12). Zero The cost, in dollars, of a ticket to the Reggie Williams Exhibit at Stop AIDS (see page 1). 69866 The text-message address to request information about supporting justice for immigrants (see page 1). One at a Time The word count by which InkTank plans to change Cincinnati (see page 10). 107 The number of days Haleh Esfandiari was held in solitary confinement in Iran (see page 6). 100 The age at which Holocaust hero Miep Gies died last month (see page 11). 2011 The year in which the NFL might field no football games (see page 6). 4 The hour of the morning at which outreach workers awakened homeless people sleeping outdoors (see page 2). StreetWise By GreGory FLannery editor Homeless people are women and children. Homeless people have jobs. Homeless people do volunteer work. Homeless people care about their appearance. Homeless people vote. Homeless people attend parent-teacher conferences. Homeless people live in shelters, with friends, with relatives, in cheap motels. Some homeless people in Cincinnati – and they are the small minority – live in conditions straight out of the Dark Ages, in lean-tos, shacks and tents in tufts of urban woods or along the banks of the Ohio River, without electricity or running water. Some live without even that feeble shelter, staying under highway overpasses. This small sub-set of homeless people was the subject of the Homeless Count conducted in the very early hours of Jan. 26. Non-profit agencies that serve homeless individuals and families work to prevent the kind of living conditions endured by the unseen homeless, living in camps that are by turns primitive and resourceful. We know how many people live in shelters in Cincinnati. The purpose of the Homeless Count was to ascertain the number of people living outdoors, sleeping on the courthouse plaza, on downtown benches or near a produce warehouse in Queensgate. The Homeless Count is a requirement for funding of services to homeless people by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It was near that produce warehouse, under a highway overpass, behind a support pillar adorned by a mural of the crucifixion of Jesus, painted by a Xavier University student, that a team of outreach workers showed up in the wee hours. Leevaughn Brown, who works for Project for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), approached a tent and announced, “We’ve got some food. Do you need anything?” Josh Spring, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, explained the need to obtain basic information – the occupant’s name, date of birth, the last four digits of his social-security number and how long he’d been camping there. From inside the tent a man said, “It’s 3 o’clock in the morning.” “It’s a necessary evil,” Spring replied. “It’s not a necessary evil for me,” said the man in the tent. Some homeless people do not want to be helped or counted. Some homeless people are on the run. Under the Eighth Street Viaduct was a man who declined to give his name or answer any questions. There was no sign that he’d been there any length of time – no belongings besides those he might have had in his pockets. “We’re not here to turn you in,” Brown said. “We just want to help.” Some homeless people want help but don’t know how to find it. That, too, was part of the reason behind the Homeless Count. Spring left business cards at each site he visited. Brown urged people to visit Tender Mercies, a partner with PATH. Along the Ohio River below the Underground Railroad Freedom Center, in a “tent” barely worthy of the name – essentially a plastic tarp supported by a pole – was Chris, 39, who said, “What can I do when I’m out here? What are my alternatives?” Near the Holiday Office Park, sleeping on a steep slope beneath an overpass, Lonnie, age 62, asked, “You don’t have a pair of underwear you could give me, do you?” Lonnie said he has lived there “a couple months. My wife passed away and I had to pay her funeral. I want to get off the streets.” Lonnie doesn’t actually live on the streets. He lives under the streets but the point still holds. Some homeless people are hospitable. Awakened by strangers at 4 a.m. on a frigid night after snow has fallen, sleeping on concrete littered by hundreds of cigarette butts, Lonnie told the outreach workers as they were leaving, “You guys watch that path now. It looks slick.” Spring pointed out the site near the off-ramp from River Road to Linn Street where a man was found dead last year. Along the riverbank, where a person’s feet were sticking out of a dilapidated tent – the tent wouldn’t close properly or the occupant was too tall – Brown kept trying to get a response. “Just grunt or something,” he said. “Let us know you’re all right in there.” George, 51, was “all right.” It’s just that he had to sleep outside in winter, or believed he had to. People who work with homeless people speak of the frequency with which they talk about respect – or, more precisely, about how often they feel dis-respected. Knowing that their arrival would be intrusive at best and frightening at worst, the outreach workers behaved as though they were in the living rooms of the people they roused. Kevin Finn, executive director of the Hamilton County Continuum of Care, ended one brief interview by saying, “Thank you very much. We’re sorry to bother you so early.” Some homeless people live in crates three feet high. Some sleep with the incessant roar of cars passing right overhead. Some live as couples in homemade structures large enough to stand in, with a barrel to hold a fire indoors, plastic chairs to sit on, pots and pans to cook with, trash bags of straw providing insulation, the Ohio River lapping the shore just three feet away. The Homeless Count tallied 78 people, up fro last year - and some people were no doubt missed, Spring said. Word came Jan. 27 from the National Weather service that the river is set to flood this weekend. The outreach workers will go back to warn the people camping there. Sometimes homeless people die outside. STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@ yahoo.com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes. wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Kelissa Hieber, Jeni Jenkins, Stephanie Dunlap, Saad Ghosn, Lynne Ausman, Lew Moores, Larry Gross, Eli Braun Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Jeni Jenkins, Anthony Williams, Bill Haigh, Clarissa Peppers Proofreaders Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are members of: �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 8 Column 3 M I N U T E S with a Bench Warmer and Cheerleader Sitting with the homeless, sometimes for years, in order to help By marGo Pierce Contributing Writer it can take four years. “I tell them there are some resources. I may name a couple of f your job is to “watch the Clifton area,” that resources available in the commakes it hard to leave if you’re a conscien- munity. Ask them their opintious worker. You certainly can’t leave your ion about it. … (if) they say, no, bench, you might miss something. That makes OK. We don’t force anything on it difficult to get some food to eat and have a safe anyone. The next day we’ll take place to sleep. them food, water, make sure While this might sounds a little weird, it can hap- that they’re OK. Need socks, pen to a homeless person as a result of mental ill- underwear? We take them that, ness. whatever they need. Sometimes “Someone maybe thinks it’s his or her job to it’s just sitting down with them, watch the Clifton area. They were told to do that, letting them know that someone and so the will sit there and literally watch the Clif- cares.” ton area,” says Arnita Miller, lead PATH worker. PATH workers are particularly “They’re unable to meet their own basic needs be- sensitive to the challenges mencause of their mental illness. tal health or substance abuse PATH stands for Project for Assistance in Transi- can add to the struggle of being tion from Homelessness. We work with people on homeless. the street who are homeless, who have a mental “It’s difficult. Some of the isillness and/or substance abuse to get them into sues they may face because of housing, to get them into case management servic- the mental health issues may es, substance abuse services – to connect them up prevent them from going into with what’s available in the community.” a shelter,” Miller says. “Because That assistance translates into seven outreach the shelter is so crowded with workers being out on the street with homeless peo- lots of people, and some people ple Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Some- are just used to being alone … times that means walking, and sometimes it means people can become paranoid sitting. that someone is trying to do “We meet them where they’re at,” Miller says. “If something to them.” Arnita Miller helps homeless people who have mental illness. they’re on the bench, then we meet them on that When PATH workers aren’t Photos by Margo Pierce. bench. We continue to meet them on the bench. on the street, they can be found If it’s a weekly, daily thing, we do that and we con- at 1209 Elm St., the first floor of tinue that process until they become comfortable the Tender Mercies facility next to Music Hall and that’s why PATH partners with other organizations with us. As we’re going along we explain the pro- around the corner from the Drop Inn Center. Regu- such as the individuals conducting the homeless cess – explain what they’re options are. Sometimes lar office hours are 10 a.m.–noon daily (no weekend census count each quarter. hours) and those in need of assis“PATH’s role will be to assist the census worker tance can go there, too. in going out to the area, location where homeless Miller is also responsible for individuals are,” Miller says. “Because those inguiding and assisting other out- dividuals have a rapport with us, we feel it will be reach workers. She’s been with the much easier, better for us to go with them … so organization for nine years and has they can feel safe. We’re not going to ask anything, a wealth of experience to share. She PATH isn’t.” also works with Housing First client And it will be business as usual at 4 a.m. when case management. These are indi- the count begins. Miller says the workers will take viduals who have made a success- hygiene products, food, clothing and other essenful transition from homelessness to tials and make them available to anyone who has living in their own apartments. a need. This hands-on approach to makThis year PATH will also be assisting with the U.S. ing sure people have the help they Census for the first time. need is reflected in the way the “I was informed (by) the Census Bureau that PATH outreach workers special- Over-the-Rhine was the most difficult community ize – one specifically focuses on for individuals to be counted because people not the needs of military veterans and returning the questionnaire,” Miller says. “No one another is stationed at the Justice to my knowledge has ever asked for our assistance Center. A homeless person who is in making sure that those individuals who are unutilizing PATH services fills the role sheltered be counted.” of peer specialist. Whether she’s walking the streets, warming a People on the street get to know bench, scheduling services for a client or driving who is who and what each person someone to an appointment, Miller has a ready does and this familiarity is an asset smile and an easygoing manner that puts people at in doing the work. ease. Anyone who tries to fake that kind of concern “It helps because once you es- wouldn’t be able to gain the trust of those who need tablish a bond with individuals, you help. She’s straight up in a way that makes it clear know them and they know you and she knows her stuff and won’t bullshit you. they know when you’re coming,” “There are outreach services out in Hamilton Miller says. “They know where to County,” Miller says. “(If an individual) is on the find you, versus a stranger coming verge of becoming homeless who is homeless – up to them and they’re suspicious whether it’s a family member, a friend – feel free to that maybe the police are under- give PATH a call.” cover.” PATH is a partnership of the Greater Cincinnati PATH will help census workers find homeless people, Miller says. Being known is an asset for oth- Behavioral Health Services (513-354-7500) and ers trying to help the homeless, and Tender Mercies (513-639-7043.) I Many people work hard to make a difference for the less privileged in the Queen City. “Eight Minutes” is an opportunity to learn who those people are and what motivates them to be a positive influence. �4 Local News STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Homecoming of Reggie Williams Wolfgang Schreiber, friend and partner of Reggie Williams organized the exhibit in his memory. Photo by Andrew Anderson. Continued from page 1 After Williams and his partner moved to Los Angeles, he spent the next 10 years working as a radiology technician at a hospital, but he had dreams of becoming a model or actor. Playgirl featured “I am the second oldest of her nine children. Most of all of him as one of the “Guys Next Door” in its June 1979 edition. Williams separated from Freeman when he met Tim Isbell. The us have different fathers. I did not know the identity of my father until I was 16 years old. But my mother always stressed two of them moved to San Francisco in 1981 – the same year an to us that, because we were all born from the same womb, we unknown disease was being diagnosed in gay men. In 1986, at the age of 35, Williams tested positive for HIV. were all brothers and sisters.” —1996 “He talked about having panic attacks,” Schreiber says, recalling Williams was born April 29, 1951, at the Cincinnati General Hos- when Williams would speak about first hearing the news. “Working pital; now known as the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. in the hospital, he had seen the first AIDS cases, so he knew what Born to Jean Carpenter Williams, Williams spent the first nine could happen.” years of his life living in Washington Terrace, a large housing projWanting to get involved in the fight against AIDS, in 1988 Wilect in Walnut Hills. Built after the Great Depression, it was a pre- liams became one of the co-founders of the National Task Force on dominantly black district. AIDS Prevention, the first nationwide organization advocating for At the age of 6 or 7, Williams felt attracted to boys and liked to black gay men. He served as its executive director. In 1989, along do things that were un-boyish – like trying to with five men, he started the San Francisco cook or playing with his sister’s dolls. He liked Gay Men of Color Consortium, supporting to comb his mother’s hair. HIV treatment and early intervention. The AIDS conference had been “He was very close to his mother,” Schreiber moved from Harvard to Amsterdam Williams was very open about his illness says. “She passed away in 1990. She had canthat year because of a law passed and became a leading spokesperson on AIDS cer. They would talk on the phone everyday. awareness. He was featured in several articles, by Congress in 1987 that banned He had lost one brother, got shot in L.A., so she HIV-positive persons from entering including two in the Wall Street Journal writhad already lost one son. At first, he hesitated the United States. Breaking this law ten by Marilyn Chase. In 1992, he was one of telling her about having HIV, but he was honfour HIV-positive African-American gay men could mean ending up in jail but est to her, open to her.” Williams, who moved to Amsterdam featured in the film No Regret produced by In regard to Williams’s sexual preference, in 1994, and Schreiber, who is also Marion Riggs. Schreiber says, “If you read all he wrote about In July 1992, Williams, still living in San HIV-positive, continued to travel to growing up in Cincinnati in the ’50s and ’60s, Francisco, attended the International Conferand from the United States. he never had a coming out because in the ence on AIDS in Amsterdam, where he met hood, he was special. Everyone knew that.” Schreiber. In his teens, Williams and some of his friends would spend time “When I met Reggie, I had just come back from San Francisco,” downtown in a gay bar called “223,” named after the street address. Schreiber says. “My sister, who lived there, had passed away. I told In some of his writings, Williams says at this bar he “stepped into a him I had just recently been in San Francisco. He asked, ‘Vacawhole new world,” and he came to terms with his sexuality. tion?’ And I said, ‘No, a funeral.’ In a way, the tone was serious right Williams graduated from Withrow High School in 1969. Within away.” a few years after graduation, Williams and his partner at the time, The AIDS conference had been moved from Harvard to AmsterAlphonso Freeman, moved from Cincinnati to begin a new life in dam that year because of a law passed by Congress in 1987 that Los Angeles. banned HIV-positive persons from entering the United States. Breaking this law could mean ending up in jail but Williams, who Ignoring the ban moved to Amsterdam in 1994, and Schreiber, who is also HIV-positive, continued to travel to and from the United States. “(AIDS) education programs need to be targeted to the black, “I never cared about the travel ban,” Schreiber says, “I just travgay and bisexual communities. We hope that will help them eled. When my sister passed, I just went, ‘You know?’ I always thought this was so discriminating – it’s nonsense, because if I get to do what they need to do to save their lives.” —1990 ‘A whole new world’ See Williams, p. 4 �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Local News Homecoming of Reggie Williams Continued from page 4 engaged with anybody, I’m going to have safe sex anyway. It never kept me out of the U.S. I just ignored it.” President Obama lifted the travel ban effective Jan. 4 this year. A Dutch housewife “I live my life as a Dutch housewife with a German lover. Who would have thought two years ago, while I was attending the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, that I would someday soon be living here?” —1995 5 didn’t believe it. You know, Amsterdam is so tolerant and accepting. But it was true. People would just look. In America, people would just say something.” In 1996, Williams was diagnosed with colon cancer. Despite many hospital stays, he and Schreiber continued to travel, visiting France, Germany, Britain and the United States – again ignoring the U.S. travel ban. When his health allowed it, Williams continued to write articles about AIDS and took part in several conferences in the United States and around the world. ‘You can be open’ Because of his declining heath, Williams retired from “So, what is this (AIDS) all his position as executive direcReggie Williams as a teenager. Photo by Andrew Anderson. about, you may be asking. I tor of the National Task Force guess what all this is about on AIDS Prevention in February is learning to use a walking 1994, moving to Amsterdam two stick when you just don’t months later. have the strength to walk “One of his dreams was to live in Europe,” Schreiber says. “In a way, when without one. It is about life turning when you least expect it and learnyou look back at it, it was meant to be. I had this American connection; he had ing to accept the shelter of a lover and friends because you can’t survive this dream to live in Europe.” without them. It is about my body beginning a process of giving up the Legally immigrating as Schreiber’s life partner, he could also get health inghost and me learning to live with that.” —1995 surance through Schreiber’s plan. “This has been in Holland since the 1980s,” Schreiber On Feb. 7, 1999, at the Academisch Medisch Centrum says. “Same-sex relationships were just the same as the In Amsterdam, Williams Hospital in Amsterdam, Williams passed away. other. It made it all so easy.” The funeral took place at Westerveld Crematorium. Mecontinued to be an activist Schreiber says that, for his first year in Amsterdam, Wilagainst AIDS. He wrote articles morial services were held in Amsterdam, San Francisco and liams suffered from depression. for gay publications and became Cincinnati. His ashes were buried at his mother’s grave. “When he moved to Amsterdam, he had his feeling of Since 2001 Schreiber has been trying to find a home in involved with “Strange Fruit: guilt: Why am I still here?” Schreiber says. “He had lost so The Real,” a group for gays and Cincinnati for his Reggie Williams exhibit. Last year Stop many, you know, and he felt like, ‘I’m still here and I can lesbians of color. They organized AIDS showed an interest. even move to Europe.’ ” “In May, I sent out e-mails again to several organizations safe sex and culture workshops. In Amsterdam, Williams continued to be an activist and David White at Stop AIDS replied he was interested,” against AIDS. He wrote articles for gay publications and Schreiber says. “He’s a blessing, because all I needed was became involved with “Strange Fruit: The Real,” a group for gays and lesbians one person who thinks it’s interesting, and we’re going to do it.” of color. They organized safe sex and culture workshops. “It was my goal all the time to bring the exhibit here because Cincinnati During the last years of his life, Williams began dressing more in African needs to know about this guy who lived here but moved away and who acclothing. complished so much in his life. He really made an impression. If this exhibit “He was really into his appearance,” Schreiber says. “He had this beautiful inspires one or two people to say, ‘Oh yeah, you can be open about being HIVwalking stick and would walk the streets of Amsterdam like a prince and lots positive,’ it’ll be worth it.” of people knew him. People would stare at him. I followed him once, because I The Reggie Williams Exhibit is sponsored by the Black AIDS Institute (www.blackaids.org) and will be on display at Stop AIDS (www.stopaidscincy.org) from Feb. 7 through March 7. Stop AIDS is at 220 Findley St., Over-the-Rhine. Admission is free. For more information about Williams, visit reggiewilliams.net. Interested in volunteering with Streetvibes? Contact Greg Flannery at 513-421-7803 x 12 or by e-mail at streetvibes2@yahoo.com STREETVIBES Only purchase Vendor Streetvibes from BADGED vendors. Vendors wear their WHITE badges while they sell the Mary paper. If you like what you read, but don’t live in the Cincinnati area, you can subscribe to Streetvibes. Call us at 513-421-7803 x 12 to learn more about subscribing to Streetvibes. �6 Local News End of the NFL Bengals might have one more chance By B. cLiFton Burke Contributing Writer open-market value even more than restricted free-agent status does. Franchise-tagged players receive a ell, that was fun. The Ben- one-year contract equaling the avergals brought the Queen age of the five top-paid players at that City some entertainment position (Shayne Graham was paid and enjoyment throughout most of around $2.5 million last season under their season and invigorated a bit of the terms of the franchise tag). Othoptimism for the er teams can sign team's future. tagged players, too, The problem is, The league’s collectivebut must give up there might not be two first-round draft bargaining agreement with much of a future – picks in compensaplayers is set to expire after at least not an imtion. This would be the 2010 season, and the mediate one – for negotiations on a new one in near suicide for any the Bengals or any team and is rarely time to play the next season other team in the seem as bleak as the Mayan worth trying. NFL. That means the calendar. A worst-case The league’s col- scenario is no NFL football in Bengals could tag lective-bargaining Graham again and 2011 and beyond. agreement with tag Tank Johnson or players is set to other unrestricted expire after the 2010 season, and the free agents this off-season. But on the negotiations on a new one in time to list of Bengals unrestricted free agents play the next season seem as bleak as – Graham, Johnson, Roy Williams, the Mayan calendar. The fear is that Reggie Kelly, Larry Johnson and othowners won’t agree on the percent- ers – not one seems worth the hefty age of team revenue that the players price of a franchise tag. demand and will lock out the players That frees up money to get somewithout a new agreement in place. A one else then, right? Well, maybe. I worst-case scenario is no NFL foot- always assume owner Mike Brown ball in 2011 and beyond. would rather work with what he's alA best-case scenario is that every- ready got than spend a lot on outside thing remains as is; a salary cap and improvements. Signing Laveranues salary floor stay in place, ownership Coles last off-season has been a huge shares specific types of revenue and letdown thus far, and it makes sense parity among teams remains the that management might be wary of league's strength. The two sides sit making that mistake again. But there down for 20 minutes, agree that noth- are some alluring names at wide reing needs to be changed and go have ceiver that will be tossed around by drinks. fans and media as nice fits with CinOf course, it won't work out that cinnati. way. Before his untimely passing in Some Bengals fans will surely 2008, Gene Upshaw – former execu- clamor over the verbose and illustritive director of the NFL Players As- ous Terrell Owens, and I could see sociation (NFLPA) and Hall of Fame why. He's a big target who remains a lineman – said that, difficult match-up once the salary despite the fact that cap disappeared, The big-market teams might his career is firmly in it would never be try to make a serious splash by its twilight. Brown is agreed upon by the overpaying lots of free agents well known for proNFLPA again. The viding a home for in light of no salary cap, but owners have alBrown and the Bengals can’t explosive personaliready voted to opt ties cast off by other compete that way. out of the last two teams, and TO peryears of the current fectly fits the mold. agreement, which means no salary Owens is beyond the big-paycheck cap next season and potentially no phase of his career, and if he chooses football after that. to play again next year, his motivation So what does it mean for the Ben- would likely be driven by a potential gals? championship and not by personal First and foremost, without a cap, glory. players ending their initial contracts The big-market teams might try to (signed out of college) are now re- make a serious splash by overpaying stricted free agents until their sixth lots of free agents in light of no salary season, rather than after four. A play- cap, but Brown and the Bengals can't er drafted in 2005 by the Bengals, compete that way. Nabbing one or entering his sixth season, can still be two crucial pieces to make a run for signed by another team, but the Ben- next season makes more sense than gals can match any offer and prevent financially strapping the team on a him from signing elsewhere. Should superstar contract for years to come, the player leave Cincinnati, his new especially if there truly is only one team would also have to compensate year left. the Bengals with draft picks. The NFL has enjoyed about 12 That means Brandon Johnson, years of a fantastic pro-sports league Frostee Rucker, Dennis Roland and that provided hope for every team’s others who would have been unre- city that this was their year, and instricted to sign wherever they chose toxicating this country with its sport. are now are essentially “stuck” with Football won't die completely –Amertheir team. ica needs it – but serious change is The other quirk in 2010 brought afoot, and it's hard to think that it will on without a cap is teams get to fran- be better than it is now. Here's to the chise-tag two players instead of one. Bengals of next year, because we can't The franchise tag is very unpopular see beyond that. with players because it restricts their W STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Academic Freedom Fighter Scholar recounts Iranian captivity Haleh Esfandiari visited Xavier University to speak about her book, “My Prison, My Home: One Woman’s Story of Captivity in Iran.” Photo by Stephanie Carson. By ariana Shahandeh Contributing Writer body else." Following her lecture, members of the audience asked questions. One ranian-American academic person asked, “Why are they so paraHaleh Esfandiari visited Xavier noid? Does this mean they are not University on Jan. 19 to speak confident in their leadership?” Anabout her book, My Prison, My Home: other person had a contrasting view, One Woman’s Story of Captivity in Iran, saying, “The United States is a huge in which she chronicles her time as a consumer of oil … and the United prisoner of Evin Prison in Tehran. States invaded (Iran's) neighbor Iraq, “I never cried in front of these also an oil-rich country. In 1953 the people,” she said. United States was “If I wanted to cry, involved in the I cried under the “I never cried in front of these overthrow of Iran's shower or at night people. If I wanted to cry, I cried government, Moswhen I slept on the sadegh's governunder the shower or at night floor.” ment. Finally, the when I slept on the floor.” In late 2006 Espassage by the - Haleh Esfandiari fandiari was in Iran U.S. Congress of to visit her mother. the Iran Freedom As she was preparing to leave the in Support Act … My question is, ‘Is it country, the Intelligence Ministry of fair to characterize the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran charged Iran as being paranoid?’ ” her with endangering national seAsked how she kept hope alive durcurity and plotting a “velvet revolu- ing her darker moments in prison, Estion,” a term used to describe gradual fandiari said, “I'm a very disciplined persuasion through academic talks, person by nature.” conferences at universities and other She explained her attempt to cremeans of affecting public opinion. ate a routine, even of something as The charges against Esfandiari simple as a structured way to pace her stemmed from her work as an instruc- cell, in order to keep her mind from tor at the Woodrow Wilson Center in straying to a dark place. Washington, D.C., where she teaches Esfandiari’s memoir recounts an about Iranian foreign policy, culture event before the 1979 revolution in and history. Iran that demonstrated her disciIt was her extensive plined nature. As the record as an instructor first female journalist at at Princeton University Esfandiari’s memoir Kayhan, a newspaper in that indirectly led to her Iran, Esfandiari took a recounts an event release from Evin Prison stand against censorship before the 1979 in 2007, after 105 days of revolution in Iran that and quit the paper when solitary confinement. a government appointee demonstrated her “What moved me replaced the head editor. disciplined nature. more than anything else “Leaving Kayhan was was my former Princedifficult for me,” she ton students,” Esfandiari says. “When wrote, “It was the country's leading they heard about my ordeal, they newspaper; I took pleasure in the got together, they found each other work and in being a part of the Kayaround the world and they started han family. But I am proud of having another Free Haleh site. … You know, refused to work under a governmenteventually what you teach the young imposed editor who represented evpeople helps you. At the end, they erything I disdained in a profession I come to your rescue more than any- loved.” I �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 7 Housing Issues The 2010 Census: Don’t Cheat Your Descendants Doubling-up, hidden dwellings, the disenfranchisement of not being counted 1 By Michelle Dillingham Contributing Writer A n army of 140,000 U.S. Census workers and postal workers delivering census forms will descend upon an estimated 134 million housing units across America in a couple months. The census, mandated by the Constitution, was born of the need to spread the debt of the Revolutionary War fairly across the 13 colonies – and also to help establish a truly representative form of government. In more recent times, the outcome of the census determines how much a state gets of about $400 billion dollars in federal funds allocated for schools, highways and programs such as Medicaid. Most households will receive a census form by mail in midMarch. The questionnaire asks for a count of all people who live and sleep in the household “most of the time” as of April 1. This does not include those who are living away at college, in the military, in a nursing home, or in a jail, prison or a detention facility. They are counted separately. An accurate count is important because the census count determines a state’s federal funding and representation. Many are noting that the effects of the recession will make it harder to find and count people. Individuals and families are doublingup due to job loss and foreclosure. answering questions they feel are too personal, too intrusive. Subsidized housing units and many private landlords have strict Despite worries that personal information will be shared, the Cenrules about how many people can live in a unit, and they have to be sus Bureau assures us they use statistical methods so that the inforon the lease. Clearly, the lack of affordable housing will impact an ac- mation they release does not identify individuals or businesses. The curate count. information collected by the census becomes public record only after Consider the following scenario: I live in a two-bedroom subsi- 72 years. For example, all census data from 1790 to 1930 was released dized apartment. About six months ago my sister lost her job, lost her in 2002. In addition, Title 13 of the U.S. Code protects the confidenapartment and so she and her two children temtiality of all your information, and violating this porarily moved in with me. Due to the job marlaw is a crime that carries severe penalties. The ket, “temporarily” stretched into six months. I The U.S. Department of Better Business Bureau (BBB) is advising people am very concerned the property manager might to be cooperative but cautious, so as not to beCommerce’s Office of Audit and find out they are living with me; they are not on come a victim of fraud or identity theft. For exEvaluation did a dress rehearsal the lease. ample, census-takers should not be asking for for the census in 2008 and found We go out of our way to avoid coming in and that canvassers were not counting your social security number. Some advocates are out a lot, especially when the property manager suggesting that people who are uncomfortable “hidden” dwellings such as sheds is around. I do not want my sister and her chil- and makeshift garage apartments. with the questions, “Are you of Hispanic, Spanish dren to leave, having nowhere to go, but I do not or Latino origin?” or “What is your race?” leave want to be evicted. those answers blank but at least answer the quesI receive the 2010 Census form in the mail, and it asks that I list all tion, “How many people are living or staying in the home?” the people living in my apartment and their dates of birth. Given our As I began researching the census, my mother coincidentally tells situation, how likely is it that I will provide this detailed information? me she is doing a genealogy search. The main source of information The census form says my sister and her children should be counted about our family she finds from the census. She excitedly tells me that in my household, because they have been living with me “most of the the census reveals our great-grandparents’ birthdates, their siblings, time” and they are not being counted anywhere else. But will they be when they immigrated, their occupation and marriage status. As she counted? Not likely. shares what she has learned about our distant relatives, it hits me. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Audit and Evaluation It’s not just the state budget that suffers from an under-count; there did a dress rehearsal for the census in 2008 and found that canvassers is a familial deprivation. Those who fear being counted, those who were not counting “hidden” dwellings such as sheds and makeshift avoid being counted and those who aren’t even approached to be garage apartments. Also, individuals and families in trailer parks that counted – all are excluded from our national treasury. In 200 years only display lot numbers corresponding to a unit’s physical space – their descendants will look them up, and they will not be found. One but not unit numbers – were not accurately counted. Additional prob- more unfortunate consequence of the affordable housing crisis. lems of an accurate count include issues related to culture, language, As they say, “Everybody Counts” – even people who don’t have acdistrust of government and the fact that some people tend to avoid cess to safe, decent, affordable housing. Streetvibes vendors keep 75% of sales. Consider helping Streetvibes with our publication costs by making a tax-deductible donation or by purchasing a subscription. Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell it for $1, keeping the 75 cent profit. Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” I want to support Streetvibes and the vendors. $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: E-mail: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �8 Recipe Veggie Stir-Fry Yummy Roasted Veggies 6 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 4 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper One spice option from below Various types of root vegetables: 2 onions, quartered (red, yellow, white or a mix) 6 potatoes, quartered (red, Yukon gold, russet or a mix) 1 butternut squash, cubed 1 sweet potato or carrot, quartered 1 zucchini or other squash, cut in 1 inch slices and quartered 1-2 types of other vegetables: 2 sweet peppers, quartered (red, green, yellow, orange or a mix) 1 cup broccoli florets 10-12 whole button mushrooms Anaheim peppers Poblano peppers Serrano peppers Quartered Eggplant Spice options: Italian spice, 1 tablespoon fresh basil and 1 tablespoon fresh oregano Mexican spice, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro and 1 tablespoon chili pepper or 1 package taco seasoning Summer style, try 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary combined with 1 tablespoon fresh thyme Indian spice, 3 tablespoons curry powder Spicy twist, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, diced “Feed Me, Seymour, 1 Feed Me All Night Long” Photo by Jeni Jenkins. By Jeni JenkinS Staff Writer T STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 his delicious roasted vegetable recipe is extremely versatile in that you can prepare it for a number of occasions, as well as mix it up to be used for a side dish or a main dish. For example, the vegetables you choose are completely dependent on your taste, the type of food it will complement and what vegetables are in season. Every vegetable in this recipe is completely optional. Serving Size: 5 or 6 bellies Quick hint: For a breakfast burrito, make the night before using the Mexican or spicy spice option. Scramble an egg or egg substitute in a skillet, sprinkle with your favorite cheese, add the veggies and heat until warm. Wrap in a warm soft tortilla. Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees F. Prepare a roasting pan or glass casserole dish with baking spray. Combine half of the olive oil and half of the vinegar in a bowl; add one of the spice options and mix. Take the root vegetables (onions, potatoes, squash, carrots) and toss in a Ziploc bag or large bowl with the sauce mixture until they are well coated. Bake in pre-heated oven 30 minutes, stirring after 15. Toss the remaining vegetables with remaining sauce mixture. Stir into other vegetables and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. Voila, FEED! Happy Valentine’s Day By Anthony Williams ! ? t ha W y Sa ___________________ “The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.” -- Gloria Steinem, “Women’s Liberation’ Aims to Free Men, Too”; Washington Post, 1970 �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 9 Local News Demanding Justice for Immigrants Continued from page 1 States, is letting our government know that it’s time to fix the broken immigration system. … We are here to make sure we get the votes needed to cross the finish line, mobilizing every supporter in the country and educating those confused by the noise of our opponents. … The price of failure is unimaginable,” Lopez said. “We need to make sure Ohio politicians hear from every one of us.” Lopez, along with other community leaders, spent time debunking common misconceptions that have prevented immigration reform in the past, specifically those linking immigration to the poor economy. “The current economy is not an excuse for deterring immigration reform,” Lopez said. “They want us to believe all work is equal. They want you to believe workers are laid off because of immigrants, as if a New York banker who lost his job will go to California to pick strawberries. All while executives continue to make millions in bonuses. What they pay for their luxury could pay for a school in a poor community or health care. Blaming immigrants for the economy is an insult and distracts from the real problem and potential solutions. In reality, good immigration reform would earn the U.S. billions in revenue.” President Barack Obama has promised to address immigration reform in 2010. As a candidate in 2008, he said, “We need immigration reform that will secure our borders, and punish employers who exploit immigrant labor; reform that finally brings the 12 million people who are here illegally out of the shadows by requiring them to take steps to become legal citizens. We must assert our values and reconcile our principles as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. That is a priority I will pursue from my very first day.” With Congress wrapping up health care reform, some demonstrators, including the Rev. Jorge Ochoa, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Church, blah blah blah blah. Photo by Aimie Willhoite. see an opportunity to be seized. “The time for action is now,” he said. “America needs a solution that works for small business, taxpayers and immigrants. … Every day I meet families affected by the unfair immigration sys- tem; and as a member of the Catholic Church, as part of a faith community, we cannot let families suffer under injustice.” Griselda Geigel, one of the hundreds of Hispanic activists, said the rally sent a clear message. “We made a point here today, and President Obama, Congress and the entire nation needs to listen,” she said. The reform campaign plans to host public events in Cincinnati and throughout Ohio in the coming months. Those interested in receiving information are asked to text the word “Justice” or “Justicia” to 69866 or visit www.ri4a.org. Bridging the Religious Gap Muslims and Christians seek understanding By dan rozier Contributing Writer I slam is arguably the most misunderstood religion in the United States. Despite the fact that there are 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide – 7 million of whom live in the United States – there seems to exist an “us versus them” mentality in this country. That mentality was undoubtedly perpetuated by the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and media coverage that relentlessly peddled the attacks as the result of a holy war undertaken by Muslims. Reconciling that perception was one of the goals of a Muslim-Christian dialogue Jan. 17 at St. Monica-St. George Parish Hall in Clifton Heights. The program was sponsored by the Franciscans Network. Before the construction of the first mosque in Cincinnati, Muslims used St. Monica-St. George as a place to worship, so it was fitting that the site be used as a convergence point for the two faiths. Three guest speakers led the discussion: Roula Allouch, president of Cincinnati chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR); Homa Yavar of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati and Muslim Mothers Against Violence; and Zeinab Schwen, president of CAIR Ohio. The speakers’ assessment of the religious dichotomy was that ultimately Christianity and Islam have the same message but different ways of praying. “What people need to understand is that there is a difference between Roula Allouch, center, is a Syrian-born attorney. Photo courtesy of Franciscans the teaching of religion and understanding the history and culture of a Network. people,” Yavar said. “There are many Christians that have the misconception that Muslims don’t believe in the prophet Jesus, which isn’t true. reiterating Yavar’s argument that one must differentiate between religious This is why discussions such as this one are so important.” teachings and historical and cultural makeup. Roula Allouch, a Syrian-born attorney, shared her experiences in Syria, speThe discussion touched on the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The area has seen cifically the city of Damascus, and its significance within the context of Mus- fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas, the Islamic Resistance lim-Christian and Muslim-American relations. Movement. “Syrians love American culture,” she said. “When I visited in 2008, right be“I am a Palestinian-American Muslim,” Schwen said. “Israel is empowered fore the Democratic candidate had been chosen, it was amazing to see how by the silence. They have land-grabs, killings of innocent civilians go unpuninterested and knowledgeable the Syrian citizens were in American politics. ished, the wall, and the U.S. sends $3 billion in taxes there every year. It is imThe democratic thought process is inherent in people.” portant that we remind ourselves, because the media doesn’t give it the attenThe Syrian Arab Republic, on Iraq’s western border, has a population of ap- tion it deserves. I mean, I don’t know how much worse it can get.” proximately 18 million people, 12.6 million of whom are Sunni Muslims. Alawi, Because Israel tightly restricts access to Gaza, some consider it the world’s Ismaili and Shi'a Muslim groups include approximately 2.2 million people, and largest open-air prison. various Christian denominations total 1.7 million people. Coincidentally, the dialogue occurred the same day that protesters gathered Syria has a notorious human-rights record. Censorship, travel bans, torture in Beirut to rally against Egypt’s own border restrictions along the southern and gender discrimination are among the accusations against the nation. Gaza Strip. “In terms of gender equality, yes, much progress does need to be made – but To arrange a dialogue for your school, church or organization, write to franthis doesn’t stem from religion. It is from historical patriarchy,” Allouch said, ciscansnetwork@cinci.rr.com. �10 STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Local News A Rising Star, A Laid Back Starr By PauL koPP Contributing Writer and though they approach songs like “Cousins” and “California English” from the Vampire Weekend – polished live-band setting they explored on their first Contra album, they seem to be interampire Weekend ested in branching out, takwas perhaps the ing the melodies and rhythms most hyped indie they are known for and craftband the past couple of years ing them into dense soundbecause of the success of its scapes such as the opening debut, self-titled track, “Horchata.” album, recognized The song is a swirlfor its unique apEvery band ing combination of proach in combin- needs a heart, echoing vocals and ing afro-beat, new someone stable dreamy vibraphone wave and early ska. enough to keep and strings tied toUnique, in so much gether with a rinkyeveryone in as it was played by dink drum-machine check. a group of preppy beat. looking Columbia Frontman Ezra University graduates. Koening also puts his college When I initially heard of degree to work with strange the band’s rapid success, I and inventive lyrics. Examwas quick to write it off as a ple: “In December, drinking “next big thing.” Though they horchata I'd look psychotic were good live, it seemed they in a balaclava.” Make sure to had somehow become media Google those strange words darlings for the wrong rea- to find out what they mean. sons. That puts their album, The band has kept up its Contra, in the position of be- approach to world music ing the potential “sophomore while simultaneously growslump.” How can a band that ing as song writers and arhas developed such a unique rangers, taking the template sound so early grow creatively of what they did well on their while still retaining the quali- first album and placing it ties that made it popular? in a more complex musical On Contra, Vampire Week- structure. Contra sounds like end does a good job of doing a band that is getting coma little bit of both. Drummer fortable in its boat shoes and Chris Tomson propels the maybe growing out of its fassongs with his jovial playing, cination with collegiate life. V Ringo Starr – Y Not Ringo Starr will forever be remembered as the lighthearted and goofy member of The Beatles who sang lead on “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Judging from the majority of his solo work, he is OK with that. On Y Not, Starr continues his lighthearted legacy with a set of songs that seem to focus mostly on reflecting on his storied life, looking ahead to his later years with a sense of satisfaction and peace. Starr keeps good company on the album, which features Joe Walsh of the Eagles, Ben Harper, Joss Stone, Richard Marx and a vocal duet with Paul McCartney. Musically, Starr isn’t trying to do anything new here, but in a way, that is comforting. The songs are mostly simple bluesbased rock, with a few ’80s radio rock moments, such as the guitar in the beginning of “Mystery of the Night.” On the album’s opening track, “Fill in the Blanks,” featuring Walsh’s signature, purposely cheesy blues guitar, Starr seems to reflect on his frustration with the meaningless things in his life. But even in his angst, it is easy to tell he is still having fun. This sentiment is the emotional back- drop for the whole record. He has the ability to talk about his experience and emotions in songs through the eyes of a simple storyteller, who doesn’t get too caught up in idealistic matters, like that of his former band mates. When Starr sings about peace on the aptly titled “Peace Dream,” he seems to feel that world peace would be nice, but it might not work out, so he’ll take what he can get. He even references John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous bed-in in Amsterdam. Starr sings with McCartney on the sentimental ballad, “Walk With You,” which Starr says is a song about friendship. Their voices don’t necessarily blend together as McCartney’s and Lennon’s did, but it doesn’t sound bad. It’s just not particularly memorable. I always thought Starr was the key element that kept the Beatles together. It seemed he kept the group grounded and having fun as long as he could. Every band needs a heart, someone stable enough to keep everyone in check. He was that guy. With a legendary image fully intact, and a laid-back and fun approach to songwriting, you can’t help but enjoy Y Not in some form, even if it’s not as influential and memorable as the other Beatles’ work. Words Can Change Everything InkTank wants you to share them By keara anita muLLen Contributing Writer J ai Washington comes bounding into the room with an energy that is instantly contagious. The executive director of Inktank, Cincinnati’s urban literacy and writing center, Washington is known in local circles as the exuberant host of Cincinnati Conscience, an Internet radio show where “the citizens are the celebrities.” This determination to get to know her neighbors and introduce them to everyone else fuels Inktank’s rebirth under Washington’s direction as she flings open the doors to the community, welcoming anyone inside to share their stories. Inktank was founded in 2004 in order to establish dialogue “from the trenches” after the unrest in Cincinnati earlier in the decade. Trying to create a legacy that values all citizens’ contributions, Inktank has brought free writing workshops to the Drop Inn Center, First Step Home and other recovery and socialservice settings, providing a voice to homeless people, to youth and to anyone who walks through the door. Open-mic nights are a mainstay, as is the Writers Salon, where writers of all experience levels and backgrounds are welcome to join in an active, sharing community of work. The Book Bank, located in Inktank’s 1311 Main St. storefront headquarters, houses the city’s only bookstore exclusively dedicated to local writers. Valuing locals’ creative voices is Inktank’s foundation. The organization’s revamped logo, “Rewriting Cincinnati’s Future One Word at a Time,” capitalizes on that very local energy that Washington thrives upon as she unlocks the doors everyday. “I live in a kick-ass city,” she says, pointing out the work of local artists adorning the walls and chatting with a local musician who stopped by to see what was going on at Inktank that day. Propelled by the efforts of volunteers enthusiastic about the mission and initiatives, the idea of “passion and empty pockets” bringing people together is what has kept Inktank dipping into its deep well of potential and inspiration. Inktank was on the verge of closing in recent years, even contemplating “going virtual” by keeping the Web site and leaving its building, but the consensus among those who are involved with the organization is that “the place is the face.” It provides a gathering space for pursuing community consciousness through live connections and sharing with one another. What Inktank and Washington offer when you walk in – a cup of coffee, an ear to listen and a pen to write – melts any cynicism that the power of community has disappeared. These notions are revolutionary in their simplicity; they are changing lives and giving dignity not out of pity but as a moral obligation. While Washington admits that sometimes she finds the “tortoise” pace of authentic community-building in tremendous conflict with the jackhammer pace of the corporate world she left behind, she would have it no other way. Emphasizing quality over quantity, the success of an organization like Inktank is measured by experiences and connections created through its ever-expanding network of impact. These networks, however, do not always meet the standards of “convention” in a city where too often the underprivileged are relegated to the “island of Misfit Toys”, as Washington puts it. “Society has decided that we are not the adequate representatives, but we are uniquely Cincinnati,” she says. Washington is constantly seeking ways to ask, “What makes our city great?” Then she pursues those leads as though to patchwork a quilt of experience that can be showcased for all to see. Bringing together voices in a “polyphonic salad” (in which one ingredient, or voice, would change the flavor completely), she is excited that Inktank is based in the city’s heart, Over-the-Rhine, once considered the Paris of the Midwest. All she needs from “you” is one hour to share coffee and conversation. She acknowledges that not everyone will walk away with the urge to help directly, but as long as that idea is planted – that there are many ways, needs and obligations to help someone – she thinks that one critical hour well spent. Washington explored other outlets before attending an Inktank poetry reading at Findlay Market last summer. She was drawn to Inktank because of the holistic and grassroots approach it takes. Inktank is community-based, only as successful as the people walk through the door. It’s a collaborative effort, with everyone from volunteers, panhandlers, musicians, the mail carrier and whoever else wants to chime in to have a voice and a place. The beauty and energy of Inktank stems from the fact that anyone can become involved, share their ideas, actualize projects and plans and use the space. Many community members have hosted workshops and events there, including tutoring programs, typewriter circles, monthly theater performances, musical events, poetry readings and open sessions for an endless variety of expression. Providing a venue for all of the people of Cincinnati to express themselves in any way they can muster is what Inktank opens its doors for everyday. Washington’s unrelenting enthusiasm for her city is propelling Inktank into a new era of urban initiative, changing Cincinnati’s future one – and ultimately many – words at a time. �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Guest Column Remembering Miep Gies 11 Gentle educator, fierce battler for justice By Steve SunderLand Contributing Writer “ sistance fighters who tried against unimaginable odds to keep people alive during the occupation of the Netherlands during the Nazi siege. I had come to meet her as part of my work for the Anne Frank Foundation and with the hopes of having a group of Cincinnati teachers meet with her in Amsterdam the following summer. A group of Cincinnati teachers had come together, along with Frank Harkavy, Fr. Bruggerman and the Cincinnati Interfaith Holocaust Foundation to find funds for the trip to Amsterdam and to one of the concentration camps. As teachers, we wanted to either create a separate curriculum that focused on Anne and/ or find critical materials to incorporate into high school classes about Anne and the Holocaust. I shared with Miep that knowledge about Anne and the Holocaust was minimal in our schools. Indeed, most students and teachers were unaware of the killing of Anne I hate all Austrians and Germans,” Miep Gies said with a bitter but quiet tone. “But, Miep, have you forgotten?” said her dear friend, Cor Suijk, then director of the Anne Frank Foundation. “You are an Austrian.” Miep looked up, distracted from her memory of the last day she saw Anne Frank and her family as they were carted off to the Westerbork transit camp on the way to the concentration camps. Miep gazed into Cor’s eyes and then shifted to look at me. And shrugged. This was my first meeting with Miep in 1987. We met in her comfortable second-story apartment in Amsterdam, the An unidentified visitor of the Anne Frank Museum signs a book of condolences for Miep Gies. Netherlands. With her was her She died at age 100 last month. REUTERS/Michael Kooren. husband, Jan, a retired social worker and former member in the Holocaust was little East,” a Nazi euphemism for I argued with Miep and Jan of the Dutch resistance in known and understood. Fol- concentration camps. Anne’s that so few Dutch Jews were World War II. Surrounding lowing the invasion of the sister, Margot Frank, was saved, so many turned over us in their living room and Netherlands in May 1940, the on such a list. Learning this to the Nazis and so few Jews spilling into the little dining Dutch resistance fought for prompted the Franks to put were left at the end of the room were stacks their plan of hiding war that she really couldn’t of boxes with letinto action. In July say that what she did was not ters from children Miep was uncertain and even uncaring about her place in the world. The 1942, the family en- heroic. Ninety percent of the and teachers from universe had come to learn of her courage in taking care of the Frank family tered the top floor Dutch Jews were taken and around the world of the warehouse killed in the death camps. and the other families hidden in the “attic,” the top floor of the warehouse who had questions and hoped to out“Nonsense, Steve,” she previously owned by Otto Frank. It was only because she immediately about Anne Frank, last the war. quickly replied. “I am a plain scooped up Anne’s diary, after the Nazi’s had left the warehouse, that the her life and death, Some of my person and did what I had to world has had the chance to read and reflect on Anne’s diary. and questions questions for Miep do.” about Miep, too. concerned Anne’s We continued our talk for “I will answer everyone in the Bergen-Belsen concen- a while but finally stopped energy and her dedication many hours, eating a large of these letters somehow,” tration camp. The power of when Hitler threatened to to her diary. “How could she bowl of Dutch chocolates, unshe said. “The children must the words of Anne’s diary, so bomb one of the great cities, keep going, writing so much, til I had asked all of my quesknow about Anne and her di- personal, so intense, so hope- Rotterdam, and kill thou- keeping her hopes alive and tions except one. I knew from ary, and I will tell them.” ful, seemed to communicate sands unless the Dutch capit- not being overcome by the Cor that Miep’s grief continMiep was uncertain and to many a belief that Anne ulated. Following the Dutch fear and anxiety of living in ued and that each August, on even uncaring about her place was indestructible. As teach- surrender, many of the Nazi hiding?” I asked Miep. the anniversary of the Nazi’s in the world. The universe had ers, we worried about sharing laws discriminating against “Anne never lost hope, nev- taking of the Frank family, come to learn of her courage a message that said that Anne Jews went into effect. Jews er gave up, never stopped be- Miep went into a period of in taking care of the Frank had died, and her hopeful- were required to wear a Star ing curious about the move- mourning. I wanted to know family and the other families ness was incorrect. Miep of David whenever they went ment of the Allied troops and how she was doing now that hidden in the “attic,” the top nodded her concern and said into the streets, Jewish busi- whether they were close to Anne’s book had been around floor of the warehouse previ- that many Dutch people ei- nesses were closed, children the Netherlands," she said. the world and that her own ously owned by Otto Frank. ther didn’t care about Anne or were forced from schools and “But Miep, she kept her book was helping to tell the It was only because she im- were unsure about her death. colleges began to spout Anti- hopes alive because of you,” story. mediately scooped up Anne’s Miep’s book about her experi- Semitic doctrines. Cor added, “because you “I continue to be angry,” she diary, after the Nazi's had left ences with Anne had recently Many Jews tried to leave visited every day with food, said. She paused. “I should the warehouse, that the world been issued, and she received but were caught in the web of newspapers and information have gone with Anne and has had the chance to read some letters that were angry Nazi regulations. As the Nazis about what was happening in Otto and Edith. I would have and reflect on Anne’s diary. about her “stirring up old prepared to empty the Neth- the war. You were her hope.” helped them in the camps. I Thanks to the play and wounds.” erlands of Jews and ship them Miep argued that she was was spared because I was an the movie about Anne, many “We all have a lot to re- to concentration camps, they merely a friend of Anne’s fam- Austrian. How stupid. I miss people have a picture of Miep member, a lot to understand set up the Jewish Councils. ily. She insisted she did noth- my best friend, Anne, and I in their mind. Yet, in fairness, and be responsible for, and a These groups, composed of ing unusual and “nothing she shall always miss her.” no picture or play can capture lot to learn,” she said to Cor Dutch Jews, had to come up wouldn't have done for any I knew that I had met a the spirit and soul of Miep, and me. with a list of Jews who were to friend. I was their close friend. great soul. She will not be forJan and every one of the reThe Dutch experience be sent to “work camps in the I had no choice. Did I?” gotten. Have something on your mind? Let us know: 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvibes2@yahoo.com �12 TV Review STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 The Tao of the Clear Channel Bill Cunningham is destroying our brains By david heitFieLd Contributing Writer entists in his pocket all agreeing with him, which led to Springer’s best line of the show: “Yeah, you and Joe McCarthy.” Tiger Woods was another topic. The show was set up like ESPN’s Paret me help you with the facts,” Bill Cunningham lectured don the Interruption, except instead of sports the topics were news, on the pilot episode of The Jerry ’n’ Bill Show. “To be poor in with the truthiness promise that “nothing is off limits.” Cunningham America means you’re probably morbidly obese, you have opined that Tiger Woods’s scandal was also the fault of liberals, spea cell phone, you have big screen TVs, you own your own home, you cifically the Great Society of LBJ, which apparently legislated against might own your own car, and you have charge accounts. morality through Medicare and the Civil Rights acts. Cunningham had “There are poor people but they’re fat. America has fat poor people. his best line here: As he wailed against “a few powerful men (who) can’t Most nations have skinny poor people. We have fat ones. Why? Because keep something in their pants,” he looked at Springer and said, “You we give them too much freebies because of people like you.” might know something about that.” “You” would refer to his co-host, Jerry Springer, and his liberal The show wrapped up with each giving their hopes for the new year. brood. Springer hoped for increased access to health care; Cunningham hoped “There are a lot of wealthy people who are fat,” Springer said. “What for the impeachment of Barack Hussein Obama. is that about?” The problem I “Yeah, but they have with the Tao pay for their own of CC is living with food.” the impact of its I don't much care message among my for Cunningham’s neighbors. Long shtick, but there’s gone are the days no denying his sucof “Better to remain cess and popularquiet and let others ity. Cunningham has think you’re a fool won two Marconi than to open it and Awards, in 2001 and remove all doubt.” 2009, took over Matt Now fools not only Drudge’s old synthink it better to dicated radio show talk, but they also in 2007, is BFF with believe they have an Sean Hannity and intelligent opinion appears on his Fox on matters, parrotNews show. Eric Deing something they ters wrote his biograheard on The Big phy, published a few One or Fox News. months ago. You can’t converse It’s not his politics with people who I dislike, because think “politics” is the man has none. simply hating mythThe late comedian ical liberals and big Bill Hicks once did a gubmint. And neudisturbing riff on his rology shows us that old friend Jay Leno, Jerry Springer arrives at the Daytime Emmy Awards in Hollywood in 2007. no matter your age, where Leno blew his REUTERS/Fred Prouser. if you challenge your brains out during a brain, your brain typically inane intergrows; and if you fail view on The Tonight to do so, your brain Show, “a company withers away. The man to the bitter end.” Cunningham likewise is just a chinless mouth- lack of opportunities for challenging discourse hurts all brains. piece for his Clear Channel overlords, a corporation that probably Then there’s the contempt for the audience factor. Take Cunningbenefited more than any outside of financial institutions via the “Let’s ham’s description of poor people in America – fat, stupid, live for their deregulate everything and watch the shit hit the fan” big screens; he’s describing his audience as he sees theosophy of the past 30 years. it. The part of the Tea Party movement I rather liked So, naturally, the topic of why politics has gotten Take Cunningham’s was some awareness that the Republican Party had so nasty was broached on the show. Springer sugcontemptuously sold them a bill of goods – “privadescription of poor people gested it had something to do with the 24-hour news tization” didn't mean smaller gubmint, but shifting in America – fat, stupid, live cycle. Cunningham, the man who earlier said all poor money from the public to the private sector, among for their big screens; he’s people are fat and happy, blamed liberals. Hollywood other things. But of course their focus is skewed and describing his audience as and Connie Chung, to name two. they’re again set up to be used. The Tea Party Convenhe sees it. The part of the This is the Tao of Clear Channel: Government has Tea Party movement I rather tion in Nashville next month is selling tickets for $560, no role in society except to field a military to protect according to Frank Rich, and offers a jewel-encrusted liked was some awareness copyrights and profit channels; and you should har- that the Republican Party had tea bag for $90. Sarah Palin is reportedly getting paid bor nothing but contempt for people who cannot afcontemptuously sold them a $120,000 to speak. The Tao of Teabagging: All gubmint ford to pay $150, plus a private corporate tax called bill of goods – “privatization” is bad (except the part that tells you when life begins “processing fees,” to watch a live show. didn’t mean smaller gubmint, or whether sodomy is outlawed), and if you can’t be At the beginning of the pilot, reportedly filmed at financially fleeced, you’re useless. but shifting money from the Fox 19 studios and produced by WGN in Chicago, So I’ll go back to my local watering hole, where the public to the private sector, when Cunningham started railing against Barack conversational arc always repeats: Something bad among other things. Hussein Obama, Springer asked him to simply say about Obama; liberals are to blame for everything; “our president.” Cunningham refused. Instead, he aren’t we superior to everyone else for thinking so? asked Springer to call Reagan or either Bush “our president,” which That is followed by debates about whether the new Angus burger at Springer did – explaining that he didn’t like them, but each was still our McDonald’s is better than the Quarter Pounder; why we need more president). “common sense;” the evils of political correctness; why no one makes Cunningham – who frequently goes by “Willie,” and if you likewise music as good as it was when I was in high school. All enlivened by witabbreviate his surname, he becomes “Willie Cunnie,” a name that for- ticisms such as calling a guy a “girl,” old movie or television references, nicates itself – kept the same company line throughout the program. or some variation of “I'm not but you are.” Global warming? A liberal myth, empirically proven by cold weather People’s brains are dying, and it’s in no small part because they Willie in the Midwest in January, designed to seize the American economy Cunnie themselves. and government. Cunningham said he had the names of 10,000 sci- “L Want more Streetvibes? Check out the StreetvibeS blog http://streetvibes.wordpress.com �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 13 Vendor Voice Ask A Vendor To the Editor Dear Vendor Riccardo, To the editor: I would like to know if 3CDC tells vendors not to sell Streetvibes on Fountain Square. Also, do you get good sales reception in Westwood/Western Hills and Madisonville/Mt. Washington? 3CDC has a plan for Cincinnati, and it does not include you, the working citizen. Catering to the upper economic classes, this agency is determined to undermine democratic principles of the rights and values of average people. 3CDC is acting as the private contractor at the behest of Cincinnati city government – or lack thereof. We, the people of Cincinnati, take issue and do wish to weigh in, not be run over roughshod by corporate mouthpieces and pirate bankster capitalists. You have sold the square to upper-end businesses and hired security to enforce anti-public use by all citizens. Fountain Square belongs to all of us. Sonny Williams Clifton Dear Reader Sonny Williams, It was very appreciating to hear your question for “Ask a Vendor.” The first part of your question asks if 3CDC prohibits Streetvibes vendors from selling Streetvibes on Fountain Square. I would have to answer no to that. The fact is that Streetvibes vendors are not allowed to sell the paper on private property without permission from the owner or, in this case, certain public property. People can sell things on Fountain Square only if they are licensed or have permits from 3CDC. We can sell on the public sidewalk. To answer the second part of your question, I am sorry to say that sales in Westwood/Western Hills and Madisonville/Mt. Washington are perhaps not as great as it could be. Of our 46 vendors, few if any sell in those areas. I do believe that our sales could/would be better if vendors established themselves in these neighborhoods, but there are no other reasons for fewer sales in these neighborhoods. Riccardo Taylor Vendor Editor’s note: Cincinnati City Council passed ordinances banning sales of items on Fountain Square without a permit from the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC). This includes Streetvibes. To submit a question to “Ask a Vendor,” write to streetvibes2@yahoo.com or Streetvibes, 117 E. 12th St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Gonzo Rob Meehan Clifton Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor Invitation to a dialogue with our readers Streetvibes vendors see a lot that you might not. For example, some can describe what goes on in an abandoned building at night when they sleep there. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to stand on a street corner selling newspapers? That’s hardly a common occupation anymore. How much money do Streetvibes vendors make – and what do they do with it? Do they have other jobs? If you have questions, some of our vendors would like to answer them. “Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor” will be an occasional feature, with questions submitted by readers and answered by Streetvibes vendors. You may direct your question to a specific vendor or we’ll invite one to respond. Only include your name if you want to. Send questions to streetvibes2@yahoo.com Or to Streetvibes, 117 E. 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Go ahead. Ask. Are you interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a proofreader, writer, poet, artist or photographer? If so, contact Greg Flannery 513.421.7803 x 12 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com �14 STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Local News 3CDC Bans Tenants For a Better World 2010 Leeper still won’t talk By roB GoeLLer Staff Writer S ince the purchase of the Metropole Apartments in November 2009 by the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), Steve Leeper, president of 3CDC, and Adam Gelter, project manager, have refused to meet with the Metropole Tenants Association. This continued Jan. 19 when 3CDC held a meeting at Music Hall with the purpose of updating the community about its projects. At 7:45 a.m. members of the Metropole Tenants Association arrived outside Music Hall with members of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and other housing advocates. During the demonstration, tenants demanded justice, declaring, “Homes Not Hotels” and “Renovation, not Relocation.” The tenants association demanded that two delegates be allowed to attend the 3CDC meeting. At 8:15 a.m., 3CDC spokeswoman Kelly Leon emerged from Music Hall and spoke with Josh Spring, executive director of the Homeless Coalition. Leon told Spring that a single member of the coalition could go into the meeting, but no Metropole tenants would be allowed to attend. The Homeless Coalition said that it would not attend unless Metropole tenants could attend. Tenants and supporters yelled, “You send police to our meetings – why can’t we come to yours?” Image by Blair Gibeau. Poems and Drawings on Peace and Justice by Greater Cincinnati Artists, edited and curated by Saad Ghosn. Kennedy Heights Arts Center 6546 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45213 513-631-4278 or www.kennedyarts.org January 16 - February 27, 2010 Opening Reception: Sat, January 16, 6-8pm Metropole tenants demonstrated outside Music Hall while 3CDC held a meeting to decide the fate of their homes without tenant input. Photo by Amy Silver. Panel Discussion: Art as a Vehicle for Change facilitated by Jeff Hillard with Mary Pierce Brosmer, Greg Flannery and Jimi Jones February 27, 4-6pm; closing reception at 6pm Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 10am - 5pm Saturdays 10am - 4 pm 1128 Walnut St Pizza by the Slice Tues and Thurs Buffet($7.00)-11AM-2PM Wed-Thur-Fri-Sat 9PM-3AM become a Fan of Streetvibes on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/streetvibescincinnati �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 15 Resources Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Churches Active in Northside 381-SAFE 768-6907 557-2873 681-2365 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 3600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 St. Vincent de Paul 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Charlie’s 3/4 House 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 DIC Live In Program Prospect House 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Starting Over 661-4620 Crossroad Health Center 241-1064 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 562-8841 784-1853 721-0643 921-1613 961-2256 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 961-4080 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 961-4663 First Step Home 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 AA Hotline CCAT Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 471-1100 221-3350 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 Hamilton/Middletown 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 Northern Kentucky 721-4700 421-7803 ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 721-8666 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 621-6364 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry Brighton Center 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 381-0111 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 859-491-8303 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Health Center for Respite Care 535-2719 People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women 241-2600 241-2563 621-5514 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House Treatment: Both 558-8888 981-5800 Other Resources 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Treatment: Women 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 458-6670 977-4489 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach Peaslee Neighborhood Center Shelter: Both Anthony House (Youth) 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 872-9259 241-5525 591-2246 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 Treatment: Men Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Shelter FreeStore/FoodBank 762-5660 Shelter: Men City Gospel Mission 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 A Call to Greater Cincinnati Poets aFFordaBLe rateS etvibes? tre nS rested in Advert Inte isin gi many SizeS (full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page) BLack & White and coLor avaiLaBLe diScountS For nonProFitS Contact Lynne at 513-421-7803 ext. 11 or lynneausman@cincihomeless.org for more information. Write for ‘For a Better World 2010’ 1 It’s time to get your verse on. SOS Art, the annual exhibit of art on themes of peace and justice, publishes a collection of poetry each year. Saad Ghosn, who organizes SOS Art and writes the “Artists as Activists” column for Streetvibes, is now collecting submissions for For a Better World 2010, the seventh edition to date. Any poet from or connected to Greater Cincinnati may submit up to three poems related to themes of peace and justice. All submissions will be considered. The editors will be looking for quality, inclusiveness and appropriateness to the themes of peace and justice. If space becomes limited, priority will go to poets not published in previous books. The poems selected for publication will be illustrated in black and white by Greater Cincinnati artists. Poets included in the book will be invited to read their poems at SOS Art 2010. For a Better World 2010 will be released in May 2010. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15, 2010. Send submissions as “Word” attachments or in full text By e-mail to saad.ghosn@uc.edu or On a CD to Saad Ghosn, 216 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229. �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Lifetime of Art and Moral Outrage Dorothy Fraembs: Illustrating injustice for decades “Drawing is such a part of my life that I can hardly speak without a pen in my hand,” says Dorothy Fraembs. “When I make lists, I often use little sketches instead of words.” Fraembs is an illustrator and visual artist. Her early memories with art are in the kitchen watching her mother artistically cooking and setting up a beautiful table. Her own introduction to art was in kindergarten and succeeding years when she received encouragement for her drawing skills in school clubs, Girl Scouts and at home. World War II was the focus of her high school years, 1942-1946, and a major influence of her life. At a high school club conference, she heard a teenage Japanese girl tell of her internment at a post-Pearl Harbor camp, describing the prejudice and hardship she and her family endured. That ignited her abhorrence of injustice in any form. Fraembs studied to become an illustrator and worked as such in a Chicago advertising agency, then in Urbana, Ill., for Our Wonderful World, a young people’s encyclopedia, then at General Electric in Cincinnati, where she relocated with her husband. In 1959, with the turmoil in China, Chinese fleeing commuDorothy Fraembs. Photo by Bill Howes. nism and children being abandoned, she and her husband adopted their son – and a year later their daughter – from Hong Kong. Fraembs quit her job and became a stay-at-home mother. Her young black kid murdered for whistling at a white woman; civil rights parenting years coincided with the Civil Rights Movement and the workers killed for their beliefs; and activists slaughtered for helping Vietnam War and their with voter registration in the South. At the bottom of the board was associated injustice and attached a page from the Bible, splattered with blood, and an enlargviolence. The events of ing lens in front of it to emphasize its message, “What you have done these tumultuous years, to the least of these, my brethren, so also you have done to me” – a in addition to the experi- reminder of the real teachings of Christ. The work also included the ences of her children, in- figure of a rat and a crumbled can, references to the poor neighboras spired her to start making hoods where these victims would most likely be remembered and social-commentary as- mourned. War incorporated plastic figures of soldiers, sculpted Vietsemblages. namese people and other elements of their life going through a meat By Saad GhoSn “I had little free time,” grinder, being smashed and destroyed. It emphasized the annihilaContributing Writer she says, “but whenever I tion of life caused by war. could, I would steal some “That’s the way it is,” a viewer commented. “ People don’t want to moments and go to my face the reality of war, and we want to believe that good guys always basement studio to paint, draw and work on my assemblages. I was win and innocents don’t get hurt.” God’s Favorite Child was trigfeeling pain and frustration that I needed to express, and art was my gered by the verbal discrimination Fraembs’s kids experienced due outlet.” In the 1960s and early ’70s, Fraembs created many statement to their Asian origin, also by the prevailing racism of the period. The pieces. Who Cares was in response to the many killings of innocent front showed grey shadows looking all alike against a translucent people, motivated by racism and discrimination. It consisted of a wall background and the question, “Which one is God’s favorite child?” on which were written names of many victims such as Emmett Till, the The other side included sculpted clay figures of children of different colors standing side by side with Fraembs’ answer: “All the children God shaped and styled.” She also produced this theme in smaller, silk-screened versions. Thoughts about the terrible happenings of the time kept coming fast, so she began a weekly human-relations cartoon panel that appeared in the Rochester, New York, Times-Union and the Philadelphia Inquirer. The drawing and text panels consisted of social commentaries presented under the heading, “My Mother Told Me...” An example of the content: “My mother told me with what we do and what we say, each of us makes the world the way it is today.” These later were compiled and printed as booklets. In 1973, Fraembs’ husband suddenly died of a massive heart attack. Needing to financially support her children, she taught commercial art at a vocational school for seven and a half years, an experience she treasures. She continued doing her panels. After retiring from teaching, she started a new series, based on family experiences, dealing with the absence of loved ones. The booklets she published included When My Father Died, When My Mother Died and When My Sister Died. She intended them as conversation starters between grieving adults and children to foster sharing and understanding of thoughts they might not otherwise express to each other. In 1996 her son, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty. Fraembs and her daughter again found themselves coping with untimely death. Fraembs’ commentaries also have been channeled through yearly Christmas cards in which she conveys her thoughts and her hopes for the New Year. They have dealt, for instance, with the Oklahoma City bombing, the Berlin wall, 9/11, oil and the environment and famine in Africa. They are not traditional but there are people who collect them. In the past few years she has also been a regular participant in SOS Art, exhibiting some of her old assemblages and new ones made especially for the occasion. At 81, Fraembs intends to continue sharing her values, beliefs and wisdom through her art; she would like her social commentaries to be used as thought-provoking discussion starters in places such as the Underground Railroad Freedom Center. “My mother wanted me to become a nurse. My husband thought I would have been a good God’s Favorite Child, showing front and back, assemblage by Dorothy engineer,” she says. “I cannot, however, imagine anything better than Fraembs. Photo by Bill Howes. communicating with people through art or teaching.” A rtists ctivists Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 1-14, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Demanding Justice for Immigrants Homecoming of Reggie Williams Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: Eight Minutes with a Bench Warmer and Cheerleader Pg 4: Homecoming of Reggie Williams Continued Pg 5: Homecoming of Reggie Williams Continued Pg 6: End of the NFL Academic Freedom Fighter Pg 7: The 2010 Census Pg 8: Veggie Stir-Fry Pg 9: Demanding Justice for Immigrants Bridging the Religious Gap Pg 10: A Rising Star, A Laid Back Starr Words Can Change Everything Pg 11: Remembering Miep Gies Pg 12: The Tao of the Clear Channel Pg 13: Ask a Vendor To the Editor Pg 14: 3CDC Bans Tenants Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Lifetime of Art and Moral Outrage Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 1-14, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Jeni Jenkins Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Kelissa Hieber Jeni Jenkins Stephanie Dunlap Saad Ghosn Lew Moores Larry Gross Eli Braun Aimie Willhoite Anthony Williams Bill Haigh Clarissa Peppers Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF 3CDC Aimie Willhoite Anthony Williams arts Bill Cunningham Bill Haigh Census Christians Clarissa Peppers David Heitfield Dorothy Fraembs Eli Braun Gregory Flannery Immigrants Injustices Iran Jeni Jenkins Jennifer Blalock Jeremy Flannery Kelissa Hieber Larry Gross Lew Moores Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Miep Gies Moral Muslims NFL Paul Kopp Reggie Williams Religion Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Stephanie Dunlap https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/e5403a3c26f637e079bf27c5e1f9518f.pdf 2dd7b2ed60ca191547f3e45e3a8652fa PDF Text Text 36 C R O S S W O R 37 S U D O K U D A N P A G 38 D E 12 Film Review Page 9 STREETVIBES $1 Feb. 15 - 28, 2010 • Advocating Justice, Building Community • Issue 171 The ‘Madness’ of Hate Downtown Attack leaves Streetvibes vendor badly injured By GreGory FLannery editor T he circumstances of the vicious beating endured Jan. 24 by Robert Meehan were fraught with irony. The attack occurred a few steps from the Metropole Apartments, purchased last year by the Cin­ cinnati Center City Development Corp (3CDC). Just days before being assaulted, Meehan wrote a letter to the editor of Streetvibes, criticizing 3CDC, which plans to convert the subsidized low-income apart­ ments into a boutique motel. The attack occurred soon after Meehan took training to become a vendor for Streetvibes, pub­ lished by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Both the newspaper and the coalition have been publicizing a recent spate of hate crimes against homeless people in Cincinnati. The attack was allegedly perpetrated by a man Michael K. Taylor, aka Madness (left), was apprehended by Las Vegas Police after a nationwide warrant was issued. Taylor allegedly attacked Robert Meehan (right), on Jan 24. Photo on right by Josh Spring. See Madness, p. 5 Postcards from Hell Lynching exhibit captures hatred’s horror By Lew Moores Contributing Writer Not all of the images depict AfricanAmerican men. Among the first images a visitor sees are of Laura Nelson and he images are beyond graphic. her son, L.W. Nelson, 14, hanging from a They are horrific. African-Amer­ bridge in Okemah, Okla., in 1911. Laura ican men hang from power lines Nelson wears a dress that reaches to her and bridges, a light pole, most from trees. calves, her arms and hands at her sides. A blooming dogwood, a cedar. Many of Her head is sharply angled to her left the images are – remark­ shoulder. In an image of ably – postcards. They them both hanging from “I would like students were sent through the the bridge, her son dan­ to focus on that third mail, postcards not from gles at least 100 feet away section. To understand – separated in death – as vacations, but sent from hell. On the back of a post­ that it just wasn’t in the a crowd stands on the card of a burned corpse, past, that it certainly is bridge and watches. one correspondent wrote Of the nearly 5,000 relevant to what is going about having a barbecue. on in their everyday lives lynchings that occurred About 75 of these imag­ – not physical lynchings in the United States be­ es are arranged on walls tween 1882 and 1968, anymore, but there that cover five rooms and certainly are hate crimes.” 3,437 were African 3,000 square feet of space Americans and the oth­ - Dina Bailey at the National Under­ ers included white, His­ ground Railroad Freedom panic, Chinese, Jewish Center. Without Sanctuary: Lynching and Native Americans, according to the Photography in America opened at the Tuskegee Institute. As signage in the ex­ Freedom Center Jan. 19 – the day after hibit points out, 70 women were among Martin Luther King Jr. Day – and contin­ those lynched, and lynchings occurred in ues through May 31. Halfway through the 41 states, mostly in the South. There were exhibit is a room called “Respite,” with 581 in Mississippi, 531 in Georgia, 493 in benches and two boxes of facial tissues. Texas, 391 in Louisiana. There were two And at the end are tables with “Reflec­ in New York and one in Vermont. tion” Journals, where visitors can leave There were 205 lynchings in Kentucky, their thoughts: 47 in Indiana and 26 in Ohio. Hangings This exhibit was way too sad for me. … took place in Butler and Clermont coun­ I can’t believe the things America let hap- ties. None are known to have occurred in pen. … It was very painful to view the pic- Hamilton County. tures and facts. We have come a long way but we still have a very long way to go. See postcards, p. 4 T Lynching, circa 1905, location unknown. Photo courtesy of National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. �2 The Vibe By The Numbers 31 The percentage of homeless people in Louisville who lost their homes last year because of inability to pay their rent or mortgage (see page 7). 5 The denomination of dollar bills depicted in Pachyderm’s Progress (see page 16). 144 The number of years in the future in which Avatar is set (see page 9). 644 The number of peace cranes created by a young victim of the U.S. nuclear attack on Hiroshima (see page 6). 45,000 The annual death toll caused by lack of health insurance in the United States (see page 3). 14 The age of L.W. Nelson, the victim of a lynching in 1911 (see page 1). 79 The percentage of people in Cincinnati who, when asked, signed a petition for the legalization of marijuana (see page 7). StreetWise By GreGory FLannery editor First, I Screwed Up A photo caption on page 9 of the Feb. 1-14 edition contained this statement: “Blah blah blah blah.” This error was an oversight on my part, and I apologize to the people in the photograph, the reporter and the photographer. This is how it happened. A “dummy line” was placed under the photo to indicate that a caption was needed. The editor was supposed to change the dummy line. In this case, the editor was a dummy. We Get By with the Help of Our Friends Homeless people and economically struggling people are so often maltreated that acts of kind­ ness – and even more rare, solidarity – deserve mention. Last week Streetvibes received a call from a woman who bought the paper in Northside from Riccardo Taylor. Hours later she saw Taylor downtown. She had parked at a broken meter, and Taylor offered to watch her car in case a meter attendant came by. The woman called to say that she was impressed by Taylor’s thoughtfulness and wanted to do something for him. This came a week after another vendor reported that employees at a pancake restaurant in Northern Kentucky came to his defense when he was about to be arrested. The vendor had nodded off in the restaurant, and another patron called the police to complain. But when the vendor was about to be arrested, restaurant employees intervened and told the officers he hadn’t done anything wrong. An Award and a Lawsuit for the Dalai Lama Last week the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center announced that it will bestow an International Freedom Conductor Award on the Dalai Lama in October. The Dalai Lama is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, a distinguished teacher of Tibetan Buddhism – and the de­ fendant in a lawsuit in India accusing him of violating the human rights of other Tibetan Bud­ dhists. Kuten Lama, abbot of a monastery in Colerain Township, is one of the founders of the organization suing the Dalai Lama. At issue is the alleged persecution of Tibetan exiles who honor Dorje Shugden, a deity banned by the Dalai Lama (see “Rejoicing Against Oppression,” issue of Sept. 15-30, 2009). Don’t Touch That Dial: ‘Streetvibes’ is on the air Streetvibes is now on the radio. Our writers are working with WNKU (89.7 FM) to put stories about homelessness and other social-justice issues on the air. Contributing writer Margo Pierce launched the effort last week by interviewing Kevin Finn, executive director of the Ham­ ilton County Continuum of Care. WNKU News Director Craig Kopp says he hopes to broadcast a new Streetvibes interview once a month. Visit the station at wnku.org. Street papers are growing in number and in circulation. In late 2009 two new street papers began publishing: One Step Away in Philadelphia, Penn., and St. Petersburg Homeless Image in St. Petersburg, Fla. One reason for the success of the street-paper movement is collaboration. Streetvibes is a member of both the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) and the Interna­ tional Network of Street Papers (INSP). Like other professional or trade organizations, NASNA and INSP give members access to shared resources such as photographs by Reuters photogra­ phers and stories syndicated by the Street News Service. In early February, Streetvibes enjoyed a visit from Emma Kernahan, distribution manager for The Big Issue UK, a street paper headquartered in London, England. Kernahan came to see how our distribution works and told us about distribution at her paper. She also shared information about Streetwise, a street paper in Chicago. Kernahan is spending two months there as a volunteer helping to organize this year’s NASNA conference. 3 The number of women who stood and watched while Robert Meehan was beaten in downtown Cincinnati (see page 1). Competition is a time-honored convention in journalism. Collaboration has its own set of ben­ efits. 2010 The year that you should get over your fear of tofu (see page 8). Zilch The amount of food a charity can legally distribute to poor people in a Cincinnati park (see page 12). Emma Kernahan, ‘The Big Issue UK,’ visited ‘Streetvibes’ and ‘Streetwise’ (Chicago). Photo by Lynne Ausman. NASNA is working on its first continental collaborative article, with Streetvibes and other mem­ ber papers contributing research for a report of international scope with local relevance. You’ll see what we mean in the March 1 edition. Writers from street papers in the United States and Can­ ada are working on a story that will be published in both countries. Andy Freeze, executive director of NASNA and former education coordinator for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, says he hopes NASNA members will collaborate on national articles several times a year. STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@ yahoo.com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes. wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Graphics/Layout Intern Veronica Glass Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Valerie Fessler, Alecia A. Lott, Stephanie Dunlap, Saad Ghosn, Lew Moores, Larry Gross, Eli Braun Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Jeni Jenkins, Anthony Williams Proofreaders Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are proud members of: �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Issues 3 Health Care Reform on Life Support People are dying for lack of insurance 1 By eLi Braun Contributing Writer care. “We’re losing more Americans every day be­ welve-year-old Deamonte Driver died of cause of inaction ... than an abscessed tooth that a routine $80 tooth [because of] drunk driv­ extraction could have prevented. His fam­ ing and homicide com­ ily lacked health insurance and could not afford bined,” said study author to pay a dentist. So they waited, thinking they had David Himmelstein in an time for a toothache. While the toothache festered, interview with Reuters. bacteria from the abscess spread to Deamonte’s Himmelstein, a profes­ brain. The boy was hospi­ sor at Harvard talized. Then, after two op­ Medical School, erations, six weeks of hos­ In a study of people with favors extending pital care, and $250,000 in Medicare to all. appendicitis, uninsured bills, he died. People with­ people were 18 percent Was the cause of death a more likely to suffer a burst out health insur­ tooth abscess, or was it lack ance have more appendix than those with of health insurance? to worry about private insurance. It has been well docu­ than just death. mented that people with­ Besides pre­ out health insurance face poorer health prospects. mature death, uninsured Why? Perhaps they engage in riskier behavior, people with diabetes are smoke more cigarettes, or eat more junk food? Or, at greater risk of blind­ as a growing body of evidence suggests, uninsured ness and amputations, people face poorer health prospects simply because according to the Insti­ they are uninsured. For decades, covering the unin­ tute of Medicine, which sured has been a central goal of health-care reform. found that one in four While the current bill in Congress delights neither uninsured adult diabet­ the left nor the right, it represents the best chance ics go two years without in years to achieve this goal. If it dies, so will thou­ a doctor’s visit, compared sands of Americans. to one in 20 insured adult diabetics. T ‘Enough to make you sick’ What happens when sick people don’t have health insurance? In a study of people with appendicitis, uninsured people were 18 percent more likely to suffer a burst appendix than those with private insurance. Re­ searchers found that the people whose appendices burst tended to have waited longer before seek­ ing medical attention. In fact, the delay in seeking medical care was “the most important predictor” of rupture. These individuals waited because they could not access “primary and hospital care without cost con­ cerns.” That is, people who were uninsured waited. Insurance status was the most important predictor even after researchers controlled for age, sex, socio­ economic status and hospital type. As with Deamonte Driver, whose $80 barrier led to a $250,000 bill, delaying timely medical care has expensive repercussions. An appendicitis opera­ tion leads to a longer hospital stay and a larger bill if the appendix has burst. Insurance status affects the prognosis of people with ailments besides tooth abscesses and appen­ dicitis. Uninsured people are also more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Consequently, uninsured people were almost twice (1.6 times) as likely as insured people to die within five years. “The truth is that our national reluctance to face these facts is condemning thousands of people to die from cancer each year,” wrote Elmer Huerta, president of the American Cancer Society, in an ed­ itorial that accompanied the study. “For too many hardworking ‘average Americans,’ paying for can­ cer treatment means not paying rent, mortgage (re­ sulting in foreclosure or eviction), or utility bills, or even going hungry.” The American College of Physicians tracked similar evidence in its 2000 report, No Health Insurance? It’s Enough to Make You Sick. In 2002, the Institute of Medicine calculated that 18,000 unin­ sured adults died each year because, lacking in­ surance, they do not seek medical care. The Urban Institute estimated that between 2000 and 2006, 137,000 people died who would still be alive if only they had had health insurance. The most recent estimate in 2009 found that nearly 45,000 people die in the United States each year – one person every 12 minutes – because they lack health insurance and cannot access medical Too little, too expensive House Minority Leader John Boehner is Dr. No on health-care reform. More than 46.3 million REUTERS/Yuri Gripas. U.S. residents, 15.4 per­ cent of the population, were uninsured in 2008, according to the U.S. Cen­ ance companies from excluding people with pre­ sus Bureau. One in 10 children – 7.3 million – were existing conditions. That would address one flaw uninsured. Only people who lacked insurance for of the current health-care system. Insurance com­ the entire year are counted as uninsured in the Cen­ panies cherry-pick customers, prioritizing profit at sus Bureau’s methodology, so these numbers might the expense of the sickest. understate the true number of uninsured Ameri­ The bill does not, however, change the for-profit cans. If you count people who were uninsured for model of the American insurance industry. Even if at least one month in 2006-07, 86.7 million. this bill passes, companies can continue to mini­ Comprising one in 3 Americans under the age of mize payouts and require higher co-pays. Medical 65, had limited access to medical care. bills are a frequent cause of bankruptcy, some crit­ The numbers vary by geographic region. In 2007­ ics note, and insurance is not serving its purpose if 08, Texas had the largest percentage of uninsured an illness can wipe out the family savings. residents (25 percent) while Massachusetts had the Despite the weaknesses of the existing system, smallest (5 percent). Ohio ranked toward the mid­ the public appears reluctant to tinker with it. A poll dle, with 12 percent of its population uninsured. conducted by the Health Foundation of Greater That’s one in eight Ohioans, or a million people to­ Cincinnati found that likely-insured Ohioans be­ tal. lieved that the proposed changes go too far. Insured The current health-care reform bill, despite people comprise the vast majority of the electorate, its faults, would reduce the number of uninsured which perhaps explains why health-care reformers Americans, according to the non-partisan Congres­ have been so modest in their approach. sional Budget Office. It would provide subsidies for Not surprisingly, according to the Health Foun­ poorer Americans, expand Medicaid eligibility to dation poll, Ohioans who were likely to be unin­ 150 percent of the federal poverty level (133 per­ sured thought the proposed changes don’t go far cent in the Senate version) and enough. institute various reforms to slow People with health insurance health care’s rising costs. Emergency-room care is have better access to health care Rising health-care costs are and better outcomes. Critics of too little, too late and too partly responsible for the numhealth-care reform sometimes expensive. It can hardly be ber of uninsured Americans. Bequip that uninsured people called satisfactory care for a tween 2001 and 2007, insurance patient with late-term cancer or can always go to an emergency premiums rose 78 percent while room. And yes, the 1986 Emer­ a ruptured appendix. wages rose only 19 percent. And gency Medical Treatment and as health-care costs rise, employ­ Active Labor Act guarantees ac­ ers drop benefits. The Census Bureau found that cess for everyone to emergency services. the percentage of Americans who receive health But many health conditions are chronic and re­ insurance through their employers has decreased quire routine attention. Emergency-room care is from 64 percent in 2000 to 59 percent in 2008. For too little, too late and too expensive. It can hardly many people, employment comes with fewer ben­ be called satisfactory care for a patient with lateefits. In fact, one in six full-time workers, or 21 mil­ term cancer or a ruptured appendix. It did not save lion people, were uninsured for the entirety of 2008 Deamonte Driver, and it can’t prevent another. meaning 45% of uninsured people actually worked Health-care reform might still pass Congress this full-time. year. But for the 45,000 people who died last year Of course, the current bill in Congress does more for lack of health insurance – or at that rate, the 123 than cover the uninsured. It would prevent insur- people who died today – it’s already too late. Read this article with links to sources at http://streetvibes.wordpress.com. �4 Local News STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Postcards from Hell Continued from page 1 ‘I wish I didn’t know’ As much as Terryl Meador prepped the 39 juniors in her Advanced Placement U.S. history class at Northwest High School before visiting the exhibit in late January, they were still shocked. Even Meador, who as a teacher knew of this dark side of American history, was taken aback by the breadth of the cruelty. “It never stops shocking you, even after going through the teacher training, even after doing outside readings and a lot of other research and prepping the kids, both academically and emotionally,” she says. “There were a lot of times when I found myself very close to tears. “I felt frustrated and ashamed and embarrassed and shocked, thinking, ‘How did I not know this?’ And then thinking, ‘Oh my God, I wish I didn’t know this.’” Of the nearly 5,000 Paul Bernish, spokesman for the lynchings that occurred in Freedom Center, says the center the United States between worked to prepare the region as far 1882 and 1968, 3,437 back as October for the exhibit. “We went out of our way to pre­ were African Americans pare the community,” he says. “We and the others included white, Hispanic, Chinese, told people what it was going to be about, so that by the time it opened, Jewish and Native Americans, according to it opened with some degree of so­ lemnity.” the Tuskegee Institute. Bernish also says the Freedom Center learned from past venues where Without Sanctuary was displayed that incorpo­ rating some new features in this exhibition would help. One was having the Reflection Journals. “We took lessons from past exhibits,” Bernish says. “For some, there wasn’t an opportunity for people to vent their emotions. We’ve given people an opportunity to express themselves, their reactions and emotions. The number of people who have taken the time to write their journal entries is a very good indicator of the im­ pact it’s having.” And that impact has been for the most part positive, Bernish notes from both the journals and oral reac­ tion. “The response has been sober, reflective,” he says. “People feel it’s very powerful. We’re showing this be­ cause of our belief that freedom is a value that needs protecting. Beneath the veneer of civilization is an el­ ement that allows hate to overcome reason and that The lynching of Bennie Simmons. June 13, 1913, Anadarko, Okla.. threatens freedom.” Photo courtesy of National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Katie Johnson, public programs manager for the Freedom Center, says the center recruited more than two dozen education partners to get input on the pos­ sible reaction the community might have and how to mitigate ‘Have you stood up?’ against adverse reaction. Dina Bailey, associate curator at the Freedom Center, says there Images of a bludgeoned African American sitting in a rocking are three things they want visitors to take away from Without Sanc- chair, his clothes covered in blood; a charred corpse; dead Africantuary. American men tied to fences; a corpse chained to a tree face-first. “The first being a The more disturbing images are of crowds standing in the fore­ “So we talked about how hate doesn’t spring look back at histo­ ground of a lynching – staring, gesturing and even smiling at the ry, understanding camera. There is the image from July 19, 1935, of a black man hang­ up in one day, how it grows if you allow it to be unchecked. All of us have this potential of having a better where this ing in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with children looking on. And the infamous photo of the lynching of Abram Smith, 18, and little dark side of ourselves. And if you don’t actively lynching era came work to stay on top of that, it overtakes you. That from and how it Thomas Shipp, 19, hanging from a tree in Marion, Ind., on Aug. 7, possible,” 1930. Some in the crowd look at the camera. One man points to the liberty is best protected when you guard against was Bailey says. “The hanging men. An entrepreneur mass-produced the photograph hate. That’s what I hope they took away.” second is bearing and sold copies for 50 cents each. - Terryl Meador witness, under­ Meador, the teacher at North­ standing what the west High School in Colerain lynching era was about. The third is reminding people there are Township, where African Ameri­ The more disturbing images are of still vulnerable populations today that we need to keep watch over. cans represent about 25 percent crowds standing in the foreground of I would like students to focus on that third section. To understand of the student body, attended a a lynching – staring, gesturing and that it just wasn’t in the past, that it certainly is relevant to what is teachers’ workshop at the Free­ even smiling at the camera. There is going on in their everyday lives – not physical lynchings anymore, dom Center in early December in the image from July 19, 1935, of a but there certainly are hate crimes.” preparation for visiting the exhib­ black man hanging in Ft. Lauderdale, “Homeless is one. I think it is one of the hate crimes that is on it. The Freedom Center was very Fla., with children looking on. the rise. We’re looking at different forms: LGBT, homeless, religious supportive, she says. Her students affiliations. They may not be in the exhibition, but it is a program spent the better part of the day at idea that we want to talk about. One of the things I’ve noticed is the Freedom Center and Without Sanctuary. that, the worse the economy, the more hate crimes there are. When “It was a very full day, but a very rich day,” Meador says. people are worried about not having enough of their own mon­ The students had been prepared. Some had sought out some im­ ey, then they look to blame immigrants, or illegal immigrants, or ages online or saw one or two in a textbook. But nothing compared homeless people. It goes back to those vulnerable populations.” to the enormity at Without Sanctuary. All I feel is sadness. … This exhibit is as important as it is disturbThe students lingered. They began to read every accompanying ing. … Their fight (and even their fear) created my grandmothers explanation at every image – so much so that Meador had to nudge and grandfathers, my mother and father, those women and men of them along, she said. the civil rights movement. From great pain and sadness there has been victory. See postcards, p. 5 �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Local News 5 The ‘Madness’ of Hate Downtown Continued from page 1 initially known to police only by his nick­ name, Madness. At about 3:48 a.m. Meehan was bodyslammed, punched and struck with a beer bottle during what Cincinnati Police Lt. Mi­ chael John called an unprovoked attack. Three women stood and watched the assault, captured on a surveillance camera outside the Metropole. For nearly two weeks Meehan was in a medically induced coma as a result of his in­ juries, which John described as so severe that he was surprised Meehan survived. Josh Spring, executive director of the Home­ less Coalition, launched a media blitz to bring attention to the attack and to encourage peo­ ple to provide information for the suspect’s capture. The effort paid off when TV coverage led one of the three women who were pres­ ent during the beating to contact police. John said police identified the other two women and interviewed all three of them. “I think they felt some pressure to come forward, but none the less they were help­ ful,” John wrote in an e-mail to a TV reporter. “They were all shocked to see the nature of Michael Stoops, National Coalition for the Homeless, spoke at the Cincinnati Homeless Mr. Meehan's injuries.” Coalition’s forum on hate crimes, where advocates were first informed of the attack. Equally shocking was the suspect’s behav­ Photo by Josh Spring. ior after the attack. “The night of the incident, Madness was Spring says. operating a white or cream colored late model Cadillac,” John wrote. In fact, Spring learned of the assault during a forum on hate crimes “He actually drove the vehicle southbound on Walnut, passing Mr. sponsored by the Homeless Coalition. Meehan (after the beating) before slowing outside the Subway to inLast year a homeless man was assaulted downtown by two drunk­ vite an unknown individual to the Anchor Grill in Covington.” en suburbanites, one of whom knocked a bottle of insulin out of the Police succeeded in tracking Madness to Las victim’s hand. The assailants were arrested and Vegas, Nev., where he was arrested Feb. 6. The fined. Last month a homeless man was set on suspect, now identified as Michael K. Taylor, is At about 3:48 a.m. Meehan was fire downtown by four youths. No one has yet wanted in Cincinnati on a charge of felonious body-slammed, punched and struck been charged in that case (see “Set Afire,” issue assault. of Jan. 15-31). with a beer bottle during what Spring visited Meehan at University Hospi­ Spring says these cases, like a series of stun­ Cincinnati Police Lt. Michael John tal on Feb. 8 after he was transferred out of the called an unprovoked attack. Three gun attacks in Cleveland, point to the need for intensive-care unit. hate-crimes laws to protect homeless people. women stood and watched the “He will have to go through rehab,” Spring assault, captured on a surveillance Bills are pending in Congress and in the Ohio says. “He was markedly exhausted physically General Assembly. Spring says Cincinnati City camera outside the Metropole. and mentally. He was in the office before this atCouncil should also pass an ordinance includ­ tack, and he spoke very fast. This time, if I didn’t ing homeless people as a protected class. talk, there wouldn’t be any conversation. Relative to what happened “People who are homeless are one group that it’s still OK to hate,” he’s doing very well, but it’s clear that this will change his life. He said he says. “We’re hoping at the local level someone will put forth a mohe was having trouble trying to remember what happened. He asked tion to protect people based on housing status. It doesn’t do a lot beme why someone would do this.” cause municipalities can only affect misdemeanors but it does signal Spring says he didn’t venture to answer Meehan’s question, but he to the state government that it’s important. We’re hoping this will be has a theory. The assault on Meehan was the latest in a series of hate a wake-up call. It’s gotten progressively worse. It’s important Cincin­ crimes against homeless people, according to Spring. nati doesn’t forget. We had a man almost beat to death. If we don’t do “Mr. Meehan has been known to have been homeless on the street something now, it’s going to get worse. This should be an eye-opener as well as regularly moving from the home of one friend to another,” for everybody.” Postcards from Hell Continued from page 4 “It was just conflicting emotions throughout the entire exhibit,” she says. “It ran the entire spectrum. I saw kids crying in the exhibit. I saw kids an­ gry. I mean just angry, like, ‘How could this happen? How could this happen in America?’ they asked. There was a lot of horror. As much as we talked about this, the graphic nature of the pictures was very stunning to them. It’s one thing to talk about women being lynched, but then to see that very famous picture of the woman (Laura Nelson) being hung off the bridge …” What did she want her students to learn from this? “What I wanted to resonate the most for them was that hate does not exist in time and place,” Meador says. “Hate ex­ ists. I think one of the blessings of living in America is that we do have free speech. I think the other thing really crucial for them to understand is the importance throughout American history of people in shaping and changing of America. “We talked about how, if you see things wrong, you have to stand up. It’s your duty as an American citizen. You can’t get caught up in these kinds of things. No one of you ever participated in a lynching, but have you stood up and cheered when a fight was happening? Have you watched a kid be bullied and not stand up for them? “So we talked about how hate doesn’t spring up in one day, how it grows if you allow it to be unchecked. All of us have this potential of having a little dark side of ourselves. And if you don’t actively work to stay on top of that, it overtakes you. That liberty is best protected when you guard against hate. That’s what I hope they took away.” �6 STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Local News Walking to End the Nuclear Peril Footprints for Peace opposes nuclear bombs and plants 1 By VaLerie FessLer Contributing Writer H ow are walking and nuclear weap­ ons connected? By the people who dedicate their time, money and resources to peacefully raise awareness about alternative energy and sustainable lifestyles while exposing the deadly effects of the nuclear industry. On Feb. 13, Footprints for The 2010 Nuclear Peace began its three-month 2010 Nuclear Free Future Walk Free Future to the United Nations in New Walk is open to anyone interested York. The march began at the Y12 Nuclear Facility in Oak in walking for a nuclear-free future. Ridge, Tenn. Footprints for Peace is a global community of people dedicated to creating change through peaceful action. They organize events throughout the world in order to deepen others’ understanding of environmental is­ sues. Their goal is to educate, inspire and empower individuals and communities in building a sustainable future. Every five years, the Nuclear Non-Pro­ liferation Treaty, also known as NPT, is reviewed at a conference at the United Nations. The treaty calls on countries “to achieve at the earliest possible date the ces­ sation of the nuclear arms race and to un­ dertake effective measures in the direction of nuclear disarmament.” The NPT Review Conference begins in early May. Sophie Morel, 48, and her son, Noé, 12, of France came to Cincinnati to join Foot­ prints for Peace. They have participated in past anti-nuclear walks in Europe. Last year they walked from Geneva, Switzerland, to Brussels, Belgium, stopping at many nu­ clear power plants and nuclear weapons bases. “It was great, but sometimes it was hard because of rain,” Noé says. Participants walk an average of 15 miles per day. The distance depends on the phys­ ical capabilities of the group and on ac­ commodations. At night, towns and com­ munities provide shelter and hold potluck dinners for the walkers. “Walks are physically demanding,” says Jon Blickenstaff of Cincinnati, a member of Footprints for Peace. “You are not sleeping in your own bed, and you’re in a strange en­ vironment.” Although the walks are demanding, Blick­ enstaff says the group dynamic intensifies, Noé Morel (fourth from right) participated in an anti-nuke march in Europe last year. Photo courtesy of Footprints for Peace. and everyone makes decisions together. get better. She only made it to 644 before “It’s an amazing experience,” he says. her death. People from numerous countries, includ­ Noé Morel says he is “very sad about the ing Japan, Australia, France, children affected by bombs”. Canada and the United States, Not only does nuclear power come together in order to walk Participants walk an harmfully affect human beings, for peace. Nuclear weaponry average of 15 miles it poses a threat to the environ­ and nuclear power are con­ per day. The distance ment as well. cerns for the entire world. Mining uranium causes both depends on the “The French army tests new physical capabilities water and soil pollution, and nuclear missile, which is a of the group and on the process constantly releases contradiction with the NPT,” radioactive substances into accommodations. Sophie Morel says. “They don’t At night, towns and the environment, according to honor the treaty and are still communities provide Réseau Sortir du Nucléaire, or building nuclear weapons and “Network for Nuclear Phaseshelter and hold reactors.” Out.” Radioactive waste re­ potluck dinners for Both Morel and her son are mains dangerous for hundreds the walkers. passionate about stopping the of thousands of years. use of nuclear weapons and “Nuclear waste is a problem power. Each morning during the walks, the with no solution,” Blickenstaff says. group holds a “morning circle” in order to More than 20 people are expected to take thank their hosts for the shelter and food part in the 2010 Nuclear Free Future Walk. and give them gifts of peace cranes. A peace The group will walk through Tennessee, crane is an origami bird, with roots in Japan Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New and the atomic bombs that were dropped Jersey and finish in New York. They will also there by the United States during World War be holding a rally in Piketon, Ohio, where II. a new nuclear power plant is to be built by The story of Sadako, a young girl who Duke Energy and Areva, a French energy lived in Hiroshima when the first atomic company. bomb was dropped, inspired Footprints The 2010 Nuclear Free Future Walk is for Peace to fold peace cranes to symbolize open to anyone interested in walking for a the harmful and deadly effects of nuclear nuclear-free future. weapons. Sadako made cranes while in the For more information, visit footprints­ hospital as she died from radiation poison­ forpeace.net. To find where the march is ing. Legend stated that, if she made 1,000 at any given time or to contribute financial cranes, she would be granted the wish to support, call 513-843-1205. Streetvibes vendors keep 75% of sales. Consider helping Streetvibes with our publication costs by making a tax-deductible donation or by purchasing a subscription. Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell it for $1, keeping the 75 cent profit. Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” I want to support Streetvibes and the vendors. $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: E-mail: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Housing Issues Out of the Cars and into Homes 7 “Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge.” --Kahlil Gibran By Michelle Dillingham Contributing Writer I t is perplexing that it is 18 degrees outside tonight, and there are families sleeping in cars on the streets of Cincinnati. Why is this happening? What is going on with the availability of affordable housing in our city? Affordable Housing Advocates (AHA) has entered the new year with an ambitious policy agenda for 2010. There is so much to advocate for in the area of housing – from issues around accessibility and visitabil­ ity, to the lack of understanding about barriers to creating more afford­ able housing, to ensuring affordable units are lead-safe and many more. AHA has nar­ Cincinnati’s family shelters rowed its focus to a few key areas. One area is the need for public education about afford­ now have waiting lists. able housing. At present there is no compre­ Louisville’s data analysis hensive assessment on the current state of shows what many of us know to be true here, that affordable housing in Cincinnati. The Metropolitan Housing Coalition in the economy and families’ inability to pay their housing Louisville, Ky., released its 2009 “State of Met­ ropolitan Housing Report,” which it calls “an costs have caused a substantial increase in the ongoing report card of the fair and afford­ number of individuals who able housing challenges and successes in the are homeless in Cincinnati. Louisville metropolitan region.” The Metro­ politan Housing Coalition is a formidable advocacy organization and has been pub­ lishing housing reports since 2003. The coalition considers nine hous­ ing measures in its assessments: Concentration of Subsidized Housing, Housing Segregation, Renters with Excessive Cost Burden, Production and Rehabilitation of Affordable Housing, Homeownership Rate, Ac­ cess to Homeownership, Foreclosures, Homelessness and Community Development Block Grants and HOME Funds. This year AHA has a goal to identify resources in order to conduct a similar assessment for our region. We recognize the critical importance of having objective measurements by which to gauge where we stand with respect to affordable housing in Cincinnati. One of the Metropolitan Housing Coalition’s measures is home­ lessness. The coalition reports, “A study released this year by the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville examined the cost of housing, healthcare, correctional facilities, and shelters to de­ termine the true costs of homelessness to our community. The study found that Louisville spends about $88,802,380 every two years to aid 7,108 adults in our community (Coalition for the Homeless, 2009), an amount that is unsustainable.” It is information such as this that is use­ ful when trying to convince policy-makers that investing in permanent supportive housing is indeed more cost-effective than simply ignoring our citizens who are homeless. The coalition also reports, “About one-third (31 percent) of the sur­ vey respondents became homeless because of an inability to pay their rent or mortgage, up from 29 percent the previous year. Inability to afford housing costs is now the most-cited cause of homelessness by survey respondents, up from the third most cited cause last year. Only 16 percent became homeless because of substance abuse and only 6 percent because of mental illness. … Taken together, these data show that many of the people who are homeless in Louisville are educated and employed, have families, and often became homeless because of an inability to pay for housing costs.” Cincinnati’s family shelters now have waiting lists. Louisville’s data analysis shows what many of us know to be true here, that the economy and families’ inability to pay their housing costs have caused a sub­ stantial increase in the number of individuals who are homeless in Cin­ cinnati. The creation of a local State of Housing Report will hopefully bring us from perplexity to knowledge, from knowledge to informed advocacy, to no more families sleeping in cars. Chapter Wants to NORML-ize Pot Working for legalization By Jill Span Contributing writer many in the national orga­ nization working to end the prohibition of marijuana in group of 22 advo­ the United States. cates for the Miami “Our main goal is to edu­ Valley chapter of the cate the public about the re­ National Organization for the cent science behind canna­ Reform of Marijuana Laws bis,” Huber said. (NORML) gathered around The chapter supports the a small laptop screen on a complete use of cannabis, table in the dining room of including everything from the Hideaway Café in North- medical purposes to recre­ side at the start of their Feb. 6 ational use, according to Hu­ meeting. ber. They watched a new marWith supporters in attenijuana-legalization ad being dance ranging from college aired on television sets across students to middle-aged California. store owners, the members “Wow. That’s good,” said first discussed their individ­ one member ual reasons of the group for joining as they all “We’re demonizing a part of NORML. For stood in mo­ our population and making many, their mentary sithem hide in the shadows approach to lence when it the legaliza­ and feel like criminals.” was over. tion of mari­ “This is juana is both the type of ad I want to see on a civil-rights issue as well as a TVs in Cincinnati,” said Will personal one. Huber, the chapter’s meet-up “We’re demonizing a part organizer. of our population and mak­ The Miami Valley chapter ing them hide in the shadows of NORML, which started and feel like criminals,” said last September, is one among one member. “If we’re going A The National Organization for the reform of Marijuana Laws has a new local chapter. Photo by Rob Ryan. to be a caring nation, we have to stop harming our people.” Members discussed the overcrowding of jails by those charged with possession of marijuana, as well as the medical benefits and personal well-being of marijuana use. “In my mind, it’s a legalized hate crime,” said Rob Ryan, treasurer of the Miami Valley Chapter of NORML. “That’s what it boils down to.” Ryan shared with the group his experience of creating a petition last fall to send to elected representatives with signatures of people who be­ lieve that the drug war is a failure. He went around areas of Cincinnati and randomly polled 100 people. “I didn’t go to any hippy hang-outs,” Ryan said. “I didn’t wear any buttons. I just had my clipboard and asked people their thoughts.” Of the 100 people he polled, 79 signed the petition, he said. “A lot of people have been flying under the radar, and it’s time to change that,” Ryan said. Members of the chapter shared ideas for fundraising opportunities and future goals to get their mission statement out to the com­ munity. Ideas included in­ volvement in Comfest, an annual community festival in Columbus, and the annual Northside Independence Day Parade. Participants pulled togeth­ er to consider their resources, offering their store spaces for NORML’s effort, financial contributions and personal skills such as marketing. They also hope to run an ad promoting legalization of mari­ juana. Outreach is essential, Hu­ ber said. “What we really need is people to step up and write a letter to the editor because people don’t talk about this enough,” he said. The group meets monthly and has an active Facebook page titled “Miami Valley NORML,” where supporters can find more information on upcoming events and meetings. �8 STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Recipe Sexy,Yummy, Veggie Your tour guide into the steamy side of vegetarian cuisine 1 10 ounces (approx.) wide, flat rice noodles ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce 3 tbsp. peanut butter (smooth or chunky, your choice) 2 ½ tbsp. fresh lime juice 1 ½ tbsp. sugar (more or less to taste – I like a sweet sauce.) ½ tsp. red pepper flakes ½ tsp. fresh ginger, minced 1-2 tsp. peanut or canola oil 2 cups broccoli florets 1 ½ cups seitan, cut into strips 1 large carrot, shredded 2 handfuls cashews or peanuts (I prefer cashews.) Lime slices for garnish I Photo by Alecia A. Lott ent is seitan (pronounced say-TAN), which is a proteinrich meat substitute made of wheat gluten. In fact, it’s also sometimes referred to as wheat gluten or just glu­ ten. You can make it yourself (maybe some other time?) or you can find it at health food stores, most Asian markets or even some Kroger locations. Like many meat substi­ tutes, it is not meant to taste like meat. It is meant to stand in for meat to provide protein Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum, by Lauren Ulm Serves 2 noodle fiends or 4 normal people By aLecia a. Lott Contributing Writer ’m so happy and proud to be writing for Streetvibes again. Did you miss me? No need to an­ swer—I know you did. When I wrote my column last summer, I made a list of ingredients I would not use in my recipes because I thought they were too “out there” and therefore might “scare the meat-eaters.” This list in­ cluded such vegan staples as tofu, soymilk and the various meat/cheese substitutes that are widely available. My job, however, is to share things that I, a “typical vegan,” like to eat, and I eat the above things all the friggin’ time. Ex­ cluding an occasional recipe that calls for at least one of these items is not being true to myself. Also, I’m not giving you, the reader, the opportu­ nity to try something new. Besides, does tofu really frighten you? Well, it’s 2010. Get over it. Today’s “scary” ingredi­ Lime Peanut Noodles with Seitan, Broccoli, and Carrots and possibly a meaty texture, but be enjoyable in its own way. You can’t possibly dislike seitan when it’s covered in a loverly, lickable peanut sauce that’s bursting with tangy lime flavor, as in today’s rec­ ipe. Enjoy, and be brave! Alecia Lott also writes for her food and travel blog,BangBang’s Quest for Yay,Yum, and Yes. http://bangbangquest. wordpress.com 1. Boil the water for the rice noodles. While that’s going, make the peanut sauce by combining the tamari, pea­ nut butter, lime juice, sugar, pepper flakes and ginger. Set aside. 2. Cook the noodles until just softened, then rinse with cold water and drain well. Use kitchen shears to “chop” the noodles into bite-size pieces, if you’d like. Set noo­ dles aside. 3. Heat the peanut oil in a large pan (or wok) over medi­ um-high heat. Add the broccoli and stir until slightly browned. The broccoli should be heated through but still crisp. Add the seitan and carrots, then reduce the heat. 4. Add the noodles and the sauce, reserving about a tea­ spoon of the sauce. Stir until everything is well com­ bined. 5. Toss the nuts with the remaining teaspoon of sauce. Plate up your noodles, and garnish them with the nuts. Artwork by Anthony Williams ! ? t ha W y Sa ___________________ “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” - Fannie Lou Hamer �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 9 Film Review No Super Bowl on Planet Pandora ‘Avatar’ might be just what we need 1 By DaViD HeitFieLD Contributing Writer I went in with trepidation – anything as wildly popular as Avatar has got to suck – and came out physically shaken, a visceral reaction to immersion in a world de­ signed to appeal to an older part of my evolutionary brain. Herein lies the problem with this review. When Editor Greg Flannery asked if I'd be interested in reviewing the film, he e-mailed me that “I hear it's either anti-American or racist or both.” Anything that reeks of controversy gives an oldschool journalist like Flannery a boner, almost as much as using a word like “boner” elicits a wet dream of angry Catho­ lics threatening to set homeless people on fire for selling a newspaper that has dirty words in it. Since I loved the movie, does that mean I'm either antiAmerican or racist? I'm probably both, but I try to hide it most of the time. Doesn't that count for something? At the very least, it should make me an honorary Catholic. Avatar is set 144 years in the future. The allegory is pretty simple: A corporation wants to mine for the ore “unobta­ nium” on Pandora, because of Earth's environmental prob­ lems, and it has employed American mercenaries to wipe out the “blue monkeys” who interfere with their potential profits. The Na'vi are tall, blue beings with golden eyes who live in harmony with their environment – they have tails with nerve endings that allow them to either commune with other animals, such as flying horse-like thingies, or make love (which is a spiritual act of “mating for life”). The corporation had established mining operations on Pandora three decades earlier, and because the environment is toxic to hu­ mans, they use “avatars” to interact with the natives and search for the unobtanium. These avatars physically resemble the Na'vi, but move­ ments are controlled by the human living in a large MRI-looking con­ traption. An ex-military paraplegic, Jake Sully, is recruited at the last moment to become one of these avatars because his DNA matches his recently dead twin brother, for whom the avatar was created. The paraplegic – he explains there is a cure for his spinal condition, but budget cuts did not allow the American military to pay for the operation – who lacks the proper indoctrination for his mission, just can't wait to start running around in his avatar, and thus his adven­ ture begins. If all this sounds vaguely like Dances With Wolves, you'd be correct, but you'd also be missing the appeal of the movie. The 3D effects are so wonderfully executed that the immersion just feels real – the ap­ peal to that old fish or monkey brain. Words are not as important as the feeling, so the ideas are kept simple: Greed is bad, living with na­ ture is good, people who use phrases like “shock and awe” in dealing with indigenous people are evil. The world is beautiful, with hues and colors I've never seen. It's a world where honor and honesty are the important currency. There would be no Super Bowl on Pandora, let alone commercials filled with neurotic men who need pants and cars and Viagra to feel whole again. None of the females own shoes. And because it all comes alive so re­ alistically, you have no problem believing that the paraplegic would rather live in Pandora's world than his own. “How does it feel to be­ tray your own race?” Jake is asked at one point, and while he doesn't answer, he doesn't have to. You know the answer – it feels pretty damn good, if you must know. The conceit works – Jake is of course your avatar. The difference be­ tween this avatar and other avatars that we use to communicate online or in video games is that this avatar dares to dream of a world that is better in almost all respects, instead of a creating the same world but placing ourselves higher in the pecking order. And that, to me, is the true genius of James Cameron's movie. I remember when I started working at LexisNexis, and we were starting a large project where we would hire 700 attorneys working from home, writing summaries for every judicial decision ever writ­ ten. Our corporate leader said at the time, “We're free to create what­ ever world we want to. We can avoid all the unnecessary entrapments of working in a corporate office. We can create our own culture.” What we ended up creating, of course, was the same old shit. Meaningless virtual office meetings proliferated. One manager kept an enemies list. Rather than the size of the desk, people became pre­ occupied with the size of their phone cards or inboxes. Management became paranoid and fearful, and the worker bees learned that qual­ ity was not nearly as important as finding short cuts and kissing the right asses. And it's all the same – despite the thoughts of some that technol­ ogy will revolutionize how we communicate, interact with each other and live our lives, all evidence I see is that people just want the same old shit. From The Sims to blogging to dating sites to comments on online materials, we seem hell-bent on simply regurgitating the world we know. Cameron has invited us to use technology to at least envision a bet­ ter world. Yes, it's an unabashedly liberal world (Cameron is a Cana­ dian, although it's worth pointing out that the film is making money for Fox News Corp.), and I'm still not convinced that tail sex is bet­ ter than the human kind, but that Avatar allows people to experience something beyond the same old shit is itself a gift that a lot of us need right now. And for my friend and editor, Greg: Those who see Avatar as rac­ ist or anti-American should be pitied. Apparently, it's the only shitty world they'll ever know. Do you remember the magic of your First Book? Please consider giving the gift of reading to a low-income child in Cincinnati this year. Established in 2001, First Book - Greater Cincinnati has already granted more than 45,000 books and over $60,000 to local nonprofit literacy programs serving thousands of low-income children in Greater Cincinnati. Make checks payable to “First Book - Greater Cincinnati” I Want to Bring the Magic of Books to Children Who Need Them! $20 (10 books) Please return your contribution to: First Book Greater Cincinnati 572 Northland Blvd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45240 Name: Address: E-mail: $40 (20 books) $80 (40 books) $100 (50 books) Other $ _______ �10 International News STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Disasters are Not Created Equal Responding to earthquakes, ignoring homelessness 1 By Jesse caLL Contributing Writer T he ground began to shake, and in just a moment the lives of hundreds of thou­ sands of Haitians changed drastically. In an instant, many of them became homeless. An outpouring of support from Americans has been continuous to the region, providing much needed funds and supplies to the devastated country as it deals with the emergency and looks ahead to rebuilding. Many of those donors have been from right here in the Cincinnati area. “There has been an outpour of support from the Tri-State area from those who have been touched by the Haiti earthquakes,” says Nikki Williams of the Cincinnati Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. “When people see that level of devasta­ tion, they are compelled to help, and it has shown through donations to the Red Cross International Relief Fund tremendously.” Who cannot be moved by the images from Hai­ ti? The suffering there is unimaginable for many of us. Haiti will need our help for years to come. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is helping in Haiti. Where is the response to homelessness here? But from where is all that money coming? How REUTERS/United Nations/Sophie Paris. is this affecting local donations? “I'm told that it can have a slight impact on local donations, as donors focus The people who experience homelessness have numerous causes, includ­ on the immediate issue,” says Bill Schinkal of the Southwest Ohio-Northeast ing natural disasters, financial disasters, relationship and familial disasters Kentucky Division of the Salvation Army. “However, we also observe that many and health disasters. donors for a disaster relief situation are new or additional donors, who are The victims in Haiti suffered from a circumstance beyond their control. For moved by what they see and hear about the disaster, and want very much to many people experiencing homelessness, the circumstances that placed them help. As such, their donations are above and beyond what is being contributed in that condition were also beyond their control. for our local programs.” Is it any less tragic when someone beAbove and beyond? That’s definitely true. comes homeless because of a man-made By Jan. 15 the American Red Cross raised “There has been an outpour of support from the Tri-State circumstance? Does that victim need or de­ $37 million. The Cincinnati chapter raised serve any less help? area from those who have been touched by the Haiti $134,000 in donations to the Haiti Relief earthquakes. When people see that level of devastation, they People might be limited in the financial Fund by Jan. 21. are compelled to help, and it has shown through donations to resources that they can give to others. Most In any given year, 3.5 million people will of us are not able to go to Haiti and offer the Red Cross International Relief Fund tremendously.” experience homelessness in America, achands-on assistance, but there is the oppor­ - Nikki Williams, Cincinnati Area Chapter cording to the National Law Center on tunity to do that here in the Cincinnati area of the American Red Cross Homelessness and Poverty. But funding and through several organizations. Remember donations to homelessness relief programs that many of the tragedies occurred in Haiti has not seen the same outpouring that this disaster has. happen around us everyday. Homelessness is a disaster of its own in the United States. It might not be The people of Haiti need help in recovering from their tragedy. And those concentrated in one area or have resulted from a single event, but it affects just battling homelessness everywhere need your support. as many each cold and wintry night – and almost half of them are children. To donate to the relief efforts in Haiti, visit http://www.redcross.org or text Haiti to 90999. Contact your local homelessness relief agencies to donate or volunteer to their efforts. Contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 513-421-7803 or at 117 E. 12th St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor A Call to Greater Cincinnati Poets Invitation to a dialogue with our readers Write for ‘For a Better World 2010’ Streetvibes vendors see a lot that you might not. For example, some can describe what goes on in an abandoned building at night when they sleep there. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to stand on a street corner selling newspapers? That’s hardly a common occupation anymore. How much money do Streetvibes vendors make – and what do they do with it? Do they have other jobs? If you have questions, some of our vendors would like to answer them. “Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor” will be an occasional feature, with questions submitted by readers and answered by Streetvibes vendors. You may direct your question to a specific vendor or we’ll invite one to respond. Only include your name if you want to. Send questions to streetvibes2@yahoo.com Or to Streetvibes, 117 E. 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. It’s time to get your verse on. SOS Art, the annual exhibit of art on themes of peace and justice, pub­ lishes a collection of poetry each year. Saad Ghosn, who organizes SOS Art and writes the “Artists as Activists” column for Streetvibes, is now col­ lecting submissions for For a Better World 2010, the seventh edition to date. Any poet from or connected to Greater Cincinnati may submit up to three poems related to themes of peace and justice. All submissions will be considered. The editors will be looking for quality, inclusiveness and appropriateness to the themes of peace and justice. If space becomes limited, priority will go to poets not published in previ­ ous books. The poems selected for publication will be illustrated in black and white by Greater Cincinnati artists. Poets included in the book will be invited to read their poems at SOS Art 2010. For a Better World 2010 will be released in May 2010. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15, 2010. Go ahead. Ask. Send submissions as “Word” attachments or in full text By e-mail to saad.ghosn@uc.edu or On a CD to Saad Ghosn, 216 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229. �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 11 Poetry Page To Old St. George’s Haiti, Le Monde Vous Écoute By anne skoVe By MaLcoLM o. Varner Proud people of the Haitian Isle, Stand firm with head held high. Though days may last for a while, The world has begun to hear your cry. Le monde écoute les voix criantes; On voit et ressent même votre douleur. Avec vous, on est priant. Avec vous, aussi on pleure. Two plus centuries ago, You proved strength and gained liberty. For your great past, there’s a greater tomorrow, In spite of the now, pursue prosperity. Le monde écoute votre voix d’éspoir; On voit tous votre courage. Quel beau pays et beau peuple noir – À vous, on dit “soyez brave, soyez brave!” Photo by Ben L. Kaufman. You were burning, breaking news. I removed my shoes, stepped closer to the blazing TV screen. Such a calamity to strike Port-au-Prince; May you raise capital walls and the hearts therein. Like those of Katrina, you will be remembered since; This time, may justice and compassion speedily win. This time, the dragon slayed you. Its flaming tongue licked your steeples. Fire trucks lined the street like beer vendors at a festival. Here friends’ older sisters married for the first (and sometimes last) time. After baptizing my brother Fr. Fritz fed worms to the turtles in the courtyard. My birthmother went into labor during 5 o'clock mass. Walgreens wanted to level you. Archbishop Pennychick sold you with a kiss. Theologians, never having slain anything, dismiss you as mere legend. Haïti, le monde écoute les cries de votre terre; On voit que vos avez tellement de besoins. Il nous semble qu’un parmi d'autres, c'est un frère. Donc, à vous on dit, “On vient!” Giving the Nameless Names The OCD group met Saturdays, 3 p.m. sharp, in neat rows. The historical society labeled you endangered. UC turned you into a holy rolling Starbuck's. Coming soon: a boutique hotel! By aLanaH GaBrieLLe knox Inside, little boy Christ sports armor and a Little Lord Fauntleroy haircut. I tried to fit my small feet into the shape of the tiles in the aisle. Blue and red votive candleglow warmed me. Small fingers extinguished long matches in soft white sand. Once I was tall enough I turned and lifted mine eyes to the balcony. The rosetta window blazed back with its match-blue glow. When I was little mom and I danced in the back pew. The folkies sang "Though the mountains may fall And the hills turn to dust." As though the blind flutist could see the future fire, flaming spires falling on power lines. Driving up Vine Street hill all that is visible, all that remains in this time of war and aftermath are two neatly wrapped stumps, amputated out of mercy just above the clock, which (call it a miracle) never stopped. Fanni Edwards, Derek Gibson, Frank Roper, Rodney Sosby, Eric Smothers, Eugene Burgess, Anthony Wright, Joseph Wright, Ken Tucker. On street corners, in dirty old clothing holding signs, huddled: they now have names and stories. on the side walk on the way to Paul Brown Stadium they’re given a wide berth cast a hurried glance with sympathy or concern, maybe curiosity often fear and even anger Nameless and faceless people. Fanni Edwards, Derek Gibson, Frank Roper, Rodney Sosby, Eric Smothers, Eugene Burgess, Anthony Wright, Joseph Wright, Ken Tucker. Feisty, Brother, mild mannered, middle-aged, spirited, drugs and alcohol, heart attack, navy veteran, victim of cancer. Believe It By wiLLa D. Jones Believe it when you see someone bundled up sleeping in the street believe it when you see someone looking in garbage cans for food to eat believe it cause all of these things are real and none are made up believe there are many men, women, and children just down on their luck believe with the economy all twisted and heading straight for hell believe there are many who just give up, commit suicide or simply go to jail believe to the homeless, jail with 3 meals, cell buddies for friends and a cot believe to some may mean nothing but to the homeless means one hell of a lot believe with faith all things are possible for all including you and me believe in God, have faith, pray constantly and change will come all you do is believe!!!! �12 Vendor Voice STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Parks Aren’t so Kind to Poor People “If you have a problem seeing homeless folks you should end homelessness.” - Georgine Getty, former executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless By George Herrell Streetvibes vendor How many swing sets, jungle gyms, swimming pools, etc. were paid for by donated monies or materials? How many were erected by donated labor? Why then would an organization whose whole purpose is supposed to be ’ve heard a lot of quotes in my lifetime but none has ever rung stronger “public service” deny organizations the right to provide assistance to those or more true. It seems like such a simple solution to an overwhelming who are most in need? problem: House those who are homeless, feed those who are hungry, Most of these charitable organizations are “faith-based,” meaning they are help those who are truly in need and begin right here at home. churches – churches that not only provide the food and materials but serve it In Cincinnati City Parks it is against the rules to pass out food or clothing to as well and clean up afterwards. those in need. Sounds absurd, but it’s true. I sought to find out the origins of According to the Enquirer’s article, Julie Horne, who was the manager of this ruling back in June 2009 beginning at City Hall. I ques­ business services for the park board, said, “Those organiza­ tioned several officials, including those at the city attorney’s tions who want to distribute food or blankets are referred to office; however, no one was able to find any city ordinance The commissioner put me the Drop Inn Center or other social-service organizations.” prohibiting such actions. My next stop was to speak to the But my question is: Why should they be referred anywhere? in touch with one of his city’s health commissioner, who I found one Sunday after­ directors, Douglas Springs, Public parks are for use by the public; and although folks are noon attending an inspirational service in Washington Park. homeless or hungry, they are still citizens of the city of Cin­ who sent me an e-mail The commissioner put me in touch with one of his direc­ cinnati and should have the same courtesy as other citizens. stating that there wasn’t tors, Douglas Springs, who sent me an e-mail stating that The census people expect us to be counted so that the city a health department code there wasn’t a health department code that prohibited any that prohibited any one from of Cincinnati can receive the maximum amount of federal one from giving away food or clothing for free in any city park giving away food or clothing funding possible, and yet we can’t even receive a charitable or anywhere else for that matter. for free in any city park or hot meal within a city park. I continued to seek answers by asking policemen and fire­ anywhere else for that matter. To Julie Horne I say this: A man named Ebenezer Scrooge men, yet none of them claimed knowledge of or responsibil­ once said, “The poor should die and thus decrease the sur­ ity for any such ordinance. plus population.” Just as he realized the error of his thinking, Finally, I turned to one of the most informationally rounded organizations so can you. I know of, the public library. At the main branch, with the assistance of staff To the citizens of Cincinnati who are more fortunate than the homeless: Re­ members who helped me search through local history books and microfilms member covering up a problem won’t make it go away. There is a homeless of past newspaper articles, I finally found my answer. problem in the city of Cincinnati – 8,300 homeless in 2008, and that number A Cincinnati Enquirer article titled, “Feed My Lambs,” published Nov. 20, has grown in the past two years. 2007, stated that the Cincinnati Park Board doesn’t allow charitable organiza­ You can’t hide that many people and simply act as if they don’t exist. As hu­ tions to pass out food or clothing to those in need in city parks. In learning this, man beings, you shouldn’t want to. However, if you aren’t willing to help, then I began to wonder, “How many charitable organizations’ donations have the at least don’t hinder others from doing so. Cincinnati Park Board accepted on their own behalf?” I Crossword Puzzles Sudoku across 1. Stays 4. Brand 8. Ottoman Empire (7,6) 13. Lots 14. Shut in 15. Minor role 16. Stay too long 18. Lascivious 19. Ruptured 21. Female name 23. As well 27. Thoroughfare 31. Swordsman 33. Resort lake 34. Tall palm tree 35. Piece of news 36. Security operative (5,8) 37. Cold-shoulder 38. Contraction of need not Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 through 9. Down 2. Harsh 3. Installment 5. Lure 6. Sand and cement 7. To do with religious study 9. City in central New York 10. Recognized 11. Troublesome person 12. Knowledgeable about 17. Yeah 20. Owns 22. Thing 24. Spiking 25. Polluted air 26. Expression of discomfort 28. Curse 29. Mild warning 30. Website 32. Helicopter feature The fundamental goal of a Sudoku puzzle is to use the provid­ ed numbers, or givens, to discover which numbers logically fill in the empty squares. The only rule of Sudoku is that each of the nine rows, each of the nine columns, and each of the nine 3x3 subsections must contain all of the numbers from one to nine, and each number consequently can occur in each row, column and subsection only once. �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 13 Vendor Voice Lots of Room and an Endless View For a Better World 2006 Image by Blair Gibeau. One man’s take on street life 1 By Booger Love Streetvibes Vendor look back. But that’s life. What they don’t know: They could someday be out here with us. You will eing out on the streets is not know what it’s like being out there fun. It is a hard life to live. when you ask someone for help. They Every day you have noth- will walk right by you. Yes, it happens ing to do, nowhere to be. All you have all the time to us. It will happen to to do is walk around or hang out any- you. They don’t care how you are or where you can. Life is how long you been out hell out there. there. The streets is not The streets is not where We help each other. where you want to live That is all we have. If we you want to live at any at any time at all. Peo- time at all. People don’t didn’t help each other, ple don’t care about care about you being out we would not have any you being out – the – the men or the women. help at all. We are one men or the women. Some of them has little big family out there. Some of them has little So come take my kids. They don’t care kids. They don’t care hand. We will walk and about the women with about the women with talk about our time out the little kids. the little kids. here. We have lots of It’s not only here. It’s room with a good view everywhere. When you’re out there, as far as you can see. don’t nobody care. If you’re a man, So look down in your heart and you woman or a little kid, they see you on will see you could be out here with the streets, they walk by you like you me. was not there – keep walking, don’t B Check out the Streetvibes blog @ streetvibes.wordpress.com Poems and Drawings on Peace and Justice by Greater Cincinnati Artists, edited and curated by Saad Ghosn. Kennedy Heights Arts Center 6546 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45213 513-631-4278 or www.kennedyarts.org January 16 - February 27, 2010 Panel Discussion: Art as a Vehicle for Change facilitated by Jeff Hillard with Mary Pierce Brosmer, Greg Flannery and Jimi Jones February 27, 4-6pm; closing reception at 6pm Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 10am - 5pm Saturdays 10am - 4 pm Venice on Vine Pizza and Hoagies 1301 Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine Hours Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. -8:00 p.m. 513-221-7020 Good food for a good cause in a friendly neighborhood restaurant. Dine in or take out. Hoagies, pizza, salads, soups, weekly specials, wifi and organic coffee too! Venice on Vine and Venice Catering are social enterprise programs of Power Inspires Progress (PIP), a nonprofit employment education program for inner city adults. STREETVIBES DISCOUNT: Present this coupon for a free drink with any large hoagie or medium or large pizza. One per customer, valid through March 1, 2010. �14 STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Letters to the Editor To the Editor: To the Editor: To the Editor: I am a high school student at Cincinnati Country Day School. I really appreciated your first article, “Bad Words are a Matter of Perspective” (issue of Jan. 1-15). Along with giving a very persuasive argu­ ment, there was some incredible writing in there. I was particularly struck by, “His paean to the pursuit of justice perverts the meaning of the concept.” It was a cleverly crafted article and I was left fully con­ vinced by your opinion on the issue – although I was biased in favor of your position to begin with. This person who complained about Streetvibes needs to take a look at history and realize that people need to hear the truth. Censorship is the breeding ground for corrup­ tion and oppression of all kinds. You mention Adolf Hitler in your next article. Just look at Nazi Germa­ ny from 1933 to 1945 under Hitler if you’re deluded enough to favor censorship. It disgusts me that someone would disturb the sale of this newspa­ per because it tells the truth. The truth needs to be told, and I think it commendable that this newspa­ per works to expose the truth about such a thing as misunderstood as homelessness. Who is this person? Is he responsible for all the children who may or may not read and be offended by this paper? I think not. It’s a parent’s or guard­ ian’s responsibility to decide what they want their children exposed to – yes, a form of censorship, but not one as harmful or less imbedded in society as the censorship this person is suggesting. I was lucky enough to grow up in a school and household that held the right freedom of belief and speech to the highest importance. It is something I guard aggressively and I thank you for your article promoting it. I have just finished reading the article “New Voic­ es of the Voiceless” (issue of Jan. 1-15), and I find it to be outstanding. Rappers like Jasari X and Radiant Amar are poets, and they deserve to be recognized as one. Such commentary is so real that it strikes a chord within me, although I have never experi­ enced what they have. It is these rappers that make Hip Hop art, while mainstream “rappers” produce flat, recycled tracks in order to make money. Describing despair and poverty, these artists write for a better tomorrow and offer a medium to share their sentiments with others. While some look down upon them, I find them inspiring and uplifting. Talented, driven, and benevolent, they take their cause to the streets and remain true to themselves. I think that my parents would find them off-putting, but I see true art and spirit in their words. It’s possible to feel their emotion and their struggles and know that there are many out there like them. Music can be relaxing, fun or good for dancing, but this music is something special, and more people should listen to it. This H.E.R. is art in its purest form, like it is meant to be. As of mid-January of 2010, Xavier Bertrand, head of the French conservative party, “wants a law” that Muslim women cannot wear face coverings and be citizens. “Clothes make the man” is one kind of ad­ vice to wear appropriate clothes. What is appropri­ ate where? When someone else makes the decision of what I have to wear, I may be a prisoner or be in for out­ patient surgery. Clothing used as a devotion or protection includes hijabs, yarmulkes, the habits of some Roman and Anglican Catholic men and women, surgical face masks, hats to protect fairskinned persons, scarves or caps for persons who have lost their hair, police and military uniforms. Costumes in theater can show us how clothes make theater in ordinary life. But when worship services, work, special duty or theater is completed, when Mardi Gras or surgery is over, the special clothing in which the person could not easily play golf, operate equipment, garden or do a variety of manual labors is reserved for the next appropriate occasion. For generations in the mid-East and in medieval Europe, clothing “made” and protected the wom­ an. When at home, some of these women can enjoy dressing up or down. Perhaps someday Muslim cul­ ture will develop like Western culture. This may or may not be good. In all events, reactionary imams, prelates or profiling politicians may be around to tell the women they have to put the veils back on. Whether veils or collars are experienced as secu­ rity risks, or when they have, as in the cases of child abuse in the past, been misleading, or when they are genuinely protective, there’s a whole new nexus in which no one law or dictum is always helpful. Some of the people I pray with really want wom­ en in religious vows to be put back into habits. Most of the people I know respect the choices of senior nuns who wear habits and are not in active min­ istry. The majority of vowed women in the Unit­ ed States wore period costume before the 1970s. (That’s costume from the eras in which their com­ munities were founded, not the wads the menstru­ ating women sat on as referenced in Genesis 31: 35.) Today some find exotic clothing unhelpful to their imitation of Jesus and the disciples, who did not set themselves apart from the community or need protection from it or special status within it through clothing choices. Why some persons would make clothing a major factor in their choices of persons to associate them­ selves with or persons to trust interests me. Will Duncan Cincinnati Kathryn Black Cincinnati Have something on your mind? Do you agree or disagree with an article? Let us know: 1 To the Editor: Thank you for including the article titled “An ‘AHA!’ Moment in Cincinnati” in the Jan. 1-15, 2010, issue of Streetvibes. I appreciate having the chance to learn more about housing advocates and their methods of advocacy. This can often be an ambiguous subject, so it was great to read an article that clearly explained advocacy to those of us who do not completely understand this vital method of support for the homeless. 117 E. 12th Street 1 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 1 streetvibes2@yahoo.com 1 Lilly Fleischmann Cincinnati aFForDaBLe rates etvibes? tre nS sted in Adve e r e t rtis In ing i Many sizes (full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page) BLack & wHite anD coLor aVaiLaBLe Discounts For nonproFits Contact Lynne at 513-421-7803 ext. 11 or lynneausman@cincihomeless.org for more information. Vickie Cimprich Fort Mitchell, Ky. �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 15 Resources Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel 381-SAFE 768-6907 557-2873 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 3600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 St. Vincent de Paul 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 681-2365 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Treatment: Men 872-9259 Charlie’s 3/4 House Shelter: Men DIC Live In Program Prospect House 241-5525 961-2256 Treatment: Women First Step Home 961-4663 961-4080 761-1480 721-0643 Joseph House (Veterans) 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 241-2965 471-1100 221-3350 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House Hamilton/Middletown 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 Northern Kentucky Advocacy 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 Housing: Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Tender Mercies 381-0111 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 AA Hotline CCAT 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 621-5514 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House Treatment: Both Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 661-4620 241-2600 241-2563 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Drop Inn Center Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center Peaslee Neighborhood Center Shelter: Both Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 458-6670 977-4489 Other Resources 721-0643 921-1613 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Anthony House (Youth) 558-8888 981-5800 784-1853 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Shelter Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 762-5660 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 562-8841 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House FreeStore/FoodBank Crossroad Health Center Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 721-4700 421-7803 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care Brighton Center 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 535-2719 Puzzle Solutions Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Re-shaping Ideas and Forms Stephen Geddes’s sculpture challenges conventional perceptions S tephen Geddes grew up in Wisconsin in a small rural community. He always wanted to be an artist. As a child he was good at painting and liked to carve wood with his pocketknife. His mother, whose own grandfather was an artist, and art teachers at his school encouraged his artistic inclina­ tions. Geddes attended the University of Wisconsin at Lacrosse, got a bachelor’s degree in art education, then got a master’s degree in sculpture at Ohio University. He intended to become a full-time college teacher. But due to limited available positions at the time, he worked instead as an artist in residence for the Kentucky Com­ mission on the Arts, then as a toy sculptor for various companies and later as a freelancer. Geddes’s art education emphasized both formal technical considerations and judicious use of ideas in order to give life and purpose to a product. “I am between a craftsman all about material and an artist all Stephen Geddes next to his sculpture of Pope Coleman’s head. about ideas” he says. “Ben Shahn’s writings, especially his book, Photo by Bill Howes. The Shape of Content, influenced me greatly. They taught me that successful art needed content and that content needed to be sculpted body of a rhinoceros on roller skates; influenced by the last shaped well.” gasp of roller derby as an organized sport, it was also partly based on Geddes has always been concerned about perfecting the form of Ionesco’s play Rhinoceros, a parody of the Nazi takeover in Germany his work in order to give it visual authority and thus become a strong and Austria. Hindu Wrestlers depicted wrestlers, each with four or five vehicle for his viewpoints, most often social commentaries. arms, stressing the exaggerated production value of the sport. In college at a time While in college, Geddes was against the Vietnam War and did not when minimalism was want to be drafted; he was not an activist, though, and all he desired very popular, Geddes, was to be left alone in the studio to do his art. The Reagan presidency, critical of the movement, however – with its cowboy mentality, the significant social changes created sculptural pieces it imposed in favor of the wealthy at the expense of the poor, the that included hard edges, wretched excess and entitlement it allowed – greatly offended him as curves, sharp angles, ma­ and served as a turning point in his political involvement and the di­ sonite, welded steel, ele­ rection of his art. ments and materials that Geddes’s works since then have dealt with violence, the role of By saaD GHosn composed a strong me- religion in politics, the hypocrisy of philanthropists, wealth and the Contributing Writer chanical image in which domination of the poor. Cylinder Head is the simplified image of a re­ human figures would be volver shaping into a human head, the bullet points of the chambers embedded, subjugated becoming the eyes. Fundamental Church-State Discrimination Test and trapped. He also worked on carousel imagery, replacing the tradi­ includes the sliced and fragmented heads of Christ and Uncle Sam tional horse with beautifully carved and painted fanciful figures such positioned on a checkerboard. Geddes intended their loose parts to as a muscleman centaur or a sphinx with a lion’s body, alluding to the be mismatched when reassembled, his reflection on the dangerous fantasy and escape into new identity that one usually lives during the and blurred overlap between state and church during recent adminis­ ride. trations and the powerful intrusion of religious zealots and extremists In the mid 1980s, influenced by his job as an industrial toy sculp­ into politics. tor that required frequently reassembling body parts, he developed a Carnegie Dream, a meditation on the nature of philanthropy in the sculptural technique of splitting and fragmenting the human head, American culture, represents a tower, its base referencing industrial afterwards mismatching its various sections. Geddes used the ap­ steel mining that made Carnegie’s fortune possible; and its top, a bed­ proach to comment on the misdirection that corporate structure was room-library depicting Carnegie in bed surrounded by books. Books imposing on citizens’ life. In a time when all was becoming very fast, and libraries were how Carnegie tried, as a philanthropist, to buy his he also sought to slow down the viewer’s eye to scrutinize the non- way back to heaven, having built his money at the expense of poor conventional, non-immediately recognizable form and to reflect and, workers. Another sculpture is of HC Frick, a coal and coke magnet as a result, see more. and partner of Carnegie, sitting in a coal car inside a carousel with Other works concerned the prevailing societal preoccupations with a golden dome. Frick holds a frame of a painting, a reference to the spectacles and contrived sports and the emphasis placed on super­ huge art collection he had amassed while exploiting the poor. Geddes ficial show business lacking content. The Roller Rhino represented a uses both businessmen to also reflect on the permissive and empow­ ering role that government imparts to the wealthy. Pachyderm’s Progress, a finely crafted wood sculp­ ture, represents an ornate sedan chair in which an oversized elephant is seated, alluding to both wealth and Republican affiliation. At its front and back, a scroll cage contains powerless mice expected to constantly run and move it forward. Geddes carved on its sides ornamental motifs taken from $1 and $5 bills, thus directly connecting money to privilege and politics. Jurassic Ark or Noah Saves the Dinosaurs was in response to the recently built Creation Museum. It is a sarcastic comment on how religion and fear are always used to trap, control and keep vulnerable people ignorant, providing simple answers and for­ mulas, dismissing any critical thinking. Geddes’s works always strike by their refined craftsmanship and elegant beauty. They also chal­ lenge by their thought-provoking, strident and of­ ten ironic, social and political viewpoints. They transmit his messages with potency and eloquence. “I do not expect my art to change many people,” Geddes says. “I expect it, however, to have formal authority, speak by its quality and clearly convey my ideas. My art is directly connected to my life; it Pachyderm’s Progress, wood sculpture by Stephen Geddes. Photo by Stephen Geddes. wakes me up in the morning, it keeps me going.” A rtists ctivists Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 15-28, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: The ‘Madness’ of Hate Downtown Postcards from Hell Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: Health Care Reform on Life Support Pg 4: Postcards from Hell Pg 5: The ‘Madness’ of Hate Downtown Continued Postcards from Hell Continued Pg 6: Walking to End the Nuclear Peril Pg 7: Out of the Cars and Into Homes Chapter Wants to NORML-ize Pot Pg 8: Sexy, Yummy, Veggie Pg 9: No Super Bowl on Planet Pandora Pg 10: Disasters are Not Created Equal Pg 11: Arts & Poetry Pg 12: Parks Aren’t so Kind to Poor People Pg 13: Lots of Room and an Endless View Pg 14: Letters to the Editor Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Re-Shaping Ideas and Forms Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 15-28, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Veronica Glass Jeni Jenkins Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Valerie Fessler Alecia A. Lott Stephanie Dunlap Saad Ghosn Lew Moores Larry Gross Eli Braun Aimie Willhoite, Anthony Williams Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aimie Willhoite Alecia A. Lott Anthony Williams Arts & Poetry Avatar David Heitfield Earthquakes Eli Braun Gregory Flannery health care Jeni Jenkins Jennifer Blalock Jeremy Flannery Larry Gross Lew Moores Lynching Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Marijuana Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Nuclear Bombs Parks Paul Kopp Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Stephanie Dunlap Stephen Geddes Street Life Super Bowl Valerie Fessler Veronica Glass https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/8b69206eb00c6ddfb2393869a5423308.pdf cee429c8d2873a449d5d9f6b3a568921 PDF Text Text Underground Rappers Cecil Thomas serves Page 6 dinner, Page 13 Membership Drive Page 14 STREETVIBES $1 Jan. 1 - 15, 2010 • Advocating Justice, Building Community • Issue 168 May They Finally Rest in Peace Remembering homeless people who died in 2009 Albert Ollie John Graham By Paul KoPP Contributing Writer David “Peaches” Bryant James Arnold H “Gary” Ken McClure Derek Gibson Fanni Edwards Daniel Byrum Joseph Wright Ken Tucker George Cannon Scott Wheeler Eddie Seamon Matthew Harmeyer Bob Carle Jessie Frank Frank Roper Rodney Sosby Eric Smothers Eugene Burgess the unknown and the unnamed Photo by Aimie Willhoite. Dorris Dawson Anthony Wright... rate the individuals who lost their lives, those attending the ceremony were given a chance to say a few omelessness often car­ words about those who died. ries a stigma in main­ Rob Goeller, civil-rights out­ stream culture. It seems reach coordinator for the Homethat those who are homeless have less Coalition, compiled a list of lost their voice in society. Though the homeless or formerly homeless they suffer from people who died problems simi­ last year: lar to those who It seems that those who are Ken McClure: homeless have lost their judge them, they In addition to liv­ are ridiculed for voice in society. Though ing in the neigh­ their mistakes and they suffer from problems borhood, McClure viewed as a lesser similar to those who judge worked in main­ class. them, they are ridiculed for tenance for Over­ The differences their mistakes and viewed the-Rhine Combetween an avermunity Housing as a lesser class. age middle-class (OTRCH) for a person and a number of years. homeless person are sometimes He died of complications from few. It is sometimes a matter of cancer, with his family by his side. chance, luck, family history, un­ “He was a great guy,” says Amy foreseen health conditions, etc. Silver, a social worker for OTRCH. The element of choice and free “He was friendly, warm, reliable, will, things we can control, might laid back and patient. He was older seem to debase this argument but and he lived a really long life. He one must remember that one bad worked up right up until before he choice can carry massive repercus­ died.” sions. Many homeless lives end in Fanni Edwards came to Cincintragedy, tragedies that most never nati from Kentucky when she was know about. 17 and was “on her own and feisty The Greater Cincinnati Coali- ever since,” Silver says. tion for the Homeless held its anA long-time resident of Over­ nual observance Dec. 21 in Wash- the-Rhine Community Housing, ington Park for homeless people she was in her early 90s. When her who died in 2009. A fire inside a health failed, she moved to a nurs­ trash bin symbolized the struggle ing home. that homeless people go through “She was always fighting, always to keep themselves warm in the staying alive,” Silver says. “She cold winter months. Following a moment of silence to commemoSee Peace, p. 5 Metropole Tenants Gain Support But what went wrong at the ‘alternative’ newspaper? By GreGory Flannery editor L ow-income tenants who want to keep their homes in the Metropole Apartments downtown have support from an impressive array of progressive organizations. The Cincinnati Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People passed resolutions Dec. 17 supporting the Metropole Tenants Association and condemning the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), which has pur­ chased the building. 3CDC is forcing residents to move so it can turn the Metropole into a boutique hotel. The Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cin­ cinnati has written the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), supporting the tenant association’s complaint alleging See Metropole, p. 5 Robert Wavra from the Metropole Tenants Association. Tenants have been working to build community support to save their homes. NAACP pledged its support on Dec. 17, 2009. Photo by Clarissa Peppers. �2 Editorial By The Numbers 8th Cincinnati’s ranking in a list of most segregated urban areas in the United States (see page 1). 1943 StreetWise By GreGory Flannery editor Bad Words are a Matter of Perspective The parishioners at St. Mary Church in Hyde Park have been generous toward Streetvibes over the years. But we have apparently offended one of them, and now our vendors will pay the price. The parish last month sent a letter saying our vendor may no longer stand on the church steps with the pastor after Mass. Nor will the pastor urge parishioners to buy Streetvibes. the year that women successfully used non­ violence to save Jews from the Nazis (see page 2). This is because a single parishioner complained of “coarse language” in Streetvibes and “the political nature of the content,” saying he wouldn’t want his young children to read such material. 4,452 We love children. We hope there are always children and that each of them is happy, healthy and loved. But no, Streetvibes isn’t written for children. Homelessness, poverty, oppression, racism and war are beyond the ken of children. May it ever be so! We remain grateful to adults – Catholics, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Wiccans, atheists and ag­ nostics – who buy Streetvibes and support our homeless and formerly homeless vendors. If our language is sometimes coarse, that’s a reflection of the fact that life can be coarse. the number of people reached by the speakers bureau of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (see page 10). 25 the cost, in dollars, of a membership in Affordable Housing Advocates (see page 14). 350 the number of guests who enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services (see page 13). 3 to 4 the servings, measured in “fairly hungry bellies,” created by a recipe for Chipotle Veggie Philly (see page 8). 3 the age at which a child named Precious first endured her father’s sexual abuse (see page 9). 29 the percentage of people tested by Stop AIDS who are infected by hepatitis C (see page 4). 08-4499 the file number of a case in which federal judges supported prisoners’ rights (see page 3). Language is inevitably political, reflecting the values of those who use it. Consider the article that Cliff Radel wrote about a Hamilton County assistant prosecutor in the Nov. 27 edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The story, which led that day’s edition, told of the tenac­ ity with which Anita Vizedom advocates on behalf of crime victims. Her zeal, Radel wrote, stems from the fact that Vizedom and her family experienced the trauma of violent crime when three of her relatives were stabbed to death. One cannot read the article without be­ ing moved by the tragic loss that Vizedom’s family endured or admiring her determination to protect others from experiencing the same suffering. But Radel’s tribute goes beyond empathy and admiration. His paean to the pursuit of justice perverts the meaning of the concept. Radel works himself into a lather, describing Vizedom “as she gets ready to question a piece of evil on the witness stand.” A piece of evil? Reporters have access to many words to describe someone who is on trial: “defendant,” “accused,” “suspect,” “prisoner.” Piece of evil? The presumption of innocence for a person charged with a crime is a hallmark of demo­ cratic governance, an essential principle that is too easily and too often laid aside as we struggle to deal with crime. The Enquirer’s blithe disregard for this principle is more than mere pandering to the crowd; it is patently anti-democratic. Whether the language is too coarse for children, persons more religious than we will have to decide. But we think “the political nature of the content” is coarse and offensive. Obama Should Look to Indianapolis The conservatives who blasted the choice of President Barrack Obama as recipient of the Nobel Peace prize were wrong – until he proved them right. Obama’s election gave hope that the people of the United States had rejected the Bush regime’s aggressive military poli­ cies. Then Obama shamed the prize by using his acceptance speech to defend escalation of the U.S. war on Afghanistan. The ill-begotten war, launched eight years ago against a country that had not attacked the United States, will grow still more bloody with Obama’s decision to send another 30,000 troops. Steve Sunderland, whose inspiring column returns to Streetvibes with this edition after a year’s absence, contrasts Obama’s embrace of aggres­ sive war with the non-violent message of earlier Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. (see page 7.) Perhaps most unfortunate is Obama’s reference to the Nazi terror as proof that some­ times war is justified and violence is a moral act. Adolf Hitler is the quintessential historical example cited by people who insist that good people sometimes must take up arms. But what Obama and others ignore is the fact that non-violence, did, in fact stop the Nazis on the few occasions it was tried. In 1943, at the height of the Holocaust, the SS seized Ger­ man Jews who were married to non-Jewish German women in Berlin. The wives gathered outside the building and mounted a non-violent protest that grew for the course of a week, yelling, “Murderers!” at the SS and police. Hitler capitulated, ordering more than 1,700 im­ prisoned Jews released. He even ordered the release of 35 who were already in Auschwitz. The men survived to the end of the war. STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@ yahoo.com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes. wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Lew Moores, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Kelissa Hieber, Jeni Jenkins, Stephanie Dunlap, Saad Ghosn, Lynne Ausman, Steven Paul Lansky, Larry Gross, Eli Braun Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Jeni Jenkins, Anthony Williams, Bill Haigh, Clarissa Peppers Proofreaders Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are members of: Non-violence works, and Obama need not have looked back 65 years for evidence. Con­ sider the case of Angela Montez, a clerk at a check-cashing business in Indianapolis who was confronted by an armed robber in late October last year. A security camera caught the crime on tape, and for a few days it captivated the nation. Terrified, Montez managed to reason with the robber, getting him to talk about his motivation. (Unemployed, broke, his family was facing eviction). She got him to lay down his gun and even to kneel with her in prayer. After half an hour in the presence of this gentle, clear-headed woman, the robber left the scene, leaving Montez unharmed and eventually surrendering to police. That is the kind of behavior that the Nobel Peace Prize was meant to honor. �STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 8 Column 3 M I N U T E S in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals A law student argues in federal court – and wins By MarGo Pierce Contributing Writer T he question addressed: To what extent must the Ohio Depart­ ment of Rehabilitation and Cor­ rections (ODRC) protect inmates from each other? The partial answer: Already established is the fact that a “These people are credible death threat requires prison officials to take steps human beings. to protect an inmate who is at There’s no court in the United States or risk. But a new ruling clarifies Ohio that, because the threshold for what defines someone is put into a credible threat and reduces the “gray area” for making a de­ prison, says we throw away the key cision. The significance of the rul­ and whatever they ing: “It doesn’t stand for some do to each other novel change in the law, but is fine. It doesn’t’ mean that they are it does push the envelope of deliberate indifference,” says animals. It doesn’t mean that they don’t Brett Renzenbrink, a law stu­ dent who on Aug. 6, 2009, suc­ deserve the same protection under the cessfully argued case number 08-4499 before the U.S. Sixth law that the rest of Circuit of Appeals. us would expect.” After George Hamilton re­ - Brett Renzenbrink ceived a death threat in 2004 and requested protective cus­ tody (keeping an inmate out of the gen­ eral population), an ODRC employee named Jack Bendolph made the deci­ sion to transfer him to the Warren Cor­ rectional Institute and put him in the general population. As an inmate there, he was beaten so severely by a group of inmates who belonged to the Aryan Brotherhood that he almost died. Ac­ cording to some accounts, he flat-lined before reaching the hospital. “The right at issue here is the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment, which among other things requires prison officials to ‘take reasonable measures to guarantee the safety of the inmates,’ ” the Sixth Circuit ruled. “Bendolph testified he knew that the Aryan Brotherhood exists throughout the Ohio prison system and that their ‘hits’ could follow a prisoner from one prison to another. A jury could certainly find, therefore, that Bendolph was aware of facts from which he could have inferred that Hamilton faced a In addition to helping prisoners defend their rights, Ohio Justice and Policy Center offers the Second Chance Clinic, helping hundreds of first-time, non-violent offenders expunge old criminal records so they can move on with their lives. A weekly clinic meets in Over-the-Rhine, three monthly clinics are in other neighborhoods and clinics also meet at colleges, businesses, churches and community events. If you or someone you know needs help with a legal matter, contact the Ohio Justice and Policy Center at 513-421-1108. substantial risk of serious harm.” The court ruled that, by ignoring the fact of Ham­ ilton’s situation, Bendolph acted with deliberate in­ difference, resulting in the beating that left him with mental-health problems, irreparable damage to his sight and hearing and loss of the ability to taste. While it’s true that some­ one who commits a crime forfeits some rights when s/ he goes to prison, there are other basic human rights that aren’t suspended. For a system of justice to work, these fundamental rights must be protected, and that’s why Renzenbrink is proud of his involvement with Hamilton’s case. “It’s about taking care of and preserving the system of justice as it was designed to be. … In the end, that’s what I feel should be pro­ tected – what the system was built on,” Renzenbrink says. “I think the system should work the way it was theoretically designed; and when it messes up, there should be consequences. “These people are human beings. There’s no court in the United States or Ohio that, because someone is Brett Renzenbrink. Photo by Aimie Willhoite. put into prison, says we throw away the key and whatever they confined to his home as a result of postdo to each other is fine. But that also traumatic stress disorder – he can’t be in doesn’t mean that people who have been a public place “without thinking some­ convicted of any offense – from a petty one is going to attack him” – and some theft, a DUI to a sex offense or murder form of restitution will serve as a recog­ – doesn’t’ mean that they are animals. It nition that that prison system messed doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve the up. same protection under the law that the “I don’t think for a minute that giv­ rest of us would expect.” ing him money is going to change what A senior in the Salmon P. Chase Col­ he has become,” Renzenbrink says. “He lege of Law at Northern Kentucky Uni­ wants to make sure that, if anything versity, Renzenbrink was a member of happens to him, that his grandkids are the Constitutional Law Clinic with the taken care of.” Ohio Justice and Policy Center (www. As for Renzenbrink, the months of ojpc.org) when he argued Hamilton’s preparation, arguing before the court case in front of the Sixth Circuit Court. and the outcomes will have a lasting im­ He has also served as co-counsel with pact on his future career. the Commonwealth Attorney's Office “I do feel like it was something that’s in Kenton County and assisted with two important, and it’s something that’s go­ felony convictions. ing to serve as a catalyst for the rest of “When it comes to the criminal jus­ what I do in my career,” he says. tice system … it shouldn’t be treated as “I have no problem with certain pris­ though it’s a high-school rivalry,” Ren­ on officials/positions having discretion zenbrink says. “The only way to have any – that is important. At some point you sort of progress in these systems – and have to have humans there to make a this is the way it was originally designed human call about these decisions, espe­ – is a sense of compromise, both ideally cially in the case now in the Ohio prison and practically.” system, where prisons are 150 to 200 Denied a review of the ruling by the percent overcrowded. Those decisions entire Sixth Circuit Court, the Ohio At­ become a lot more difficult. But when torney General’s office is now in the it comes to a point where you have a midst of negotiating a settlement with death threat … I think that changes the Hamilton. Renzenbrink says Hamilton is game.” Many people work hard to make a difference for the less privileged in the Queen City. “Eight Minutes” is an opportunity to learn who those people are and what motivates them to be a positive influence. �4 STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 Local News Prickly Issue: Needle Exchange Health agency tries to gauge possible benefits By JereMy Flannery Contributing Writer S top AIDS of Cincinnati is seeking information about whether the community would benefit from a syringe-exchange pro­ gram to prevent the spread of AIDS and hepatitis C. Contaminated syringes account for about 36 percent of new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in the United States, accord­ ing to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Stop AIDS says about 70 to 90 percent of injection-drug users are infected with hepatitis C. Formerly known as AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati, Stop AIDS is working to prevent the spread of these diseases while offering medical services to people already infected. Amy McMahon, the agency’s CEO, says Stop AIDS provides free testing for HIV and hepatitis C. Clients have the option of anonymous or confidential testing. For people who test positive, case managers coordinate education, counseling and medical services. Housing assistance is also provided to eligible clients. Stop AIDS currently assists about 1,000 clients with case management, McMahon says. All of their services are provided free of charge. From 2006 to 2008, about 29 percent of people tested by Stop AIDS were infected with the hepatitis C virus, according to Adam Reilly, a Stop AIDS educator. An estimated 200,000 Ohioans statewide are in­ fected. A needle exchange program might improve public health, according to Adam Would a needle-exchange program stop the spread of the disease? Reilly and Amy McMahon of Stop AIDS. Photos by Aimie Willhoite. “We’re just trying to get a handle on the local situation to see how effective it would be,” McMahon says. “It’s a politically charged issue be­ such as disinfectant sprays, he says. Reilly wants to educate users that cause people will argue you’re enabling drug use. I understand this argu­ bleach is the effective way to clean syringes before use and that a sharps ment, but I don’t agree with it. It’s not a drug issue as much as a public- container is the safest way to dispose of used syringes. But many partici­ safety issue. You don’t want kids finding these syringes or people in public pants within the focus groups laughed at the suggestion of using sharps picking them up and using them.” containers, he says. Current and former injection-drug users are completing surveys for “They recognize that that’s the best way to go with it, but they just don’t Stop AIDS to offer information about how they obtain, clean and discard see that option available in the public area,” Reilly says. their syringes, Reilly says. Sixty surveys have been completed, and the Stop AIDS employs 26 full-time and one part-time staff and has about agency hopes to get 20 to 30 more, he says. 400 volunteers, McMahon says. The total hours donated by over 200 ac­ Health professionals, police officers and injection drug users are par­ tive volunteers was equivalent to 13 full-time staff positions last year, she ticipating in focus groups hosted by Stop AIDS to provide information says. and discussion about the issue, McMahon says. Thirty focus groups have Congress passed an appropriations bill in December that includes a met, and Stop AIDS aims to conduct 20 more. Reilly estimates it will take provision ending the ban against federal funds being used for needletwo more months to obtain the rest of the surveys and host the other exchange programs. The provision allows state and local governments to focus groups. decide if federal funds can be used for such programs. “When you get regular participation In Ohio, State Rep. Tyrone Yates (D-Cin­ from police officers and medical profes­ cinnati) last year introduced House Bill 274. sionals – and these are beat cops who have If the bill becomes law, it will “provide an a great idea of what’s going on in the area – affirmative defense to certain offenses in­ then we really get an idea of the local situ­ volving a hypodermic or syringe that the ation and a better collaboration and coor­ person is 18 years of age or older and pos­ dination of services,” McMahon says. sesses or otherwise obtains the hypodermic The organization will make the data or syringe for the purpose of having a clean available to the public once the collection needle to avoid HIV exposure and to per­ and analysis is completed, Reilly says. mit an authorized person to sell or furnish “Instead of just showing up and talk­ a hypodermic without a prescription to a ing, most of them have been eager to look person who is 18 years of age or older who up drug courts’ and probation courts’ re­ wishes to obtain it for that purpose.” cords to provide statistics with their own The Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleve­ encounters,” Reilly says. land currently is the only clinic in Ohio that The majority of injection-drug users provides a syringe-exchange program. who participated in the focus groups said For more information about Stop AIDS’ they found syringes in public places, ac­ services or volunteer options, call 513-421­ cording to Reilly. Users often clean the sy­ 2437 or visit www.stopaidscincinnati.org. ringes with water or household chemicals Do you remember the magic of your First Book? Please consider giving the gift of reading to a low-income child in Cincinnati this holiday season. Established in 2001, First Book - Greater Cincinnati has already granted more than 45,000 books and over $60,000 to local nonprofit literacy programs serving thousands of low-income children in Greater Cincinnati. Make checks payable to “First Book - Greater Cincinnati” I Want to Bring the Magic of Books to Children Who Need Them! Please use my tax-deductible contribution to purchase books and distribute them to children who need them most. $20 (10 books) Please return your contribution to: First Book Greater Cincinnati 572 Northland Blvd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45240 Name: Address: E-mail: $40 (20 books) $80 (40 books) $100 (50 books) Other $ _______ �STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 Local News May They Finally Rest in Peace continued FroM PaGe 1 Friends and family gather around a barrel in Washington Park to remember homeless and formerly homeless individuals who passed away in 2009. A candle for each person was lit in their honor and memory. Photo by Aimie Willhoite. was on a liquid diet before she pasted away. She tried to sneak a solid meal; and when she was caught, she cussed out the nurses. She died later that day.” Derek Gibson, who was in his 50s, died of congestive heart failure. “He was getting back on his feet,” Silver says. “He helped his sister out at her hair salon. He was really close with his family. He was housed with us before he passed away. We were happy about that. He didn’t die homeless.” Frank Roper was taken off life support by his family af­ ter suffering a major heart at­ tack. He was in his 50s. “Frank was a good guy,” says Valerie Dowell, an advocate with the Health Care for the Homeless program. “He was a real mild-mannered person. I saw him maybe a week before he died. I had known him in the past. He went to the Drop Inn Center drug and alcohol program. He just couldn’t get it together. About a week be­ fore he passed, I saw him sit­ ting outside. I talked to him and let him know he didn’t have to do this. I told him if he ever needed any help, he could call me.” Rodney Sosby, who was in his 40s, died from an over­ dose of pain medication while staying at the Drop Inn Center. Dowell says he spoke often about his family and how he wanted to get himself together. “He complained about his knees and his legs hurting a lot,” Dowell says. “The day before he took the pills, I was talking to him about trying to get housing. It kind of shook me when I heard he died, be­ cause we had just been talk­ ing the day before.” Eric Smothers, who was in his 30s, died when medica­ tion prescribed for an infec­ tion sent him into cardiac arrest. He was a longtime res­ ident of the Drop Inn Center. “He had a beautiful spirit,” Dowell says. “His death took me for a loop also. It was really hard to get him into housing. When he got into housing, he showed me his keys.” Eugene Burgess, who was in his 50s, was a longtime resident of Over-the-Rhine who had a long criminal his­ tory with drugs and alcohol. He suffered from leg ulcers; and because of his drug use, he didn’t take care of himself. He had stayed at the Drop Inn Center and Respite Care Cen­ ter until Dowell helped him find permanent housing. “He had been in housing 5 for six months,” she says. “I gave him a referral for a guy who rents rooms, and that’s where he was living.” Anthony Wright, a long­ time resident of Over-theRhine, died from a heart at­ tack while incarcerated for drug charges. He had high blood pressure and a long history of drug abuse. “He went to the peniten­ tiary, and two days before he was supposed to be released, he had a heart attack and passed away,” Dowell says. Joseph Wright, who was in his late 50s, died after a long bout with cancer. A Navy vet­ eran, he worked to become sober at Joseph House, which serves homeless veterans, according to Calvin Wooten, associate director and treat­ ment coordinator for the agency. Ken Tucker was also a vic­ tim of cancer. An Air Force veteran, he worked with Jo­ seph House to overcome his addictions before his death. Others who passed away in 2009 include James Arnold, David “Peaches” Bryant, Bob Carle, Dorris Dawson, Jessie Frank, John Graham, Mat­ thew Harmeyer, Albert Ol­ lie, Eddie Seamon and Scott Wheeler. Metropole Tenants Gain Support continued FroM PaGe 1 Perhaps most disappointing was the uncritical way that the article repeats 3CDC’s characterization of the role played by the Greater Cincinnati Coali­ tion for the Homeless, which publishes Streetvibes. “The corporation believes the relocation actu­ ally will leave tenants with better homes and that the Homeless Coalition is intentionally stoking fear among tenants in an effort to generate controver­ sy,” CityBeat reported. Lay aside, if you will, the paper’s failure to ques­ tion the premise that opposing the loss of low-in­ come housing is motivated by a desire to “generate controversy.” housing discrimination by 3CDC. A statement by the religious group says the forced displacement of the residents is immoral: “It is morally wrong to forcibly move a people from their homes for capital gain.” Support for the HUD complaint also comes from Affordable Housing Advocates. Elizabeth Brown, president of the organization, wrote HUD, saying 3CDC’s plan will adversely affect racial integration in Cincinnati. “Removal of these residents from the neighbor­ hood clearly does not ‘affirmative­ ly further fair housing,’ ” Brown wrote. “Rather, it furthers the de­ struction of an integrated com­ munity and creation of another racially segregated neighborhood in the Cincinnati area, the eighth most segregated urban area in the United States.” Progressives who back the ten­ ants were, however, surprised by a Dec. 9 report on the issue in a once reliably progressive newspaper, CityBeat. The article’s language casts the controversy in terms that are sometimes deceptive and that at other times seem calculated to make the case for 3CDC. The subhead for the article, for example, says, “Metropole’s con­ version sparks tenant relocation,” as if the tenants have a choice in the matter. A more accurate, if un­ intended, description comes from the article’s quotation of 3CDC President Stephen Leeper: “We lit­ erally drive people to other build­ The Metropole Apartments are located on Walnut Street. ings,” he told CityBeat. Photo by Clarissa Peppers. The article’s major failing is in CityBeat’s own in­ stitutional memory. Reporting 3CDC’s claim that eviction will leave Metropole tenants “with better homes,” the paper seems ignorant of its own re­ porting on previous 3CDC promises. In 2006 CityBeat recounted the corporation’s takeover of a low-income boarding house on Race Street in Over-the-Rhine, quoting a 3CDC official saying, “We worked with the landlord to find alter­ native housing for residents.” That assertion evoked a quick rejoinder from a pastor who said 3CDC’s as­ sistance wasn’t worth much and led, as CityBeat re­ ported, to at least one resident having to take shel­ ter at the Drop Inn Center. Back issues of CityBeat aren’t the only documents worthy of ref­ erence as Metropole tenants fight to save their homes. Rob Goeller, civil-rights outreach coordinator for the Homeless Coalition, points to 3CDC’s own articles of organiza­ tion as a non-profit corporation. The documents say 3CDC is committed “to combat commu­ nity deterioration, provide relief to the poor and distressed (and) eliminate discrimination and prej­ udice.” Whether the corporation’s take­ over of the Metropole qualifies as providing “relief to the poor” is now a matter that HUD will have to adjudicate. Meanwhile filmmaker Barbara Wolf has given tenants the oppor­ tunity to have their own say in The Metropole is Our Home. The film can be viewed at http://www.vi­ meo.com/8127941. �6 Music STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 New Voices of the Voiceless Underground rappers restore empathy and originality in Hip Hop By ariana Shahandeh Contributing Writer F ifteen years ago a man wrote a song using a woman he loved as a metaphor for something else that broke his heart. The woman was soulful and independent. Her creativ­ ity was penetrating. The man wrote that he met her when he was 10 years old and he anticipated her always being there for him in the future. They grew up together on the East Coast. He shared his lyr­ ics with her and they connected over a mutual appreciation for authenticity “If you keep feeding people and music. Then she moved to Los Angeles. She the same meal over and over got into show business. She changed again, eventually they’re gonna want something else. her clothes, her friends, her purity. And I think we’re at the point Drugs and sadness consumed her. The songwriter was rapper Common. And in Hip Hop where people at the end of the song, he exposes who want something else.” she really is: "Who I'm talking ‘bout y'all - Jasiri X is Hip Hop." Common's song, "I Used to Love H.E.R (Hip hop in its Essence is Real)," was about his experience with disillusionment. He watched something he loved and respected be­ come something ugly. But he stayed in the game as a Hip Hop art­ ist, similar to how someone might stay in an unhealthy relationship, hoping for change. He used a woman as a metaphor for the industry to illustrate the pain of watching love change. He loved Hip Hop. It was hijacked by influences outside himself, and the original charac­ ter was lost. It has become a timeless parallel. ‘It’s just shocking’ Jasiri X (right) gives an interview about homelessness in Pittsburgh. Today the metaphor is remixed by an emerging Hip Hop artist from evant to many people because it defined moments and attitudes of strug­ Brooklyn NY, Radiant Amar, with a short lyrical video series he collec­ gle, discontent and hope for something better. But what was thought to tively titles, “I Still Love H.E.R.” It's Amar's way of re-inspiring hope in the be empathy was actually just sincerity. He was rapping about his own music we once called the voice of the voiceless. experiences; they just happen to be familiar with many others’. Now that “I still love Hip Hop in its original form,” he says. “I’m just trying to his experiences have narrowed, so has his pool of inspiration. What start­ revolutionize it and take it to a different place.” ed out as a strength for Jay Z is now his greatest lacking. In his full song, “Piece of the Pie,” Amar writes, An artist attempting to give voice to those who can’t “I could write a verse about the cars and clothes, speak for themselves must be able to form a connec­ the bank rolls and hoes/How every night the weed “A friend of mine sister’s boyfriend tion to them. Coming from a background of violence smoke's flowing out of my nose/Platinum plaques shot his mother over some kind and struggle, Radiant Amar attempts to reach out and coming out of these flows.” In an industry where of dispute. And if there weren’t affect his audience’s experiences, playing for charity these topics rule the airwaves, Amar follows with a guns all throughout the street, that fundraisers and organizing community programs. more authentic admission: “When in reality I hardly In collaboration with his brother and mainstream wouldn’t have happened.” get shows/I'm not hard to provoke/'Cause where I’m rapper TI’s KINGS organization, Amar designed a - Radiant Amar from you might get scarred or get choked/Or both, “Turn in Your Gun Day” at Texas Southern University. by street entrepreneurs that's out for C-notes.../Hope Anyone could come and turn in any guns, registered that you’re a friend and not a foe when I’m hungry/But it’s funny ’cause or unregistered, without legal repercussions. even friends are foes when it comes down to money.” “A friend of mine sister’s boyfriend shot his mother over some kind While Amar addresses the ugliness surrounding money in his environ­ of dispute.” Amar says. “And if there weren’t guns all throughout the ment, most mainstream material paints a different picture. street, that wouldn’t have happened. So we decided something had to be “Ninety percent of what’s on the radio is indifference,” says under­ done.” ground rapper Jasiri X. “Think about all the songs that are still being With an upcoming campaign to get their music played on local sta­ played (about) how much jewelry and how much ice and how much tions across the country, and consistently positive support on Youtube, money is being thrown in the air – and we’re in one of the worst economic Amar’s and Jasiri’s success, despite not having support of a major label, recessions.” demonstrates the level of support in Hip Hop audiences for a more com­ Jasiri X further comments on the disconnect between mainstream art­ plete genre. ists and their audiences in his song, “Silent Night,” in which he draws “If you keep feeding people the same meal over and over again, even­ attention to the lack of social commentary on many mainstream rap al­ tually they’re gonna want something else,” Jasiri says. “And I think we’re bums: “I ain't talkin TI's wife or Keisha Cole's Mama/I'm talkin none of at the point in Hip Hop where people want something else. That’s why us voting one year after Obama/I ain't talkin bout Chris Brown and how you see artists like Lil Wayne coming out with rock, and Kid Cudi making he put his fist down/I'm talkin bout tea parties that lie about big crowds/ some fusion (music). They’re just trying to be different than the same old All these media distractions have a crushing effect/A burning house al­ “Shake ya booty, we’re going to drink a whole bunch of champagne.” ways takes out the ones who slept.” Radiant Amar and Jasiri X both rap about their experiences, but that is When asked if he thought such commentary was an obligation, Jasiri not where their expression stops. In Jay Z’s 15-track album, Blueprint 3, said, “At a time when there is so much upheaval in the world politically the words “I” (including contractions) and “me” appear approximately – the economy, so many people are suffering – it’s just shocking that you 450 times. Another mainstream rapper, Drake, used those words nearly can come out with an album and not (comment).” 375 times on his seven-track mix tape, So Far Gone. Artists like Amar and Jasiri have written complete songs using those words only a handful of Getting H.E.R. back times, if at all. Beyond sincerity, a Hip Hop artist needs to be above self-centeredness. Jay Z, a popular mainstream rap/hip hop artist, has been most criti­ Empathy is a resource artists can utilize forever. There will always be ma­ cized for the lack of social commentary on his latest album, Blueprint terial if you are capable of being inspired by others’ experiences – if you 3. Now that he is among the most successful musical entertainers in the are capable of feeling their pain, hoping with them, loving with them, world, what will he write about that people can relate to? Jay Z dug a cre­ crying with them, being too prideful for their own good with them, be­ ative hole for himself by limiting his material to one source: his experi­ ing insecure with them, omitting the truth with them, finding God with ences. them, losing God with them. When Hip Hop becomes less of an “I and When he was first rising from a life of drug dealing, his music was rel­ Me” – and more of an us, we and you – genre, we may have H.E.R back. If you like what you read, but don’t live in the Cincinnati area, you can subscribe to Streetvibes. Call us at 513-421-7803 x 12 to learn more about subscribing to Streetvibes. �STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 Guest Column 7 Obama Wrong about Non-violence His thesis is dangerous and misinformed By Steve Sunderland Contributing Writer A s a peace educator, I look at the pres­ ident's recent speech accepting the Nobel Peace Prize with sadness. I had wanted the president to add his “teach­ ings” to history's heroes of peace – Gandhi, Mandela and King – and celebrate their deep wisdom about promoting peace precisely at a time when violence and terrorism were gain­ ing favor. I had wanted to read and hear the president acknowledge that the fable of vio­ lence has to be understood and rejected. The fable goes something like this: Violence is the reality of the world and must be met with violence or otherwise the evil forces of the world will see weakness and make more violence. The logic of the fable is that stra­ tegic violence can prevent both limited and broad-scale violence by showing the makers Former South African President Nelson Mandela. REUTERS/David Gray. of violence that their actions will never be tol­ erated. Gandhi and Mandela that non-violence can What is so wrong about these examples is I wanted President Obama to reject this be achieved as a part of governance, and he that people might use Obama's statements to fable as having little sway as his guiding prin­ has learned from King that non-violence is a skip over the complicated history of the role ciples, just as it had no philosophical or politi­ productive seed for the future. of resistance and non-violence in fighting cal weight for Gandhi, Mandela and King. The Tragedy, because so many people have Hitler and Al Qaeda. Moreover, it ignores the violence of the soldier, being a killer and being bought into the fable of violence as the answer history of successful civil rights movement killed, as acts of service were no long tolerable and justify the destruction of people by many against terrorism in America and Mandela’s as the central way of governing, I had longed violent means. The United States is fighting repudiation of violence in successfully chang­ to hear him say. I wanted the president to turn two wars within the confines of the fable. It ing the brutal South African government. the rationale for violence on is tragic that “reality” is only Non-violent methods, while usually not as its head and instead make represented as empowering dramatic as bombs and gunfire, have had and clear that a new day in diplo­ The president must know the violent tendencies in in­ are having a steady positive effect on all forms macy will be tried, that a hier­ of coercion. that every tyrant has used dividuals and countries. archy of peaceful efforts will Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize To speak at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony the language of justice to be made, and that violence acceptance speech, instead of of the limited effectiveness of non-violence in justify acts of brutality, and lethal sacrifice would be being a brief for peace, is an recent history continues a mind-set of exclud­ used only as a last straw, only eloquent defense of violence. ing non-violent approaches as a basis for real in defense and only with great caution. It is wrong. Violence, dressed up as “just war,” politics or an effective response to conflict The 21st century, I hoped he would say, is a way of justifying actions that cannot be and turns advocates of non-violence into na­ cannot go any further along the path of filling acceptable to those of us who are committed ive and romantic people. The belief that “real” governments and leaders cannot dare use cemeteries with “enemies” and “heroes” and to peace. I say, “dressed up,” because con­ structive peace, peace with justice and digni­ non-violence if their attempts at policy and expect that these results will stop violence. I listened for him to say this is a new day ty, cannot rest on violence, either threatened personal conflict reduction are to be taken se­ riously is a dangerous rewriting of history. of hope and tragedy. Hope because nations, or actual. Sadly, Obama has mistakenly chosen to use The president must know that every tyrant communities and individuals believe that we the heroes of peace – Gandhi, King and Man­ has used the language of justice to justify acts can resolve conflicts with compassion, dis­ dela – as people different from him, people of brutality, whether the “justice” arises from a cussion, compromise, innovation and recon­ ciliation; and the United States will be going who were not heads of governments that had phony reading of a law or the “justice” springs down this path, opening discussions, crossing obligations to protect their lands. Even more from a manipulated religious principle or the borders with respect, discussing taboo areas tragically, Obama has used the examples of promotion of a bogus sense of national char­ acter. of history and meaning and working even Hitler and Al Qaeda as case studies in the in­ The reality is that non-violence is both a harder for justice through non-violence. As a ability of non-violence to stop state violence tough-minded concept and a tough behavior leader of a major nation, he has learned from and local terrorism. to live in policy and personal life. Choosing to have checks and balances, or deciding to al­ low all voices in major decisions, including dissenting ones, or resisting arbitrary uses of religious and secular laws, or encouraging participation by previously held-back groups, or making room for different standards and people in places and experiences, or seeking counseling for temptations to violence, or al­ lowing alternative ways of solving conflict to flourish, are all actions that require a muscu­ lar approach to human relations. Resisting violence in word and deed forc­ es the compassionate person to look deeply into how shallow or profound are his own concepts. The greatness of Gandhi, King and Mandela was in their capacity to look at vio­ lence and reject it in any form even if it meant jail, brutality and torture. Their reality was, unlike President Obama, created in a lifetime of struggling with acts of personal and po­ litical violence. The threats of brutality were realized as oppressive governments and in­ dividuals seized on their tenacious hold on non-violence. This history of courage, wis­ dom and love has yet to be fully shared with our culture in ways that change the weight of The grave of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. REUTERS/Tami Chappell. compassion to the greater strength. �8 Recipe Veggie Philly Steak “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long” STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 Chipotle Veggie Philly Brian’s Specialty Chipotle Mayo • 1 up mayo (or vegenaise) • 3 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (available in ethnic-food section of grocery store) • In a food processor, combine mayo and chilies, and blend until smooth. It’s OK to have a few chunks of chilies. • Cover and refrigerate. Sandwich • 1.5 tablespoons olive oil • 1 large white onion, sliced into rings • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1-2 Anaheim chilies, cut into ¼-inch strips • 1-2 red sweet peppers, cut into ¼-inch strips • (Mix and match different kinds of peppers of your choosing) • 1 package baby bella mushrooms, sliced, with stems removed • 3-4 whole wheat hoagie rolls (or your preferred vegan bread) • 8 oz. Provolone cheese (or no cheese for vegans) • Salt and pepper to taste Photo by Jeni Jenkins. By Jeni JenKinS Staff Writer T his quotation is from the 1986 film, Little Shop of Horrors, in which a plant-keeper must meet the demands of a ravenous plant that feeds on humans. Instead of plants that feed on people, this col­ umn is for people who feed on plants! I love food. I especially en­ joy sampling and preparing new and exotic veggie cui­ sine from all over the world. Since converting to vegetari­ anism three years ago I’ve struggled preparing certain recipes from my own meat­ and-potatoes background, so I have taken up re-creat­ ing traditional dishes that call for meat and re-invent­ ing them with a vegetarian twist. I hope you enjoy them as much as I. Before I became a vegetar­ ian I used to love to go to one particular street vendor who served up one of the best tasting Philly cheese-steak sandwiches on the curb in my hometown. Here is my veggie twist on this tantaliz­ ing fave. Serving size: Completely dependent on the number of bellies or the size of the bel­ lies, but I would say 3-4 fairly hungry bellies. (Created with the help of my good friend, Brian For­ sythe). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet or wok over medium low heat. Sauté veggies, adding them to the pan in this order: 1. Onions and garlic, 3-4 minutes until the onions turn translucent 2. Add peppers, cook approximately 1 min 30 seconds 3. Turn the heat up slightly to medium-high, add the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown. Remove from heat. Lightly coat the back of each hoagie with the left-over olive oil, using a basting brush Bake the hoagies on a baking pan, oil side up, at 350 for 3-5 minutes. Remove from oven, flip and place face-up on baking pan. Divide the sautéed veggie mixture onto the hoagies. Top with cheese. Heat sandwiches until cheese is melted or slightly browned. Remove from oven and spread each roll with chipotle mayo. Feed! Artwork by Anthony Williams Alone by david graham I am a broken bridge between generations past, and those yet unsung. I am a mountain of old ideals, standing above a valley of budding dreams. I am a blind bird in flight, seeking familiar voices to guide me home. I am alone. I am a visionary within vision, shaking my fist at an unshakeable God. I am a boy at heart, trying to make sense of a crumbling world. I am society’s hope, of living carefree in a wilderness of peace. I am alone. I am yesterday and today, the future, an untraveled path. I am a faulty compass, mapping out uncharted desire. I am old and young, newly born, and dying of a broken heart. I am alone. ! ? t ha W y Sa ___________________ “One’s struggle against oppression is meaningless ... unless it is connected to the oppression of others.” -- Alice Walker, Now Is the Time to Open Your Heart: A Novel �STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 Film Review Not a ‘Precious’ Happy Ending “Sometimes I wish I was not alive. But I don’t know how to die. Ain’ no plug to pull out. ‘N no matter how bad I feel my heart don’t stop beating and my eyes open in the morning.” ~ Precious in Push by Sapphire. By lynne auSMan Staff Writer P recious is based on Sapphire’s book Push. At 16, Claireece Precious Jones (played by Gabby Sidibe) has sur­ vived hardships most of us luckily will never have to experience. Precious is physically abused by her mother, raped by her father and tormented at school. She is illiterate, poor and without support. It seems that the odds are stacked against her – and they are, but Precious still carries on. Set in 1987 Harlem, Precious is surrounded by poverty, drug dealers, addicts and hopelessness. Mo’Nique breaks from her usual comedic roles and gives an astounding performance as Mary, the abusive and demanding mother with the right amount love masked by jeal­ ously and anger. Precious has one child and is pregnant with a second by her own father. Mary knows but does not stop the abuse. In one clip, we see her father descending on Precious as her mother peeks in the room while walking down the hall. Precious, 16, is in junior high school. Be­ cause of this and her size, the other students torment her. When Precious is called to the counselor’s office, she is asked to talk about her home life and pregnancy. When she refus­ es to talk, she is discharged from the school. Regardless of Precious’s dislike of the school counselor, the counselor proves to be the first of several advocates on her side. She tells Pre­ cious about an alternative school, Each One Teach One, which can help Precious prepare cious has the opportunity to continue attendfor and earn a GED. ing school to earn her GED, care for her child Throughout the movie, Precious is asked to and build her own life. She begins to heal and speak about the incest she endures, her home move on with her life through the support of life and her mother’s abuse of the social-wel- her new friends and counselors. fare system. Each time Precious flashes into Just when things seem to be improving for an alternate reality, where she is an entertain- Precious, Mary visits to tell her that her fament star with a seemingly perfect life. She ther has died. Precious takes the news with has an attractive “light-skinned” boyfriend, the same blank stare that has been her hallfashionable clothes and is the center of at- mark throughout the movie. It wasn’t until tention for a mass of adoring fans and pho- her mother gave her the news that her father tographers. had AIDS that Precious reacts with some At Each One Teach One, Precious finds emotion. She is in obvious disbelief yet still friendship, support, compassion and Ms. stoic and tells her mother to get tested. She Rain (played by Pauspeaks nothing of her la Patton). Although own status, but her the role is somewhat In an amazing display of strength and knowledge of her fupreachy and melo- perseverance, Precious silently stands ture clearly shows on dramatic, Ms. Rain her face. She is terriup and leaves the room, leaves her becomes more than fied, angry, shocked. mother with a counselor who says Precious’s teacher. She But she maintains nothing and just stares in disbelief. encourages Precious to Mary continues to try to explain, justify, her stoicism until her write in a journal daily mother leaves and she babble but it all falls on deaf ears. and responds with adis back in Ms. Rain’s Precious is long gone, moving on. vice and guidance. The classroom. journal serves as PrePrecious stares at cious’s sounding board but also allows her to “Why me?” written on the top of her page. In develop her reading and writing skills. a spontaneous confession, she reveals that Soon after starting at Each One Teach One, she is HIV-positive. After watching Precious Precious goes into labor and has a healthy endure and move past the physical and sexbaby boy. She stays in the hospital for a few ual abuse that has identified her, if the viewer days and then returns to her mother’s home. has any amount of hope left, it is all dashed Upon her arrival, Mary beats Precious so se- away in this moment. I struggled to fight off verely that she flees and becomes homeless. the tears. Not tears of pity or sympathy, but Ms. Rain spends the entire next day on the tears of hopelessness, despair, defeat. phone looking for a place for Precious. She I had read Push several weeks prior to seefinds a bed at a halfway house, where Pre- ing Precious. I was aware what was about to happen, aware that the audience was still to hear Mary’s horrifying confession and attempt at justifying the abuse. Confession that Precious’s father began abusing her when she was just 3 years old. Confession that she was jealous of and angry with Precious because he seemed to desire Precious more than Mary. That Mary blamed Precious for her ter­ rible life. In an amazing display of strength and per­ severance, Precious silently stands up and leaves the room, leaves her mother with a counselor who says nothing and just stares in disbelief. Mary continues to try to explain, justify, babble but it all falls on deaf ears. Pre­ cious is long gone, moving on. We all know that the trials of Precious’s life are far from over. At the end, she is still in pre­ GED prep classes at Each One Teach One, still living in the halfway house, still a 17-year-old mother of two, still HIV-positive. The message of Precious is not overcoming the past; it is building the future despite the past. In an odd way, it’s refreshing to see a movie in which the main character doesn’t achieve some loosely plausible success. We all know that people can overcome insurmountable hurdles and find housing, success, new lives. But the reality is that it doesn’t happen very often. Not every person on the street is a Chris Gardener (In Pursuit of Happyness) or a Liz Murray (Homeless to Harvard). It’s the seemingly small successes that we must cel­ ebrate – that someone enrolled in a GED program, that someone developed the strength to leave a bad situation, that someone has entered transitional housing. 9 �10 STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 Local News Homeless Coalition Marks 25 Years Annual dinner looks back, then forward By GreGory Flannery editor L iz Carter used to think she knew why some people in Cincinnati are homeless or hungry. As the keynote speaker at the annual dinner of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, held Dec. 17 at the Cintas Center at Xavier Uni­ versity, she explained what she thought she knew. “I’ll give you a confession,” Carter said. “Ten years ago I was one of those people who thought that, in Cincinnati, if you’re not making it, it’s prob­ ably because you’re not trying hard enough.” Then she went on a visit with a social worker from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the agency she now serves as executive director. Carter and the social work­ er waited as their beneficiary, an elderly woman, traipsed down three flights of stairs, then led them up to her tworoom apartment. One room contained only a mattress, Carter said. In the other room were a couch, a coffee table, a sink and a cabinet – but no refrigerator. The woman needed help to pay for her utilities. Asked if she also needed food, the woman said no, and showed them her stock of supplies: three cans of applesauce. “I came away a different person,” Carter said. “My heart was touched, and my life was changed by her. And I didn’t ever again think that, if a person is struggling, it’s their fault.” The theme of the Homeless Coalition’s annual dinner was “25 Years: Fighting for Today, Building Our Tomorrow.” The theme captured the sense of celebration and consterna­ tion that marks the coalition’s continued existence, accord­ ing to Josh Spring, its execu­ tive director. “Our founders, some of whom are in this room, did not expect we would need to be a homeless coalition 25 years later,” he said. “They though the establishment of such a coalition would actu­ ally ensure the end of home­ lessness and that therefore we would be temporary. … We are still fighting the same battles we have been fight­ ing for 25 years. We just keep struggling.” Spring enumerated the struggles off 2009: • Resisting city council’s effort to use zoning regulations to restrict human-servic­ es agencies in Over-theRhine, the subject of a law­ suit in federal court by the Homeless Coalition against the city of Cincinnati; • Successfully lobbying city council to keep funding for human services in the city’s budget, though still below the 1.5 percent that had for many years been the city’s minimum standard; • Convincing council not to eliminate homelessness as a priority in human-servic­ es funding; • Beating back a city council­ man’s proposal to tax the proceeds of panhandling; • Keeping the city’s cold shel­ ter open after the city con­ sidered closing it. “We knew, if that happened, people will die,” Spring said. “We’re frankly not OK with people freezing to death.” The coalition also worked in 2009 to change attitudes in the future, Spring said. Its speakers bureau made presentations at 119 events, reaching 4,452 people, he said. Streetvibes, published by the Homeless Coalition, sold more than 58,000 copies. “We are for sure sparking dinner conversations and inspiring future revolution­ aries,” Spring said. “You and I are part of a grand move­ ment, absolutely founded to absolutely end homelessness. We are strong, and we are re­ lentless.” The coalition honored some of its most relentless al­ lies. Terry Ranson received the Jimmy Heath Streetvibes Ven­ dor of the Year Award. The Jerry Render Award went to Theresa Portis, Clark Roper, Darrel Portis and Dar­ ius Portis, a once homeless family who now volunteers to help other homeless families. Their determination, mutual support in the face of adver­ sity and commitment to help others embody “the very best of family. Leading by example, the family continues to in­ spire all of us at the Interfaith Hospitality Network,” said Georgine Getty, the agency’s executive director. Bruce Hill of the Cincinnati Health Network received the Julie Martin Provider of the Year Award for his work help­ ing homeless people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS. Linda Seiter, executive director of Caracole, which provides housing and sup­ port services to people living with HIV/AIDS, received the Buddy Gray Lifetime Achieve­ ment Award. It was Seiter who best summed up the spirit of the annual dinner. “There is nothing in this world,” she said, “that I would rather be doing with my life than what I’m doing right now.” Fighting for today, building our tomorrow. (Clockwise from top left) Linda Seiter, Buddy Gray Lifetime Achievement Award; Terry Ranson, Jimmy Heath Streetvibes Vendor of the Year; Georgine Getty, accepting the Jimmy Render Award on behalf of the Portis- Roper Family; Liz Carter, keynote speaker; Bruce Hill, Julie Martin Service Provider of the Year Award; Josh Spring, executive director, Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Photos by Jeanene Kaht. �STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 11 Local News Helping Hamid and Understanding Fundraiser for injured taxi driver unites community By Steven Paul lanSKy Contributing Writer rently he is in the hospital on a feeding tube. Steph Carson, a photograany people open pher and friend of Kerdough­ their hearts, wal­ eli, is on the microphone de­ lets, pocketbooks, scribing his condition. The purses and minds at Sitwell’s restaurant is noisy, people Coffeehouse in Clifton on a ordering food and drinks, cold Thursday baristas running night in Decem­ blenders and ber. Hamid Kerdougheli, milk steamers Hamid Ker- is a Ron’s Taxi driver and doing dishdougheli, (who es. The room is who was shot in bears a striking the neck in the late warm, conver­ resemblance to afternoon of Nov. 28. sations are ani­ the famous pho­ mated, some not tographer, Man in English. Many Ray) is a Ron’s Taxi driver who students are preparing for exwas shot in the neck in the ams; teachers celebrate the late afternoon of Nov. 28. Ker- end of a quarter or semester. dougheli, an Algerian-Amer- Carson is wearing a Berber ican is a regular at Sitwell’s. dress given to her in Algeria; This is a place that is its own it is colorful with detailed destination. Algerians, both embroidery. She talks about Berbers and Arabs, visit daily the circumstances surroundfor espresso demitasses, con­ ing it. She poses questions versation, the good food, and about Algeria for prizes. atmosphere. Young women in sweaters On this bitter night, over and scarves lift their heads a hundred friends – young, from books, shout answers old, men, women, all races – after raising their hands. gather to raise money for Ker- Then comes the raffle. Sybilka dougheli’s family’s living and Storie, a former model, manmedical expenses. Kerdough­ ager of Sitwell’s and daugh­ eli had surgery on his larynx ter of Lisa Storie, the shop’s and will need speech therapy owner, has a brown paper bag once he can eat again. Cur- from which she pulls a ticket. M Hamid Kerdougheli. Photo by StephCarson Photography. Around the room red tickets are strewn across the tables. The tables at Sitwell’s are mis­ matched, as are the chairs; there is a pleasant chaotic freedom to the place. As the raffle happens, the servers bring steaming plates of authentic Algerian food from a special menu ar­ ranged for the event. Menad Amrouchi, a friend of Ker­ dougheli, and others have been cooking since Wednes­ day night. The raffle items were generously donated by over 25 businesses in Clifton and Northside. Between the raffles, Alge­ rian music plays. The food is hot, hearty, and flavorful. What did I learn? Algeria is the second-largest country in Africa, second to Sudan. The Sahara desert takes up much of Algeria. I already knew that Algerians are social, gener­ ous, giving, hard working and love the coffeehouse culture as much as I do. Their flag is red, green and white. Alge­ rians love football (soccer.) They won their indepen­ dence from the French in 1962. There is something very right about people coming together out of gratitude and in the spirit of giving. To donate your support, visit sitwellscoffeehouse.com/ hamid or stephcarson.com/hamid. The Bengals’ Unexpected Weapon Cincinnati has to hope it didn’t peak too soon By B. cliFton BurKe Contributing Writer A t the top, life is good but it damn sure ain’t easy. As the Bengals trudge along toward earning a playoff spot, they continue to learn more about themselves as a team and as human beings. After beating the Steel­ ers for the second time of the season, the Bengals felt great – and why not? They owned a 7-2 record, had deci­ sively vanquished each mem­ ber of the AFC North and re­ ally looked comfortable in their new skin as a running team. Since then they have lost three out of their past five games, lost their playoff mo­ mentum and more impor­ tant, lost one of their team­ mates with the death of Chris Henry. At this point enough has been written about Henry’s STREETVIBES Vendor Mary untimely passing. We at Streetvibes are saddened by such an unfortunate event and our condolences and best wishes go out to his re­ maining family, but anything beyond that is an internal af­ fair and, in turn, none of our business. What is our business, how­ ever, are the games, and the two worlds of emotional grief and football merged during Week 15 in San Diego. The result was an inspired effort Only purchase Streetvibes from BADGED vendors. Vendors wear their WHITE badges while they sell the paper. against a Charger team who many feel are part of the NFL elite, but still came up one play short and lost by a field goal in the last few seconds. It was a sad and frustrating week for the Bengals, and each among them is likely changed in some way because of it; but the loss in San Diego, and the one before it in Min­ nesota, has shown the world that Cincinnati can certainly compete in the post-season, but will remain the underdog against the other divisional winners. This time it makes sense: Earlier in the season, the Bengals were rarely favored against any decent team for flimsy analytical reasons; many refused to take Cincin­ nati seriously just because of their past. But after visiting two playoff-like scenarios and failing each time, it ap­ pears our boys simply don’t measure up as well to the real heavy hitters. I’m nervous that they peaked too soon, that they need to repair a few things before moving for­ ward, but there’s no time for that; into the labyrinth they go. Yet we are not without hope. The fact of the matter is that, even in the face in of so much emotional hardship, this team and its city has en­ joyed a season of rare suc­ cess. This is by no means a bad team, and anything can happen in the playoffs. After all, the Bengals did play San Diego well. Take back a 20­ yard loss on a bizarre fumble (or the soft coverage along the sideline by Leon Hall), and they might have won that game. They also demonstrated against the Chargers that they can pass after all: Carson Palmer threw for more than 300 yards in what seemed like forever. Laveranues Coles was demoted from the start­ ing lineup and had his most impressive day since joining the Bengals. J.P. Foschi inex­ plicably became a weapon. Crazy things happen to this team. Some of it has been lots of fun, and some of it has been incredibly sad, but al­ most all of it has been unex­ pected; and that could be the most dangerous weapon on this team: the unexpected. First, they must officially clinch the division and earn their spot, and only then we can all allow our imagina­ tions to go silly with thoughts of the Bengals in February. Enjoy what's coming, Cincin­ nati, whatever that might be. �12 Film Review STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 On the Streets, Not ‘Up in the Air’ Too bad there’s no Oscar for best corporate crap By david heitField Contributing Writer dreams, he explains. Daddy has been working a crappy job, so his kids don’t look up predict Up in the Air to daddy. Now’s a good time will win a bunch of Os- to go back to his old dream of cars: Best picture; best cooking in a restaurant, beadapted screenplay; best ac- cause his kids will love him tor for George Clooney; and for following his dreams, and best supporting actor for apparently restaurants are American lining up to Airlines. hire Social Not beThe plot is simple enough: Security­ cause it's a eligible ap­ Clooney plays an asshole good pic- (which he does so well) who p r e n t i c e ture; it's flies around the country firing cooks. Dad filled with people. His singular goal in looked like a the paper huge weight life is to amass 10 million prototypes had been frequent-flier miles. that Hollylifted off his wood limshoulders. ousine liberals love, the stuff The most offensive parts of that gives lefties a bad name the movie, though, come in – for instance, Crash (2006 the bookends, the parts Mr. Best Picture). Rather, Up In Rich felt to be so genuine: the Air is to its topic du jour, successive cameos of people corporate downsizing and a learning they are getting laid contracting job market, as off – and they are hostile. They Driving Miss Daisy (1989 Best cuss a lot. They call people Picture) was to racism. It feels names. They are completely false and hollow, despite its self-centered and cry and attempt to be The Movie Iron- bitch and moan about how ically Titled Because It’s Re- unfair life is and, in one case ally About Those Little People later in the movie, threaten to Down on the Ground. jump off a bridge. Now, many After Frank Rich wrote a of these are supposed to be column in the New York Times “real” people who were laid a couple weeks ago declar- off and the lines not “scripting this movie to be required ed,” which I guess means it’s viewing for its frank and hon- not supposed to look as maest portrayal of people suffer- nipulative and opportunistic ing in this economy, I couldn't as it is. wait to put on one of my LexSo, yes, the movie pissed isNexis shirts (we got T-shirts me off from the opening instead of, say, bonuses) and scene. Because it’s completehead down to the multiplex. ly false. You see, before my former Sure, one or two might employer cut my job, I had behave that way, but overthe wonderful experience of whelmingly the way people laying off 30 or so of my re- react to such bad news as the ports during the nine years loss of their livelihood is far I worked there, around 25 of more human: Their egos are them coming during one spe- crushed, their future is uncial Christmas season. certain, the pain of rejection The plot is simple enough: is almost unbearable, and yet Clooney plays an asshole they try, as best they can, to (which he does so well) who salvage some shred of human flies around the country fir- dignity from the situation, ing people. His singular goal because that's all they’ve got in life is to amass 10 million left. frequent-flier miles. He also It overwhelmed me when delivers corporate motiva- I had to lay off half my team. tional speeches, using a back- We worked from a script, of pack as a metaphor, the mes- course; and as Clooney says sage being you'll be happier in the movie, you never, ever and more successful in life if say you are sorry or apoloyou don't carry around a lot gize – legal won’t allow it. of baggage. Commitments What blew me away was how are for suckers, you see; and many people told me they that's why Clooney not only were sorry for me. They didn’t enjoys his work, but he takes want to be a bother. If they pride in what he does. had a question, most of them In one sad scene of pathos, would precede it with “if I'm Clooney is firing a man who not asking for too much,” and pulls out pictures of his kids if no answer was immediately and says, “What am I sup- available, they’d apologize posed to tell them?” for asking the question in the Never mind the ex-em- first place. ployee looks like he’s 65 and Of course they are hurt, his kids are barely past the surprised, angry, anxious – teething stage, Clooney asks but in that moment of truth, the man why kids look up to there is an overpowering sports figures. Because sports need to seek simple human figures are following their dignity, the need to preserve I something that they might one of the people she fires in not even understand. I liken a most unbelievable fashion. it to Flannery O'Connor’s un- Unbelievable because, like derstanding of a moment of most people in HR departgrace in her short stories. No ments that she represents, matter how bad the situation, there’s nothing in her characthe desire to rise above it in ter to indicate that she is even almost any way you can plays capable of empathy, let alone into her guiding concept of acting on it. mystery and manners; and, In the end, she did get a for her, how that speaks to the nice letter of recommendapossibility of the divine. tion from Clooney, so she The first person I ever fired could get a much better job, came back to work the next as she was hired on sight afmorning. He had stuff to fin- ter the boss read the letter. Of ish up, you see. I still have the eight people I reported to fond memories of that guy. in nine years, one quit in disThe editor of this rag gust, one was demoted, and you are readthe other ing, whom I’m six were laid proud to call a Yes, the movie pissed off. Maybe friend, when me off from the opening I should’ve told he had to asked Clooscene. Because it’s lay off a staff ney for a letcompletely false. member, inter, too. And stead decided not that anyto lay off himself. Dignity? one even reads those things Grace? I’m not one to say, but any more, let alone hires it sure was cool, and it’s those someone based on one letkind of stories that give one ter. Really, this downsizing hope and faith in the human climate runs deep. Someone condition. should make a movie about This movie will have none it. of that dignity crap, though. There are so many direcThe closest instance also tions this movie could have rings false: The very young, dared to go; but, as the movie naive and annoying corpo- suggests is inevitable, instead rate robot with a minor in it “settled.” There is nothing psychology who doesn’t want about what we euphemistito “settle” in life, ignoring cally called O&O, for “offthe obvious point that she shoring and outsourcing.” sold her soul the minute she Nothing about the macrosigned up for her gig. While economics driving the loss of her character comes off pretty jobs. Nothing about a culture well as one of those emotion- that names its sports stadiums ally empty drones who tend and college bowl games and to populate human-resources research departments after departments, she reacts to an corporations and how much extreme act of selfishness by its incipient corporate values might be fornicating the way we interact with one anoth­ er. Nothing about how one makes decisions about whom to lay off – in our case, we did what was expedient for the legal department, something calculated to limit lawsuits. Keep the best and get rid of the marginal? My ass. By not even giving token lip service to any of these “human” issues, what you have left is a movie about a bunch of assholes rolling that boul­ der up the hill and watching it roll back down again – what in the hell is a poor asshole to do? Well, of course, it’s make a commitment. That’s the obvious lesson for the guy who lectures about the joys of an empty backpack, as well as the “salvation” for those jobless at the back bookend of the movie, who, instead of cussing, now speak of how they learned their family and friends are what’s really im­ portant in life. Commitment. Like Hilton Hotels and American Airlines committed to providing location shots for the movie in exchange for many, many placement ads. You see, the real message of the movie – besides that people who fly a lot are beautiful and have hot sex – is seen several times throughout the movie, usually on a large wall sign posted behind the characters as they mug through the empty dia­ logue: American Airlines values your loyalty. �STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 13 Local News A Feast for Behavioral Health Services Volunteers help agency fete mentally ill clients By andrea Paul-taylor Contributing Writer Greater Cincinnati Behav­ ioral Health Services (GCB) held its 11th annual Thanks­ giving feast for clients Nov. 25, the first at its new location in East Walnut Hills. About 350 clients enjoyed a holiday meal served by vol­ unteers, including Cincin­ nati City Council members Roxanne Qualls, Laketa Cole and Cecil Thomas; Hamil­ ton County Common Pleas Judge Pat DeWine; and U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Miami Township). The feast was a traditional Thanksgiving meal with tur­ key, trimmings and pumpkin pie. But the new Welcome Center where the clients were served is somewhat smaller, and there was concern about possible space issues. “We asked clients to come at two different seatings, noon and 1 p.m., in order to keep any delays to a minimum,” says Kelly Smith-Trondle, access team supervisor for Greater Cincinnati Behav­ ioral Health Services. “For the most part, all went smoothly. It worked better than we had even hoped.” The feast is a joint venture between GCB and IKRON, which provides employment services and counseling to mentally ill persons. Each year staff and volun­ teers work together to prepare the meal with food provided by Frisch’s and the Kroger Co. Girl Scout Troop 4444 from Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Westwood has volunteered since the feast was first es­ tablished; many of the adult women who started as young scouts still come back to help out. “It is important that our clients have somewhere meaningful to celebrate this holiday and that they don’t have to be alone,” says Tony Dattilo, CEO of GCB. “Many have been sharing Thanks­ giving with us for years.” Greater Cincinnati Behav­ ioral Health Services is the most comprehensive mentalhealth agency in Hamilton County serving adults with severe mental illness. Its mis­ sion is to assist persons with mental illness to lead produc­ tive and fulfilling lives. City Councilman Cecil Thomas was a volunteer server at a Thanksgiving feast. Photo courtesy of Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services. Are you interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a proofreader, writer, poet, artist or photographer? If so, contact Greg Flannery 513.421.7803 x 12 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor Invitation to a dialogue with our readers Streetvibes vendors see a lot that you might not. For example, some can describe what goes on in an abandoned building at night when they sleep there. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to stand on a street corner selling newspapers? That’s hardly a common occupation anymore. How much money do Streetvibes vendors make – and what do they do with it? Do they have other jobs? If you have questions, some of our vendors would like to answer them. “Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor” will be an occasional feature, with questions submitted by readers and answered by Streetvibes vendors. You may direct your question to a specific vendor or we’ll invite one to respond. Only include your name if you want to. Send questions to streetvibes2@yahoo.com Or to Streetvibes, 117 E. 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Go ahead. Ask. �14 STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 Italics An ‘AHA!’ Moment in Cincinnati Why should I join Affordable Housing Advocates? 1 By Michelle dillinGhaM Contributing Writer A ffordable Housing Advocates (AHA) is a group of housing providers, advocates and consumers dedicated to the goal of ensuring good, safe, accessible, af­ fordable housing for all people in Southwest Ohio. Our focus is on meeting the hous­ ing needs of individuals and families with very low, low and moderate in­ comes. This group formed to share the expertise and information gath­ ered by its members over decades of service to Greater Cincinnati in the area of affordable housing and to ini­ tiate and support plans of action that will further the creation, retention and accessibility of affordable hous­ ing in our community. We are a diverse group An advocacy organization’s of advocates, spanning the grassroots, faithrole is to help make your based development and advocacy efficient and planning communities. effective. A successful As we enter into the advocacy organization recognizes the challenges 2010 Affordable Housing Advocates (AHA) Mem­ of its individual members bership Drive, I ponder and helps facilitate the group’s advocacy so that, the question: What is advocacy, and why should as a whole, it is effectual and reaches the right ears. we support it? When we say we “advocate,” what do we mean? Let’s begin with the etymological meaning as my father instructed me, invoking the words of Charles Olsen: “Go to the root”. The word “advocate” is from the Latin, advocatus, for “one called to aid,” from ad ("to") plus vocare (“to call”), related to vocem (“voice”). So, the root meaning of ad­ vocacy is a response to a call for help, providing a call to action and a voice. What is intriguing about being a member of an advocacy group? For me it is the action. It is the purpose­ ful transformation of injustice, anger and frustration into an argument for change. It is being part of a greater call to action. It is knowing I am part of meaningful change. The most compelling thing about advocacy is (drum roll, please) it works. This was made ardently clear to me as I worked on the “other” side (the listening side) of advocacy work­ ing at City Hall. There is no greater influence on policy makers than a group of well prepared advocates speaking on behalf of large numbers of constituents standing together. But that is the very thing that chal­ lenges us, isn’t it? To take action takes time. There are so many causes to support that it can be overwhelming. I personally have at least four issues I am interested in and am on someone’s list. The volume of e-mails, newslet­ ters and updates from just those four are many. By the time I scan through them all (inner thoughts: “Hmm, that article looks interesting. … I should download and sign that petition. … I should really go to that meeting and help testify.”), I could throw my mail in a pile, close the e-mail messages and turn on a mindless television show. So much to fight for – but where to start? And I have to make dinner, do laundry, run the kids around (you fill in the blank). Can you relate? One role of AHA as an advocacy or­ ganization is to help make your advo­ cacy efficient and effective. A success­ ful advocacy organization recognizes the challenges of its individual mem­ bers and helps facilitate the group’s advocacy so that, as a whole, it is ef­ fectual and reaches the right ears. The AHA Board will retreat in Janu­ ary to decide how to best fulfill its mission in 2010. We will contemplate how to focus our advocacy and prior­ itize our action agenda. Fortunately, the AHA Board is made up of mem­ bers who together possess an impres­ sive array of knowledge of the local housing landscape. Their leadership on affordable housing issues will help set the stage for our efforts for 2010. Effective advocacy is an art – it is more than a group of individuals writ­ ing an e-mail to their elected officials. Organized advocacy typically starts with an action agenda that covers both incremental and fundamental goals. It identifies who has the great­ est impact on policy decisions; it for­ mulates the evidence, makes the case for policy change on multiple levels and holds policy-makers account­ able. The broader the base of our in­ dividual membership, the better we can engage in organized advocacy. I have always felt strongly about advocating for affordable housing. A few of my reasons include: First, through the years working as a case manager in the field, the search for affordable, accessible, ad­ equate housing took up at least 75 percent of my time, even though it was not the primary intervention I was supposed to be offering (i.e., mental health, sub­ stance abuse, etc.). Second, living in adequate hous­ ing is a basic need, fundamental to one’s well-being on all levels – mental, emotional, physical. Third, affordable, accessible, and adequate housing is a social justice issue-there are real, systemic barriers to housing for people who make low to moderate incomes that need to be changed. Advocacy is the act of pleading Advocacy is the act of pleading for, supporting or for, supporting or recommending; recommending; the act of advocating or speaking the act of advo­ or writing in support of something. cating or speak­ ing or writing in support of something. Your membership dues will go to help implement our mission, which is “to initiate and support plans of action that will further the creation, retention and accessibility of afford­ able housing in our community.” The Affordable Your dues will help fund the “plead­ Housing ing, supporting, and recommending” Advocates of affordable-housing policies. (AHA) envision But we are not only interested in the Cincinnati the $25 that comes with an individual area as a place membership. We look forward to your where all people involvement in what you feel most have good, compelled about related to housing. safe, accessible More than 25 percent of Cincinna­ affordable tians live below the federal poverty housing. As line, and many more are barely liv­ the premier ing above it. We are in an economic housing advocate recession of historic significance – at in a region least 10 percent of us are not working; successfully and the state of the economy has im­ meeting the pacted the availability of affordable needs of its housing on multiple levels. Needless people, AHA to say, there are many issues ahead of will serve as a us that will require our advocacy. model for like Please consider joining AHA. Help organizations across the us help you to be an effective hous­ nation. For more ing advocate. Call me if you are inter­ information visit ested in signing up at 513-602-4260, or e-mail me at mdmswlsw@hotmail. www.ahacincy. com. org Looking for the perfect gift for someone? Why not give a donation to Streetvibes in a loved one’s name? What about a Streetvibes subscription? Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell it for $1, keeping the 75 cent profit. Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” I want to support Streetvibes and the vendors this holiday season. $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: E-mail: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 15 Resources Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Churches Active in Northside 381-SAFE 768-6907 557-2873 681-2365 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 3600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 St. Vincent de Paul 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Charlie’s 3/4 House 661-4620 Crossroad Health Center 241-1064 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 562-8841 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 DIC Live In Program Prospect House 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Starting Over 784-1853 721-0643 921-1613 961-2256 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 961-4080 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 961-4663 First Step Home 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 471-1100 221-3350 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 Hamilton/Middletown 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 Northern Kentucky 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 721-8666 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 621-6364 535-2719 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 I want to thank you for your current article about the Lighthouse Youth Out­ reach Team (see “To Get Youth Off the Streets,” issue of Dec. 1-14). I must say, the quality of your articles is just outstanding. I have been read­ ing Streetvibes for years, but over the last year or two I have noticed an unprec­ edented improvement in the quality and professionalism of your writers. So thank you for the terrific article and congratulations on putting out such a qual­ ity product. Bob Mecum President and CEO Lighthouse Youth Services Have something on your mind? Let us know by sending a letter to: 1 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvibes2@yahoo.com 859-491-8303 721-4700 421-7803 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Center for Respite Care To the editor: 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 799 Ann St. Newport, KY Health Letter to the Editor 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women Brighton Center 381-0111 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 AA Hotline CCAT 241-2600 241-2563 621-5514 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House Treatment: Both 558-8888 981-5800 Other Resources 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Treatment: Women 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 458-6670 977-4489 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach Peaslee Neighborhood Center Shelter: Both Anthony House (Youth) 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 872-9259 241-5525 591-2246 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 Treatment: Men Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Shelter FreeStore/FoodBank 762-5660 Shelter: Men City Gospel Mission 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 A Call to Greater Cincinnati Poets Write for ‘For a Better World 2010’ It’s time to get your verse on. SOS Art, the annual exhibit of art on themes of peace and justice, pub­ lishes a collection of poetry each year. Saad Ghosn, who organizes SOS Art and writes the “Artists as Activists” column for Streetvibes, is now col­ lecting submissions for For a Better World 2010, the seventh edition to date. Any poet from or connected to Greater Cincinnati may submit up to three poems related to themes of peace and justice. All submissions will be considered. The editors will be looking for quality, inclusiveness and appropriateness to the themes of peace and justice. If space becomes limited, priority will go to poets not published in previ­ ous books. The poems selected for publication will be illustrated in black and white by Greater Cincinnati artists. Poets included in the book will be invited to read their poems at SOS Art 2010. For a Better World 2010 will be released in May 2010. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15, 2010. Send submissions as “Word” attachments or in full text By e-mail to saad.ghosn@uc.edu or On a CD to Saad Ghosn, 216 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229. �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES January 1 - 15, 2010 Compassion is a Natural Resource Mary Ann Lederer promotes peace M ary Ann Lederer’s first use of art for politi­ cal purposes was at age 20, during the civil rights movement, designing posters and picket signs. Influenced by the Rev. Maurice McCrack­ en, whom she had met when volunteering at a neigh­ borhood day camp, she actively participated in the desegregation campaign of the early 1960s. With oth­ ers in the city who were trained in Gandhi’s methods of non-violence – negotiations, picketing, occasionally sit-ins – she helped integrate Cincinnati’s restaurants, stores and theatres. Lederer grew up in North Avondale in a Jewish home surrounded by art and music. Her father was a Repub­ lican, her mother a Democrat; though fond of both, she sided politically with her liberal, more compas­ sionate mother. She did not study art per se. In college, she took only one drawing course and majored in soci­ ology. She worked for several years as a social worker, then returned to the University of Cincinnati (UC) to pursue a master’s degree in community planning. Not long after Lederer graduated, she was shot in the back by an intruder in her home. As a result, she be­ came a paraplegic. “When I woke up, I realized I could not move my legs Mary Ann Lederer. Photo by Bill Howes. any more,” she says. “It felt like half my body was filled with cement; yet somehow I knew I wanted to paint.” Lederer underwent rehabilitation, unable to continue arduous physical activity. An alternative vegetar­ then became active in the ian doctor, however, helped her heal by teaching her how to use food disability movement. She to turn her health around. As her health revived, she became active in set up a handicap pro­ Earthsave, an organization that promotes a plant-based diet for the gram at UC and started health of individuals, a clean environment for the health of the earth as a wheelchair basketball and the compassionate treatment of animals. She has been active in team. The team became the local chapter of Earthsave for many years, and its values have in­ the subject of several of fluenced her painting. By Saad GhoSn her early paintings. “I consider myself a philosopher-painter,” Lederer says. “I paint the Contributing Writer Other paintings ad­ world I’d love to live in, a multi-ethnic world of freedom, equality and dressed various disability healthfulness, where the air is clean, water pure, plants wild or or­ issues. One, for instance, ganically grown, animals free – a sustainable natural world.” showed two world-class wheel-chaired athletes wheeling across Her painting, An Intentional Community, represents people in a America to raise money for wheelchair sports. Others depicted a vividly colored world of rivers, trees and animals; some people are wheel-chaired Santa Claus and a wheel-chaired Cupid for Valentine’s gardening, some are coming together at a vegetable market. A Peace Day. Many represented disabled individuals in varied living activities. Village depicts ethnically diverse individuals living together in har­ It was her way of raising awareness about their condition and iden­ mony with animals and the earth. Bicycle City shows a community tity. with no cars – only bicycles, windmills, solar panels, a clean environ­ As the years passed, Lederer developed health problems and was ment where people are able to communicate more closely with one another. It reflected her hopes for many such future communities. Lederer started the painting, A Vegetable Garden in Every Yard, the day after the last presidential election and completed it on Inaugura­ tion Day. It shows the First Family on the White House lawn, which has been transformed into an idyllic community vegetable garden. It was her vision for a healthier, “back-to-the-earth” America. Posters of the painting are now available with the words, “A vegetable garden in every yard.” She hopes it will encourage more people to grow their own food. Lederer was pleased to learn that Michelle Obama has indeed re­ cently started such a garden. She is convinced that what people eat affects not only their health but also their minds, their hearts and their behaviors, that a plant-based diet is preferable to one based on cruelty to animals, and that gardening and organic farming promote communication, community building and a healthy and peaceful so­ ciety. Lederer also uses her art to express her political views. Though aware of the violence in the world, she says, “We have an untapped natural resource in compassion. We need to nurture it. Our educa­ tional system unfortunately is more head than heart and prepares individuals to be competitive sometimes at the expense of a better world for everyone.” A recent painting about the Iraq War shows individuals of differ­ ent ethnicities wearing different costumes, forming a circle, holding hands. The Wall shows Jews and Arabs working together for peace while writing in their own languages on the wall intended to divide them. “My painting is a plea to the peoples of the world to appreciate each other’s cultures and differences, to come together and communicate. Compassionate communication, for example, a system designed by Marshall Rosenberg, teaches people how to listen to each other and feel each others feelings. It works. We can get along with each other.” Lederer’s dream is now to help start organic gardens all over the city, ensure compassionate treatment of animals, promote a vegan A Vegetable Garden in Every Yard, painting by Mary Ann diet and pay respect to mother earth. Her art will continue to reflect Lederer. Photo by Mary Ann Lederer. her vision of a vibrant, natural, diverse and peaceful world. A rtists ctivists Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource January 1-15, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: May They Finally Rest in Peace Metropole Tenants Gain Support Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: 8 Minutes in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Pg 4: Prickly Issue: Needle Exchange Pg 5: May They Finally Rest in Peace Metropole Tenants Gain Support Continued Pg 6: New Voices of the Voiceless Pg 7: Obama Wrong About Non-Violence Pg 8: Veggie Philly Steak Pg 9: Not A ‘Precious’ Happy Ending Pg 10: Homeless Coalition Marks 25 Years Pg 11: Helping Hamid and Understand The Bengals’ Unexpected Weapon Pg 12: On the Streets, Not ‘Up in the Air’ Pg 13: A Feast for Behavioral Health Services Pg 14: An ‘AHA!’ Moment in Cincinnati Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Compassion is a Natural Resource Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 1-15, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Jeni Jenkins Lew Moores Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Kelissa Hieber Jeni Jenkins Stephanie Dunlap Saad Ghosn Lynne Ausman Steven Paul Lansky Larry Gross Eli Braun Aimie Willhoite, Anthony Williams Bill Haigh Clarissa Peppers Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Advocates Aimie Willhoite Annual Dinner Anthony Williams Barack Obama Behavioral Health Services Bengals Bill Haigh Cincinnati Clarissa Peppers David Heitfield Eli Braun GCCH Gregory Flannery Hip-Hop Jeni Jenkins Jennifer Blalock Jeremy Flannery Kelissa Hieber Larry Gross Lew Moores Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Mary Ann mental illness Metropole Michael Henson Paul Kopp Precious Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Stephanie Dunlap Steven Paul Lansky https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/296cdb205d5917621b2aaae7194c4119.pdf 8b68f393224d0344a6a5e5789e421e0f PDF Text Text Artists as Activists Page 16 Profs and Prophets of Non-Violence Page 6 Vendors Celebrate Page 12 STREETVIBES $1 Jan. 15 - 31, 2010 • Advocating Justice, Building Community • Issue 169 Set Afire, Homeless Man Feels Burned by Police Says skeptical detective accuses him of lying By GreGory Flannery Editor The next day, when Smock saw the Rev. Fred Cook, the minister called police. Smock ou can’t blame peo­ told the officer that he didn’t ple who live on the want to pursue the matter. streets for being less When Smock lived in a camp than comfort­ along the Ohio able with law River a few years enforcement; ago, his camp “They attacked some of their ex­ mate was killed. Mr. Smock simply periences with Because the per­ because he is police officers petrator has nev­ homeless. They have been less er been caught, believed that, than pleasant. because Mr. Smock Smock says, he Thus when is homeless, he had little hope George Smock is not human and that his assault was set on fire therefore they could would be treated during the night viciously attack him as important. of Dec. 27, 2009, “My friend – and possibly he didn’t call po­ they called him murder him.” lice. Stringbean – got - Josh Spring “I didn’t fill beat to death,” out a police Smock says. report that night, which I “Nothing ever came of that. should have done, but I’ve got They’re going to make me a to live down here,” he says. “I priority?” don’t want to be made out as When Josh Spring, execu­ a snitch.” tive director of the Greater Y George Smock says four youths set him on fire Dec. 27. Photo by Gregory Flannery. Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, heard about the attack on Smock, he urged Smock to cooperate with po­ lice. “I told him that the people who set him on fire might try to do it to one of his friends,” Spring says. That argument convinced Smock. But now he’s having second thoughts. Residents Only: New Policy at the Drop Inn Center Shelter restructures, emphasizes helping homeless people By Jeremy Flannery Contributing WritEr T he general public may no longer stop by for a meal, relax and watch television at the Drop Inn Center. Since its founding until re­ cently, anyone could go to the homeless shelter. People who are unemployed or mentally ill were welcome, whether homeless or not. The change in policy is part of a restructuring meant to focus the Drop Inn Cen­ ter’s resources on meeting the needs of homeless people, ac­ cording to Executive Director Pat Clifford. “Residents-only is the big­ gest policy change,” he says. “Services once provided to the general community are now restricted to residents. In terms of our funding and making sure the homeless get what they need, we want to be clear that that is our main goal – to help them find per­ manent housing.” The Drop Inn Center reor­ ganized its programming last July. When people arrive at the center, placement specialists now meet with them to eval­ uate their needs beyond im­ mediate shelter so they can find and maintain perma­ nent housing, Clifford says. The majority of people who go to the Drop Inn Center See Policy, p. 11 ‘Trying to survive’ The night of Dec. 27, Smock was at the corner of Main and Court streets, near the Ham- See Burned, p. 4 Read the Streetvibes blog for stories between issues at http://streetvibes. wordpress.com Follow us on Twitter (StreetvibesNews) and Facebook (StreetvibesCincinnati) E-mail us at streetvibes2 @yahoo.com Pat Clifford, Drop Inn Center executive director. Photo by Andrew Anderson. �2 The Vibe By The Numbers 18 billion The quantity of toxic wastewater, measured in gallons, that Chevron Corp. has allegedly dumped in the Amazon forest (see page 5). 25 The percentage of Cincinnatians who fall under the federal poverty level (see page 7). 96-1 The vote in the U.S. Senate to subsidize airlines after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks (see page 9). 222 The number of beds at the Drop Inn Center (see page 1). 50 StreetWise By GreGory Flannery Editor Dealing Death in Our Names Aren’t we proud, Ohioans? Having made national headlines by botching yet another execu­ tion last September – the governor called it off after state guards labored for two hours to kill a man, repeatedly jabbing him with needles – we succeeded Jan. 7 in poisoning another condemned man in just nine minutes. The new execution protocol, used to kill 37-year-old Vernon Smith, disproved the conservative hypothesis that government can do nothing efficiently. In this time of state budgets, isn’t it comforting to know that Ohio can at least kill well? Put aside, if you must, the moral question of whether the state ought to be involved in the business of dealing death. Another problem is the ultimate punishment is applied when ulti­ mate certainty is not possible. Consider the case of Kevin Keith, who has been caged on Ohio’s Death Row for 15 years. Last month the Ohio Supreme Court declined his motion to present new evidence of his innocence. Keith was convicted of killing three people in Bucyrus, Ohio, in 1994. But the case against him is deeply flawed, according to his attorney, Assistant State Public Defender Rachel Troutman. “We are deeply troubled by the Ohio Supreme Court’s failure to allow Kevin Keith to present newly discovered evidence that overwhelmingly proves his innocence and identifies the true perpetrator,” Troutman says. “The Supreme Court’s denial means that no jury will ever hear that the state of Ohio failed to disclose evidence implicating the person who committed the crime for which Kevin stands to be executed. Now, instead of getting the new trial he is consti­ tutionally entitled to, an innocent man faces execution. “Kevin has maintained his innocence from the time of his wrongful arrest and conviction and throughout the 15 years he has sat on Ohio’s Death Row. He has an alibi for the time of the shootings supported by four witnesses. There is no forensic evidence that links Kevin to the crime. As newly discovered evidence shows, the state suppressed evidence identifying the true perpetrator and fabricated evidence in an attempt to bolster the legitimacy of the tainted eye­ witness identification used to wrongfully convict him. The execution of an innocent person, especially one who has not been given a fair hearing, is the gravest injustice that no Ohioan can support. We appeal to the state of Ohio to prevent the execution of an innocent man.” Search Warrants Needed for Cell Phones The number of years the United States has made progress in racial equality (see page 10). The state’s high court did issue one recent decision that deserves credit. It ruled last month that law enforcement must have a warrant in order to search the contents of a suspect’s cell phone seized during an arrest. The decision – the first time a state supreme court in the United States has ruled that warrants are needed to search cell phones – applies constitutional prin­ ciples to modern technology, according to Carrie Davis, staff counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. 13 “Even with changes in technology, we do not sacrifice our core civil liberties,” she says. “Oftentimes the law fails to keep up with the fast pace of technology, but this decision lays the groundwork for greater privacy protections as the digital age advances.” The age at which Mark Schmieder was hit with a hose by a priest (see page 3). 56-55-1 The Bengals’ record under Coach Marvin Lewis (see page 11). 27th The night in December on which four youths set George Smock on fire (see page 1). 54,027 The number of copies of Streetvibes sold by vendors in 2009 (see page 12). $2,344 The cost of a liquor license for a casino in Ohio (see page 10). Kindness Unbowed by Cold or by Nazis Kindness to homeless people is always to be noted and celebrated, especially given the bru­ tality that they so often experience (see “Set Afire,” page 1.) The arctic blast that has frozen much of the nation led the Cincinnati Health Dept. to open the city’s Winter Shelter for 11 of the first 12 nights of the new year. This prompted people in the community to offer food, clothing, blankets and other donations, according to Rocky Merz, spokesman for the health depart­ ment. Unfortunately, however, the shelter isn’t able to handle the donations, he says. People who wish to donate items to help homeless people can call Josh Spring, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, at 513-421-7803, ext. 13. The Winter Shelter, housed at the Over-the-Rhine Recreation Center, 1715 Republic St., also opened twice in December. The shelter has averaged 109 persons per night. Anyone – not just homeless people – can stay at the Winter Shelter when it opens. The city opens the shelter when the temperature is 10 degrees Fahrenheit or colder. Kindness of a much higher order lost one of its greatest practitioners this week with the death of Miep Gies at age 100. When the Nazis occupied the Netherlands, Gies helped shelter Jews being hunted for slaughter. Her most famous beneficiary was Anne Frank and her family. They were later captured, and Frank died in a concentration camp at age 16. Her diary, pre­ served by Gies, is perhaps the best known book about the Holocaust, The Diary of a Young Girl. University of Cincinnati Professor Steve Sunderland, a contributing writer for Streetvibes, knew Gies and counted her a friend. “Miep and I met during one of my visits to the Netherlands as part of my work with the Anne Frank Foundation,” Sunderland says. “She and I shared many talks and tears and an abun­ dance of chocolate. When I first met her, her husband, Jan, was still alive and joined in our discussions of what it was like to feed families in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Both were lowkey peace activists, not wanting to brag or judge others. But it was clear that they both felt that the number of people involved in the resistance was way too small. I last saw Miep when she visited Cincinnati under the wing of her good friend, Cor Suijk.” STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@ yahoo.com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes. wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Kelissa Hieber, Jeni Jenkins, Stephanie Dunlap, Saad Ghosn, Lynne Ausman, Steven Paul Lansky, Larry Gross, Eli Braun Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Jeni Jenkins, Anthony Williams, Bill Haigh, Clarissa Peppers Proofreaders Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are members of: �STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 3 Community News A Priest to Prisoners and the Poor A minister who served others By Vickie cimprich Contributing WritEr M The Rev. Mark Schmieder was known for his work in Over-theRhine. Photo by Clarissa Peppers. ‘God’s saint in this community’ By JeFF hillard Contributing WritEr O n only the second time I ever walked into the Hamilton County Justice Center, about three years ago, as a member of the county's Jail Chaplaincy Team, I met Fr. Mark Schmie­ der in our chaplain's office on level 3. I had no idea who he was. He sat at a desk across from Bob Barbara, another long-termer on the chaplaincy team and a very close friend of Fr. Mark’s. Bob's mis­ sion is to supply inmate requests for complimentary reading glasses. Very, very few county jails in the country – if any – allow such a minis­ try, which made my proximity to these two wise men extremely spe­ cial. Bob said, nodding to Fr. Mark, “Jeff, this is the main man.” I think Fr. Mark blushed, and I know he chuckled. “That's what he thinks,” Mark said. I said, “I've heard about you, Fr. Mark.” He said, “That’s not a good sign.” He chuckled some more. That impression immediately stuck: hu­ mility, sweet spirit, deflection of any kind of “authority” he might have had, absolute humor and goodwill and encouragement. He encour­ aged me, gave me a few pointers, what maybe I didn’t learn fully in chaplaincy training. He soon put on his fisherman's cap, he gave me a hug, and he and Bob, finished, headed to B&G Restaurant for lunch around the corner. He was usually always there at the Justice Center on Friday, with Bob, morning until noon. It didn’t take me long, either, to fathom his brilliance. How could he run St. Francis-St. Joseph Catholic Worker House, too? In the times I saw him after that, I realized that he was God’s saint in this community in the world. Making calls until the very end of his life, with tired, cracked voice, he was never really tired and he was always the voice of the voiceless. ark Schmieder's body was not at the front of the middle aisle, head to the altar, and feet to the congregation. How­ ever, something was parked out of the way by the back east wall in a pine box. Inside was something long, waxened ice blue. The first thought was, “What is a miraculously semi-preserved relic doing in St. Francis Seraph Church in Over-the Rhine? “My God,” I said. “Is that Mark?” Maybe it was not embalmed. Some logistic snafu with the authorities had held it up. That would fit with Mark. No myrrh in no Gilead. It had in fact been on ice from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 so he could die with family in Washington State, and then be with all his loved ones in the Ohio Valley. But everybody enjoyed a photo of him in his teens in the seminary, chubby faced, beardless. The story of his birth was told. He looked dead at his emergence, and they laid him on a table out of the way so everyone could work on saving his mother's life. When they got her stabilized, somebody noticed that Mark was alive. Cold and unattended for some time, with a broken leg. One of his many personal conversions came when he remembered having been hit with a hose by a priest when he was about 13. Then he was part of one more fellowship: Survivors of Priest Abuse. All along he has been aiding and abetting survivors of many sorts. A while back he'd laughed and said maybe nine priests would show up at his funeral. So many turned out they overflowed their assigned seating. The church was packed. Chairos men sang their song around the body during the final commendation. Archbishop Dennis Schnurr was there. The day after The Enquirer announced Schnurr's purchase of a really expensive house in Anderson Township, Mark had stormed into the Chancery: You can't do this. I joked with Glenn Miller that there might be salvation for Schnurr after all: When the real estate market recovers, Schnurr sells at a big profit and gives the money to the poor. The past two years Mark canoed in Paddlefest. He'd sold the canoe he'd rescued Gordon Lightfoot in to Ken Palasin, who glided down the Ohio with Vickie Cimprich, next to Mark and Mary Repaske in 2008. Seems Mark was on one of many Canadian rivers when he came upon this dude stuck on a rock. The next Lightfoot concert in Cincinnati, Mark received two tickets. At least one resident of St. Francis-St. Joseph Catholic Worker House, which Mark had led for some time, was at the reception. This man has lost his family and career to alcoholism. He's working his program now. Likes to read in the house library and work out at the neighbor­ hood gym. He said St. F-St. J was the five-star homeless shelter of Cin­ cinnati. He stayed till the reception was over and worked with Mark's lay Catholic community, Anawim, until all was cleaned up. These workers operated sort of psychically: no one told anybody what needed to be done; all knew. Judy Tensing had gone out to Washington to be with Mark when he died; the catering group she had helped found served a fine feed for all. Judy worked the whole reception and cleanup. Mark had pancreatic cancer; so had Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. Mark's was diagnosed about last March, feast of the Annunciation, about nine months before Christmas. Mark is Epiphany's supernova, his colors awhirl in any ether, any's far sight. The Stable (For the Rev. Mark Schmieder) By Vickie cimprich The shepherd with the antalgic gait was the first to arrive. A swaddling mild autism over all protected. A young girl had been left behind with the flock and the sick man who was going to die soon. The shepherd who loved men held Joseph, each chosen by angels. One teenager passed the placenta and slept well into the next day. All were strong, all were bright. �4 STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 Local News Man Feels Burned by Police Continued from page 1 ilton County Department of Jobs and Family Services. Four African-American teenagers doused him with charcoal lighter fluid and threw a match on him, he says. His coat lit on fire. “These four young boys walked up to me,” Smock says. “It was dark. They had a square can that you start your charcoal with, and they threw a match at me. My coat caught on fire. They said, ‘Now we got you, motherfucker.’ Everything hap­ pened so fast.” Smock says he had a can of Gatorade and doused the fire. He was uninjured. Now Smock feels threatened by police investigators. “They’re trying to turn it around,” he says. “They said they’re going to arrest me for making a false report. The detec­ tive said, ‘We can’t find any residue on the coat.’ ” Smock says he took investigators to his current campsite – a location he declines to identify – and turned over the coat. “I went back and got the coat and gave it to him,” he says. “I’m trying to do the right thing here. I was willing to let it go. If I did set myself on fire, why would I take him where the coat was? The coat’s been out there for two weeks in the rain and everything else. That’s why there’s no residue. I’m the victim in this and they’re trying to Fighting hate crimes make me out to be the one who did it.” A longtime family friend gave Smock the coat, he says. Smock says he has long familiarity with discrimination against “My new Carhartt coat that I got for Christmas – why would I homeless people. He has been cited in the past for drinking in pub­ burn my own coat?” lic, he says. A police investigator told Smock that he suspects Smock ignited “I’ve sat in the Salvation Army lot and watched college students a cigarette lighter in the coat pocket, causing it to burn. walk up and down the street drinking,” he says. “Just because “I don’t even smoke,” Smock says. “I don’t have a lighter. I chew they have money, they’re better than me? You’ve got these people tobacco.” drinking at tailgate parties. It’s OK for them to do it. But if I take a Last week Smock might have made his own legal situation – and 40-ounce (beer) down there, I’m hit in the mouth. It’s an old ex­ the investigation of the assault – more complicated. He says that, pression: It means I’m screwed.” in his exasperation, he gave a new ac­ Smock has agreed to speak at a fo­ count of the incident to a detective. rum on hate crimes being organized by Smock says he told a detective that The workshop/forum on hate crimes will meet the Homeless Coalition, according to he had been on riverbank and leaned Spring. from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29. against something that ignited the “They attacked Mr. Smock sim­ Scheduled speakers include Michael Stoops coat. ply because he is homeless,” Spring of the National Coalition for the Homeless “He was browbeating me,” Smock says. “They believed that, because Mr. and Brian Davis of the Northeast Ohio says. “I gave in to it.” Smock is homeless, he is not human Coalition for the Homeless. At this point, however, bristling at and therefore they could viciously at­ the suggestion that he started the fire, tack him and possibly murder him. The Smock says he’ll fight in court any charge filed against him. Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) condemns “I’m not trying to get anything out of this,” he says. “They’ll nev­ this hate crime and all hate crimes. GCCH encourages all people er find these guys but I’ll be damned if I’m going to be accused of who are homeless to be especially cautious, especially at night, and lying about this. I fly a (panhandling) sign. I don’t rob anybody. But to keep watch for one another.” they want to do this to me. I think it’s wrong. I’m just out here try­ The workshop/forum on hate crimes will meet from 1:30 p.m. ing to survive.” to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29. Contact Rob Goeller (robgoeller@cinci­ Smock says he doesn’t remember the detective’s name. Spring homeless.org) at 513-421-7803 x15 for further details. Scheduled says a contact in the police department told him that the detective speakers include Michael Stoops of the National Coalition for the might be using an investigative technique, testing Smock’s ability Homeless and Brian Davis of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the to withstand cross-examination if the assailants are caught and go Homeless. to trial. Streetvibes vendors keep 75% of sales. Consider helping Streetvibes with our publication costs by making a tax-deductible donation or by purchasing a subscription. Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell it for $1, keeping the 75 cent profit. Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” I want to support Streetvibes and the vendors. $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: E-mail: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 Local News The Good Justice News of 2009 5 Progress on workers’ rights and the environment By kristen Barker Contributing WritEr W e seek to start the new year with a look back at hardfought victories in 2009, in order to look forward to 2010 with energy and wisdom: Cadbury goes fair trade Visit www.globalexchange.org An iconic UK candy company became the first mainstream producer of Fair Trade sweets in July. Cadbury will sell its Fair Trade­ certified chocolate bar at no extra cost, a move expected to triple the volume of Fair Trade co­ coa sourced from Ghana. Student pressure leads to factory re-opening in Honduras Congrats to United Students Against Sweatshops for their vic­ tory against Russell Athletics, which closed its factory in Hondu­ ras after workers there tried to form a union nearly one year ago. Students at 96 universities persuaded their schools to suspend or sever ties with Russell Athletics, a major supplier of college spiritwear. In late December, Russell announced that it plans to re-open the factory and re-hire all 1,200 workers. Just say no to bovine growth hormone In February, Yoplait and Dannon announced they would no longer purchase milk from dairies injecting their cows with Mon­ santo's controversial genetically engineered synthetic hormone, recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH). Another Fair Food movement victory! Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Bon Appétit Management Co. built an innovative new model for fair labor stan­ dards in Florida's tomato fields. Bon Appétit ManVisit agement Company becomes the first food-service www.ciw-online.org company to establish game-changing fair labor requirements that integrate minimum fair wages, worker empowerment stipulations and incentives to growers who exceed minimum requirements of the agreement. The first Latina justice Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latina and the third female U.S. Supreme Court justice – a historic moment for the country and an especially important moment for Latinos. Toledo Public Schools ban ASVAB After four years of organizing efforts led by Learning Not Recruit­ ing, the Toledo School Board, by unanimous vote, passed a revision to its entire policy manual on military recruitment. Toledo has be­ come the first district in the country to ban the Armed Service Vo­ cational Aptitude Battery Test (ASVAB), the military entrance test, from being given in any high school in the district. Bye bye, missile defense In September, the Obama administration eradicated Bush-era plans to deploy missile-defense components in Poland and the Czech Republic. Climate change Tens of thousands of people from around the world took to the streets of Copenhagen to call for meaningful action to address cli­ mate change, despite continuous attempts to squelch it. Inside Co­ penhagen's meeting halls, indigenous peoples from small island nations and the Himalayas spoke powerfully about their rights and their needs. Corporations are not people Visit www.yes.org Three towns in Maine – Shapleigh, Newman and Wells – have passed ordinances that strip corporations of the rights of “personhood,” a legal concept that allows companies to claim the same rights as individual citizens. New coal plants cancelled According to Green America, the No­ vember cancellation of the proposed 960-megawatt coal plant in Meigs County, Ohio, was the 101st new coal plant to be canceled since 2002. Visit www.greenamericatoday.org www.ohiocitizen.org Kimberly Clark, emerging leader in sustainability In August, after years of pressure from GreenPeace and others, Kimberly-Clark, the company that makes Kleenex, Scott and Cot­ tonelle, announced a new policy that places it among the industry leaders in sustainability. Kimberly-Clark set a goal of obtaining 100 perVisit cent of the wood fiber for its products from en- http://www.kleercut.net/en/ vironmentally responsible sources. By the end of 2011 the company will no longer use any pulp from the Boreal Forest unless it is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified. The policy also prevents the company from cutting endangered forests and increases its use of FSC-certified pulp and recycled fiber globally. U.S. commits to limit greenhouse gas emissions In June, the U.S. House of Representatives’ passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which marked the first U.S. nation­ al commitment to limiting greenhouse gas emissions. Tiny town sends multinational packing A six-year campaign by McCloud, Calif., residents forced Nestle to abandon its plan for a mega water-bottling plant. Visit http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/ Community garden bonanza in Cleveland Access to open land in Cleveland has incited a community-gar­ den explosion. By various counts, more than 200 community gar­ dens – neighborhood grow-your-own collaborations – have sprung up on empty lots. Taking back the land – responding to foreclosures in Miami A grassroots initiative through the organization Take Back the Land is finding temporary housing for homeless families in Miami, Fla. Homeless families are matched with houses that have been foreclosed on and are owned by the local government or a bank. The hope is that, by allowing homeless families to live in vacant homes, they will be given the opportunity to conserve their re­ sources and find permanent housing of their own. Most significant conservation victory in 15 years Two million acres of wildness in nine states will receive new pro­ tection under a bill signed into law March 30 by President Obama. The measure has been called the most significant conservation victory in the last 15 years. Hawaii will be 40 percent powered by renewable energy The state of Hawaii and Hawaiian electric companies have al­ lied to dramatically expand renewable energy. Their agreement re­ quires that 40 percent of the island be pow­ ered by renewables. A Victory for indigenous Ecuadorians Visit www.yesmagazine.org Ecuadorian indigenous tribes have won a ruling against Chevron Corp., which owns Texaco. Their 16-year­ old, $27.3-billion liability suit concerns Texaco’s nearly three de­ cades of activity in the Lago Agria area of the Amazon, during which, plaintiffs say, the company dumped 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater into the rainforest. Excerpted from the newsletter of the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center. Missed an Issue? Check out the Streetvibes archive at www.cincihomeless.org/content/streetvibes �6 Local News STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 Profs and Prophets of Non-Violence Laughter is one way to become one By aimie Willhoite Contributing WritEr W hat is violence? Surprisingly, today most would define vio­ lence solely as a physical action or force that causes bodily harm. We cannot ignore evidence, though, that violence is more than just brute force. Mental, emotional and spiritual violence exist as counterparts to this physical expression. And if we devote more time understanding the complex layers of violence, it will ultimately lead to deeper dis­ cussions, which can be dedicated to the idea of non-violence. What is non-violence, and how might we actually be able to practice it within our own lives? I am a student at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) where I re­ cently finished an intense course, “Prophets of Non-Violence,” taught by Professor Patrick Murphy Welage. I have been a part-time student for many years and I truly feel that no other course has affected me as strongly as this one. The content was gripping and the overall experi­ ence life-changing. At Xavier University and NKU, Welage teaches theology and philos­ ophy with an emphasis on social justice and non-violence. He is also a certified laughter yoga teacher. We found out what laughter yoga is when one of our classes was turned into a laughter-yoga-body-mind experience. It was definitely awkward at first, forcing ourselves to laugh without any prompting, without any comedy. It was a matter of faking the laughter until it finally became real and natural. By the end of the class, hilarity was echoing from person to person. The lesson was to use laughter as a practice of non-violence, be­ cause laughter is non-political, non-religious, non-racial and non­ threatening. Like music and art, laughter is a universal language that can transcend many barriers: language, age, gender, race and social class. It enhances our personal relationships and connections with one another. Laughter can suspend or remove divisions between peo­ ple, showing a way to a more peaceful existence together. Patrick Welage teaches laughter yoga and non-violence. Welage is the type of teacher who makes things interesting and wit­ Photo by Aimie Willhoite. ty, although his objective through it all is to have his students thought­ fully examine theories and practices associated with violence and non-violence. We spent a significant amount of time trying to understand apart­ growth and revelation. Our autobiographies would also be based upon heid in South Africa. We were inundated with facts about unspeakable the writings and practices of one of the prophets of non-violence we acts of oppression, torture and violence perpetrated toward blacks at had learned about. How had our life experiences shaped our views on the hands of a white supremacist government. Many turned a blind non-violence? What changes could we make in our lives to soar from eye to what was going on. Apathy is an all too familiar response to hor­ theory alone to a daily practice of being peacekeepers? rendous violations against human freedoms. Each student made a presentation before the class. Nothing could We read A Human Being Died That Night: A Story of Forgiveness by have prepared us for what we were about to share and experience Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela and Priest and Partisan with one another. We each had a story to tell. Our ini­ by Michael Worsnip, hoping to gain some insight into tial reservations about opening our lives to a room­ some of the root causes of this violence in South Africa Apathy is an all too ful of strangers were gone. Something had occurred and how the country would ever recover from it. The throughout the duration of the semester. familiar response to Truth and Reconciliation Commission was formed so One by one we shared our stories and memories: horrendous violations that the country could shift toward truth, reconcilia­ against human freedoms. drug addiction, rape, violence, domestic abuse, al­ tion and most important, forgiveness. coholism, loss of loved ones, serious illnesses, child Forgiveness, faith, redemption and spirituality abuse, divorce, affairs, single parents, depression, sui­ were at the center of many of our discussions. We each had our own cidal thoughts and attempts. It was almost unbelievable, the gravity of unique frame of reference and life experiences to pull from. Our class what we were doing in this small class setting. Their pain became my was made up of Christians from many denominations, Muslims, Bud­ pain, and my pain became their pain. dhists, atheists and agnostics. It was also a sweet mixture of gender, I am convinced that, unless you face the truth, the truth cannot age, race and social class. It was an amazing little community our set you free. Facing ourselves takes courage, let alone facing others. classroom had turned into. Healing and recovery begins with dialogue. I was able to make the cor­ Over the course of the semester we worked on writing a research- relation between what the professor had been teaching us and what based spiritual autobiography. It was to be a deeply personal account we were doing for one another as a class. In the very speaking of “un­ of our own spiritual journey, sharing our own stories of joy, pain, speakable acts,” a person, family, community or nation can begin to heal. Dialogue is purgative medicine for an ailing world. Even if it takes a lifetime, we must encourage one another toward forgiveness when we have been emotionally, spiritually or physically harmed. Pumla Gododo-Madikizela, who described her personal ex­ perience with the post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commis­ sion, wrote about the effects of forgiveness she witnessed in others. “Some societies are finding it more constructive to focus on discov­ ering and nurturing the conditions that make forgiveness first con­ ceivable, then ultimately possible,” she wrote. Forgiveness is a form of non-violence. We need to nurture it within our corner of the world. The final moment of enlightenment came for me as I listened to a young Muslim student discuss what this class had meant to him. He was able to articulate what the majority of us also felt. We were all proud of one another for having the bravery to share our stories. We put ourselves in a very vulnerable position, and yet what we found was that no one judged us or rejected us. We respected one another’s individuality. No one’s faith, beliefs or race were attacked. We simply listened to one another and learned from one another. We accepted our differences. One has to wonder how different the world might be if what hap­ pened within the classroom could happen outside it. We all have the Former South African President Nelson Mandela. REUTERS/David Gray. potential to be prophets – advocates for non-violence. �STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 Housing Issues Cramped Affordable Housing 7 Many cannot afford adequate room, subsidies are insufficient By michelle dillinGham Contributing WritEr P eople who live in affordable housing tend to be young families, senior citizens, single parents, people with dis­ abilities, recently unemployed, low- to moderate-income workers and the formerly homeless. This covers, well, just about all of us at one point or another in our lives. There is an additional layer of us who need affordable housing, but who have issues that exclude us from even being considered as tenants. These issues in­ clude poor credit, conviction record, or eviction history. Housing is considered “affordable” when total housing costs consume less than 30 percent of a family’s income. In 2009 the federal poverty level for a family of four was an annual income of $22,050 or less. For this family’s rent to be “affordable,” they will have to find housing that costs no more than $550 per month, and this includes the cost of utilities. Most landlords now require ten­ ants to pay utilities. I took a quick glance at the rentals advertised in the local paper under “Three Bedroom Apartments.” I did not find ANY three-bed­ room apartments advertised for $550 or less. There are some twobedroom apartments for that price, but a two-bedroom apartment is inadequate for almost any combination of a family of four: single mother, a 3-year-old, 5-year-old and a 13-year-old? No, especially given the floor plans of most two-bedroom apartments: not a lot of room. Two parents, a 12-year-old boy, and a 15-year-old girl? Not ideal. Remember, a full 25 percent of Cincinnatians fall under the fed­ eral poverty level. So a full quarter of our city’s residents cannot afford adequate housing, and adequate in this case is simply being large enough to accommoIn 2009 the federal date family size. Overcrowding and doublingpoverty level for a family up is all too common. Since this family cannot afford any of the of four was an annual income of $22,050 or less. three-bedroom rentals, there are two choices. For this family’s rent to be The first choice is to seek out housing subsidy “affordable,” they will have programs they can qualify for. They will be told to find housing that costs there are none available right now. Their second choice is to take a rental that is inadequate no more than $550 per month, and this includes to accommodate their family size, so they will have to hide how many children they have so the cost of utilities. they won’t be denied housing. This touches on fair housing issues, as landlords cannot legally restrict the number of people in an apartment to less than two per bedroom, regardless of age or sex. Below is a list of the affordable housing subsidy programs that exist. At first glance it appears lengthy and seems like a lot of pro­ grams. In reality, many are either not being adequately utilized, or they are sorely underfunded for the housing needs that exist in our city. Each of these subsidies has a set of policies. Policies are similar to laws: They exist because people weren’t doing what was right, so other people made a policy so that people would do the right thing. Therefore social justice is often preceded by a mandate. There are opportunities for local advocacy for each of these pro­ grams to be utilized and supported. When an affordable-housing development is proposed, there are opponents who write letters and testify at City Hall asking city council members not to approve the subsidy. A recent example was the opposition to a Section 202 project (senior housing) planned for College Hill. Neighborhood resistance blocked it. It is crucial that supporters of affordable housing be informed and vocal so that our city’s families will be able to access these subsidies and have a better chance at afford­ able, accessible and adequate housing. Primer on housing subsidies (Excerpted from the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s “Meeting the Housing Needs of Families”) Community Development Block Grants (CDBG): Created in 1974, the CDBG program passes money to states, some urban counties and cities with populations above 50,000. Municipalities typically use a portion of these funds for housing development – such as home rehabilitation and the acquisition, rehabilitation and resale of vacant properties – and for economic development, including commercial areas. Section 8: Rental assistance to very-low-income tenants. Section 8 tenants pay up to 30 percent of their incomes for rent; the federal government pays the difference between that and a HUD-deter­ mined fair-market rent charged by the property owner. There are two kinds of Section 8 programs. Housing certificates or vouchers are tied to the tenant, for use wherever the tenant lives. The second type, called Section 8 project-based housing, is tied to the apart­ ment unit, so that anyone who moves there receives the subsidy. Low Income Housing Tax Credits: In 1986 Congress created this credit, which is now the most important mechanism for promoting the development of affordable rental units. … Tax-paying develop­ ers receive a tax credit for a portion of the costs of developing af­ fordable rental housing. HOME: HOME funds go to eligible communities for affordablehousing development, including homeownership counseling and local tenant rental assistance. Empowerment Zones: The federal government designated many low-income areas throughout urban and rural America as empow­ erment zones, eligible for roughly $100 million per zone in federal grants and other incentives. Housing is not a central thrust of the Empowerment Zone process—it is fundamentally geared toward business development, job creation and job retention, and often is used for various kinds of commercial and industrial development – but most empowerment zones have some housing elements in their plans. Section 202: This federal program of financing housing for the elderly was created for non-profit developers. It is a deep source of subsidy, providing capital advances and project-based rental as­ sistance for elderly tenants. Section 811: Provides both capital advances and project-based rental assistance to persons with disabilities. HOPE VI: Congress created HOPE VI to revitalize distressed public-housing communities. Any public housing authority (PHA) that operates public housing units is eligible to apply for HOPE VI funds. It encourages PHAs to seek new partnerships with private entities to create mixed-finance and mixed-income affordable housing that is radically different from traditional public housing “projects.” Continuum of Care Funds: These funds can be A full quarter of used for temporary and permanent housing and for our city’s residents supportive services. cannot afford Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG): ESG funds can adequate housing, be used to convert buildings into shelters or to reand adequate in this habilitate existing shelters. The funds also can be case is simply being used for homelessness prevention activities, social large enough to services and operating costs. accommodate family Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS: size. Overcrowding These funds can be used for a variety of purposes, and doubling-up is all including acquisition, leasing or rehabilitation of too common. buildings; supportive services; and rental assis­ tance. Housing Trust Funds: Perhaps the fastest growing new sources of government subsidies are housing trust funds created by local and state governments. These funds take dedicated revenue sourc­ es, such as real estate transfer fees, and commit them to subsidize the development of low-income housing. One way to help advocate for local affordable housing is to join the efforts of Affordable Housing Advocates (AHA). Contact Mi­ chelle Dillingham at mdmswlsw@hotmail.com if you are interest­ ed in joining AHA. If you like what you read, but don’t live in the Cincinnati area, you can subscribe to Streetvibes. Call us at 513-421-7803 x 12 to learn more about subscribing to Streetvibes. �8 Recipe Veggie Stir-Fry “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long” STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 Cheap and Easy Veggie Stir-Fry 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large white onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 packages ramen noodles 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce (or make your own) 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce 1 cup veggie broth or 1 cup water and 1 tsp veggie bul­ lion 1 package frozen mixed veggies (depending on prefer­ ence, I prefer a mix of broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, baby corn, snow peas and red peppers) In a stir-fry pan or skillet on medium low heat, sauté onions and garlic in 1 tbsp oil until the onions turn translucent. Push the onions and garlic slightly to the side, add the oth­ er tbsp oil and heat for 30 seconds, then carefully add the package of frozen veggies, mixing in the onions and garlic. Cook on medium heat until tender, about 4 minutes In a bowl mix together the veggie broth, chili sauce and teriyaki sauce. Add mixture to veggies and bring to a boil. Photo by Jeni Jenkins. By Jeni Jenkins Staff WritEr T his quotation is tak­ en from the 1986 film Little Shop of Hor­ rors, in which a plant keeper must meet the demands of a ravenous plant that feeds on humans. Instead of plants that feed on people, this col­ umn is for people who feed on plants. Sometimes when I get home from a long day at work, the last thing I want to do is go to the grocery store and then spend hours in the kitchen cooking dinner. This recipe is one that I concocted with things I had in my kitch­ en when I wasn’t feeling Suzie Homemaker-ish. Serving Size: 3-4 fairly hun­ gry bellies. Break ramen noodles in half and mix into the veggies. Cook on medium heat about 4 minutes or until noodles are tender. Artwork by Anthony Williams Cleo’s Joke Corner A cat died and went to heaven. He complained that he had to work too much. Then a mouse went by on roller skates. St. Peter said, “See? Meals on Wheels!” ! ? t a h W “Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” - Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed Say___________________ �STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 Guest Column Stop Bleating, Start Barking 9 Nationalize the airlines and stop the whining By daVid heitField Contributing WritEr “I 'd rather be sniffed by a dog than endure a whole body scan by a man,” a woman said this morning on the Diane Rehm Show. At first I thought, Freud's eternal question, “What do women want?” had finally been answered. My mind engorged with thoughts of a certain librarian I know teaching this old dog some new tricks. But further listening revealed the talk-show caller’s statement The only critiques I've was simply more annoying read against the taxpayer yelping about how we should deal with potential terrorist bailout of the airline attacks on airlines. industry after 9/11 came It's annoying because I from the likes of American don't hear anyone talking Heritage magazine. about the crux of the prob­ lem: The half-assed Christmas bombing attempt of Delta's Northwest Flight 253 by a lonely and unstable young man wearing women's underwear is yet another example of the failure of our corporate welfare state. Delta CEO Richard Anderson bemoaned the near tragedy, making the point that a for-profit company is in no way responsible for providing a safe and re­ liable product for its customers, nor should it suffer financial consequences for any failure of its business model. Sound familiar? “We're obviously disappointed,” Anderson said. “The things that have occurred over the last decade to this industry and the work we've done over the last decade ought to give us a better result than the peril that our crews and passengers faced on Christmas. … You can be certain we will make our points very clear­ ly in Washington.” Let me make my point very clearly, Mr. Anderson. Shall we review your work over the past decade? You opportunistically took advantage of 9/11 to revive a failing business model (threatened by the likes of up­ starts such as Southwest Airlines) through a $15 bil­ lion taxpayer bailout of the airline industry, enacted less than two weeks after the World Trade Center trag­ edy. Not enough, in 2003 taxpayers gave your indus­ A passenger removes his shoes as he places his belongings in a tray at a security try another $3.2 billion. You filed bankruptcy, much checkpoint at Washington's Ronald Reagan National Airport. REUTERS/Larry Downing. like other giants in our corporate welfare state, a rem­ edy largely available only to needy corporations, not needy individuals, thanks to more bipartisan lobby­ ing efforts during the Bush years. You gutted pension plans, slashed deal with pirates. When the economy tanks, carjackings increase. pay so pilots and crew earn scarcely more money and respect than a Just a few decades ago hijackings were commonly in the news. Ar­ greeter at Wal-Mart, charged people's clothes to travel with them and chie Bunker once suggested that we stop hijackings by arming all the passengers – just pass out the guns as people board and collect them bought yourself another airline. Christopher Hitchens, the famed atheist whose amygdala won a at the end of the flight. Amusingly, Congress included a provision in the recent transportation bill to allow successful coup attempt of his brain af­ Amtrak passengers to bring theirs on ter 9/11 (his view that science is always What’s new is that any such failings of human board. It appears that traveling at 35,000 good and religion has caused all the evil feet in an aluminum tube with people in the world is proven by the actions of character are now met with ransom demands on packed like sardines breathing recycled the Council of Trent, which must have the American taxpayer, to provide a certainty that air has some risk – who knew? hatched the nefarious plan to drop a will never exist, except for the certainty that some What's new is that any such failings of new bomb codenamed Fat Baby Jesus corporate interest will reap rewards. human character are now met with ran­ on Nagasaki), opined in Slate that the som demands on the American taxpay­ fault lies not only with “our endlessly er, to provide a certainty that will never exist, except for the certainty incompetent security services” but with “public opinion that sheep­ that some corporate interest will reap rewards. ishly bleats to be made to ‘feel safe.’ ” Take that, Brutus. While I'm certainly sympathetic to the ideas of the rational con­ Hitchens conveniently ignores that our half-assed efforts to make servatives who argue we should always let these industries fail, that the sheep feel safe is a compromise of trying to detect terrorist activ­ ity while not taking measures so obtrusive that they negatively impact solution is political suicide in this climate of zero net job growth in the profits of the airline industry. Like the woman above, if sniffing the past decade and double-digit unemployment. Which is why we should nationalize the airline industry. (I'd per­ dogs keep more customers flying than body scans, then that's where we'll go. And if for some reason we do go with body scans, who pays sonally prefer to let it fail and invest in new rail travel, so we don't fall for the estimated $100 billion cost? The American taxpaying sheep, a century behind the Chinese with their new cross-continent bullet of course. And when profits erode because the woman decides not to trains.) If air travel were completely under the control of Homeland fly at all, we'll help pump up the airlines' coffers with more taxpayer Security, we could take more stringent measures concerned with passenger safety without worrying about profit margins. We could money. This Too Big to Fail corporate theocracy is untenable, and to be fair guarantee every flight has at least an air marshal aboard. We could be to my brethren on the right, the only critiques I've read against the more stringent in deciding who is allowed to board the plane. Hell, we taxpayer bailout of the airline industry after 9/11 came from the likes could even treat pilots and crews to a little more pay and respect. We just can't afford to keep responding to fear with corporate wel­ of American Heritage magazine, warning that we were headed down fare, be it financial institutions (free markets can only work when the a bottomless rabbit hole. The Airlines Transportation Safety and Sys­ tem Stabilization Act passed in the House by a vote of 356-54 and a middle-class subsidizes the rich), the defense industry (it's OK to kill whopping 96-1 in the Senate. It seems corporate welfare is our only civilians, Blackwater; and it's fine to gang-rape women, Halliburton – here, let's give you some more taxpayer money, too), or the airlines. source of Congressional bipartisan support. Transportation terrorism is hardly a new phenomenon. Railroads We need to bare our teeth and bark at these assholes, instead of tuck­ ing our tail and peeing in submission. hired Pinkerton guards to deal with robbers back in the day. Stage­ coach travel was fraught with risk. Shipping concerns still have to �10 Local News STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 Why Martin Luther King Matters Xavier University plans week of commemoration By dan rozier Contributing WritEr I t is Martin Luther King Jr. Day today, an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come, the people who have lived, worked and died for racial equality and the actions necessary to maintain the momentum of our progress. All next week (Jan. 18-22) Xavier Univer­ sity is hosting events “We must understand and that reflect King’s lega­ cy. Student groups from appreciate our past in order to shape and change across the campus our future. Consequently, have banded together to provide lectures, the graveness of the holiday is unchanged and art exhibits, films and will forever be a reminder a march and rally that are all free and open to of African Americans’ struggle in this country as the public. For a comwell as current motivation plete list of the events, times, locations and for growth.” additional details visit - Lundon Brown www.xavier.edu/mlk. Relatively speaking, it could be argued that, in the past 50 years, the United States has made more progress in racial equality than any other nation. In just a half-century we have witnessed the fight for equality go from the streets of Birmingham to the Oval Office. With the election of Barack Obama in 2008, we watched affirmative action come to fruition, and overnight he was the personification of the American Dream. It wasn’t just a victory for African Americans; it was a triumph of a nation, and for a fleet­ ing moment, it seemed that “We shall Over­ come” could be changed to “We have over­ come.” Yes, we have come a long way; but in the midst of our success, we must not forget the history, the people and their passion that laid the foundation for such progress. Nor can we let it blind us from the progress that has yet to be made. “We must understand and appreciate our past in order to shape and change our The grave of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. REUTERS/Tami Chappell. future,” says Lundon Brown, president of be lessened by any singular act, no matter the Black Greek Society at Xavier Univer­ its magnitude.” sity. “Consequently, the graveness of the The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is one holiday is unchanged and will forever be of 10 student and university organizations a reminder of African Americans’ struggle sponsoring Xavier’s Martin Luther King Jr. in this country as well as cur­ events at Xavier next week. rent motivation for growth.” “On the surface, our nation’s Student leaders are adamant “The historic election of an African-American about creating and encourag­ election of President president illustrates a society ing open dialogue about how Barack Obama does transcending racial injustice. King’s legacy is still alive today, However, with a critical eye, not diminish the even though we have an Afri­ one still recognizes the institu­ need to celebrate can-American president. tional and systematic issues of King’s legacy.” “The historic election of race that still plague our great - Aaron Marble President Barack Obama does nation in areas of education, not diminish the need to cel­ incarceration and poverty,” ebrate King’s legacy,” says Aaron Marble, a Marble says. senior at Xavier University and president of For a complete list of the events, times, lo­ Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. “Rather, it pro­ cations and additional details about events vides the opportunity to celebrate the leg­ at Xavier University celebrating King’s lega­ acy. Dr. King’s impact and influence cannot cy, visit www.xavier.edu/mlk. To the editor: I understand from an article in the Cincinnati Enquirer that the $2,344 per year for a new class of liquor license for casinos equals the most expensive retail liquor license currently is­ sued by the state, but I wonder how that peculiar figure was decided upon for existing retail liquor licenses for night clubs, etc. More importantly, did anyone give any thought to factors such as (1) increased state income from “well oiled” gamblers and (2) balancing the incentive of casinos to give away free drinks with an opportunity for Ohio to profit much more by changing a considerably higher licensing fee? With so much potential for increased state earnings, simply repeating the odd $2,344 fee seems very irresponsible from a fiscal standpoint. That's incredibly “small beer” in the casino world. Four such licensed casinos in the state would earn Ohio a mere $9,376 per year from the li­ censes, though the likely growth in profits of both casinos and the state from increased betting by drinkers would be many, many times that amount. If it’s virtually certain that casino owners will want to give away free drinks, why doesn’t Ohio be smart and charge them at least $250,000 per casino site for the license? How could anyone be surprised that casino officials consider the negligible fee of $2,344 to be “appropriate”? Finally, if the state is going to profit from the dispensation of alcohol, let’s have a good look at the Casino Control Commission’s guidelines and possibly insist that everyone who plans to drive away from a casino site first passes a simple test to ensure they’re under the legal bloodalcohol limit. Robert A. Pohowsky Madeira, Ohio Have something on your mind? Let us know by sending a letter to: 1 117 E. 12th Street 1 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 1 streetvibes2@yahoo.com �STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 11 Local News New Policy at the Drop Inn Center Continued from page 1 are facing transition between housing and stay for less than a month, he says. The center has 222 beds – 180 for men and 42 for wom­ en. For chronically home­ less people, the center offers case management to connect them with medical care, drug rehabilitation and employ­ ment, Clifford says. The cen­ ter employs nine case man­ agers, with five onsite and four offsite. The Drop Inn Center has a dorm housing 120 people who need initial housing as­ sistance. It also has a “step up” dorm with a capacity of 60. The requirements for that program are having employ­ ment, establishing a bank ac­ count, attending education classes and a willingness to volunteer to keep the center clean. The perks include a larger storage area for per­ sonal property and being sur­ rounded by like-minded peo­ ple seeking ways to improve their lives, Clifford says. Since August 2009 the Drop Inn Center has achieved a success rate of 60 to 65 per­ cent in helping people find permanent housing, he says. “We’re trying to raise the bar with no new increases in funding,” Clifford says. “The reorganization was budgetneutral. We invoked creativ­ ity, stole ideas from other shelters and listened to sug­ gestions from residents and The men’s dorm at the Drop Inn Center prior to recent renovations. Photo by Andrew Anderson. “We’re trying to raise the bar with no new increases in funding. The reorganization was budget-neutral. We invoked creativity, stole ideas from other shelters and listened to suggestions from residents and staff. The feedback from staff, the community and residents has been very positive.” - Pat Clifford staff. The feedback from staff, the community and residents has been very positive.” The Drop Inn Center regu­ larly remains at full capacity, Clifford says. The center is or­ chestrating an interfaith col­ laboration to provide shelter once it reaches full capacity. Once the center is full, people still in need of shelter are di­ rected toward organizations such as the Cincinnati Chap­ ter of the Saint Vincent DeP­ aul Society. “That’s why we advocate to be prepared in September to November for the winter,” Clifford says. “We don’t turn anyone away because of ca­ pacity. The result is some people have to sleep on the floor. To me, it’s a success sto­ ry of collaboration.” The Drop Inn Center re­ quires people who come seeking help to show identifi­ cation before being accepted into the shelter, Clifford says. The staff needs to know who is inside the building, he says. For someone who can­ not provide state identifica­ tion, the center will provide its own form of identification after being sure the person is not a sex offender, he says. State law prevents former sex offenders from staying at the shelter because of its proxim­ ity to the new School for Cre­ ative and Performing Arts. People who have been banned from the Drop Inn Center can use a grievance process by completing a reen­ try form available at the Drop Inn Center or at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. For more information about the Drop Inn Center, call 513-721-0643 or visit www.dropinn.org. We Don’t Understand, but Thanks Victory doesn’t have to make sense By B. cliFton Burke Contributing WritEr A t the beginning of the year, not many expected much from the ol' Bengals this season, and who could blame them? They were fresh off a fourwin season, they played in the toughest division in the NFL and had lost one of their stars, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, to free agency. Expectations were predictably lukewarm for their 2009 campaign. Then the wins came, and the world was flabbergasted. For Bengal fans, skepticism turned into relief, which then turned into excitement and eventually morphed into ela­ tion. For such a hard-ridden and long-suffering fan base as the Bengals', this season was something of a dream come true. Sadly, however, there are still those who are far from satisfied with how things have turned out. Many lifelong fans remain highly critical of the team’s direction and the style of play the organization has adopted. Either the run-first, defensive-minded mentality is not their preferred style of game, or the coaching staff's perceived unwillingness to stray from the script in any way contradicts their version of common sense. In both cases, they ultimately go after Head Coach Marvin Lewis. It seems incredible to me that Cincinnati hasn't taken to Marvin more. Before him, the team was completely lost at sea; inept in every way. Since then, they are 56-55-1, which is at least consistently visible from the shoreline. They have won the division twice in that stretch and have never finished last. While certainly not matching the kind of win totals with that of New England or Indianapolis, Marvin Lewis has the Cincin­ nati Bengals solidified within the ranks of league respecta­ bility – something many once considered out of reach for such a dismal organization. I think one could make a good case for Lewis as the NFL Coach of the Year. Not only is he credited for the turn­ around in wins, he's had to also redefine the culture that surrounds Bengals football. This team is now made up of professionals who can be ex­ pected to go about their busi­ ness on and off the field in a levelheaded manner. Gone is the sideshow that came with all the dramatic divas of the past. The most made-for-TV of them all, Chad Ochocinco, remains with the Bengals, but even he is more serious about his job this season than what he's demonstrated in years past. Much was written about the emotional overload the team faced on a number of occa­ sions. From the unexpected deaths of Chris Henry and Vikki Zimmer to the tsunamis in Samoa, Marvin has needed to be a friend and mentor instead of just a coach to his players. Yet in the face of all of that, not only has he kept the train on the track long enough to manage a winning season, his team swept the AFC North and now finds it­ self in the postseason. Yes, he is steadfast to his philosophy even when it ap­ pears to go against reason, true he sometimes employs curious ways of clock-man­ agement and yes, I agree that there are flaws to his predict­ able nature, but for now, the man is winning, and I think it's about time the world rec­ ognizes that fact. Plus, I don't see a replace­ ment stepping in and im­ mediately elevating this team to an even higher level. If anything, it would likely take time for a new coach to become entirely comfort­ able with his new team; and STREETVIBES Vendor Mary frankly, I'm tired of starting over with new coaches, espe­ cially when the guy currently leading the pack is moving at a steady pace. To all those expecting a quick post-season exit to justify your prolonged pes­ simism toward Marvin and his staff, you're missing the point: It's more fun when the team you’re rooting for wins. If the man in charge contin­ ues to accomplish that task at the rate he's on, I see no rea­ son to make a change. Thanks, Marvin, and keep up the good work. Only purchase Streetvibes from BADGED vendors. Vendors wear their WHITE badges while they sell the paper. �12 Community News STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 A Chance to Celebrate Adath Israel again benefits ‘Streetvibes’ vendors By Jeni Jenkins Staff WritEr W ith the help of Adath Israel con­ gregation, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) held its annual Streetvibes vendor holiday party Dec. 21, 2009. This celebration is an ex­ pression of appreciation for the dedicated vendors, a way to let them know how much we value their hard work and their commitment to spread­ ing the word about homeless­ ness. The Streetvibes vendor pro­ gram is designed to distribute news that educates the pub­ lic about social justice issues in Cincinnati, as well as pro­ vide a source of income for low-income and homeless or dren from Adath Israel. formerly homeless individu­ After the meal, vendors als. Last year received gifts. 111 vendors Each vendor d i s t r i b u t e d Thanks so much to Adath was individu­ 54,027 cop­ ally “adopted” Israel for helping make ies of Streetby families of our vendors’ holiday vibes, which Adath Israel, party a success for the amounts to and some ven­ seventh year in a row. approximate­ dors received ly $40,520 in gifts for their potential profit for our ven­ spouses, children and grand­ dors. children. One vendor, William Twenty-six vendors at­ Bussell, who joined our ven­ tended the party, enjoying a dor team in October, received meal provided by members a brand new bike that he will of Adath Israel. The spread use for selling Streetvibes in included LaRosa’s pasta and Northern Kentucky. pizza as well as a few homeThanks so much to Adath cooked dishes and home­ Israel for helping make our made cookies. As they took in vendors’ holiday party a suc­ the food, the vendors relaxed cess for the seventh year in a to holiday music, enjoyed a row. sociable chat and read holi­ day cards handmade by chil­ Nelle Williams, Streetvibes vendor, waiting for gifts. Photos by Jeni Jenkins. Antonio Hodge poses for a picture. Cleo Wombles, Streetvibes vendor, is known for his clown costume. James Brown shows off his t-shirt. Vendors received gifts from Adath Israel congregation. �STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 13 Poetry Corner The Sorrow and the Pity By spencer ledyard My left kidney gave up, Dislodged and died. It was knocked loose by Sarai in an effort small By comparison to what we had read: Jews stampeding like beasts of burden from Buna, Freezing, starved, and it didn't stop on any ac­ count. A sociopath might call it an evolutionary trek. A humanist might call it credo. Night. It is called, Night. I am at a loss, two days later, in the hospital. I am a Catholic; “credo” comes into my head readily From the Nicene or the Apostle’s Creed. In Latin it means literally “I be­ lieve.” wrote earlier. The first conversation we had was about Jewish guilt Because I had heard of it and thought it was a myth, Or a mythical being haunting some section of the Torah But she said it was one of those untranslatables: Something understood thru years of context clues, And I felt like she was brushing me off. I told her that for gentiles, the ones I knew, Jewish guilt was understood vicariously thru Holocaust media. She was not offended when I said this But told me I was supposed to. I felt like Annie Hall. She said the guilt was a part of the community, And that was part of it, being responsible to the family. We sat in the library, reading Night, side by side, And when she finished first she walked behind me, Put her gray, sweatered breasts on my neck And her arms around my chest while I read on. When I finished she said, “Take me home, Matthew.” We rode the train holding hands like father and son. Tiny, she slammed me thru the door of our apartment And on to the bed and took the ache out on me. In the dictionary it means a creed, but I’m rambling. It is nice to research etymology rather than to feel “At a loss” for what to call it. I turn off the computer. I am biting my eraser and my left eye keeps twitching. Sarai is Jewish and so good to me, kidney be damned, And we met in a sweet way, kissing the first day, And she brought me a good bunch to eat here President Obama listens to Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, author of Night. And I read her a few short stories I REUTERS/Markus Schreiber. I love her but you already know that and love feels small Next to this guilt, pulling like fingers against a noose, Guilt that I can’t say anything to balm the brutality, Guilt that this poem is never going to be enough. Are you interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a proofreader, writer, poet, artist or photographer? If so, contact Greg Flannery 513.421.7803 x 12 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com aFFordaBle rates etvibes? tre nS rested in Advert Inte isin gi many sizes (full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page) Black & White and color aVailaBle discounts For nonproFits Contact Lynne at 513-421-7803 ext. 11 or lynneausman@cincihomeless.org for more information. �14 International News STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 Watch the Birdies, Pay Attention They might tell you about ecological woes By ido liVen StrEEt nEWS SErviCE T EL AVIV, Israel – Or­ nithologists say that climate change is having a profound effect on bird behavior and suggest that this phenomenon can act as an early warning sys­ tem to the dangers posed to Earth. “The fact that birds are changing their behavior means that climate is chang­ ing already,” says Marco Lambertini, chief executive of Birdlife International (BI), a conservation federation working to protect birds and their habitats. “Birds are an excellent early warning system to what is happening to climate.” Numerous studies have been tracking the effects of climate change on the sur­ vival, migration and repro­ duction of different bird spe­ cies. As spring temperatures rise, the breeding of ficedula flycatcher has been delayed across Europe. The same rea­ son was attributed to earlier breeding by tree swallows in North America and an oppo­ site tendency in Antarctic sea birds. “Some are winners, some are losers. Some species will expand, some species will run out of habitat,” said Lamber­ tini, speaking with IPS on the on the sidelines of the annual Bird Watching Conference in Tel Aviv last month. “But it’s estimated that for each spe­ cies that benefits, three spe­ cies will be in trouble.” While climate change re­ lated threats to human live­ lihood might seem clear, the other consequences for man are not too obvious. “We still need to consider the intrinsic value of nature, its spiritual, aesthetic, emo­ tional and recreational values which are as important as its economic value,” said Lam­ bertini. “The Economics of Ecosys­ tems and Biodiversity,” a re­ cently published study aimed at setting a price tag on Earth’s natural assets, considers the avian aspect. Insectivorous birds, according to the study, play an important role in crop production as they regulate insect pests. “Maybe people are not aware of it, but the situation is quite acute,” says Prof. Marcel Visser, who heads the animal ecology department at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology. “There are already many species which are de­ clining quickly,” he told IPS over telephone. A study by Visser published last year found that 12 out of 24 European bird species studied have decreased their migration distances through the past 70 years. “There’s always a lot of variation,” he says. “It’s not that all the species change in the same way.” Another study conducted by Durham University scien­ tists projects that by the end of the century nine out of the 17 European birds studied might actually be undertak­ ing longer journeys north­ wards. One key element is food availability. Alterations in weather patterns directly af­ fect the timing of vegetation growth and the birds that feed on it or on the insects they eat. In many cases, bird migra­ tions are no longer synchronized with food abundance. Other factors that are known to be challenging bird survival on land and sea include prey distribution and shrinking hab­ itats. “They need to adapt themselves,” says Yoram YomTov of Tel Aviv Uni­ versity, who found some bird species in England to be changing their body weight. “Those who Climate modeling predicts a northward expansion for the European don't adapt – their roller (coaracias garrulus) but suitable habitats are a question. Photo numbers decline, by Markus Varesuvo/IPS. those who do – their numbers remain stable “The only thing that can be “Flood defense is some­ or even increase.” done is reduce greenhouse thing that we have to do, but When it comes to project­ gas emissions and make sure we support prevention rather ing the risks birds face, orni­ the temperature doesn't in­ than firefighting,” says Lam­ thologists avoid numbers. crease by more than, say, one bertini. “If we don't tackle the “It all depends on how our or two degrees,” he says. root problem, we will need climate is going to change. If BI – which has affiliates in bigger and bigger defenses – the temperature is going to more than 100 countries – it’s not feasible.” rise by two degrees, the pat­ believes that some mitigation A study published last year terns will be different from measures are inappropriate. by researchers from three when temperature rises by “Badly placed wind farms, universities in Canada and four degrees,” says Visser. unsustainably produced the United States found that BI currently ranks climate bio-fuels and harmful irriga­ male mockingbirds in more change a distant ninth among tion and anti-flood measures variable climates sing more the different threats to birds are posing new threats and complex tunes. and issued a formal position stresses on birds and their Mockingbirds sing to at­ on climate change only in habitats, too,” a position pa­ tract mates, and the complex­ June 2008. per by the organization says. ity of the chanting might indi­ “Some conservation move­ “We don’t object to wind cate the quality of the singer. ments – and BI is probably farms. We want wind farms But although finer tunes are part of it – have woken up late to be located in places which thought to help the feathered to the challenge. But I think are not impacting biodiver­ troubadours adapt better to we are pretty much on course sity,” Lambertini says. harsher climes, the acceler­ to fight it very hard,” Lamber­ Similarly while sea-level ating rate of change could tini told IPS. rise poses a threat to both mean the birds are singing Conservation measures coastal human communities their own requiem. targeted at particular bird and low-lying ecosystems, Courtesy of Inter Press Ser­ species are not the way to inadequate barrier construc­ vice. deal with the threat posed by tion could put shore birds at © Street News Service: climate change, says Visser. risk. www.street-papers.org 1128 Walnut St Pizza by the Slice Tues and Thurs Buffet($7.00)-11AM-2PM Wed-Thur-Fri-Sat 9PM-3AM Become a Fan of Streetvibes on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/streetvibescincinnati �STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 15 Resources Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Churches Active in Northside 381-SAFE 768-6907 557-2873 681-2365 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 3600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 St. Vincent de Paul 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Charlie’s 3/4 House 661-4620 Crossroad Health Center 241-1064 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 562-8841 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 DIC Live In Program Prospect House 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Starting Over 784-1853 721-0643 921-1613 961-2256 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 961-4080 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 961-4663 First Step Home 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 471-1100 221-3350 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 Hamilton/Middletown 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 Northern Kentucky 721-4700 421-7803 ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 721-8666 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 621-6364 535-2719 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry Brighton Center 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 381-0111 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 AA Hotline CCAT 241-2600 241-2563 621-5514 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House Treatment: Both 558-8888 981-5800 Other Resources 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Treatment: Women 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 458-6670 977-4489 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach Peaslee Neighborhood Center Shelter: Both Anthony House (Youth) 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 872-9259 241-5525 591-2246 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 Treatment: Men Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Shelter FreeStore/FoodBank 762-5660 Shelter: Men City Gospel Mission 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 859-491-8303 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Health Center for Respite Care 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor A Call to Greater Cincinnati Poets Invitation to a dialogue with our readers Write for ‘For a Better World 2010’ Streetvibes vendors see a lot that you might not. For example, some can describe what goes on in an abandoned building at night when they sleep there. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to stand on a street corner selling newspapers? That’s hardly a common occupation anymore. How much money do Streetvibes vendors make – and what do they do with it? Do they have other jobs? If you have questions, some of our vendors would like to answer them. “Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor” will be an occasional feature, with questions submitted by readers and answered by Streetvibes vendors. You may direct your question to a specific vendor or we’ll invite one to respond. Only include your name if you want to. Send questions to streetvibes2@yahoo.com Or to Streetvibes, 117 E. 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. It’s time to get your verse on. SOS Art, the annual exhibit of art on themes of peace and justice, pub­ lishes a collection of poetry each year. Saad Ghosn, who organizes SOS Art and writes the “Artists as Activists” column for Streetvibes, is now col­ lecting submissions for For a Better World 2010, the seventh edition to date. Any poet from or connected to Greater Cincinnati may submit up to three poems related to themes of peace and justice. All submissions will be considered. The editors will be looking for quality, inclusiveness and appropriateness to the themes of peace and justice. If space becomes limited, priority will go to poets not published in previ­ ous books. The poems selected for publication will be illustrated in black and white by Greater Cincinnati artists. Poets included in the book will be invited to read their poems at SOS Art 2010. For a Better World 2010 will be released in May 2010. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15, 2010. Go ahead. Ask. Send submissions as “Word” attachments or in full text By e-mail to saad.ghosn@uc.edu or On a CD to Saad Ghosn, 216 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229. �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES January 15 - 31, 2010 Power of Uncomfortable Art Kurt Storch’s painting advocates mental health “I am a regular guy, husband, and father,” says Kurt Storch. “I am OK with being me, but it has not always been that way. Fear and self-loathing marked much of my early life.” Storch, a visual artist, has suffered from clinical depression since his early childhood. When he was 2 years old, he discovered crayons, coloring books and Play-Doh and used them as an immediate means to express himself and find respite from the torments of his condi­ tion. He did not, however, become serious about art until in his mid-30s when, going through a serious depressive episode and heavily selfmedicated, he tried to take his own life. Luckily, he did not proceed all the way, sought medical help and actively started confronting his situation. One of the decisions he made then was to pursue an art career. Storch attended the Academy of Communicative Arts in Cincin­ nati, graduated with a degree in design and illustration and worked for several years as a commercial artist. This, however, did not satisfy him. Doing work for others was taking him away from his own needs and connecting him more with his underlying anger. He found him­ self slipping more into depression and decided to quit. Storch did not do art for several years afterwards. He later got pro­ gressively back into it, focusing more on himself, discovering a new spiritual dimension to his creativity. His works during that period consisted of a series of assemblaged boxes, subconsciously executed; they talked to him after the fact and opened a road to his psyche, con­ necting him to his ego. They also addressed sev­ eral social and political as issues that preoccupied him: gun violence, the role the AK 47 plays in By saad Ghosn modern society, the inContributing WritEr discriminate targeting of black males by the police, the distorted vision of God and Judeo-Christian symbols by Western civilization. His art had become mostly process-oriented, away form the commodifiable, sellable product. It was helping him sort out his issues, unravel and express the alienation he was going through, assert himself and find his voice. Unfortunately, Storch quickly discovered A rtists ctivists Manic Depression, painting by Kurt Storch. Photo by Kurt Storch. Kurt Storch standing next to his painting, Oh Happy Girl. Photo by Bill Howes. that society did not easily accept mental illness, that it was frightened by it and rarely knew how to deal with it. His condition kept him iso­ lated, losing friends and job opportunities; it also prevented him from sharing his works with others. Two years ago Storch met Barbara Gamboa, a local visual art­ ist who was using her art to combat her own post-traumatic stress disorder. Gamboa got him to show his work and encouraged him to fight through his art the stigma of mental disease. She involved him in Hope and Strength Through Art, an exhibit she was curating at the time, sponsored by the Mental Health Arts Collaborative. The exhibit connected him to many other professional and non-professional art­ ists who, like he, were suffering from mental illness. Through artists’ talks, they all shared their personal trials and tribulations with the disease, telling their own story. For Storch, it was an empowering ex­ perience, one that opened new horizons and made him determined to become an activist for the cause of mental wellness. “I started using my art as a metaphor for spiritual awareness to help myself and others who suffer and are stigmatized by mental ill­ ness,” he says. “I wanted my work to make a comment about my own condition as well as that of others. The creative process can also help anyone realize what is going on inside and find a therapeutic outlet.” Storch is now very active in raising awareness about mental illness and the stigma it places on the individual, self-inflicted or imposed by society. He shows his related work whenever the opportunity presents and gives talks on the subject, sharing his own experience. He was recently invited to display his works at a seminar featuring a psychia­ trist who had written a book on the topic. Manic Depression, one of the paintings Storch exhibited, pertained to the brain-diseased mind and its implications to the individual. It shows two frightened and distraught faces of a woman with the words “manic depression” written on them; also a brain depicted upsidedown, an airplane falling, metaphor for despair, and an anatomical picture of a man cut in half, allegory to the way mentally ill individu­ als often view themselves. Storch also added the image of Groucho Marx because Marx had said, “I would not want to be a member of any club that would have me as a member” – a statement many mentally ill people would also make. To personalize the piece, Storch incorporated in it the brushes he used to paint it, thus reflecting on his own creative process and on the process of the disease itself; he also signed it “CC,” for Cody Ca­ vanaugh, the alias name of a “female consciousness” that allows him to expand his dimension and speak not only from the standpoint of a man but of that of a universal being espousing the entire humanity. In Oh Happy Girl, another painting he displayed, Storch put a face on the anger many mentally afflicted individuals experience, anger that often leads to uncontrollable violence. He represented the face of a furious woman wearing a voodoo hat, next to an image of many hearts alluding to the various conflicting emotions she might have, depending on the day. For Storch, art now has an explainable purpose. It helps him reach self-realization and allows him to loudly convey his messages and raise awareness about mental illness. He also uses it to bring mentally afflicted individuals in contact with their own healing creativity. “I consider my art successful if it makes a statement rather than simply being a vehicle for something only pretty,” he says. “It’s not commodifiable anymore. I want it to trigger a dialogue with the view­ er where the stigma of mental illness becomes evident and uncom­ fortable.” Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource January 15-31, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Set Afire, Homeless Man Feels Burned by Police Residents Only: New Policy at the Drop Inn Center Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: A Priest to Prisoners and the Poor Pg 4: Man Feels Burned by Police Pg 5: The Good Justice News of 2009 Pg 6: Profs and Prophets of Non-Violence Pg 7: Cramped Affordable Housing Pg 8: Veggie Stir-Fry Pg 9: Stop Bleating, Start Barking Pg 10: Why Martin Luther King Matters Pg 11: New Policy at the Drop Inn Center We Don’t Understand, but Thanks Pg 12: A Chance to Celebrate Pg 13: The Sorrow and the Pity Pg 14: Watch the Birdies, Pay Attention Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Power of Uncomfortable Art Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 15-31, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Jeni Jenkins Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Kelissa Hieber Jeni Jenkins Stephanie Dunlap Saad Ghosn Lynne Ausman Steven Paul Lansky Larry Gross Eli Braun Aimie Willhoite Jeni Jenkins Anthony Williams Bill Haigh Clarissa Peppers Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Adath Israel affordable housing Aimie Willhoite Airlines Anthony Williams Bill Haigh Clarissa Peppers David Heitfield Drop Inn Center Eli Braun Gregory Flannery Jeni Jenkins Jennifer Blalock Jeremy Flannery Kelissa Hieber Kurt Storch Larry Gross Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Martin Luther King Jr. mental health mental illness Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Non-Violence Paul Kopp police brutality Priests Prisoners Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Stephanie Dunlap Steven Paul Lansky Xavier University https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/c0f949b7e30901e0331e39cb7ebabf19.pdf ea67913714d5f0d3fa890ddf35d8fcf2 PDF Text Text The Comedy of Zach Anner Page 6 World Cup Commentary Page 10 July 1-14, 2010 • Issue 180 • One Dollar ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNITY Hate Wave: Attacks on Homeless Violence is epidemic, and some don’t even want to count By Margo Pierce Contributing Writer I f 27 people had been killed in the United States in one year for being African-American or for being Jewish or for being developmentally disabled, there would be a national uproar. In 2008, 27 people were killed in the United States for being homeless, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Where is the uproar? Homeless people all over North America are being set on fire, beaten, stabbed, shot, strangled, brutalized by police, harassed and raped. Many of these crimes go unreported, and the ones that do come to light might not necessarily be recorded as hate crimes. That means statistics for tracking the violence in order to find ways to address it are inadequate. Understanding this phenomenon begins with the source of the assaults and apathy surrounding them. “People are just being targeted because they are homeless. It’s a safe crime, it’s almost like vandalizing a street sign,” says John Joyce, co-executive director of the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project (rihap.org/). “The victim doesn’t come and tell the police about it. They’re ashamed of where they’re at in their life right now. “I can’t understand why, but it’s accepted that it’s OK to assault homeless individuals. It’s just bigotry at its best. People are being targeted because they’re homeless. You’re carrying your life on your back, in your backpack; and people see that and for some odd reason people want to assault people who are more vulnerable.” During testimony before the Rhode Island Legislature on a bill to require tracking crimes against the homeless and police training on homelessness, Joyce played the Bum Hunter video to show how attacking homeless people has become a form of entertainment. The bill passed the state house and senate and is expected to be signed into law. “The victims don’t really want to come forward because the way the police departments think and the community thinks: ‘No one’s going to believe me anyway if I do get assaulted.’ If the homeless community here in Rhode Island knows that the police departments will listen to their complaints, they’ll come forward,” Joyce says. The complexities of social attitudes influence all facets of government in the execution of their role as protector of the common good. This is reflected in an opening statement in Homelessness, Victimization and Crime: Knowledge and Actionable Recommendations, presented in 2008 by the Institute for the Prevention of Crime at the University of Ottawa. “In 1998 the mayors of some of the largest cities in Canada declared homelessness a national disaster,” the report says. “Since then, studies conducted in a number of Canadian cities provide evidence that the number of homeless people on the streets is increasing and consequently that the demands on shelters and other services can be expected to rise. … Those without adequate shelter are more likely than A protester holds an anti-hate sign at a rally in Denver. REUTERS/Gary Caskey. the housed to be victims of violence and, for women, victims of sexual assault.” What the report can’t provide is uniform, consistent data on the number of crimes committed against homeless people across Canada. Nor can the U.S. government provide that same data. Beyond victims’ reluctance to report, another problem is the apparent indifference of law enforcement to collecting See ATTACK P. 4 Beggars Must Now Be Choosers City rules: free shelter or free speech By Gregory Flannery Editor C Josh Spring addresses a press conference at the federal courthouse after the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless filed suit against the city of Cincinnati over new panhandling restrictions. At far left is attorney Jennifer Kinsley. Gregory Flannery. incinnati City Council has found a way to cut the number of people staying in homeless shelters: Kick out the beggars. New rules require shelters that receive city funding to enforce “clear and consistent consequences” for clients “known to be panhandling.” Calling the rules a violation of homeless people’s First Amendment rights, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless filed suit June 16 in federal court to block the city from enforcing the rules. The fight over the city’s latest attack on panhandling is part of a larger conflict that has been fought behind the scenes until now. The new rules not only prompted a constitutional challenge but also shed light on tensions between the two organizations most responsible for addressing homelessness in Cincinnati: the Homeless Coalition and the Cincinnati/ Hamilton County Continuum of Care for the Homeless. (Disclosure: Streetvibes is published by the Homeless Coalition.) ‘Forced to censor’ The city’s new rules are vague, which is part of the complaint filed by civil-rights attorney Jennifer Kinsley. The “clear and consistent consequences” are not yet defined. But the clear meaning is panhandlers will be evicted from city-funded shelters, according to Josh Spring, executive director of the Homeless Coalition. Because panhandling is protected by the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of free speech, the rules must be struck down in court, Spring says. “This would kick people out from where they sleep at night for doing something that is constitutional,” he says. “We will not stand for this new war on the poor.” Kinsley wants a federal See BEGGARS P. 12 �2 The Vibe By The Numbers 16 The percentage of street papers around the world with national circulation (see page 7). 20 The number of years the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless oversaw minimum standards for emergency shelters (see page 1). 97,000 The difference between the number of families eligible for subsidized housing and the number of subsidized housing units available in Hamilton County (see page 11). 1965 The year photographer Gordon Baer began working for the Cincinnati Post (see page 16). 700 The cost, in dollars, of a 30day supply of medicine for a patient with bipolar disorder (see page 3). 27 The death toll for homeless people killed by hate crimes in the United States in 2008 (see page 1). 58 The percentage of conservatives in Ohio who support the medical use of marijuana (see page 13). 6 The average number of miles a soccer player runs in a World Cup match (see page 10). 8.5 The number of hours per day Antonio Carlino sells a street paper in Germany (see page 11). 10 The age at which Zach Anner ran away from home to meet Cindy Crawford (see page 6). StreetWise By Gregory Flannery Editor Does the New Masthead Make Our Butt Look Fat? Streetvibes introduces some stylistic changes with this edition. Please note our new masthead on page 1, our first-ever logo (next to the page numbers) and new poster on page 9. This month marks one year since we doubled our publication schedule, so we’re in a celebratory mood. For its first 12 years Streetvibes was a monthly publication. Going bi-weekly was a double risk: Would readers buy more papers? Would writers, photographers and artists contribute more content? The answers are yes and yes. The full-year tally isn’t yet available, of course. The actual anniversary isn’t until July 15. But we have averaged a monthly circulation of 6,544 for the first five months of 2010. By comparison, our circulation for the month of January 2009 was 3,415 copies. In other words, we’ve nearly doubled our readership. Content seems to be the key. We often receive phone calls or e-mails from people who say they bought their first copies of Streetvibes as an act of charity or solidarity with our homeless vendors – but they bought their next copy because they wanted to see what was inside. We Don’t Fix Cars A close relative expressed surprise when he heard I work for Streetvibes. He thought it was an automotive magazine, and he knows that I am to mechanical skills what BP is to environmental protection – that is, inept. Most people in Greater Cincinnati have never heard of Streetvibes but we hope that will change. Our new logo and poster are part of a marketing campaign designed by Linda White and Nick Donell, students at Antonelli College. They also designed a brochure, stationery and Web site, all of which we plan to use in the coming months to expand our little street paper’s reach – and, most important, our vendors’ opportunities for earning an income. Their fellow Antonelli student, Veronica Glass, has helped lay out each edition for the past few months. We even have a new multi-media presentation, courtesy of Eamon Queeney, a journalism student at UC. Queeney spent time with our vendors and staff and put together an amazing five-minute mini-documentary that captures the essence of Streetvibes. You can view it at http://www.eamonq.com/data/slideshow/2/publish_to_web/index.html. Students are a big part of Streetvibes. We encourage young writers and new writers to contribute to the paper. In the past year we’ve published articles and photography by students at Northern Kentucky University, the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Miami University and the College of Mount Saint Joseph. We’ve occasionally shared the work of high-school students with our readers. Students get the opportunity to improve their skills while being published and at the same time helping homeless people. But we’ve also had the privilege of publishing the work of professionals – writers, photographers and artists whose careers are long established but who contribute their work because they believe in our mission. They include Jon Hughes, chair of the journalism program at UC; Lew Moores, an acclaimed former reporter for the Cincinnati Post and Cincinnati Enquirer; Margo Pierce, a 2009 Peter Jennings Fellow; David Heitfield, former editor of the Aspen Daily News; Eli Braun, an advocate for prisoners at the Ohio Justice and Policy Center; Anne Skove, who formerly practiced law in the Commonwealth of Virginia; and others. Something Different About a Street Paper Streetvibes is an odd little paper. When I meet with school and community groups, I tell them that we’re unlike any other publication in Cincinnati. That’s true in several ways. In an age when mainstream newspapers are losing circulation and going out of business, Streetvibes has been gaining readers and increasing its print run. I believe this is happening because of – not in spite of – our unusual business model. First, we don’t exist to make a profit. Instead, we exist in order to give homeless and other low-income people a way to earn a living. Streetvibes is primarily a self-employment scheme. Vendors buy the paper for 25 cents a copy and distribute it for a donation of $1 or more, keeping the profit they earn. In 2009 vendors sold more 43,000 copies, earning more than $30,000 – and that doesn’t include the tips that readers often give them. Second, Streetvibes is produced almost entirely by volunteers. The editor is the only paid staffer. The art director, the writers, the photographers, the artists and proofreaders all contribute their work. But grassroots journalism doesn’t mean dirt-cheap journalism. In July 2009 Streetvibes won the “Best Feature Story” Award from the North American Street Newspaper Association, coming on the heels of a similar award from the International Network of Street Papers. We have many hurdles ahead. For now, our vendors are pretty much limited to downtown and Clifton, because Cincinnati’s limited public transportation makes it difficult for them to get to other neighborhoods. We constantly struggle to meet our bills, including postage for subscriptions. City ordinances make it illegal for our vendors to distribute the paper on Fountain Square – an outrage that we hope to challenge in the near future. Can you imagine? In this country that boasts about having freedom of the press, it’s illegal to distribute Streetvibes on Fountain Square. Yes, we face obstacles, but we’re determined to take them on, inspired by the determination of the homeless people who earn an income distributing Streetvibes and encouraged by the generous support of our readers. Thank you for a successful year. STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo. com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress. com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Graphics/Layout Nick Swartsell Veronica Glass John Peet Casey Salsinger Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Corey Gibson, Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Lew Moores, Larry Gross, Eli Braun, Jesse Call, B. Clifton Burke, Michael Fanning Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Anne Skove, Vinit Murthy, Jon Hughes Proofreaders Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are proud members of: �STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 3 Column Time to Forget the Bootstraps More than “Suck it up” to deal with being bipolar By Margo Pierce Contributing Writer T he barista greets some customers by name and wishes everyone a good day. Under the “Pick up” sign stands an older woman wearing a jacket, skirt and tennis shoes, staring into space. A man with three children sits at a table sipping coffee while the kids run around; he’s the only customer in casual clothes in this coffee shop on the first floor of a many-storied office building in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Two tables over sits a man in a traditional blue suit with a striped red tie. Which one has been diagnosed as bipolar? It could be any coffee shop in any town. The hiss of steaming milk, the slamming of a refrigerator door, the grinding of beans, “Mocha latte for Bob!” The man in the blue suit begins to talk. I was diagnosed with bipolar in about 2000 and through the next two or three years had a rough time trying to figure things out. It’s really a disorder that causes mood swings. It used to be called ‘manic/depressive disorder,’ in which manic—or mania—is the highs. The other side, depression, is traditional depression where you feel hopeless, sad, paralyzed. You really can’t do anything, which reIt’s a biological disease. ally hurts people in It can happen to anyone. their everyday lives trying to live and tryWhen you think about ing to make things the person sleeping happen. under the bench and It causes erratic then you see the behavior. It’s very person ready for opendebilitating on both heart surgery, they’re sides. You cycle back probably just as sick, and forth between but nobody’s going to make fun of the guy with the mania and the depression. It’s quite the heart problem. So I a big span somethink the biggest thing is awareness, and that’s times. Dan DiMarco something I feel like I looks away, breakcan help with. ing eye contact. Is he looking out the window, maybe at the man with the children? At the request of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI,) the organization for which he’s a volunteer board member, he is sharing his story. I used the term ‘I was missing something’ with my doctors. Looking back, in high school I did everything well, felt good. Into college I started feeling not as productive. Then I got out of school, and in my first few jobs … I wasn’t able to do as much as I had before and that frustrated me, and I wanted to figure out what was wrong. I couldn’t concentrate like I used to. I didn’t pick things up technically the way I used to. In the past I was always picking up things quickly. Socially I was still fine. In fact, that helped, allowed me to hold onto a lot of my jobs I had. Looking back at home, my wife noticed it, but not family and friends. I was always outgoing and fun. …There was a lot of periods of inactivity at home where I wasn’t doing anything. Anytime I was home I was laying on the couch. I couldn’t cut the grass, I couldn’t paint the walls, I couldn’t really do anything because of the depression. Anything I had to do felt like lifting my car over my head. Once I started this ‘I’m missing something’ came probably three to five years of ‘Maybe I ought to go talk to someone. Maybe I have fear of failure. Maybe I have fear of success.’ What to do, who to go see—I had no idea, so that went back and forth. Then I went to church with my family. My 1-year-old and I were walking around in the back of the church and I saw a flyer from a nun who’s a psychologist and I took that and I went to see her. She thought it was depression, which part of it definitely was, so she recommended me to a psychiatrist to get the full analysis. Joni Mitchell chimes in with “California.” Oh it gets so lonely / When you're walking / And the streets are full of strangers / All the news of home you read / More about the war / And the bloody changes / Oh will you take me as l am? / Will you take me as l am? / Will you? When I heard ‘bi-polar,’ it scared the hell out of me because it just sounded scary. Then, when I started on this medication stuff, it finally hit me that I’ve got to take this forever. At the time, late twenties, to think that I’ve got to have a pillbox out on the counter like grandma does for the rest of my life is scary. The medication management took a long time and it was exhausting. You can’t take a blood test, say, ‘OK take four of these and call me in the morning.’ It’s a total guessing game. We experimented with 15 different options over the course of the next two or three years. I was full-speed ahead so it was just like, ‘Let’s figure it out and do what we have to do.’ When I’d go pick up my 30-day supply and it’s $700, I’d just shake my head and start getting concerned, and then a week or two weeks later it changed anyway. I can appreciate it’s got be extremely difficult for people who are in bad situations. With the bi-polar we settled on two drugs that kind of made things OK. It was at that time I felt really good, started a new job, which helped, and then that’s when I joined NAMI. I thought, ‘I feel good, I’m going to try and help.’ So the two medications boxed things in. Then the doctor portrayed it as some of the depression wasn’t being treated and so we tried an additional drug to complement the two I was taking, and that didn’t work. He twists his wedding ring—a gold band— on his finger. Then he takes it off, fiddles with it and puts it back on, eyes down the entire time, before taking it off to roll it between his fingers again. If the doctors are guessing, essentially, educated guessing, figuring out how to fix things, then it’s nearly impossible—and I’ve tried with my wife and several other people— for people to understand what’s going on in my head. With this recent bout of depression that’s still kind of hanging around, I tell my wife that I’m sitting at my desk and I can’t make my phone calls. That’s what I have to do. I have a lot of calls—I can’t make my phone calls. She says, ‘What do you mean?’ I’m just sitting here and my hands are on my desk and it feels like they’re chained to the desk and I just can’t make the calls. Loving and right next to me and supporting me the whole way—and she says, ‘Well just suck it up, pick up the phone. Why can’t you just pick up the phone?’ Dan DiMarco. Denver Voice. Your brain does a lot of amazing things. It’s very powerful, so if turns around on you and tells you not to do something, ya ain’t gonna do it. In the momentary quiet another female singer croons in the background …”Only you guy trying to believe that you changed…” I was in a fundraising walk (for NAMI). … I basically sent the e-mail to 400 people throughout my network, basically saying, ‘This is me, this is what happened. I didn’t choose this, I can appreciate it’s got it’s who I am, so be extremely difficult for please donate.’ I inpeople who are in bad cluded in that the situations. With the bi-polar family members I we settled on two drugs hadn’t told. That that kind of made things was the way to let OK. It was at that time I felt them know. … You really good, started a new would think people job, which helped, and then would push away that’s when I joined NAMI. after something like I thought, ‘I feel good, I’m this, but I was amazgoing to try and help.’ ingly surprised at the level of support from friends and family with the walk… You see people who are super-successful. They lose their job, they get divorced, they lose another job, they become an alcoholic— I see, I’ve been flirting with all of that. You see people like that and think, ‘What a loser, he can’t get his life together.’ Well, he may think the same thing. Some people are too proud to throw their hands up in the air and say, ‘I need help. I don’t know what’s going on.’ I think that keeps a lot of people away. I’m 100 percent sure that if my dad felt the same way when he was 29, I don’t think he would have said anything. So, I think as generations move on there’s more advertising about it, more awareness. So I think you’ll get more and more people entering the system, if you will, and acknowledging that they have something. It’s a biological disease. It can happen to anyone. When you think about the person sleeping under the bench and then you see the person ready for open-heart surgery, they’re probably just as sick, but nobody’s going to make fun of the guy with the heart problem. So I think the biggest thing is awareness, and that’s something I feel like I can help with. People will say, ‘What can I do?’ and first of all, don’t yell at me when I can’t call someone. And secondly, the old good listener trick— that’s real helpful. Follow Streetvibes www.facebook.com/streetvibescincinnati twitter.com/streetvibesnews streetvibes.wordpress.com �4 STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 Issues Hate Wave: Attacks on Homeless CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 1 the information. The 2007 Hate Crimes Statistics, the most recent annual report compiled by the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, illustrates this point. More than 13,000 law-enforcement agencies provided data about bias-motivated crime, with 2,025 agencies (15.3 percent) reporting 7,624 incidents. “The remaining 84.7 percent of the participating agencies reported that no hate crimes occurred in their jurisdictions,” the report says. Some states, such as Mississippi – with a deeprooted past in racial violence – reported zero incidents of hate crimes in the entire state. Delving into what makes a hate crime could begin to explain why jurisdictions don’t want to report these crimes. Attacked for who they are A hate crime is an illegal act motivated by hatred toward individuals or property because of an identification as or affiliation with a particular race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious tradition, sexual orientation or physical or mental disability. (Canadian law also includes language as a prejudicial motivation). Crimes can be against people, including harassment, terroristic threats or assault; or against property, such as trespass, arson or vandalism to the building, the grounds surrounding a structure or personal property inside. The definition of a crime, or illegal activity, motivated by hate seems obvious. But the laws and prosecution of such crimes is the subject of much debate among political leaders, victims’ advocates and activists. The end result – the legal definitions – can be charges carrying stiff or light penalties, depending on where the crimes are committed and the discretion of prosecutors and judges. The Criminal Code of Canada: Hate Provisions (http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/legislation/canadian_law/federal/criminal_code/criminal_code_hate.cfm) requires specific proof of the criminal act and the intention to commit the crime. In the United States, racially motivated hate crimes were defined as early as 1964 in the Civil Rights Act but it wasn’t until 2009 that disabilities and sexual orientation were added to this legislation, when President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The thing that differentiates a hate crime from others is that it is “based on a characteristic or condition of the victim” by a perpetrator who “seeks to not only commit the crime against the particular victims but to send a message about that victim to the larger community,” according to Sherrilyn Ifill, professor of law at the University of Maryland and a faculty member of the Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and the Constitution. Those defining elements are determined by history, she says. “We cannot ignore the reality that hate-crime legislation and our view about the particular condemnation that we have for hate crimes comes out of our very particular history. We didn’t just sit down one day and decide if there should be legislation that covers certain kinds of crimes against certain kinds of victims,” she says. “The genesis of the crimes comes out of a history of violence against particular members of our community, particularly racially based hate crimes. It comes out of a very particular time in the history of U.S. violence, in particular, against African Americans, whether it is individualized violence, whether it is mob violence in the form of lynching, whether it is Klan violence – that’s the history it comes out of. So that’s the genesis of it. “It doesn’t mean that our civil rights laws don’t also cover gender discrimination in the work place, for example. We come to expand those laws out of that history, to add other aspects, to add other pieces of it that strike us in the same way, that go to the core of who, at least, we aspire to be as a society and as a country.” How we protect, or fail to protect, vulnerable populations in our communities is a demarcation of our progress in achieving that image. “This is really, in many ways for me, a very critical issue of democracy and freedom – that is, your ability to walk on the street and not be physically attacked for who you are,” Ifill says. “When we want to talk about freedom and we want to talk about democracy, we tend to think about voting. I think many people take for granted the assumption that you can walk on the street unmolested so long as you’re not committing a crime. There can be no other more corrosive activity to a society that purports to be free and democratic than allowing citizens to be attacked on the street for who they are.” A push to include homelessness as a classification in U.S. hate-crime legislation is getting a nod from states passing their own hate-crimes legislation. Ranging from mandating reporting and police training (Rhode Island) to tougher sentencing for individuals convicted of hate crime (Washington state), these laws are codifying state concern about homeless people. The combination of the recent rise in homelessness as a result of the economic downturn and a rise in the reported cases of violent deaths of homeless people has resulted in greater awareness about the risks to people living outdoors, also known as “rough sleepers.” “The risk of victimization is higher among homeless persons who live on the street as opposed to in shelters … 78 percent of rough sleepers had been victims of crime during their most recent period of sleeping on the street; however, only 21 percent of these incidents were reported to police,” says the report by the University of Ottawa. Over the past decade there has been a dramatic increase in the number of violent acts committed against people experiencing homelessness, but coming up with hard data is difficult when there is no standard for reporting such crime and when there is no mandatory reporting, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. The coalition compiles its own statistics based on FBI crime data, verifying police and media reports and information provided by advocates and support groups. Even though the data is incomplete, it reveals an upward trend that many say justifies the need for more data collection. Canadian law enforcement does not officially compile data on hate crimes against the homeless, either. National newspapers such as the New York Times and USA Today and wire services such as the Associated Press have recently reported on hate crimes against the homeless in Cincinnati, Ohio. ‘Just a bum’ John Johnson needed 18 stitches in his head and his girlfriend was in fear for her life after an April 10 attack at a camp in Cincinnati where they lived. Johnson, 52, says he was sleeping under a highway overpass at about 3 a.m. when four men attacked him. “I was awakened by four young men telling me to exit the property,” he says. “As I was complying with them, they started beating me with pipes and bats upside the head and up and down the left side of my body.” Three of the four attackers have been captured. Charged with felonious assault are Michael Hesson, 24; U.S. Army Private Riley Feller, 24, stationed at Fort Knox, Ky.; and Spec. Travis Condor, 25, stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. A fourth suspect, also stationed at Fort Bragg, has not yet been caught. Johnson was attacked a few weeks after the city of Cincinnati trimmed trees obscuring a small homeless camp near Interstate 75. As a result, the handful of people living there were exposed to almost constant public view during daylight hours. What wasn’t well known was that people at the camp didn’t sleep in the shack that was visible to traffic; they slept under a nearby highway overpass. The attackers allegedly beat Johnson and chased him up a hill, calling him a “bum” and saying, “We don’t want you here” and “Get a job.” The assailants threatened a woman staying with Johnson but didn’t harm her. “This was not some guys out half-drunk, having a good time at my expense,” Johnson says. “These guys were cold and calculated. It was planned.” The fact that the four attackers knew where to find Johnson indicates that the assault was premeditated, according to Josh Spring, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH). This was the fourth violent attack on a homeless person in Cincinnati in less than a year that GCCH knew of, Spring says. • In summer 2009 two real-estate agents who were drunk assaulted a homeless man downtown. One knocked the homeless man’s insulin bottle out of his hand. When police arrived, one of the realestate agents said, “He’s just a bum.” Both men were convicted of misdemeanors. • In December 2009 a homeless man reported that a group of youths sprayed his coat with charcoal lighter fluid and threw a match, setting him on fire. • In January 2010 a new Streetvibes vendor was beaten to the point that he had to be placed in a medically induced coma. “In Cincinnati, hate crimes against homeless people definitely seem to be on the rise,” Spring says. “The National Coalition for the Homeless has 2003 Deaths Non-Lethal Total 9 61 70 2008 27 79 106 10 year total 244 636 880 Total Number of cities where crimes occurred over 10 years: 263 Age range of the accused/convicted: 10 to 75 years Age range of the victims: 4 months to 74 years Gender of victims: Male: 547 Female: 80 (Data provided by the National Coalition for the Homeless) been tracking hate crimes … because they saw a turning point where they were occurring more and people were being targeted as a popular thing to do.” Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes and Violence Against People Experiencing Homelessness 2008 is the most recent report by the National Coalition for the Homeless, which describes “an overwhelming trend” in crimes against the homeless perpetrated by young men and boys. Over the past 10 years the majority of attacks against the homeless have been committed by teenage boys and youth as young as 10 years old. In 2008, 43 percent of attacks against homeless people were committed by teens aged 13-19, and 73 percent of the accused/convicted attackers were ages 25 and younger, the report says. “Some of the accused/convicted have been quoted as saying, ‘It was just a vagrant,’ ‘It was fun,” or they did it because they ‘could,’ ” the report says. ‘We really have a problem’ Neil Donovan, executive director of NCH, says “many smart people” have studied the issue of homelessness in the United States and have told him that it’s not possible to end homelessness to the point where we don’t have to worry about it anymore. The necessary public will and resources are lacking. However, he says that’s no excuse for ignoring a very real danger in our communities. “It really is a matter of life and death,” Donovan says. “There are examples of individuals, solely because of their status as un-housed, (who) are at risk of loss of life. When that happens, that rises to a special level of attention, and it’s really our responsibility to protect the health and well being of our un-housed brothers and sisters.” This is one of the reasons NCH is working with the Southern Poverty Law Center to lobby for national legislation to amend the Hate Crimes PreSee ATTACK P. 5 �STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 5 Issues Hate Wave: Attacks on Homeless legislation is coming from some unlikely places. Brian Davis, executive director of the Northeast vention Act to include homelessness as a classifi- Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, says the Anti-Defcation reported by law enforcement. A strong and amation League (ADL) opposed adding homelessvocal supporter of this effort is Brian Levin, director ness to the hate-crimes law in Texas, arguing that it of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism would water down the law. at California State University and a former staffer at “In Texas, the legislation came before the Generthe Southern Poverty Law Center. al Assembly, and the Anti-Defamation League op“As a criminologist, there are certain types of posed it. That’s the only time I know of that they’ve data that we rely upon, and homicide data is one of publicly come out in opposition to a hate-crimes them; and what we’re seeing is that more homeless bill, and the bill died,” Davis says. “They don’t want people (are) murdered in apparent hate crimes than to cheapen existing hate-crimes statutes or open all of the other traditional hate-crime victims com- the door to frivolous claims.” bined in any given year. And what I mean is race, Davis says the ADL argued that homeless people religion, sexual orientation, disability, etc.,” Levin can “de-select” themselves from being homeless – says. “If that’s the case, then we that is, opt not to be homeless. really have a problem where the “Their concern is that homelaw should protect them. And we “Victimization on the street is less people can de-select themshould have a federal law reflect psychologically distressing selves from that group by getit, because in many areas the and can lead to depression ting housing,” he says. “Of all the homeless are not treated as vicand low self-esteem, which groups that have current protims – they’re treated as crimi- in turn contributes to apathy tected status that it would seem nals themselves. would not speak up would be the and feelings of futility, “The fact of the matter is, is group that you could de-select making it more difficult to that we have clear and very disyourself from – namely, religion. escape further abuse.” turbing issue of violence against “The other concern is that, as the homeless that is done by we all know from working with folks who are responding to prejudice.” the homeless, it’s not so easy to de-select yourself The criminalization of homelessness (See “Being from being homeless. In many cities, there are seriHomelessness is Against the Law,” edition of March ous barriers to getting housing.” 1) makes activity such as sleeping in a public place This notion that homelessness is a mutable conor even sitting too long in one location a crime, dition is a “red herring,” according to Levin. punishing people without a permanent address “In discrimination jurisprudence, which is the with fines and jail time. antecedent to hate-crimes legislation, mutability “There is a tendency to focus on crimes com- was never a prerequisite,” he says. “Certainly race is mitted by homeless people without also examining the genesis of these kinds of protections. It’s never their heightened vulnerability to victimization – been regarded, nor does the 14th Amendment … rates that are higher than for the housed,” the Uni- say the mutability was not the be-all requirement. versity of Ottawa report says. It’s really a red herring. The perverse reality of homelessness is that be“I think what we need to look at is, ‘Is there a ing victimized by hate crimes makes further victim- problem, a manifestation of prejudice and discrimization likely. Noting that homelessness “disrupts ination due to certain socially identifiable characimportant social bonds and impairs personal net- teristics?’ If that’s the case, then we should address working” for successful interpersonal interaction it.” and efforts to leave the streets, the report explains The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution inthat this means many people are trapped in that cludes the language that “all persons” are included environment. in the clause, “No state shall make or enforce any “Victimization on the street is psychologically law which shall abridge the privileges or immunidistressing and can lead to depression and low ties of citizens of the United States; nor shall any self-esteem, which in turn contributes to apathy state deprive any person of life, liberty or property and feelings of futility, making it more difficult to without due process of law; nor deny any person escape further abuse,” the report says. within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the Resistance to adding the homeless to hate-crimes laws.” In 2009 a group of six juveniles attacked a 30-yearHate, Violence, and Death on Main Street old homeless man sleeping next to railroad tracks in Lynn, Mass. The boys, ages 11 to 14, threw bricks, Feb. 14, 2008; Frederick, Maryland: William Sigler, stones, bottles and sticks, inflicting life-threatening 49, was found guilty of a fatal attack on Samuel injuries. Police charged the juveniles with armed Webster Hood Jr., 57, a homeless man living in assault with intent to murder, aggravated assault Frederick. Police were called to respond to an unand battery with a deadly weapon, assault with inconscious Hood with his skull cracked open from tent to maim with a dangerous weapon and a civilthe attack. Authorities report evidence of stranrights violation. gulation and severe trauma to the head and neck Robyn Frost, executive director of the Massafrom repeated assault chusetts Coalition for the Homeless, compared the vulnerability of homeless people to that of groups March 23, 2008; Bartlett, Tenn.: Two homeless men protected by hate-crimes legislation, such as Afriwere the victims of an attack on Easter Sunday. can Americans and homosexuals.“At a time when Brenner Holloman, one of the victims, was unhurt increased numbers of individuals and families but witnessed everything. The attackers, adult without housing is at an all time high… I think that males ages 19-22, used Molotov cocktails, a home- it has escalated this issue right to the top, right next made concoction that consists of a bottle filled to any one of those particular populations that are with gasoline and set on fire. now designated.” The brutality of the attack in Lynn could be kind June 26, 2008; Kansas City, Mo.: Rolando Aaron of tipping point, leading Massachusetts to reconand Paul W. Simmons, both 19, were charged with sider adding homeless people to groups protected first-degree robbery for attacking a 54-year-old by hate-crimes laws – a move they had earlier rehomeless man with a brick and robbing him. The jected. victim, a Vietnam War veteran, told authorities “The biggest tipping point right now is you’ve that he woke up Thursday morning and found got such high populations in Massachusetts who someone searching through his pockets. ….The are extremely vulnerable because they don’t have victim stood and tried to fight them off. The sushousing, and I think this issue right now is affectpects hit him in the head and back with a brick. ing far greater numbers of people,” Frost says. “So I think the combinations of issues sadly like ocFrom Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street curred in Lynn and the combinations of numbers USA: A Report on Hate Crimes and Violence Against are actually skyrocketing could be a good tipping People Experiencing Homelessness, a 2008 report by point to re-file it.” the National Coalition for the Homeless. CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 4 ‘Shallow motives’ That protection can be provided through legislation and education, according to Levin. “The same types of offenders are committing the same hate crimes against the homeless that we’ve seen with other victim groups, yet it appears, from the limited data that we have, that the homeless are among the most violently victimized of any victim group out there,” he says. “Therefore, we need not only education, but educational initiatives to protect the homeless … training for social services and law enforcement as well as for young people in schools. “The more we can educate young people at critical times in their lives about what prejudice is and that they might actually experience it, the more they’re able to address their feelings when they feel certain prejudices. Moreover, the more that we can say that this is not socially acceptable and institutionalize that, as well as institutionalizing the message that there might very well be punishment as well, I think serves a later good. The word’s already out there that the homeless are potential victims.” Levin says laws can serve as a deterrent because the effectiveness of a deterrent depends on the circumstances of the crime and the offender. “Since most hate crimes – the attacks against the homeless – are done mostly by people with shallow motives, the prospective of punishment actually very well can be a deterrent. … If someone’s out for a thrill and … if there’s a message that’s out there that says, ‘Guess what? You’ll be prosecuted,’ that will deter some of the offenders. It won’t deter all of them, but people with shallow motives for committing crimes and little benefit are among the most deterrable.” The Homelessness, Victimization and Crime report from the University of Ottawa concludes with a number of “actionable recommendations.” These suggestions fall in line with what many homeless advocacy groups across the continent have been recommending: • Housing and supports, which include “providing advocacy and advice for homeless people; invest more resources at all orders of government into strategic tools to measure and reduce homelessness in Canada.” • “Invest in programs to help at-risk youth to stay in school and acquire life skills; improve mental-health services for those with persistent mental illness; and educate the public about homelessness.” • “Provide training for police and other enforcement personnel on best practices for intervention with homeless people; implement comprehensive drug strategies … and repeal legislation that excludes youth with behavior problems from mainstream education.” “This synthesis of the research literature and the recommendations are aimed at policy makers in all orders of government to assist in reducing homelessness, victimization, criminal offending and public disorder,” the report concludes. Donovan of the NCH takes a similar position. “Homelessness shouldn’t be over-thought, overanalyzed and over-solved,” he says. “The reason that we have homelessness is because of a lack of accessible and affordable housing, jobs with a universal living wage and health care for all. The solution is the reverse of that. “Any further explanation, any further complicating factors, really are distractions and frankly avoidance of the problem. What we really need to do is … respect people by staying focused on the issue.” Helping people get off the streets makes for fewer targets, but it won’t address the essential issue, according to Ifill. “I think people want to believe that hate crimes are a thing of the past, and understandably so,” she says. “But the reality is that they’re not, and that only by our attention and only by very vigorous law enforcement response – prosecution by prosecutors of hate crimes, reporting not only by law enforcement official but by citizens who see and know when hate crimes occur – are we going to be able to get our hands around this.” �6 Column STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 A Message to Social Workers Social work is not enough streets and into permanent housing. And it is a positive thing; it’s wonderful for those n this country, we have a major problem of whom we successfully get into housing. poverty complicated by addiction, which is But when I think of the entire spectrum of homecomplicated by poverty. It’s a major, mutually lessness among the addicted population, I feel the reinforcing entanglement. effect of what we do is like And it’s not going away. There spitting in a galvanized buckis nothing in the current diet on a hot day. There’s still rection of addiction policy or a lot of room in that bucket; economics that says anything and after that bubble of spit By Michael Henson will change without major dries, we’ll barely be able to intervention. And there is know it was there. no political will in any direcWhat we do is wonderful tion for major intervention. When Jesus said, “The and life-changing for the individuals we work with, poor ye have always with you,” he could have been but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the need. thinking of American social policy. A thousand programs operating on best practicThe sad and infuriating part of it is that, as educa- es across the country can’t change the fact that the tors, counselors and social workers, we do many of jobs and the homes are not there. the right things – and they do help. But we’re forced Good, evidence-based practice is essential, and if to do them too late and too small. we are educators, social workers, or counselors, we For example, it’s easy to see that investing heav- are ethically bound to operate on good, evidenceily in schools, including academic, enrichment and based practices. prevention programs, keeps kids out of trouble. We But it’s not enough. know what works; research shows what works. But We have to be political. we don’t invest heavily in schools, and so we have to invest later in prisons and treatment facilities, all * * * * * of which are also overloaded and underfunded. To take another example, I work in a program, I used to tell helping professionals that, if all they founded on best practices, which shows every sign did was good teaching or good counseling or good of success for those individuals we help. The con- case management, then they were parasites. I didn’t cept is called Housing First and operates on the no- mean it as harsh as it came out and everybody got tion that, if you provide housing for chronic home- defensive and I never got my point across and it less alcoholics, they have a better chance of getting was all ugly and I’ve stopped using that analogy. sober than if you try to get them sober, then try to But will you let me try one more time? I promise find housing. The people at the top who plan such not to abuse you. What I meant to say through that analogy was things are happy to point to our project as something positive to get homeless alcoholics off the that, if all we do as change agents is what is sanc- I ammered H tioned by our jobs, then we are in danger of using the poor for our own gain. The poor need us in the long run less than we need them. For if there were no more poverty, many of us would need to get real jobs. Or, as William Blake puts it, Pity would be no more If we did not make somebody poor. And mercy no more would be If all were as happy as we. If our livelihoods depend upon continuation of a social problem that could be solved, then we should, in all responsibility, work to solve it. Once it’s solved – and I do believe poverty could be solved if we had the will – we can turn our skills to other needs. I believe it’s important to do a good job on the job with the resources we have. And I know it takes a great deal of energy and commitment just to get through the workday. But good social work or counseling practice alone will not solve the problem. We don’t reach enough people, we don’t reach them soon enough and we don’t reach them often enough. I don’t have a lot of faith that, in a world of Glenn Becks and Rush Limbaughs (not to mention the spinelessness of their opponents) we can get much traction on a remaking of society in the way we need. Not even the liberals, who are supposed to care about such things as economic justice and social progress, seem to care about the addict in poverty. But we have to speak up. They’ll threaten our funding; they’ll call us poverty pimps; they’ll say we’ve crossed boundaries, but we will have spoken the truth, our truth. Social work is not enough. Michael Henson is author of Ransack, A Small Room with Trouble on My Mind, The Tao of Longing and Crow Call. The Sexiest Palsy A young filmmaker/comedian finds support By Ariana Shahandeh Contributing Writer Z ach Anner, a 26-year-old Texan, entered a contest to win a show on Oprah Winfrey’s new television channel. Anner opened his audition tape expressing his earnest desire to enter the contest, but said he “didn’t know where I’d fit. I have something called cerebral palsy, the sexiest of the palsies, and that sort of limits where my strengths are.” After a skit exploring hilariously failed attempts at cooking, fashion and yoga – “This isn’t yoga. I’m just putting on pants.” – Anner proposed the idea of a travel show for “people who never thought they could travel.” He described how most travel shows are a bit out of touch with how most people travel. His show would not be about how to plan the perfect vacation, but rather how to still have a good time even when things go wrong. Anner spoke with Streetvibes about his idea. What initially sparked the idea of a travel show for “every man”? I think it was going on trips with my dad. My dad took me to Europe twice. Just that experience, having to break down my electric wheelchair and get it on trains and hide money from (pickpockets) in my wheelchair and just having a good time no matter what happened. I used to go on trips with my mom, and we would go to just a random city and go to a hotel and play bingo, just making the best of whatever the situation was. So what do your parents think of all this? They’re very disappointed in me (laughing). No, they’re really, really proud, and we’re all just trying to figure out how to deal with it. It still kind of feels like a dream. Do you want friends from The Wingmen project (a comedic mockumentary about a group of romanti- cally challenged young men who try to set up a dating service, produced by award-winning filmmaker Marshall Rimmer) to be involved in the production of the travel show? Yes, absolutely. They are the guys that I really want to do (the show) with. They’re really, really helpful to me, and they’re good at filming. I can’t imagine doing it without them. They don’t care about the disability at all. And so nothing is sacred; they have no problem just driving off in my chair. It’s a non-issue. What was a moment you remember from your youth that you feel really stuck out to you and you think contributed most to who you are right now? There were a couple moments. I went to London with my dad and my brother for the first time, and things just weren’t going well in London; and one night my dad just said, “OK, well, why don’t we just go to Paris, instead?” So we got on a train and we went to Paris that day, and we just had the greatest time there. There’s an excitement you feel when you’re being spontaneous and you’re being open to an experience. And then when I was really young, about 10 years old, I ran away with my friends from third grade to meet Cindy Crawford. We ran away to New York City – well, we got about six blocks. But my brother packed us peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and I stole 50 bucks from my mom and we were going to go to New York City and meet Cindy Crawford. What is something that’s surprised you most during all this success and support of your idea? My eyes were opened through this experience that there were a lot more people with disabilities that shared my sense of humor. That’s what I’ve always wanted, to find a community of people with disabilities that felt the same way that I did. Because a lot of people in this disability community didn’t necessarily get my humor or think that it was positive. To get the sense that there are people out Zach Anner. Zach Anner. there that just want to be funny and have a good time and let their personality shine beyond their disabilities has been overwhelming. I didn’t have an idea of the scope of that until this whole thing happened. How do you want to be remembered? Wow, I’m just trying not to be forgotten right now. I mean I don’t think it’s important if I’m remembered or not. I just hope that if I make any sort of imprint, it’s so that I can give anyone who would automatically be dismissed by most people a fair shot. I don’t think it’s necessarily about me being remembered; it’s about opening doors for others to go through. If someone has a disability or a disadvantage, that they have a chance to follow their dreams and not just be automatically dismissed by others. Does that make sense? I don’t really feel like I’m that important. I have no illusions about what’s going on here. It’s really nice, but I feel like, if I’m going to give back one thing it’s that anybody can do this. �STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 7 International News A Whole World of Street Papers Survey assesses growing movement S treetvibes is a member of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP), a professional organization devoted to fostering the development of this unique social enterprise around the world. Although the 108 papers that make up INSP greatly vary in editorial policy, size and distribution, their common goal is to provide self-employment to homeless and other low-income people, who purchase street papers and sell them at a profit. INSP recently surveyed its members. Ninety-five papers participated. Following are the results. Geographical area covered by paper: o o National – 16% Selected cities/regions: 83% Circulation frequency: o o o o o o o Weekly 7 papers, 7% Bi-weekly 15 papers, 15% Monthly 39 papers, 41% Every 2 months 21 papers, 22% Quarterly 7 papers, 7% Other 8 papers, 8% Overall average circulation: 1, 422, 600 Vendors On average, how many vendors do you work with per edition? o 1-20 24 papers, 25% o 21-50 26 papers, 27% o 51-100 18 papers, 19% o 101-200 18 papers, 19% o 201-500 14 papers, 15% o 500+ 8 papers, 8% Who are your main vendor group? o Homeless 73 papers, 76% o Street homeless 53 papers 55% o Ex-homeless 64 papers, 67% o Slum dwellers 26 papers, 27% o Refugees/Immigrants - 23 papers 24% o Unemployed 66 papers, 69% o Drug/Alcohol users 56 papers, 58% o o o o o Elderly (over 60) Youth (under 24) Women Mentally/physically disabled Other 38 papers, 40% 24 papers, 25% 44 papers, 46% 43 papers, 45% 11 papers, 11% Social and Economic Situation What do you consider to be the main social and economic problems that you face in the area (town, city, region, country) where you work? o Health: Drug/alcohol abuse, HIV, domestic violence, lack of health care o Immigration: Refugees, asylum seekers, racism, xenophobic tendencies o Homelessness: Shortage of homeless shelters, mentally ill people o Social: Gap between rich and poor; tidying up of public areas – people pushed to the edge of society; social exclusion; discrimination/intolerance; lack of basic services, water, electricity; spending cuts; lack of acknowledgement that poverty exists; no industry – not enough jobs for unskilled workers; political attitude; inadequate government services; a need to change society’s misconceptions about poverty and homelessness, gentrification o Police: Criminalization of begging/homelessness/vagrancy, fines, jail sentences; police violence towards homeless, harassment. o Poverty: Increasing debt; economic crisis, businesses closed, bankruptcy; high cost of living i.e. rent, food, bills; low minimum wages; low unemployment benefit; lack of affordable housing; cost of public transport too high; lack of funding for additional housing projects; veterans; eviction o Crime: Prostitution, crime rate. o Jobs: Lack of education; low -killed workers, no jobs, unemployment o Other: Agriculture failing, poor environmental conditions Impact of your work In what ways has your whole organization had an impact on the eradication of poverty in 2009? o Policy change 24 papers, 25% o o o o o o Readership engaged Vendors moved on Earned income Campaigns Press coverage Events 75 papers, 78% 68 papers, 71% 51 papers, 53% 38 papers, 40% 63 papers, 66% 46 papers, 48% Impact of your street paper project Please estimate the total number of vendors who have benefited from your street-paper project in 2009? o 1-50 34 papers, 35% o 51-100 10 papers, 10% o 101-200 18 papers, 19% o 201-300 9 papers, 9% o 301-500 15 papers, 16% o 500+ 12 papers, 13% How have these vendors benefited from your street paper project in 2009? (Please tick ALL that apply) Improved wellbeing 80 papers, 84% Earned an income 82 papers, 86% Training/education 49 papers, 51% Increased confidence 84 papers, 88% Moved on 68 papers, 71% Rehabilitation 37 papers, 38% Cultural/arts activities 52 papers, 54% Sports activities 31 papers, 32% Impact of any additional projects Does your organisation run any additional projects? o Housing support 23 papers, 24% o Drop in centre 27 papers, 28% o Health support 26 papers, 27% o Cultural/arts activities 40 papers, 42% o Drug/alcohol rehabilitation 20 papers, 21% o Sports 29 papers, 30% o Campaigning 29 papers, 30% o Social enterprises 34 papers, 35% o Social-work provision 29 papers, 30% Please estimate how many people benefited from your additional projects in 2009. 113,663 Participants at the International Network of Street Papers Conference in Melbourne, Australia. INSP. �8 STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 Recipe “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long…” Easy-To-Please Veggie Fried Rice Serving Size: 4-5 bellies Veggie fried rice. Jeni Jenkins. By Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer W hen I was growing up, we rarely ate out; but when we did, we went for Chinese. I can remember my mother’s giddiness at the mention of “take-out” and even more her excitement when it was decided that we would upgrade to the Chinese buffet. What joy! Alas, her joy was not shared amongst us little ones during the wee years. For us, getting Chinese meant watching our parents devour strange exotic dishes out of white boxes or standing in line with our empty white porcelain, wrinkling our noses at the funny smelling vats of “Ewww” what is that? What snobs we were. Things have changed and now I can hardly restrain my giddiness at the mention of Chinese food. I’m American and Americans love Chinese food. Well, not really. We love our idealized version of Chinese food. Truth be told, most Americans, unless they have traveled to China (which I haven’t), probably aren’t familiar with traditional Chinese cuisine (which I am not,) as most Chinese-American restaurants have adapted to cater to Western taste buds (like mine). Of all the dishes I have tried over the years, fried rice is still one of my faves – I even liked it as a child – although it can be difficult to find a vegetarian or vegan version at a restaurant. Fried rice is arguably one of the most popular Chinese-American dishes, aside from the infamous “Sweet and Sour Chicken” and “General Tzo’s Chicken,” both American adaptations. This recipe is a simple, Americanized version that is full of veggie goodness and will easily please your snobbiest critic. even my kids love it, and they are total food snobs. 2 cups water 1 cup jasmine rice 2 tablespoons oil – preferably sesame, but olive or vegetable will suffice 1 sliced zucchini 1 or 2 bell peppers (I prefer red and green) 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 chopped red onion 2 cups frozen peas ¼ cup chopped green onions 1/3 cup sesame seeds Crushed red pepper ¼ cup soy sauce Other spices to taste 4 uncooked eggs or egg substitute scrambled in a bowl (optional for vegans) • Combine water and rice in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes. • While rice is cooking, heat oil in a wok or large skillet on medium-high. Toss zucchini, red onion, peppers and garlic in oil over medium-high for approximately 2 minutes. • Add the frozen peas and stir-fry an additional 2 minutes. • Add green onions, sesame seeds, crushed red pepper and soy sauce and stir-fry together for 1 minute. • Push veggies to the side of the pan, leaving enough room to pour in the uncooked eggs. If needed, heat 1 tsp oil first. For approximately 1 minute fry the eggs on medium heat until fluffy, using a spatula, constantly chopping and moving the egg around so as not to burn the egg. • Remove from heat, stir the cooked eggs with the fried veggies. • Carefully stir in the hot jasmine rice. • Voila, FEED! Artwork By Anthony Williams y a S ! ? t a h W “Be as generous as possible to beggars.” -- Pabongka Rinpoche Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand __________ �STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 9 �10 Sports STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 Drinking from the World Cup Fans of the USA soccer team celebrate ahead of a 2010 World Cup match against Slovenia in Johannesburg. REUTERS/Brian Snyder. Is it un-American to enjoy soccer? By B. Clifton Burke Contributing Writer A s the pinnacle of sports unfolds in another hemisphere, and the majority of human beings on Earth tune in to follow along, the United States has once more displayed its resistance to a game that we call soccer, but everyone else calls football. Yet for the first time I have noticed that, when I admit to someone else that I enjoy soccer and the World Cup, it feels like I am admitting to them that I am slightly less American as a result. Why must we feel challenged by the international interest of the sport? Why is watching soccer a hippie or liberal thing to do? The first question is this: Is soccer really ignored in the United States? The answer is a bit complicated because millions of people play it in school, but no one wants to watch it or read about it. One measure that I hold to be true is that ESPN, the very network that airs every match, shows very little World Cup footage in its nightly highlight show; and when they do, it’s buried behind baseball, golf, NASCAR, NBA (even though the season just ended) and more baseball. ESPN will only make decisions that make it more money; and if the interest for World Cup footage were greater, it would be moved up in the show. I can't adequately explain why the United States has turned its back on soccer. Perhaps it’s the lack of scoring that turns Americans off. We’re about succeeding at all costs, and points means success, so therefore, we wanna see more points. Or maybe it’s because soccer isn't an American sport. While baseball, basketball and recently football have seen their rosters become increasingly international, they are all very much considered inherently American. Soccer, then, is the opposite of that – and something opposite of inherently American offends our inner patriot. Perhaps it’s a bit of social conditioning that steers us clear of following futbol. Or maybe it’s just one too many sports to follow. The English Premier League – widely considered the top soccer league in the world – takes place during the NFL season and can be both expensive and hard to find on cable television in the States. Speaking of television again, it can’t help that the matches are aired live beginning at 7 a.m. and ending around 4 p.m.; most of us work then, or at least pretend to, so what can you do? Regardless of the reason, a stigma about soccer remains in the American psyche and it is robbing the good people of some terrific athletic competition. Not only are the games – or, that is, matches – highly entertaining; the culture of the game is excellent, too. The first thing to think about is that it takes place in South Africa, where it is currently winter. Because of the extreme time and temperature difference, to me, it feels like watching soccer being played on another planet. Then there is, of course, the vuvuzallas. For those of you unfamiliar, a vuvuzalla is a small plastic horn used by soccer fans in South Africa. They make a noise that is an imitation to what a Viking horn should sound like. When played with thousands of others, it sounds like a swarm of something big and winged. Many Americans can’t stand the sound – television manufacturers have posted to their Web sites ways to audibly tune out the sound on their sets – but I don’t feel it distracts one bit from viewing the game. Since it is a constant cacophony, one adjusts and tunes it out on his own. Plus, it’s part of another culture. Who are we to demand something as harmless as horns are banned from the stadiums? Another enjoyable side dish to the World Cup is the British commentators. I get such a kick out of hearing their slang and descriptions about the game. When New Zealand finished with a draw to Italy, the players were described as “going absolutely potty.” Typically, the play-by-play announcer has the smooth British accent, but the analyst often has more of a Scottish rogue, and it’s those guys who are at times hard to understand. Nonetheless, it simply would not be the same to hear a standard American accent list off all those exotic names. Which brings me to my last favorite cultural aspect of the game: the players. Not only do they have spectacular names like Tshabalala, Boudebouz, Zigic and Kaka, names fit for any Star Wars universe; they also have every range of skin color and hair style, yet all look singularly soccer-like no matter what their appearance (except the Australian team; they look like dentists). Still, don’t let the long hair fool you; these guys are tough. Not only do they run an average of six miles a match, they also get kicked, head butted and aggressively booty-bumped into the ground on a very regular basis. Plus, they are minimally protected by padding – shin guards and a cup is all you get; good luck. Yet when they’re on their feet and with the ball, poetry unfolds. Their ability to control a round object so completely with their feet is astounding. Doing it while evading defenders and a goal tender is truly remarkable. This is why goals come so infrequently and are such a premium: They are hard to do. When a player makes a goal, he often appears more relieved than pleased; when they miss, they look like their house just burned down. The pressure for the players – especially the favored ones – is immense. Their countries are counting on them and are often unforgiving to the smallest failures. For some places, their team has to win and do it in entertaining fashion in order to feel good about things. But on the same token, heroes are celebrated for life. There are very few events that bring the world together like the World Cup. In global popularity, it is an unmatched spectacle of sport. If the United States ever developed a similar passion toward the game, perhaps it’s team would be more of a force. But for now, they are lukewarm like their nation’s interest in the game. Call 513-421-7803 x11 to learn about Streetvibes subscriptions �Housing Issues STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 11 Safe, Affordable and Unavailable The crisis of affordable housing By Michelle Dillingham Contributing Writer A ffordable Housing Advocates (AHA) recently hosted its annual meeting, which included a presentation of the report, “State of Affordable Housing in Hamilton County: The Crisis,” followed by some very moving speakers from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Speakers Bureau, who spoke candidly to the 40 or so housing advocates about their experience of being homeless. A group of AHA members and volunteers convened earlier this year to conceptualize what a report on the state of affordable housing would look like. They used Louisville’s “State of Metropolitan Housing Report” as a model. Louisville annually publishes a report on affordable housing and does a nice job. Some of Louisville’s reporting in previous years has been on “Targeting of CDBG Funds” and “Production and Rehabilitation of Affordable Rental Housing.” AHA’s report was written by a group of people who had expertise in various areas of affordable housing. The data for the report was pulled from various sources, including the last U.S. Census. Soon the data from the 2010 Census will be available, and it will be interesting to compare any changes. AHA’s report has seven sections: Affordability, Foreclosures, Homelessness, Affordability and Transportation, Residential Segregation, Substandard Housing and Accessible Housing. AHA recognized the need for a baseline assessment of where our community is in terms of affordable housing. One of the frustrating things as an advocate is to read misinformation in the press or hear false statements by elected officials or other leaders related to affordable housing. For example, we often hear from city leaders, “We have more than enough affordable housing in Cincinnati.” Yet in reality the demand for affordable housing far outweighs the supply. In Hamilton County, there are approximately 24,000 units of housing with rental subsidies, yet there are approximately 121,000 families who qualify for the assistance because of their low income. The waiting list for Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) has been closed since 2007; and when it was last open for two days, over 14,000 families sought applications. The young woman from the speakers bureau told how she had gone to Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority a few days earlier and was told it would be six to eight months before a unit would be avail- able. One of the more intriguing pieces of information in the report is that between 1994 and 2009 Hamilton County has lost over 2,000 units of project-based subsidized housing. AHA’s report offers quantitative evidence that we do not have enough affordable housing. AHA sub-titled this report, “The Crisis,” to reflect the reality that the housing situation we face is unstable and has undergone abrupt changes given recent changes in our economy. The report demonstrates that the availability of safe, accessible, affordable housing in Hamilton County is not meeting the needs of our community. What is particularly exciting is that advocates now have a document against which to measure progress toward (or regression from) our goal to have more safe, accessible, affordable housing. AHA believes strongly in public education about the reality of affordable housing, and defining the problem is the first step. You can find a link to the report on AHA’s website at http://www.ahacincy.org/. Worldwide Vendor Spotlight Up From Below By Ilse Weiss Contributing Writer N uremberg, Germany – Antonio Carlino has laid cable and drilled deep – a tough, dirty but respectable job. Since last autumn he’s sold Strassenkreuzer, a clean job. Nevertheless, Carlino was shy at first because it’s hard to reveal himself as poor but very creditable. He’s now 54 years old, “too old,” he says, and smiles. Well, he wouldn’t consider himself too old for anything. He’s talking about the employment office, potential employers. They’ve considered him to be too old for ages. As a result, Carlino doesn’t get any more work, not even a temporary job. At least this way, Carlino doesn’t get broken, tired or worn out. His hands are hard and calloused, but as soon as he smiles, his brown eyes twinkle. If good-natured meant that someone would be of great courage, then Carlino is very good-natured. He was already, when he arrived from Sicily in Nuremberg with his now deceased parents in 1970. “I was always in the building trade,” he says, declaring at the same time that he always wanted to earn his own money. But he remained semi-skilled, and his command of German was poor, so he was among those easiest to replace when things weren’t going so well on the building site. For 30 years everything went quite well. Carlino knows Nuremberg, especially from below. Public works, laying cable – he felt comfortable doing that. Then he lost his job again. He looked for another job for one and a half years, and time was running out for him. He finally joined a scheme working as a kitchen porter in the warm shelter; that’s all there was. Through the warm shelter, Carlino came into contact with the Strassenkreuzer sales department and sellers. Last September he submitted his unemployment-benefit supporting documents to be able to register as a seller. Then he got the first issues for 70 cents each and stood on the street. “The first time you have to get over it,” Carlino says. “But the people there were so nice, and then it got easier.” Especially an old lady with a bicycle. He remembers the time she praised him for his courage. This builds up. “Why should I hide?” he asks. “When you get nothing, you have to go out in life.” He’s doing just that. In the middle of the city center, near the ship of fools, Mr. Carlino often sells starting at 8:30 a.m. until around 5 p.m., depending on how business goes. In the big Italian ice cream parlors he can use the toilet; one of the waiters will then watch out for his newspapers. It might be that the countrymen have a heart for Carlino. And the customers, too. Carlino sells so consistently that he would soon like to be an established seller. Then he wouldn’t have to depend entirely on state benefits, at least. “I want to go my own way in peace,” Antonio Carlino is a street-paper vendor in Germany. he says. Gerd Grimm. To turn an honest penny is to have an outlook. Originally published in Strassenkreuzer. © www. “Fifty-four isn’t old age – for employers, it is. But streetnewsservice.org not for me. What the heck.” �12 STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 Local News Beggars Must Now Be Choosers CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 1 judge to issue preliminary and permanent injunctions to block the new rules. She represents the Homeless Coalition, Grace Place Catholic Worker House and Paul Eggleston Sr., who sometimes stays at the Drop Inn Center and sometimes panhandles. “Mr. Eggleston suffers from numerous physical and mental disabilities and receives social security assistance each month,” the complaint says. “This income, however, is insufficient to meet his mounting medical bills and also to cover food, clothing and basic necessities. As a result, Mr. Eggleston on occasion engages in non-aggressive solicitation to supplement his subsistence earnings. Mr. Eggleston fears that if (the new rules) take effect, he will be forced to either forfeit his First Amendment right to solicit alms or to live on the streets. Mr. Eggleston intends to continue soliciting alms as necessary to support himself and will therefore be excluded from the Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse and other homeless shelters in Cincinnati as a result.” The rules “are unconstitutional on their face,” Kinsley’s complaint says. She cites alleged violations such as “impermissible content-based restriction on protected expression,” prior restraint on speech, vague and overbroad restrictions and “improperly burden(ing) the right of free association.” People such as Eggleston aren’t the only ones forced to make a choice under the new rules. So are organizations like Grace Place, which provides temporary housing to women and children who are in transition from homelessness. The new rules would force Grace Place to choose between respecting people’s rights and providing them shelter, according to Kinsley. “It will either be forced to censor, silence and punish the free-speech rights of its clients or to risk funding,” the complaint says. “Grace Place does not intend to comply with the anti-panhandling provision and therefore risks losing its certification as a result. In addition, if Grace Place elects not to enact an anti-panhandling policy in response to the city’s motions, it will be forever foreclosed from seeking government funding should it desire to do so in the future.” Going along It is telling that Grace Place is the only shelter in the Homeless Coalition that joined the lawsuit as an individual plaintiff. The explanation lies in the fact that Grace Place doesn’t accept city funding – or more, to the point, funding channeled through the Continuum of Care. City council didn’t pass an ordinance requiring the anti-panhandling policy at shelters. It passed a motion directing that the rule be made part of the city’s minimum standards for shelters. But first it took responsibility for monitoring the standards away from the Homeless Coalition – and gave it to the Continuum of Care. Kinsley’s lawsuit challenges that move, too. The Continuum of Care is in charge of managing – and disbursing – city and federal funding for programs serving homeless people. By joining the lawsuit, a shelter would be declaring it doesn’t want the Continuum of Care – the agency with the money – placed in charge of monitoring it. While some management at other agencies say off the record that they don’t want the changes in minimum standards, none are saying so publicly. Doing so could risk their relationships with the people who decide on funding. Relationships between the three players – the city, the Continuum of Care and the Homeless Coalition – are at the heart of the conflict. In a May 28 e-mail to various agencies serving homeless people, Kevin Finn, director of the Continuum of Care, said council’s decision to change the system arose from its relationship with the Homeless Coalition. “I have no insight into or knowledge of the relationship between the city and the Homeless Coalition,” Finn wrote. “I can only guess about the status of this relationship from what I read in the pages of Streetvibes, and I would never purport to speak to the status of that relationship. However, I believe the status of that relationship is a factor in this issue.” Spring had pleaded with the Continuum of Care to oppose changing the minimum standards – a process created and monitored by the Homeless Coalition for 20 years. In an e-mail to Finn, Spring appealed for his support. “Kevin, I am not asking you to stand up and yell, ‘Hell no, we won’t allow this change!’ I am simply asking you to stand up and tell the truth to council and our agencies,” Spring wrote. “I am just asking you to say the coalition has done this for 20 years. … There is no need to change this. The coalition should continue to monitor the minimum standards.” Instead Finn gave a tepid acknowledgment that there was no need for the change. But, he said, the Continuum of Care would go along with it. “I do not believe that this change must be made,” Finn wrote. “On the other hand, if passing minimum standards is a condition of receiving funding from or through the city, as the above named funds do, then it also makes sense to have the entity which oversees the funding oversee the minimum standards monitoring. Therefore, if the city does decide, after dialogue with the coalition, to end their current shelter monitoring relationship, and then designates the (Continuum of Care) to take over the monitoring of emergency shelter standards, we will.” “He told me’ The city never engaged in a “dialogue with the coalition,” Spring says. Moreover, the Continuum of Care was more than a passive observer in council’s actions, he says. Finn actually wrote the panhandling rules enacted by council, according to Spring. “I know Kevin wrote the panhandling rules,” Spring says. “He told me he wrote it.” Finn and a Streetvibes writer exchanged phone messages but didn’t connect in time for an interview. While the two agencies have sometimes disagreed in the past, they have collaborated until now on items such as minimum standards and the homeless counts required for federal funding. But their differences are now coming to the fore. Publicly distributed e-mails between Finn and Spring contain increasingly sharp remarks on a variety of topics. Spring cautioned against “the Continuum of Care or any other organization creating pressure based on misinformation.” Within an hour Finn replied, “For the record, I would encourage the Homeless Coalition, or any other entity, to seek clarification on such issues before trashing anyone publicly – not after.” Three days later Finn warned against escalation: “It is important for those of us who are fighting to assist homeless people not to get distracted and off target and begin wasting our energy fighting each other.” It might be too late. The Homeless Coalition is a membership organization. One of the chief benefits of membership is participating in the minimum-standards process. Taking that role away from the Homeless Coalition is an economic threat to the coalition’s existence, according to Kinsley’s complaint. “If (the council motions) take effect, the coalition will no longer be vested with the responsibility of providing the minimum-standards certification program, and as a result will likely lose members and funding,” the complaint says. Streetvibes vendors keep 75% of sales. Consider helping Streetvibes with our publication costs by making a tax-deductible donation or by purchasing a subscription. Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell it for $1, keeping the 75 cent profit. Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” I want to support Streetvibes and the vendors. $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: E-mail: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 Guest Column 13 The New Marijuana Majority Support for reform of prohibition is growing By Corey Gibson Contributing Writer S eventy-three percent of Ohioans support the use of medical marijuana, according to a poll conducted as part of a study by the University of Cincinnati Institute for Policy Research. A surprising 58 percent of conservatives and 64 percent of people over the age of 65 also support the use of medical marijuana. Yet some people are still struggling with Ohio’s marijuana laws. The study cites one man, Randy Brush, who was sentenced to three years in prison after four marijuana plants were found in his backyard. Brush had no prior criminal history. Another case cited in the study is that of Addie Cyrus. Cyrus, who has no criminal record and the full support of her doctors to smoke marijuana to help with medical problems, was arrested in 2009 after the Knox County Sheriff’s Office seized 813 grams from her home. The fact that she is smoking marijuana with her doctor’s knowledge is not going to be admissible in court. While California considers legalizing marijuana, Cincinnati has made it a jailable offense. This is where the National Organization REUTERS/Alexandria Sage. for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) steps in. NORML sup- na and marijuana reform, according to Ryan. driving under the influence if he has any mariports the right of adults He poses a question to anyone he meets who juana metabolites in his body. to use marijuana re- opposes his positive views of the use of mariWith such strict “The current law in Ohio (is), if you have marijuana laws in the sponsibily, whether for juana: “What is your ethical or moral justifica- some sort of marijuana offense, that you could medical, personal or in- tion for putting someone away, taking away lose your driving license,” Ryan says. “You city of Cincinnati, a dustrial purposes. It has their freedom, for consuming or possessing political candidate’s also provided a voice for something like marijuana?” Marijuana Math stating he or she Americans who oppose In a recent local political forum that Ryan supports the use of • Approximate amount spent annually in the the prohibition of mari- attended, Fox News commentator Phil Heimmedical marijuana U.S. on the war on drugs: $40 billion juana and want to end lich asked candidates if they would support is rather surprising. • Percent of Americans who favor full legalizathe legal struggles that the use of medical marijuana. Under a city tion of marijuana: 44 percent “Every single candidate said yes to medical ordinance, possession often accompany smok• Number of states that allow the medical use of of a small amount of ing marijuana. NORML marijuana, and one of them said yes to full lemarijuana: 14 advocates for respon- galization,” Ryan says. “I was stunned.” pot – less than 100 • Number of people arrested for a marijuana law With such strict marijuana laws in the city grams – can result in sible marijuana smokers violation in 2008: 847,864 an immediate arrest, who want the drug legal- of Cincinnati, a political candidate’s stating he • Number of people arrested for a marijuana law or she supports the use of medical marijuana leading to 30 days in ized in the near future. violation since 1965: over 20 million. The number one pri- is rather surprising. Under a city ordinance, jail and a $250 fine Source: Miami Valley Chapter, NORML ority of the Miami Valley possession of a small amount of pot – less chapter of NORML? than 100 grams – can result in an immediate “Get people aware and engaged in changing arrest, leading to 30 days in jail and a $250 politicians’ minds,” says Robert Ryan, state fine (see “Cincinnati’s Marijuana Law Fiasco,” chapter coordinator for Ohio NORML. issue of May 15). Another controversial pro- could be sitting at home, not even in your car, The hardest job for NORML is getting peo- posal, which might be enacted nationwide, get a marijuana charge and you could lose ple to feel comfortable talking about marijua- would mean a person could be arrested for your license. Does it make sense economically. Your license is taken away. How can you get to your job? You’re going to end up losing your job and going on unemployment and making the situation worse.” The Miami Valley chapter of NORML, which just formed this year, is working to change these laws and make politicians realize that marijuana prohibition is not control. “We have been in contact with several lawyers and seeing if the cities have the ability to lessen the (paraphernalia) offense,” Ryan says. Drug-paraphernalia charges are even more misguided than drug charges, Ryan says. Paraphernalia can be anything from a straw to a spoon to a pipe to nearly anything else drugs can be smoked out of; and those charges can carry larger offenses than the drug charges themselves. With most people uncomfortable talking about legalization, Ryan has a tough job ahead. In a one-minute advertisement entitled, “Legalization: Yes We Can,” seen on the NORML website and local TV channels, people of different professions, ages and cultures call for the repeal of prohibition. “These are normal people that say marijuana prohibition doesn’t work,” Ryan says. “Let’s legalize it, tax it and control it.” For more information about NORML, visit miamivalleynorml.org and OARO.org. �14 STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 Art and Poetry A Jump Into Blackish Water, Wavy with Moonlight By Spencer Ledyard I was in a tree, blank on the bank of the Mississippi, Looking out and falling asleep, no town for miles, No lights but moonlights, up and down in rapids, Little rising rolls of water over rocks in the riverbed. A raft come by, logs tied together with hemp line, Logs from a tree like the one I was in but heavy With river water. There was so much river in them, And a boy on the raft with so much river in him. He tied himself to the raft with extra hemp line. He stripped as bare as nature would allow him. There was no town for miles, nothing to hold him Back but any fear he might have made for himself. He jumped. The blackish water waved around. The only sound for miles was The sound he made himself. Ode for Ms. Johnny Mae By Willa D. Jones I heard that Ms. Johnny Mae had passed away Gone to glory to she took her leave just yesterday I never knew her well enough to sit and chat On a good day I would see her in the front where she sat I know as long as I remember her face and her smile Sitting on the front porch with grace and so much style I will remember the kindness she shared with everyone Her kindness can be rewarded now that her life is done As long as we keep her in our minds and in our hearts She will forever be in our memory never to part So may God bless and keep you close Ms. Johnny Mae Forever in eternity for your peace and for your soul We all pray By Anne Skove Become a Fan of Streetvibes on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/streetvibescincinnati Letters to the Editor Blindly Following To the Editor: Yes, Obama’s at fault for the slowness of the BP oil spill cleanup. What’d he do wrong? He listened to an oil company. He believed what they said and accepted their assurances. And here come the Republicans ready to set things right. The Republicans would never blindly follow the dictates of an oil company, would they? Or just swallow their assurances at face value? Of course not. So America can sleep better now, knowing that a political party that’s not afraid to take on Big Oil is waiting in the wings to save the day. Martin Stiller Cincinnati Have something on your mind? Want to comment on an article or vendor? Let us know: 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvibes2@yahoo.com If you like what you read, but don’t live in the Cincinnati area, you can subscribe to Streetvibes. Call us at 513-421-7803 x 12 to learn more about subscribing to Streetvibes. �15 Resources STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside 381-SAFE 768-6907 FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 241-1064 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 762-5660 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Salvation Army 535-2719 591-2246 872-9259 Shelter: Men 562-8841 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Treatment: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 241-5525 Prospect House Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 621-6364 621-5514 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 961-4663 Treatment: Both 381-0111 AA Hotline CCAT 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 241-2965 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House Hamilton/Middletown 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 Northern Kentucky 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry Brighton Center 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 421-5211 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women Off The Streets 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 241-2600 241-2563 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 458-6670 977-4489 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 761-1480 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 961-2256 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 558-8888 981-5800 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center Treatment: Women 961-4080 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 First Step Home Anthony House (Youth) 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 921-1613 661-4620 Shelter: Both Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic Other Resources 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 784-1853 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission Crossroad Health Center ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES July 1 - 14, 2010 Photos in Service of Justice Gordon Baer’s enduring effect M ississippi 1, Mississippi 2, Mississippi 3: These are the words that introduced Gordon Baer to photography. Baer was 8 years old when on a Saturday morning, accompanying his father to a meeting at the high school where he served as football coach, he heard these words coming from a room in the basement. He found out they were being pronounced by Brother Josephus teaching a student camera club, using the words to time the exposure of his photographs. Brother Josephus would then take a piece of white paper, put it in a waterlike liquid, and an image will progressively appear. Baer was mesmerized. Baer, a photojournalist, was born in Louisville, Ky. As a child he had an old box camera he used for assignments at the YMCA activity club he belonged to and for the yearbook in his Junior high school. Very early on he was also developing and exhibiting his own photographs. Baer attended the University of Kentucky at Lexington, initially studying chemistry, then the University of Louisville, focusing on fine arts and photography. At both places he documented life on campus functioning as the student newspaper’s photographer. In the beginning, his desire through photography was to organize and control people, telling them what to do; he soon realized, A rtists ctivists as By Saad Ghosn Contributing Writer however, that the control he was seeking would be more powerfully achieved by controlling viewers’ emotions by the images he would create. His photos became full of feelings, focusing on social issues and ills, the human always at their center. While a student at the University of Louisville, Baer interned as a photojournalist at the Louisville Courier. He met Shirley Williams, a writer, who took him to visit her family in the Appalachian foothills of eastern Kentucky. There he witnessed the battering and destruction of the rugged landscape by careless companies that had acquired the rights to mine the coal-rich area. The landowners had been lured to sign deeds allowing the underground exploitation of their land, not informed that new extraction technologies would make it unstable, causing mountaintops to run down the valley. They were angry, rebelling at the rape of their land and the pollution of their streams, and wanted to make their plight to the governor. Baer’s photographs spoke for them. Not only were his 25 prints of the ravages he saw exhibited in the State Capi- Gordon Baer says individuals come first. Saad Ghosn. tol; they were also flown to Washington, D.C., shared with Congress and the National Governors’ Conference. The photos had not ended for many of them, that it had helped accelerate passage of legislation con- installed itself in their living rooms, dreams, relationships. Baer reflected with eloquence trolling strip mining. Baer also actively participated in the civil and moving images their situation and daily rights movement, attending marches, dem- turmoil. His photographs, exhibited in Washonstrations and protests, documenting them ington, D.C., part of the Vietnam Memorial and spreading their images. He had met Rev. Dedication Display, earned him the prestiMartin Luther King Jr., who regularly visited gious Nikon World Understanding Award, Louisville, where his brother led a parish. “given to the photographer whose work best Baer followed King to Washington, D.C., and serves the common purposes of man.” When visiting Louisiana, Mo., for a workcaptured in his photos the freedom march of 1963. shop, Baer focused his photography on a In 1965 Baer joined the Cincinnati Post as group of workers enrolled by corporations to a photojournalist. This took him to various farm Stark Apple Orchards. He documented assignments, some mundane, oth- their exploitation and poor treatment, worse ers more socially concerned. One than that of previous prisoners of what used assignment was to photograph a to be a German prisoner-of-war camp. family with an autistic child. Parents In 2000 he did a moving series of phowith such children were blaming tographs related to his dying aunt Beck, a themselves for their kids’ condition, reflection on the frailty of the aged human Bruno Bettelheim, the renowned being, on mortality, also on the potential nechild psychiatrist, having theorized glect of the elderly in impersonal and underthe disorder was linked to cold, un- staffed nursing homes. Two years ago Baer was the moving force caring parents. Aware of the oftenunjustified sense of guilt this theory behind Shattered Myths, a show involving was generating, Baer instead showed many local artists, including himself, dealin his photos the humane family en- ing with the Iraq war and its deleterious efvironments of the affected children, fects on human beings, military and civildepicting affectionate, loving, yet ians alike. In his works, Baer always advocates for powerless parents. During the Vietnam War, while the poor, the exploited, the abused – for the based in Korea with the U.S. Air human in general. He also speaks loudly Force, Baer used his photographs to his opposition to violence of any sort. As he call attention to American soldiers originally wanted, he was able to develop often misbehaving, insensitive to a strong photographic arm with which to and disrespectful of the local cul- touch the viewer, involve and implicate him ture. He documented the abusive into his images. Baer’s camera has always treatment and shattered lives of the served as his strong voice. “I was able to use the power of the phomany “comfort” women the war tographic print to successfully transmit my conditions had favored. In the late ’70s Baer captured the messages, make people feel things I feel myenduring effects of war on returning self,” he says. “I am at a crossroads right now, Vietnam veterans. He attended group not sure how to go. I want to start writing therapy sessions of vets suffering and put my wisdom in words. But whatever from post-traumatic stress disorder, I do, I know that I will always focus on the visited their homes, participating in individual’s rights, on peace in this world.” their family lives, experienced firsthand their persistent nightmares. He quickly found out that the war It Takes Time for Psychic Wounds to Heal. Gordon Baer. Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource July 1-14, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Hate Wave: Attacks on Homeless Beggars Must Now Be Choosers Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: Time to Forget the Bootstraps Pg 4: Hate Wave: Attacks on Homeless Continued Pg 5: Hate Wave: Attacks on Homeless Continued Pg 6: A Message to Social Workers Pg 7: A Whole World of Street Papers Pg 8: “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long…” Pg 9: The Voice of the Street Pg 10: Drinking from the World Cup Pg 11: Safe, Affordable and Unavailable Pg 12: Beggars Must Now Be Choosers Continued Pg 13: The New Marijuana Majority Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Photos in Service of Justice Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 1-14, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Nick Swartsell Veronica Glass John Peet Casey Salsinger Jeni Jenkins Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Corey Gibson Jeni Jenkins Saad Ghosn Lew Moores Larry Gross Eli Braun Jesse Call B. Clifton Burke Michael Fanning Aimie Willhoite Anne Skove Vinit Murthy Jon Hughes Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF affordable housing Aimie Willhoite Anne Skove B. Clifton Burke Casey Salsinger Comedian Corey Gibson David Heitfield Eli Braun Filmmaker Gordon Baer Gregory Flannery Hate Crimes Jeni Jenkins Jeremy Flannery Jesse Call John Peet Jon Hughes Larry Gross Lew Moores Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Marijuana mental illness Michael Fanning Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Nick Swartsell Paul Kopp reform Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Social Work Veronica Glass Vinit Murthy Violence World Cup https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/3ef2bd0f6885627309b2386691f10a2f.pdf 0553b2729b0a06d34ee5cb0fcacc2a28 PDF Text Text Northside Parade Page 3 Golden Wanton Page 7 July 15-31, 2010 • Issue 181 • One Dollar ADVOCATING JUSTICE • BUILDING COMMUNITY Championing the Workers’ Rights Workers hope to unionize window manufacturer By Paul Kopp O Workers picket Champion Windows, where a union vote will be held this month. Jon Hughes/Photopresse. ne moment during a recent rally outside Champion Windows and Doors in Sharonville could be seen as an example of the crisis haunting the capitalist system, as the rising tension between factory workers and management escalates. The factory’s shifts are changing and Charles Amos, a former Champion factory worker, is walking along the side of the road, talking to many of his former co-workers as they leave or arrive to work. Suddenly another car leaving the factory complex speeds up, heading straight for Amos – finally swerving at the last second to avoid hitting him and a few other former workers and union organizers close by. Amos and the others identify the driver as one of their supervisors at the factory. Amos is perhaps the most spirited protester in attendance. Holding a sign showing the salary of Champion owner and CEO Dennis Manes, square footage of his home and other personal information, Amos stands close to each passing car, repeating variations of the same sentiment to each driver: A change is going to come. See CHAMPION P. 4 The Trail of Tears, Trail of Death U.S. policies are killing migrant workers By Janice Sevre-Duszynska " The U.S./Mexican border es una herida abierta (an open wound) where the Third World grates against the First and bleeds. And, before the scab forms, it hemorrhages again, the life blood of the wounds merging to form a third country – a border culture.” – Gloria Anzaldua, Borderlands/La Frontier: The New Mestiza. Sonoran Desert folk say that before one dies in the desert – from extreme heat and dehydration – he becomes delusional. He strips off his clothes and covers himself in the sand, heating himself up even further. As his body gives way, scorpions, spiders, insects, snakes and other animals invade as the huge turkey vultures swoop down and begin their meal. Since 1994, with the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and U.S. border policies that channel migrants to the deadliest part of the Sonoran Desert, it is estimated that more than 5,000 migrants from Mexico and Central America have died on the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona/Sonora. Many succumb to unbearable temperatures above 110 degrees. Others are never found as they dissolve into that which is part of the desert. Activist march in support of migrants. Janice Sevre-Duszynska On May 30, in an act of solidarity with migrants and to raise awareness of their plight, people from across the country and world participated in the sixth annual Migrant Trail Walk, a 75-mile, sevenday trek from Sasabe-Sonora to Tucson. “Today, as we celebrate the 520th weekly community vigil, 10 years of bearing witness to the human casualties of the deadly border policies of militarization and enforcement imposed on border communities, we cannot help but continue to ask when this madness will stop,” said Kat Rodriguez, coordinator of the Tucson-based Coalicion de Derechos Humanos (the Coalition of Human Rights), a non-governmental organization. The continued increase in the recovery of skeletal remains indicates that more individuals are being funneled into more isolated and desolate terrain of the Arizona-Sonora border, the organization reports. See TEARS P. 4 �2 The Vibe By The Numbers 33 million The amount, in dollars, of a levy voters approved in Seattle for affordable housing (see page 11). 1990 The year Jerry Judge took a writing workshop that changed his life (see page 16). 5,000 The number of migrants estimated to have died crossing the Sonoran Desert to Arizona (see page 1). 10.5 The Cincinnati unemployment rate, as a percentage of the labor pool (see page 6). 10-14 The number of unfair-labor charges against that a union might file against a window manufacturer (see page 1). 100 The number of days a 1,000-year-old egg is buried before being served (see page 7). 215 The number of the ballot proposition by which California voters legalized medicinal marijuana (see page 6). A few The number of months Stephanie Meinberg has been buying Streetvibes (see page 14). StreetWise By Gregory Flannery Editor 3CDC and the Stench of Death All non-profits are not created equal. In fact, some exist for the purpose of maximizing the profits of others. Take the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) – please! Created by Cincinnati City Council and the corporations that rule the city, 3CDC is now embarked on taking over Washington Park and turning it into a playground for patrons of Music Hall and the new urbanists who move into condos developed after 3CDC kicks out the poor. The transition will be complete after 3CDC, with the help of Mayor Mark Mallory and Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls (remember when she was considered a “liberal”?) succeed in kicking out the Drop Inn Center, many of whose residents like to sojourn in the park, along with those residents of Over-the-Rhine who haven’t yet been forced out. “Despite neighborhood outcry, 3CDC has removed the only Over-the-Rhine deep-water pool and the basketball park from the plan and added a dog park that was not asked for,” says Josh Spring, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. “Now 3CDC plans to remove dozens of historic trees, eliminate the street parking touching the park while creating their own parking garage below the north end of the park. To make matters far worse, 3CDC has presented no plan for where people will go while the park is shut down for up to 14 months. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless has demanded that a portion of the park remain open at all times, that construction be staggered or that a temporary alternative site be named. The fact is that in a neighborhood made of concrete, if there is no place for people to ‘legally loiter’ conflict will increase. Neighborhoods need parks and nature. People need buffer zones between themselves and concrete and business and sometimes other people.” City council recently approved funding for the Great Park Takeaway. Now the dead themselves are objecting to the takeover. Seems 3CDC will have to come up with a plan for dealing with the remains of the people buried on the land that now houses Washington Park. Stay tuned. Yes, it’s come to this: In its pursuit of profit, 3CDC will dig up human remains. One Killed, One Spared The state of Ohio is now on track to execute more people in a single year than Texas, long the nation’s premier death-dealer. In May Ohio poisoned – the polite term is “lethal injection” – Michael Beuke, after having kept him in a cage for 27 years. But in June Gov. Ted Strickland granted clemency to Richard Nields, commuting his sentence to being caged for the rest of his life. The Ohio Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union urges people to call Strickland’s office at 614-466-3555 or governor.info@governor.ohio.gov to thank him. While you’re at it, you might ask how it is that Strickland – a Democrat, an ordained minister and a former prison psychologist – can sleep at night after approving the poisoning of human beings. Judging the World Judge Mark Painter of Cincinnati, the only American on the United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT), has returned to Cincinnati after the court’s second session, held for two weeks in New York City. Its first session was in March in Geneva. The court orally announced decisions on the cases July 1, in the General Assembly Hall. A synopsis of the decisions will be posted on the UN Web site later this month. The UNAT is the highest court of the new internal-justice system, which was instituted in 2009 to provide access to independent and professional courts for staff members and management. The judges were elected by the General Assembly. Cases included disputes over promotions, discipline, pensions, contract matters and many other issues. These cases continue the development of the UN internal law. Painter served as a judge in Hamilton County for 27 years, 13 on the Municipal Court followed by 14 on the Court of Appeals. STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo. com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress. com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Graphics/Layout Nick Swartsell Veronica Glass John Peet Casey Salsinger Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Corey Gibson, Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Lew Moores, Larry Gross, Eli Braun, Jesse Call, B. Clifton Burke, Michael Fanning Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Anne Skove, Vinit Murthy, Jon Hughes Proofreaders Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. 27 The number of years the state of Ohio kept Michael Beuke in a cage before poisoning him (see page 2). 6 The number of days “Scabs” went without medication in the Hamilton County Justice Center4 (see page 13). We are proud members of: The United Nations Appeals Tribunal. Courtesy UN. �STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Photo Essay Celebrating Independence in Style Northside has the most vibrant Independence Day celebration of any neighborhood in Greater Cincinnati, featuring progressive social and political causes. This year the neighborhood marched and held a rock 'n' roll carnival July 3, a festival of freedom, social justice and equality. Photos by Jon Hughes/Photopresse. Follow Streetvibes www.facebook.com/streetvibescincinnati twitter.com/streetvibesnews streetvibes.wordpress.com 3 �4 Local News STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Championing the Workers’ Rights CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 1 “We are going to get back in,” he says. “I was fired, he was fired, she was fired (pointing at others standing around him). We’re going to get our jobs back, but I’m not coming back. I’m going to make it better for the people that will be coming back.” Unfair practices Champion has since called Amos and offered to rehire him, and he has accepted, even though he said he wouldn’t be returning. Despite the working conditions, he likes his job and is humbled by the lack of job options in this economy. He says he will continue his support for workers’ rights and the unionization of the factory workers. “The workers at Champion Windows and Doors are trying to self organize”, says John Bielak, a regional organizer for the International Ironworkers Union, who is assisting the Champion workers with their unionization process as well as with their workers’ rights issues. He says Amos was terminated on the spot for incorrectly cutting one piece of glass while another worker, who is friendly with the management, cut 35 window frames wrong and is still working at Champion. “There are a lot of things going on in there with the management with the workers’ rights and the way they are being treated – basically changes in policy against the workers, trying to hamper them and coerce them not to go union,” Bielak says. Bielak, who has been assisting the workers since March, says they have 10 to 14 complaints of unfair labor practices against Champion, which the Ironworkers Union is helping them file with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Bielak and other union representatives have been meeting with the NLRB to set an election date for Champion workers to decide if a union will represent them. The election is scheduled for July 21. To someone driving past the factory entrance, the scene might have looked like a picket line, but in fact it was more of a protest. This is because most of the workers, even though they support the union campaign, are flying under the radar for fear of losing their jobs, according to Bielak. The few workers in attendance are mostly those who have recently been terminated. “I got hurt on the job,” says Robert Jones, who worked as a welder. “I came back and they fired me.” Jones broke his knuckle and missed three weeks of work. During the time he was gone, he signed a union card and began joining the protests outside the factory. When he returned, he says, he was told he was being let go because he missed too much work. “I had a doctor’s excuse and everything,” Jones says. Sarah Jones, his sister, was let go under similar circumstances. She missed two days of work due to an illness, which sent her to a hospital, and was let go shortly after returning. Sarah Jones says she called and left a message on the company’s voicemail saying she was sick. Her supervisors told her that they never received the message. Like her brother, Jones had also begun to openly show support for the union. ‘Pins and needles’ Bielak says that individuals who are no longer working for Champion will still be able to vote in the union representation election; but under NLRB rules, the company has the right to contest their votes. Those who feel they have been terminated due to their union activities can get their jobs back, but it is a long process. In the case of Champion, the workers will take their complaints to Bielak, who will file a complaint with the NLRB. If the board decides in favor of the workers, they will receive all the wages they missed plus interest, reinstatement of insurance benefits, as well as in anything else that was lost. It’s what they call “Make them whole,” Bielak says. Overall the problem workers seem to have with the company’s management seems to be with they way they treat their employees rather than a dispute over wages. “How can you have a supervisor who jumps on grown men and cusses them out on the floor, and then when someone says something back to him he fires them?” Robert Jones says. Jones and his sister say that, if the union wins the election, Champion will need to make a lot of changes before they would consider going back to work at the factory. Also present at the rally is Brandon Wilson, another former Champion employee, who shared an experience similar to Amos’s. Wilson says he was written up for leaving his station to use the bathroom after his work was finished, and written up and suspended yet again for using the bathroom a second time, even after he informed his supervisors it was an emergency. He was eventually let go for getting adhesive stuck to 15 pieces of glass. Wilson had also been an open supporter of the move to unionize. He was fired in early June and has since found employment elsewhere. Wilson says he has never worked for a company that is run like Champion. “It’s more like a sweatshop,” he says. “You are on pins and needles every day when you walk into that place.” Numerous attempts were made to contact representatives of Champion Windows and Doors. Inquiries were directed to CEO and owner Dennis Manes, as well as the company’s employee relations department, both of which have not returned messages. A message left on the company’s Web site was also not returned. The Trail of Tears, Trail of Death CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “This ‘Funnel Effect,’ which has been documented by the Binational Migration Institute, has shown that the practice of sealing traditional crossing points ultimately pushes migration into the deadliest areas,” Rodriguez said. “The extent of this crisis is not known as the numbers of human remains recovered in neighboring states are not available.” 282 ribbons In 2006 I participated in the weeklong walk as a member of the Christian Peacemaker Team and BorderLinks, an interfaith educational community in Tucson. Our trek was nothing like the gauntlet of death that migrants face. The 130 of us who participated were accompanied by support vehicles and unlimited amounts of food, water and medical attention provided by interfaith communities. Still, it was challenging to walk many miles each day in the unrelenting sun. ”Where are you from?” asked a U.S. Border agent. After showing him our drivers’ license, we symbolically gave up our identifications -- as migrants do -- by placing them in a metal box. As we crossed the border into Sasabe-Sonora, Mexico, we gathered in a church to pray and be blessed on our pilgrimage by the local priest. As in the Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, the body on the cross in the Catholic church there was of Christ as an indigenous migrant refugee. Twelve people picked up three coffins, remembering the women, men and children who have died in the desert. Tohono O’odham Indians Maria and Jim, a married couple, blew a sage incense Migrant Trail Walk, 2006. Janice Sevre Duszynska. blessing through an eagle feather to each one of us. In their consecration, they evoked the Grandmother and Grandfather and displayed a string with 282 ribbons -- one for everyone who died in the borderland in 2005. Then we each took a wooden, white-painted cross. I chose one of a “desconocida,” an unknown woman who died in the desert heat that year. On the other side was the word “Presente.” What we held up in our hands represented the life and death of another human being. As we wandered farther into the desert, we felt haunted. All around us were signs of our migrant sisters and brothers, Christ the refugee: bandannas, discarded clothing, shoes and boots, baseballstyle caps, cowboy hats, ski caps to keep warm on cold nights, blankets, paper refuse from fastfood places and more, including an uncountable number of empty gallon jugs, many with ropes tied to them. To keep hydrated, we were to drink two to three gallons of water each day. A migrant would need around eight gallons of water to barely See TEARS P. 5 �STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 5 Local News The Trail of Tears, Trail of Death CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 4 survive the desert and cross over. It’s typical for migrants to cross the border at dusk, when the night vision surveillance doesn’t catch them and the buster lights haven’t been turned on. They often travel at night under the Milky Way while the whirligig sound of searching helicopters pierces the quiet desert sky. They journey until the early morning, when they’ll lie low in the unforgiving heat of the desert bush where rattlesnakes are common. The Border Patrol watches them on radar in their office through cameras called “cherry pickers,” which resemble the machines in the movie Return of the Jedi. Their heat sensors can detect movement thousands of times smaller than what we see. Migrants must face the desert’s many trails, where it’s easy to lose one’s way. There are quick floods called “washes” 2-10 feet deep in the canyons and fierce “dust devil” storms that swirl for 20 minutes at a time. If they are caught by the Border Patrol, migrants face the possibility of mistreatment. Beatings have been reported, and withholding of water and food at detention centers is not uncommon. During the week of our walk, the bodies of six migrants were found in the desert. Desert folk say that, for each body found in the desert, many others will never be found. On the Sunday morning after we trekked our last 6.7 miles into Tucson, some of us participated in a “die-in” in front of the Border Patrol office. We mourned the “dead” as if they were our migrant mothers, fathers, children. To leave is to suffer “The nearly 2,000-mile border between the United States and Mexico has long been a zone of conflict and change, a cultural crossroads where First and Third Worlds meet,” said the Rev. Delle McCormick, a minister of the United Church of Christ and director of BorderLinks. “Many patterns of international economics and politics that affect all of our communities can be seen in sharp focus in the borderlands.” The creation of a “free trade” zone along the border in 1965 began the flood of U.S. manufacturing plants to Mexican border towns. In 1994 the enactment of NAFTA exacerbated the difficulties. As a result, cities along the border have exploded as migrants, not able to find work elsewhere in Mexico, move north to find work along and across the border. Today serious health problems, massive poverty, disintegrating families and environmental degradation are the unintended and often unrecognized legacies of this “development.” In addition, serious immigration problems have escalated. “To leave one’s land is to suffer,” said a coffee farmer from Chiapas, Mexico, who now works for Just Coffee, a cooperative of coffee growers. He told us that, since the passage of NAFTA, hundreds of thousands of coffee farmers in Chiapas and other parts of Mexico have been forced to leave their lands because of the fall in coffee prices. After NAFTA, the price of 90 pounds of coffee fell from $150 to $35. Then there are the middlemen who take their cut. The farmers could no longer support their families and needed to seek fair work. The U.S. response to the increase in migrants crossing the border has been to increase the militarization of the border. Now migrants must cross in more remote and dangerous areas of the deserts; this has increased the number of migrant deaths.  Miguel Pickard, a Chiapan economist from the Center for the Economic and Political Investigation for Community Action who spoke to us and participated in the walk, said we should be asking why this is happening. What is causing Mexicans who do not want to leave their land to do so? Pickard said the main reason is NAFTA. NAFTA promotes a “savage, no-holds-barred capitalism” in which more jobs are being lost, he said. Since 1994, under NAFTA, Mexican farmers no longer receive subsidies for growing their crops. However, U.S. and Canadian farmers still do. Cheap, highly subsidized corn and other crops from the United States and Canada are allowed into the Mexican market. Mexican farmers cannot sell their crops and make a profit –- or compete with the open market. This is what drives Mexican peasants from their farms. Then a Mexican family must develop survival strategies, so they send a family member –- son, brother, husband or wife -– from the land into the cities. If a job is not available in the cities, they continue on to the United States. Before the border became tightened and militarized, Mexican migrant workers were able to work in the United States seasonally as needed and then return to their families in Mexico. Now the migratory pattern has ended. It is too expensive to return because of coyotes and the militarization of the border, Pickard explained. “Under neo-liberalism, the wealth is concentrated in the hands of those designing the free trades which are more than just agreements,” Pickard said. “NAFTA and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) have not been designed or voted on by the people but by ‘business types.’ As a result of their passage, the rich have gotten richer, and the middle class and poor have gotten poorer.” Pickard explained that other countries such as China, South Korea and India operate with tariffs on imported goods that have allowed their economies to grow. Argentina got out of the World Bank so it could put tariffs on imports to protect its industries. NAFTA, however, is part of a paradigm shift that began in the 1980s, according to Pickard. It did away with tariffs that protected infant Mexican industries and agricultural products and kept out foreign competition. The result in a country like Mexico – which is not on the top of the development slope – Is that the local economies are destroyed. Before, this was not permitted. “NAFTA has frozen countries on the development path, and Mexico has gone down the last 20 years into a more relative and absolute poverty,” Pickard said. “The solution is to do what many academics are saying and what is already happening on a global scale: Open the borders now and eliminate barriers so that the movement not only of goods and capital is allowed but also of people for labor. Why does one person have to die responding to the natural supply and demand of labor?” In March, at a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committe, former President Bill Clinton apologized for forcing Haiti to drop tariffs on imported subsidized rice during his presidency. This destroyed Haitian rice farming and severely damaged its self-sufficiency. It appears he was regretting CAFTA and NAFTA. Time to Revive Good Manners Rude behavior is good for no one By Will Kirschner There is a lot on our plates lately: the oil spill, the Iraq War and the economy are all things the average American worries about. However, I have a solution that will help alleviate at least some of our worries: courtesy. Courtesy is not just holding the door open for women; it extends to all areas of your life. Not checking your e-mails during a presentation is not just the courteous thing to do, but could help you get business for your company. Courtesy pays dividends; however, it is surprisingly a dying concept. One example of how seldom people think with courtesy is the recent Miami University sorority event at the Underground Railroad Freedom Center downtown. If you have not heard, these “future leaders” arrived so inebriated that they did not all make it through the door before they got sent home in cabs. Some who got in then pro- ceeded to trash the bathrooms, tried to urinate on a historic slave house and snuck in large quantities of alcohol, according to a memo sent by event coordinator Rhonda Miller to the sorority. This was after one of the other Miami Ohio sororities got in trouble for trashing a lakeside event center. As a college student at the illustrious party school, Ohio University, I feel qualified to offer some insight into why some people no longer act with any decency. So many of the students feel they are entitled to do whatever they please with no consequence. Whoever gets in their way will just get trampled. Ask any full-time resident of a college town and they certainly will be able to tell you all about the problems they have with the students. They have to live with students who only think of themselves and how they can get as drunk as physically possible, no matter the consequences. Just diagnosing the problem is not enough; the cure is more complicated. It really does start with nurture and how parents treat their children. More and more parents are coddling their children and making them feel like the center of the universe. While it is important to make sure your kids know they are important, it is equally important that they do not think they are so important they do not have to be courteous to others. All too often you see parents bending to the will of their young children, and they begin to believe the world revolves around them. It can easily be seen how this translates straight into the behavior exemplified by the sorority, because no one ever told them they were not the most important people out there. The situation is more complicated by how the media feeds this self-attention frenzy, with the bevy of “reality” TV programs out there. One needs to only look at MTV’s newest hit, The Jersey Shore, to find examples of people being rewarded for their selfishness. Young people see them boozing heavily and creating havoc at bars, and they want to party like them. A culture is created in which, if you are not partying hard, then your not partying at all. Changing a culture that lacks common courtesy is going to begin with us. Courtesy is infectious: If we start putting others first, they will repay the favor. Courtesy might not catch the first time someone is exposed, or even the second; but sooner or later they will start wanting to share the good feelings with someone, and then it will start to spread. Interested in volunteering with Streetvibes? Contact Greg Flannery at 513-421-7803 x 12 or by e-mail at streetvibes2@yahoo.com �6 STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Local News Church Group Lobbies for Jobs Calling for creativity and government help By Corey Gibson ing for job opportunities. “People think of striking out on their own,” lack of employment opportunities is a Stern said. “That way they can create their own, matter of concern for people of faith. and get ahead and have some of that dignity.” That’s why the AMOS Project, a faithTerry Jones, a convicted felon and father of two, based coalition striving to solve many social has been doing whatever he can to provide for problems in the Cincinnati area, held a panel his family. His solution for fixing the job crisis is discussion June 30 about ways keeping young people off the that jobs can be brought back to streets and educating them to Cincinnati. “There are no jobs in Hamilton earn money the right way. The panel consisted of people County or in the rest of Ohio. “We need to bring promise from all walks of life. Some were They just disappeared. And back to the city,” Jones said. mothers, others were fathers. Kristina Schnister, a single what we need is a national Some were convicted felons, jobs program called the Local unemployed mother of two, while others had master’s degave the most moving examJobs for America Act.” grees. Yet they all stood for the ple of how unemployment has same thing. They wanted to be affected many people in the employed and they wanted to help others who Cincinnati area. were not employed. “I have been turned away for being over-qualKen Stern, one of the panelists, is the commuified as many times as I have been for someone nity garden director for Findlay Market. He started with yet a higher education than myself,” she said. a program that would help people grow their own Schnister, crying, continued on with confession vegetables in urban gardens and take the vegetaabout her inability to buy presents for her children bles they did not want to keep for themselves and on their birthdays or being able to buy the food sell them at Findlay Market. she wants, because food stamps have regulations “People are working in the gardens and creating about the food that can be bought with them. a business opportunity for themselves,” Stern said. Although she was a case manager for the third “We are creating our own opportunities by taklargest social-service agency in Ohio, she still caning a different chance and creating our own hope. not find a job. We have four goals. One was to provide locally “It has been extremely difficult two summers grown, healthy and nutritious food in the central in a row to tell my kids we are not going to have a city. Second was to help people have access to this yearly outing, that we will not have a vacation, that nutritious food. Third was to help people become we may not even have money for their birthdays,” gardeners and help create a business opportunity, she said. and the fourth was to contribute to revitalizing With nearly a 10.5 percent unemployment rate Over-the-Rhine.” in Cincinnati, this story is one that can be heard all Yet Stern sees that many jobs have been lost. around the Tri-state area. Yet like all the people in The manufacturing jobs that might have been the room, Schnister is determined to find a job. available in earlier decades are not there anymore. “You wont see me melting in the couch from He believes people need to be creative when lookself-pity?” Schinister said. “I will be out there try- A ing to change things for people such as myself.” The final panelist, Pamela Franklin, treasurer of the AMOS Project, finished the discussion with an uplifting speech about banding together as a community and pulling through these tough times. “We all must band together as a whole to make things better,” she said. “Those who are eating cannot relate to those who are not eating.” Her message about thinking together and changing the way democracy has treated the middle class resounded strongly throughout the room. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) sent a letter to AMOS and to the panel discussion. It extended his gratitude to the AMOS Project and declared his appreciation for getting out the word about the Local Jobs for America Act, introduced by Brown, which he said would create 1 million jobs nationwide and over 26,000 for Ohioans. Paul Graham, director of the AMOS Project, endorsed the bill. “There are no jobs in Hamilton County or in the rest of Ohio,” he said. “They just disappeared. And what we need is a national jobs program called the Local Jobs for America Act.” Yet the AMOS Project and all the people that came out to support the group did not stop there. They went to the streets of downtown Cincinnati and began a rally, chanting, “Tell me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like” and “What do we want? Jobs. When we do we want them? Now!” The group marched to the offices of U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-Ohio) and U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) to deliver over 1,000 job applications to each. Outside the offices were crowds of people wearing “I need a job” T-shirts and holding signs that protested the fact that there are very little job opportunities in Hamilton County. The Weedy, Wild Wild West California prepares to tax legal marijuana By Coulter Loeb “ Wanna buy some weed? Wa-wanna buy some weed?” a shaking, stumbling man wearing a leather jacket and a small cap holds out a small baggie containing less than an eighth of an ounce of the green herb in a small California Park. “It’s some of the good stuff,” he insists. Having been informed less than 30 minutes earlier by local street vendors that drug pushers had been using my current location, Berkeley’s People’s Park, to push meth-sprayed cannabis to unsuspecting citizens, I politely declined. I had heard of the methods dealers use to get customers hooked on drugs, but the feeling of culture shock remained as the man stumbled away toward another group of youth. In Berkeley, Calif., cannabis use has been all but legalized. Citizens smoking pot on the street is seen as just another one of the locale’s cultural curiosities. In addition to the shady man in the park, locals mention a local black-market dealer by the name of “Aquarius.” With access to one of California’s many legitimate and legal medicinal marijuana dispensaries, he hangs out with his two dogs on Telegraph Avenue, giving anyone who can pay “the good stuff.” He is spoken of as a friend among the community and provides a safe, affordable product to Berkeley residents. Sitting in a small metal chair on the sidewalk in front of a busy coffeehouse, “Sam” holds a lit marijuana cigarette as one might hold a Camel: publicly and nonchalantly. “It’s just become such a part of the culture and every day life here. Sure, you kind of have to look out for the cops if you don’t have a (medicinal marijuana identification) card, but people smoke on the street all the time,” she says. An orderly market As of June, California’s policy makers had hammered out many of the policies surrounding medicinal cannabis ever since it’s statewide legalization in 1996. But being the “leader in all things counter culture”, as High Times editor Dan Skye says, the state has continually explored how medicinal cannabis might be implemented into public policy. In some areas, such as Berkeley, the unregulated black market has reached the point that pot has become a part of the community. It can be seen being smoked on the sidewalk and is smelled everywhere. It also means that nearly anyone can tell you where to get some. In Berkeley, the lack of regulation and enforcement policies has led to a new weedy wild west, where the majority of the non-marijuana card carrying public is on their own to find good, untaxed sources of cannabis. But for the majority of California, a system of order and control is emerging from the chaos. In the 14 years since California’s legalization of medicinal cannabis, public opinion has slowly shaped the policies surrounding the state’s initially controversial medicinal marijuana dispensaries. Patients’ rights groups have lobbied for the availability of safe, reliable sources of medicinal cannabis and have won a number of measures easing restrictions on the legal cannabis market. California voters passed Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, with a 56 Marijuana plant. Coulter Loeb. percent majority. The proposition stated chiefly that the state would ensure and protect the right of any California citizen deemed by a doctor to be able to benefit from the use of cannabis to acquire and medicate their ailments by using medicinal marijuana. In 2005 the Oakland city government decided to pass a measure regulating how the medicinal cannabis industry would function in the city. It made cannabis the Oakland Police force’s lowest priority See WEED P. 10 �STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 7 Dining Cakes, Jell-O and Ale in Fear It’s a buffet, but is it really Chinese food? By Michael Fanning Entering Buddha's House of the Golden Wanton is like entering the Forbidden City in Beijing, except there’s a roof over everything and they serve orange Jell-O. It’s a buffet restaurant that opened in the last year or so, and I was wondering how it stacked up against several hundred similar buffets in the Tri-state. The building itself was, painted white and yellow when it became the Wanton, was obviously a Pizza Hut about a year and a half ago. The refitted interior is a strange mixture of varnished fauxopulence and just plain incomplete. What look like chandeliers from an Arabian oil magnate’s house hang from the corrugated metal ceiling. You can still see the wiring. However, as long as you don't look up, you will not be disappointed. Plastic jade dragons adorn the partitions between the booth seating and the custom made wooden tchotchki racks in the windows holding faux treasures from the Ming Dynasty. Everything is gleaming and new. I’m dying to know how much it cost to gut and remodel the place in this manner. It must have equaled whatever they shelled out for the building in the first place. But why spend so much on an interior only to have no ceiling? Bizzaro. The Wanton is close to where I work, and I’ve brought my co-worker, Kelly, who is our resident sushi expert. I base her qualifications on the fact that she just got back from her first vacation to Japan, and she’s a big fan of My Neighbor Totoro. She will come in handy soon. Beijing pizza We are led to our booth, and in a moment are greeted by our waitress. When I say “greeted,” I mean this in the fashion of two boxers “greeting” each other before a long brawl. Our waitress orders us to the buffet. We move quickly. The staff are all young, and their English skills are certainly limited – not much beyond, “Is Pepsi OK?” They have the bodies of figure skaters, a remarkably attractive bunch. The food selections at Chinese buffets are pretty much the same: fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, pepper steak, egg rolls, as well as purely American fare like pizza, fried clams, stuffed mushrooms and the like. The standard desserts are present as well. Orange Jell-O, tapioca and bananas with a mysterious red sauce poured over them. I strongly suspect this is the same sauce on the sweet and sour chicken; and in the name of good journalism, I put some on my plate. Kelly and I make it back to our table, and I compare our selections. Everything I have is brown and fried. Everything Kelly has is green and organiclooking. I know full well that my eating will be my demise. When I’m dead, they will find an entire order of crab Rangoon lodged in my chest. On this first round I got pepper steak, fried rice, crab Rangoon, orange Jell-O, a slice of pizza and some white gelatinous stuff that I’m assuming is a coconut-flavored dessert. It looks just like a hunk of hard-boiled albumen. They had crab legs at the buffet as well but these crabs looked to have had muscular dystrophy in life, so I avoid them. Kelly got rice and what I think is a pile of bamboo. There is no mystery to me as to why women outlive men. The banana dish is not bad, really. The red sauce cannot be tasted and therefore is just like eating a banana. The orange Jell-O is actually pretty gross, and I’m not sure how they screwed that one up. The white albumen is next. I say to Kelly, “Here goes.” She gives me a team-spirited thumbs-up. I am completely mystified. It does taste kind of coconutish, but it isn’t pudding; it's too firm. I swallow and give Kelly a blank smile. I have no idea what I’ve just eaten. The real test is yet to come: the sushi bar. I Chinese Food or American? REUTERS/Natalie Behring haven't had much sushi, and Kelly is along to guide me through the ins and outs of it. As I eat my brown, fried selections, Kelly looks at my plate and says, “Mmmm, that looks good,” but I know she really means, “I bet you live to see 43 tops, maybe 45 if you would stop licking your plate.” On a side note, my dad just got vanity tags for his new Avalon that say, “4 BYPASS.” Killing the whale As we munch, I observe the other patrons of the Wanton seated near us. The crowd is mostly what you would expect in a buffet: It is a bovine horde. A man close to me that must weigh upward of 400 pounds. I’ve never felt pity for a piece of furniture, but his chair certainly has mine now. The chair reminds me of Joe Morton’s last line in Terminator 2, “I … don't … know … how … much … longer … I … can … hold … this.” Then he explodes. A heated argument between two employees suddenly erupts next to me and Kelly. While shooting menacing glances at the table she’s been waiting on, a server is unleashing a Chinese diatribe at a young woman who has been sweeping the floors. I certainly don’t understand what they are saying, but I can’t help but think she's inciting the sweeper to join her in an all-out assault: “If we take them now, when they are full and sleepy, we can roll their fat flesh off of the back dock. I can’t watch anymore.” A male server at a table close to us doesn't appear to be any happier than his cohorts. I observe him take a round of beverages to his table. He hands a bottled beer to a guy and then quickly runs around the partition wall to the left of our booth. The customer twists off the top of his beer, and it erupts everywhere with foam. It has obviously been shaken. The server behind the partition jumps up, laughing and pointing at the beersoaked man. “Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, you beer exprode!” he yells. As I finish my pizza, I wonder what the origin of the staff's general surliness could possibly be. I remember a restaurant when I was in France 10 years ago. Our waiter was not a happy chap. My wife and I were accompanied that night by a local Parisian, a former college roommate of my wife’s. I asked our friend if she could explain the young man’s grumpiness. She simply shrugged and said, “Can you blame him? It is a subservient job.” I guessed this made some sort of sense at the time and figured that, if the French think this way about busing tables, why not the Chinese? Then another thought dawned on me. I was surrounded at the Wanton by a bovine horde being served by grace- ful, beautiful, healthy, well shaped people. That in itself must be unappealing to them. Then another thought: the food that Chinese people eat seems to be some of the healthiest worldwide. What I now have on my plate, as we all know, is not authentic Chinese food, but rather American cuisine with soy sauce. From what I’ve observed, Chinese people tend to eat rice and vegetables and other healthful, colorful things – not the deep-fried mess before me. All plates in my sight (not including Kelly’s) are full of brown lumpy things, and lots of it. We are forcing the staff to defile their own healthy cuisine to pander to us, the bovine diabetic horde. Then we force them to watch us shovel it down our gullets in quantities that would kill a blue whale. This might rub me the wrong way, too, if I were Chinese. We are forcing them to become accomplices in our own unhealthy lifestyles. It must be disturbing to them. What the staff here must talk about after work! You would probably hear, “Wow, you see fat man, table 43? He have ass like Liberty Bell. His wife eat whole pizza, then eat table!” Ready to jump Only once have I had authentic Chinese food. It was many years ago when I had a girlfriend who worked at a small Chinese-owned and Chinesestaffed toy company. We were invited to a dinner hosted by her boss. My girlfriend and I were the only Westerners in the group. It was a wonderful experience, the food was incredible and didn’t in any way resemble the food I was eating now. The people were delightful and the experience would have been completely great were it not for one small item. You might have heard of the Chinese “delicacy” called the “1,000-year-old egg.” Well, they served these at the dinner party. I decided to be intrepid and try one. I will try to describe it. This is an egg that has been covered in a mixture of wood ash, quicklime and salt, then buried in the ground for a about 100 days. After this time has passed, it is not used to ward off evil spirits, but rather eaten. The shelled egg is slick and a terrifying translucent black. I set one on my plate and looked at it as someone about to base-jump for the first time looks downward from the top of a radio tower. I observed the Chinese guests around me at the table; all eyes were directed my way. I knew that, despite the fact that this was their “delicacy,” deep down they know it’s fucked up. It must have taken decades of cultural conditioning to get used to this See CAKES P. 12 �8 STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Vendor Voice Go Vibrant Cleo’s Joke Corner Events to help you on the way to heathly living By Aubrey Bowman Streetvibes Vendor If you were on Fountain Square June 21, you got the chance to get healthy via a new initiative called Govibrant – Making Healthy Living Easier. Some of the many organizations involved include the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, Cincinnati Health Department, Artworks and other organizations dedicated to healthy living. This is a brand new event, designed to make Cincinnati a healthy city. Govibrant wants to serve as your one-stop spot to connect you to health and wellness events in Cincinnati. Their goal is the catch phrase, “10 Better in 10 Challenge: Try to Get Healthy with Healthy Activities in 10 Weeks.” Visit their Web site at govibrant.org for more information. Here are some upcoming events: Until 7/23/10, Cancer Society “Paint it Pink,” acscan.org/cincinnatipaintitpink. Aug. 7 Lady Distance Classic Run/Walk, fleetfeetcincy.com/calendar. Aug. 28-29, MS150, Kimberly.Neff@nmss.org. Aug. 30, Cancer Society Golf Classic, 888-22276446, ext. 4213. Sept. 5, Cheetah Run at Cincinnati Zoo, cincinnatizoo.org. Sept. 12, Sunflower Revolution, sunflowerrev. com. And remember: “Don’t Go Through Life with No Vibes.” What do you call on an octopus that’s down on its luck? Squid Row. Art by Anthony Williams Intoxication By Willa D. Jones Streetvibes Vendor Intoxication is being drunk if only just for a little while Intoxication can become a bad habit with a crooked smile Being high and intoxicated all alone can make no sense Being homeless, a panhandler plus drunk can be a bad defense Fear of not knowing what your next move will possibly be Can be intoxicating without a drink, please believe me The fear of failure constantly day in and day out Can be an eye-opening experience to make a change, no doubt Once you realize there is another way to live life every day To work, maintaining your money and then a place to stay Things start to fall in order eventually surely but slowly And you start to change your ways each day ever so boldly Intoxicating thoughts will not be able to hold you back Knowing that with the help of God you can get back on track So don’t stay intoxicated by the fears of the world today Ask God to help, read the Bible and never forget to pray. “Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me All Night Long…” Whimsical Sun-dried Tomato Pesto with Penne Serving Size: 5-6 bellies 2 cups fresh basil leaves, chopped, with stems cut off 1 cup pine nuts 3 cloves fresh garlic ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil and 4 oz. sundried tomatoes – or 8.5-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional) 16 oz. penne pasta • Prepare the pasta according to package instructions, cooking al dente. • Combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, oil and sundried tomatoes in food processor until well blended. • Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and add the pasta, toss well to coat evenly. • For added zest, mix in the grated Parmesan. • Season with salt and pepper to taste. • Voila, feed! Sundried Tomato Pesto. Jeni Jenkins. By Jeni Jenkins Staff Writer I made this dish on a day when I had less than 30 minutes to throw something together for a community potluck. The date had completely slipped my mind and there wasn’t time to run to the grocery. After racking my brain on what to make, I stepped out on my porch, and my former neighbor handed me a bundle of fresh basil leaves from her garden. I told her my dilemma, and she suggested I make pesto, which I had never made before. She told me how she makes hers and, to my surprise, I had the ingredients on hand. I ran inside and tossed everything in my blender (I didn’t own a food processor). After taste testing, I whimsically threw in a jar of sun-dried tomatoes that I had purchased months. To my surprise, it was tasty. I mixed the pesto with some pasta and rushed over to the potluck that had already begun. A bit worried about its reception, I placed the dish on the table and got into line. By the time I got to my dish, the entire bowl had been devoured – which means I didn’t even get to enjoy the fruits of my own labor. Since then I’ve made this dish several times for other potlucks and it’s always a hit. This is a perfect summer dish, and I enjoy it with salad and bread. �STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 9 �10 STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Issues The Weedy, Wild Wild West CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 6 Francisco, the Terra, had been reserved. Massive stuffed baked potatoes had been prepared. Vendors had lined up at a chance to get a booth at the First Annual 2010 High Times Medicinal Cannabis Cup. Dan Skye, editor of High Times, remarks on the significance of the event. “The industry has advanced to the point where new industries are cropping up all the time,” he says. “You see this all the time when something reaches its tipping point – all these industries come forward to serve both the consumer and the cultivator. It’s evolving”. It’s evolving, all right. On the entrance floor, new types of smoking devices, LED grow lamps and entire prefabricated hydroponic grow boxes sit with smiling vendors idly standing by for anyone who happens to make eye contact. The occasional cannabis plant stands defiantly tall and healthy among the tables and wares. Continuing down the stairs into the second part of the convention, anyone in attendance is greeted to a smell familiar to most of those there: Somebody's smoking some pot. If anyone were unlucky enough to arrive on this and stated that the city would work toward creating a tax structure and enforce regulation over medicinal cannabis. By 2007 medicinal marijuana had been legalized for 11 years. The courts had already defined parts of how California’s growing medicinal marijuana community interacted with the state, but the majority of marijuana’s legal issues remain in the grey. State laws still contradict federal laws. No one knew how the free-market cannabis industry would look. Then Richard Lee, a 33-year-old marijuana activist, decided to place an ad in San Francisco’s East Bay Express. Inspired by a visit to a cannabis college in Amsterdam, Lee had decided to test the lines around commercial medicinal marijuana. His ad, declaring, “Cannabis Industry Now Hiring”, promoted a trade school whose classes aimed to introduce standards to the fledgling industry on a commercial level. It taught students how to legally open a medicinal marijuana dispensary. After an initial public reaction of 200 phone calls in the first week, 20 students assembled in a small storefront on 15th Street in Oakland. Soon, the waiting list for classes grew to three months. As students began to apply what they had learned, “there were a couple rogue agents that just threw up a pot shop,” says Salwa Imrahim, executive assistant to Oaksterdam University’s founder, Richard Lee. Before the city had time to react to the rogues, “16 more popped up in the area, and the market supported it”. The city, facing the debt generated by several local renovation projects, decided that there might be a taxable market in the sudden crop of mediIt’s all but legal in Cailifornia. Coulter Loeb. cal cannabis dispensaries. “The city decided to permit (the dispensaries), second section any time between 3 and 4 p.m. the and that’s how they would control them, without first day, they would then enter the mass of people shutting them down entirely,” Lee says. jammed shoulder-to-shoulder, trying to get past Four dispensaries were established to sell the many displays of medicinal cannabis and a game show booth where free cannabis is given medicinal marijuana to patients with a doctor’s away every hour. The mass of people was there for recommendation. the third portion of the convention: the Prop 215 By 2009 Oaksterdam University had outarea. grown its storefront’s walls and had moved to its In front of the entrance to this special section, a 30,000-square-foot headquarters. Satellite camsign says: “Cash Only. Medical Marijuana Recompuses had popped up in Los Angeles, Ann Arbor mendations.” Anyone who had paid the $35 enand California’s North Bay. trance fee could pay for an on-site doctor’s consulThis growth continued across California, where tation. The doctor would provide either a one-year several municipalities decided to adopt structure recommendation or, if he believed a more detailed and taxation guidelines for medicinal cannabis. medical history was required, would give a 30-day There are currently 563 dispensaries across northtemporary recommendation for the price of $99 ern and southern California, according to dispento any U.S. citizen, regardless of the state on their saryguide.com. driver’s license. The inevitable convention Those who receive recommendation also receive a green wristband and are directed toward By last month, June 19-20, things had grown to a door leading to an adjacent, open-air parking the point that High Times had decided to throw a lot in the inner city. A doorman checks their wrist little industry convention, showcasing the state bands, and they are allowed to freely roam about of the medicinal cannabis industry in California. the Prop 215 section. Modeled after the High Times Cannabis Cup, Having grown up in Cincinnati, where mariheld annually in Amsterdam, this was to be the juana still remains in a state of prohibition, I first event of its kind anywhere inside the United immediately noticed that something was differStates. ent about the Prop 215 section. The pipes, bongs, A small space just next to the Bay Bridge in San bowls, balloons, vaporizers, joints and blunts were as varied as the people smoking them. Massive, 12-foot balloons grow from one end of the lot, full of THC-laden vapor from a line of cone-shaped machines constantly provide samples to anyone who asks. Innovative new smoking devices are passed among complete strangers. Even on a windy day, anyone in the parking lot has at least a contact high from simply being outside. A paper tube the size of a small telescope, a medicinal megablunt, begins to circulate around the crowd for over an hour, leaving a cloud of smoke in its wake. The San Francisco Fire Department stands by to deal with those who collapse in the afternoon sun and respond to five medical emergencies during the event. Sporadically, a stretcher can be seen working its way through the mass of people, an EMT with an oxygen mask close behind. Coughing is heard from every direction. Billions for the state And money is everywhere. Booths line up along either side of the lot and sell medicinal marijuana to any patient with a green wristband. $20 and $50 bills are constantly in exchange between vendors and visitors. Every patient is smoking, and every patient is smoking cannabis taxed by the state of California. “This is huge state income tax here” Skye says, “You have all kinds of taxes here. As far as I know, California is broke. New York is on the verge. Isn’t it time we start looking at something that will allow states to balance their budgets?” Many of the movement’s earliest members are present, speaking to the public about issues such as patients’ rights, responsible use and government responsibility. Legal experts also give advice to anyone with a question. It has come to the point that, in November, California will have near-complete legalization on the state ballot. If the measure passes, anyone in the state of California “will be allowed to carry up to an ounce of cannabis and be allowed to cultivate up to a 5x5 foot crop for personal use,” Imrahim says. The measure would also leave the decision of whether or not to permit dispensaries in a given area up to the local county or municipality. According to a recent statewide Field Poll, a majority of 56 percent of California’s citizenry support legalizing and taxing cannabis to generate public funds. In the past 14 years, cannabis laws in the states have transformed from total prohibition to allowing a fledgling industry to take root on the shores of San Francisco Bay. Thousands of medicinal marijuana patients in the state of California stand on the verge of complete freedom to medicate freely and grow their own medication. California’s tax regulator, the Board of Equalization, estimates that there is a $1.4 billion unregulated black market for cannabis in the state. Tourism and spin-off industries would be expected to generate $12-18 billion yearly for the state, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a California-based pro-legalization lobby. California stands capable of hosting the only potentially multi-billion dollar cannabis tourism industry in the United States, where anyone over the age of 21 can whip out a bowl in Golden Gate Park to smoke a bowl of Vortex or Cali Gold, this year’s winners in the sativa and indica categories. States suffering from budget deficits will take notice. Millions of bloodshot eyes stand fixed on the upcoming election. For an audio slideshow, visit coulterloeb1.sites. livebooks.com/data/web/publish_to_web/index. html. Call 513-421-7803 x11 to learn about Streetvibes subscriptions �STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Housing Issues 11 Best-Laid Plans Sometimes Work Seattle’s plan can help affordable housing here By Michelle Dillingham Contributing Writer About six months ago Affordable Housing Advocates (AHA) established its Policy Agenda for 2010, which helped prioritize its advocacy goals for the year. AHA’s policy agenda includes the following goals: • 1) Provide targeted advocacy for affordable housing to local elected officials, • 2) Advocate with the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) on such issues as encouraging full Housing Choice Voucher utilization and thoughtful selection of CMHA’s executive director, • 3) Educate community leaders and citizens on affordable housing, and • 4) increase the amount of affordable housing. Last month AHA completed one of its strategies under “public education” by distributing the report, “State of Affordable Housing in Hamilton County: The Crisis.” In the after-glow of this accomplishment AHA members turn their attention back to the policy agenda and find plenty to do. Arguably, one of the most difficult goals is number four, to actually increase the amount of affordable housing in Cincinnati. In an effort to seek out best practices in other cities, I stumbled across a compelling report out of Seattle, Wash. The City of Seattle Planning Commission published its “Affordable Housing Action Agenda” in February 2008. Although Cincinnati and Seattle are different in many ways – for example, Seattle has almost twice the population as Cincinnati – the lack of affordable housing, homeless numbers and other data such as affordability turns out to be quite similar to AHA’s report. The Seattle report lists some successful efforts that are underway to provide affordable housing, one of which was a voter-approved 2002 housing levy that diverted $33 million out of Seattle’s Office of Housing toward affordable housing. This levy was overwhelmingly supported by voters again in the 2009 election. (OK, maybe we are not so similar.) What is particularly interesting in Seattle’s report is that each of its strategies includes suggested language that would amend the city’s Comprehensive Plan. For example, Strategy number 3 is: “Encourage the use of Incentive Zoning Programs.” Proposed language for the city’s Comprehensive Plan: “Consider using an incentive zoning system that requires affordable units, regardless of whether a developer takes advantage of the bonus or not.” Another strategy I found particularly interesting is Strategy number 7: “Work to expand housing choices, including accessory dwelling units, backyard cottages, also known as detached accessory dwelling units, and cottage housing citywide.” Implementation strategy: Promote backyard cottage programs in areas well served by transit, particularly around light-rail stations.” Wow. Reading this strategy prompted me to research the “backyard cottage” concept, and I found it so interesting I plan to cover it in the next issue of Streetvibes. Stay tuned. Cincinnati is currently engaged in developing Plan Cincinnati, “a comprehensive document that will serve as a long-range plan to guide and manage growth, protect the environment and influence future development in our city.” I encourage you to take a look at proposed language changes to Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan as we consider our own plan and how we can ensure affordable housing is included in our future. You can see AHA’s report at ahacincy.org. You can find Seattle’s report at seattle.gov/planningcommission/docs/SPC_AffordableHousingRpt.pdf. Is Graffiti a Crime or an Art Form? By Brian O'Donnell Contributing Writer Self-described Robin Hoods are at the forefront of what they describe as the biggest counter-culture movement since punk. Exit Through the Gift Shop showcases graffiti and explores the meaning of idealistic self-expression and its relationship with commercialism. This documentary is the directorial debut of notorious street/graffiti artist, Banksy. Despite the film’s exposition of the dangerous work of pasting 10-foot murals multiple stories above busy streets, the film is less about the history of street art and more about what constitutes art. Regardless of whether or not Banksy can be trusted as an honest filmmaker, Exit Through the Gift Shop shows how any hirsute individual with enough passion and the right endorsements can make himself into a millionaire. Thierry Guetta , a Frenchman whose face is framed by unruly sideburns that wrap into a mustache, seems to annoy everyone he meets with his somewhat eccentric penchant of filming everyone and everything. Through filming his cousin, known only as Space Invader, Guetta finds himself wholly immersed in the world of street art – or what police organizations worldwide refer to as “graffiti.” Director Banksy doesn’t seem too concerned with the facts. The history of street art is glossed over, and those involved go by monikers and wear masks or have their faces blurred. Banksy himself is interviewed, though there is no way to tell who is actually talking, as his face is obscured by a hood and he speaks with a distorted voice. Exit Through the Giftshop chronicles Guetta’s rise from amateur filmmaker to documentary filmmaker to street artist to pop-super-artist as he meets and films the perpetrators of the street art movement, culminating with his meeting the elusive and infamous Banksy. However, don’t expect a film about Banksy and his somewhat anti-capitalist persona accompa- nied by his exploits in stenciling his art on a wall in the West Bank separating Israel from Palestine. It’s not even a movie about the modest beginnings of street art as it gains acceptance as legitimate art, though that story could have benefited the picture. Banksy, whom the movie purports to be about, takes a side seat to Guetta, who becomes a mainstream success using the expression of a counterculture movement. Guetta copies the street art style made famous by people like Shepard Fairey, who is famous for the iconic two-tone Obama campaign poster. Hiring a team of artists to create his ideas, Guetta manufactures an art exhibition at Banksy’s behest and sells millions of dollars worth of art under the name Mister Brainwash. It’s almost as if Banksy is playing a joke on the unwitting Guetta. Or maybe the audience is the unwitting participant. Neither documentary nor mockumentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop can easily be seen as a kind of joke mimicking the sardonic commentary of Banksy’s own graffiti. The movie becomes one about the art world and Guetta, who is instantly born feet first into it while other characters will never make money off spray painting private property. Or it could be a simple prank on us and Guetta. As Bansky puts it, “It’s not Gone with the Wind, but there’s probably a moral in there someplace.” Want more Streetvibes? Check out the Streetvibes blog http://streetvibes.wordpress.com �12 STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Dining Cakes, Jell-O and Ale in Fear CONTINUED FROM P.AGE 7 thing. It’s like Westerners with our cheese, I guess. We eat it and enjoy it and don’t even think about it being a byproduct of a mucous membrane. I understand the whole idea of cheese makes the Japanese recoil from it like a cobra. Anyway, I tried the 1,000-year-old egg. It can only be compared to eating the eyeball of a long dead sheep. It was revolting. I scored many points with the Chinese crew that evening but ruined my chances of putting my mouth anywhere near my girlfriend that night. The food at the Wanton is not authentic Chinese food. Nor do I imagine most patrons want a foreign experience when they come. I remember going to a Japanese restaurant downtown a few years ago. That’s the place where a Japanese chef cooks the food in the middle of your table, which has been converted into a cooking surface. I am interested in foreign cultures of most types and looked forward to a “Japanese experience.” I also wanted the chance to work on my limited Japanese language skills. When the chef arrived at our table, I was crestfallen to find that Miguel, our chef, was from Mexico. Not only was I not going to practice my Japanese that evening, but I suspected the tempura might have a Tex-Mex spin to it. “What part of Japan are you from?” my motherin-law asked. “The south side,” he responded. The palace escape The time has come for Kelly and me to hit the Wanton’s sushi bar. We fill our plates with about six pieces each. All are a different type and I look forward to Kelly explaining them. We sit down and I begin the interview. Me: So, Kelly, you’re a sushi expert, right? Kelly: I never said that. Are you going to finish your orange Jell-O? Me: Tell me what you’ve got on your plate there. Is that sushi? Kelly: Of course it is. There’s a lot of different types. Most of it is American-style sushi. Me: How can you tell? Kelly: Because the outermost layer is rice and not nori. Nori, she explains, is the “compressed algae” wrapped like a rubber band around the sushi and holds it together. American sushi, she explains, is typically wrapped in an outer layer of compacted rice. Me: Now, sushi is Japanese, right? Kelly: Yes, and it is weird in a Chinese restaurant. They’ll probably serve pierogi next week. Me: Do Chinese people eat sushi? Kelly: Not really. Me: Where did the idea of sushi come from? Kelly: Well, according to Japanese lore, there was an empress who was driven from her palace when it was attacked. Before she fled, she grabbed some food to take with her, namely rice and fish. She climbed up a tree to hide from the invaders and ate the rice and fish compressed together. And thus was born the greatest appetizer since calamari. Though possessed of a dancer’s physique, Kelly puts away the sushi like a Japanese submariner on furlough. If I didn’t mention it before, I’m paying for lunch. Me: So, having just gotten back from Japan, how does the Wanton’s sushi measure up? Kelly: It's not bad, I guess, but the spider-roll is a travesty. A spider-roll, she explains, is sushi made with an entire deep- fried soft-shell crab. It is soft because it is caught while molting. The Wanton’s SpiderRoll is made with a fried shrimp sticking out of it. On my plate A Chinese boy stares at a statue in Beijing. REUTERS/Guang Nin. it looks like a shrimp-shaped Me: Mine says, “You are doomed.” boat sunk in a lagoon of white rice. The tail sticks Kelly: Hey, that would make a great title for this straight up. piece: “Cakes and ale in fear!” Kelly: There’s an alarming amount of avocado in I remind her that she is the sushi expert and to this sushi as well. There are no avocados in Japan. leave the writing to the pros. There’s also no carrots in sushi but that hasn’t Me: Well, thank you for your information, Kelly. It stopped the Wanton’s kitchen from adding them. was a fun and informative interview. We conclude that this is strictly American sushi Kelly: Whatever. Give me your Jell-O. and go with it. Kelly tells me that sushi restaurants We roll ourselves out of the restaurant and know are everywhere in Japan, common as McDonald’s, we'll accomplish little else at work that day, our and can be very inexpensive. bodies busily digesting. As we cross the parking Kelly: In Japan, a buffet restaurant is called a “Vilot, Kelly says, “I feel like I should be wearing a cow king.” bell.” Me: Why is that? I thank her again for her expert opinion on the Kelly: Because you eat like a Viking. sushi and think about what I have just observed at Or a Delhi resident, I think, looking around. Buddha’s House of the Golden Wanton. It was not Me: What’s that orange stuff on that sushi there? Kelly: That’s orange Jell-O. Chinese culture I witnessed. I feel the urgent need Me: Jesus, they put orange Jell-O in the sushi? to go back and explain ourselves to the young Kelly: Uh, no I think that was on my plate already. Chinese staff. I want to say, “We're not all like this. We are given our bill with two fortune cookies on a Americans have redeeming qualities! little black tray. Fortune cookies are, of course, an I try to think of redeeming American qualities, and American invention. Kelly reads hers to me. the first things that come to mind are – no joke – Kelly: “It is better to have beans and bacon in corn dogs and Arby’s curly fries. peace than cakes and ale in fear.” Streetvibes vendors keep 75% of sales. Consider helping Streetvibes with our publication costs by making a tax-deductible donation or by purchasing a subscription. Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell it for $1, keeping the 75 cent profit. Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” I want to support Streetvibes and the vendors. $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: E-mail: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �13 Poetry STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Jail Haiku - the Verse Things I Saw Sent back to stay in C-pod. She pays back with moon. Always something new Even though nothing happens. I’m given one pill. Jail chaplain visits. We talk. It’s so good to see Alice Gerdeman. Kelly sleeps here now. So fast Keisha had to move, Barely had time to say, “War? Stop!” She’s at Talbert House. She’ll get out in half the time. She’ll miss Friday’s show. Library visit Because Greg is with the press M. Logan brought in. Five minutes later Angry female CO says Why are you in here? Marilyn explains She was brought here by a guard. “Chaplains sit by pod!” When we reach the pod I’m told I have guests waiting Diane and Janet? A protest in support of Barbara Wolf. Andrew Anderson By Barbara Wolf Sticky Holding Cell Women talk about their kids Laughter hits cement Edinburgh Clouds, three spires Haggis? Bologna and cheese Loud muffled orders Speaker system out of whack I’m moved to first floor Awakened by a pink sky Keisha and I talk about life I walk with Sandy The TV is way too loud No caffeine… headache Keisha and I listen as Chaos turns into silence Michael talks through glass He leaves without looking back e-mails many friends They are turned away, each one Except Deborah Jordan. Deborah, glorious. Bright light on all night Headache for three entire days. No sleep, no sleep. Cough. Keisha talks of me Says I am an activist And nice to be with. Jacky says, “You’re an activist? Tell me how to organize.” New York is from New York. A D-pod porter.. she’s smart. Coretta Scott King. Midnight. Tall, dark, loud. Many find her difficult. She feels she’s a man. The eater gets moved to A. Did not clean. Kicks door loudly. They talk to Judy. All the people in her head. We play (jump) checkers. I’m an atheist. Jesus doesn’t help Midnight. She’s moved from our pod. We are served “Cat Food” I picture a cat sniffing. It turns, walks away. Roof top. Loud music. Judy moves from space to space. “Scabs” yells at column. When the visit ends I return to my cell tired. Buzz. Another guest. A priest has stopped by We talk about mental health He leaves two bibles. They sweep the floor, mop with bleach. Locked in, I watch sky float by. Sun is up so bright, Horizon has disappeared Window dirt tells tales. New cellmate, Kelly. Deep resonate, rhythmic breath. It puts me to sleep Locked behind orange door. Walk in circles on gray floor. What do beige walls say? Five guards come to move Scabs out, she gets them to let her move. If we need something, … not their job to wait on us, it’s to watch us wait. No meds for six days. “They might be in tomorrow.” Energy seeping. Noise is outrageous. Pod has become rude teen camp Yelling in the vents. Dred tells of H-pod chairs. I want to get that on tape. Friday has arrived The Contact Center visits Jacky is amazed.. Amala visits. We talk until the phone cuts… E-mail from Iraq. One toilet, two beds, Little sink, hanging orange peel. Ah, sweet smell of orange. ..needs to organize I’d given her their numbers She’s thrilled to see them. 6 o’clock. Dinner. A shout, “Ms. Barbara, they’re here!” air sucked out of pod. Wednesday 4, shakedown Salt packets tossed in pod We remake our beds. Woosh. Window Banging. Shouting. Fifty.. sixty people there. Midnight’s moved… Too loud. Only I liked her singing 4 to 6 a.m. Looking up.. Waving, waving down from peace filled holes amazing transfer. Pushy porter fired. �14 STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Art and Letters Artwork by Anne Skove Letters to the Editor Poignant and Moving To the Editor: I work on Ninth and Main, and for the last few months have become somewhat loyal to the Streetvibes vendor at Court and Walnut. I find myself looking for him, only buying the paper from him, always trying to make the effort to say hello and be honest with him (when I don’t have cash, or when I’ll return with some). I like him. Last week he handed me the paper (which I’ll admit I don’t actually read all that often), and made quick mention to “check him out on page 11.” It’s only today that I’ve finally gotten around to it, and his article absolutely blew me away. Truly. As a writer and an editor, my life revolves around words. As a reader, they are my passion and my salvation. Riccardo’s words floored me, so beautifully and artfully were they written. His message and its delivery struck a very deep chord, and I’m shamed to admit I was more than a little surprised and how intelligent and eloquent he was. Yet another case of making simple assumptions, of people in certain situations, or of a certain gender, or race … and finding them utterly incorrect. So moved was I by his article that I shared it with a co-worker who also knows of Riccardo (and who wanted to know after reading if I’d sent my “comment” e-mail yet). In fact, it was all I could do not to jump up from my desk, in my air-conditioned building, at my very safe and stable job, and run out right that minute to talk to Riccardo about his article, call him by name (now that I know it), look him in the eye and tell him how good, really good his writing is. I look forward to doing just that the next time I see him (perhaps tomorrow?), but I also wanted to take a moment to say thanks, to you, Streetvibes staff and vendors, for doing something so good, so real and so positive. And for giving me an opportunity to get to know a fellow human being just a bit better. And for getting to read his poignant and moving words. And for making me think. Stephanie Meinberg Cincinnati Have something on your mind? Want to comment on an article or vendor? Let us know: 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvibes2@yahoo.com If you like what you read, but don’t live in the Cincinnati area, you can subscribe to Streetvibes. Call us at 513-421-7803 x 12 to learn more about subscribing to Streetvibes. �15 Resources STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 FreeStore/FoodBank Central Access Point Bethany House 381-SAFE 557-2873 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 762-5660 241-1064 562-8841 872-9259 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men Other Resources Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 921-1613 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 961-2256 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 961-4663 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Treatment: Both 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside 241-2965 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women Off The Streets 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 768-6924 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Advocacy Northern Kentucky Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS Brighton Center ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Health Center for Respite Care 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 535-2719 591-2246 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 Hamilton/Middletown 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) AA Hotline CCAT Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 381-0111 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 First Step Home 961-4080 621-5514 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 661-4620 Shelter: Both Anthony House (Youth) 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Treatment: Women 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 241-2600 241-2563 Crossroad Health Center 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-2247 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES July 15-31, 2010 Poetry that Keeps the Door Open Jerry Judge’s unexpected outcome “ Poetry found me and gave me a different voice,” says Jerry Judge, a Cincinnati poet who started seriously writing only in his mid-forties. “I was having strong feelings about many issues and not a good way to express them adequately. Poetry worked for me; it gave me a powerful tool to get them out.” While growing up, Judge loved to read; he wrote a few short stories for his own pleasure, also on high school and college assignments; he even published a couple in his twenties. He also occasionally wrote poems in an attempt to impress girls. His academic career, however, took him into business administration and then social work, a field he has worked in ever since. Initially and for a long time he held a demanding and stressful job in public child welfare; it consumed most of his time. For the past nine years he has been a caseworker for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, a mentoring program that pairs kids with adults who serve as their role models. In 1990, deciding to slow down professionally, Judge took a writing workshop. This is when he discovered his strong affinity for poetry; he has been writing it since, publishing his poems in various magazines, in seven chapbooks to date, participating regularly in writing groups and in public readings. “With poetry everything came out – my thoughts, feelings, fantasies, joys, worries, questions,” he says. “Each poem would take me on a different discovery path, put me in touch with unexpressed or unexplored parts of myself, and the outcome often unexpected.” A rtists ctivists as By Saad Ghosn Contributing Writer As a result Judge wrote about fatherhood, family life, relationships, death, social issues, politics. His poems on justice, peace and wars, also abounded even though hard to come because of all the feelings and pain involved and all it took to dig them out. Judge did not shy away from them, however; he wrote many over the years, pertaining to the violence of wars, the futility of innocent deaths, the inflicted ravages of youthful demise, the hypocrisy of warmongers. He recently put them all in a chapbook he titled, Night Talk in the Barracks. “It was important to let them all out together in a book,” he says, “They were clearly stating my anti-war perspective, and I was loudly saying: ‘This is me.’ ” “Cleansing for Americans,” one of the poems in the book, satirically addresses the attraction Americans have for violence and their self-destructive use of might and weapons when facing the problems of the world. Through his words, Judge progressively overlapped bombs with flags, with church, and transformed an apparent ode to violence into a sarcastic American prayer: “We will wave our flags and bomb./We will attend church and bomb./Bombs will cleanse./Hallelujah!/ Forgive us our sins./Hallelujah!/Bombs. Bombs. Bombs.” In “Deep In The Heart,” he treats of money, greed and wealth, of their self gratifying role in Jerry Judge. Photo by Saad Ghosn. triggering and shaping wars: “How right to have a in anti-war activities, rallying with similar minded President/dedicated to the super rich./At straobjectors in Austin, Texas, writing regularly for the Fatigue Press, an alternative press for military tegic points across America,/certain men will men. Whenever he feels a peace and justice issue pause and contemplate/their wealth. The gleam needs to be heard, he is always prompt at writing from their smiles/will light the skies of Afghaniletters to the editor or to congress, participating in stan and Iraq.” His poem, “No Forwarding Admarches and demonstrations. dress,” goes back to the Gulf war. Its title evokes In Cincinnati, Judge has also been instrumental death, loss of contact, abandonment, reflective at strengthening the voice of other poets, encourof Judge’s feelings at the time, sorrow mixed with aging them in their writing and publishing. He anger and a sense of isolation. Images of violence is an active participant in the Cincinnati Writers coincide with the insensitivity to violence when Project and the Greater Cincinnati Writers League, it affects others and the callous detachment from groups that meet regularly to read, review and crireality when TV announcers play only the out-oftique poetry, develop writing skills, foster learntouch advertisers. It also reminds of Cincinnati ing, at the same time mentoring emerging poets City Council’s proposal to outlaw begging by the and forging relationships. homeless in order to not inconvenience downJudge will continue writing poetry, as it is his town merchants. Judge closes on all these feelings voice. with the image of empty eyes, a metaphor for the “I would like to write more about homelesslost soul of society, a statement he felt applicable ness, about progresto our country. sive issues I have Judge reads his podeep feelings for, the ems in public whenBy Jerry Judge environment, childever he can, sharing his hood, warfare, climate feelings and powerful warming,” he says. “Also I should have known at the stadium. images with varied about poverty, domestic audiences. Quarterback’s neck snapped. violence, child abuse; “I feel the need to Fifty thousand frenzied fans cheering dissident poetry that inshare my poetry, to tackler dancing flamenco over still body. volves me from within, have someone else that is universal. I learn hear it or read it,” he I should have known from television. a lot when I write. Poetsays. “I want it to make Clean-cut announcers foaming at mouth. ry keeps the door open an impact. When I feel American flags undulating as and lets me wander, like strongly about someIraq’s people are blown into scraps. an explorer, inside my thing, I have to voice it, own territory.” and my poetry comes to I should have known from City Hall. Judge also wants his my rescue. It becomes To protect downtown merchants poetry to trigger action my conversation, my an ordinance was passed in himself and in others. communication. I use forbidding begging. He wants it to clearly it to trigger awareness, and loudly state his thinking, to plant a I finally knew when I opened the curtains beliefs, to reflect who he seed.” on the other side of his eyes. is. He always carries in Judge has also been Void. Empty. his wallet “As a Man,” a an activist for peace No forwarding address. poem by David Ignatow, beyond his poetry. whose last lines say, "I When in his early am haunted by the poem/yet to be written/that twenties he enlisted to avoid being drafted to I may live as a poem/when I die as a man." This Vietnam, he soon became a conscientious objecwould also be his wish. tor, ready for imprisonment if not discharged. Awaiting court decision, he actively participated No Forwarding Address Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource July 15-31, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Championing the Workers’ Rights The trail of Tears, Trail of Death Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: Photo Essay Pg 4: Championing the Worker’s Rights Continued The Trail of Tears, Trail of Death Continued Pg 5: The Trail of Tears, Trail of Death Continued Time to Revive Good Manners Pg 6: Church Group Lobbies for Jobs The Weedy, Wild Wild West Pg 7: Cakes, Jell-O and Ale in Fear Pg 8: Go Vibrant Pg 9: The Voice of the Street… Pg 10: The Weedy, Wild Wild West Continued Pg 11: Best-Laid Plans Sometimes Work Is Graffiti a Crime or an Art Form? Pg 12: Cakes, Jell-O and Ale in Fear Pg 13: Jail Haiku-the Verse Things I saw Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Poetry that Keeps the Door Open Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 15-31, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Nick Swartsell Veronica Glass John Peet Casey Salsinger Jeni Jenkins Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Corey Gibson Jeni Jenkins Saad Ghosn Lew Moores Larry Gross Eli Braun Jesse Call B. Clifton Burke Michael Fanning Aimie Willhoite Anne Skove Vinit Murthy Jon Hughes Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF affordable housing Aimie Willhoite Anne Skove Arts & Poetry B. Clifton Burke California Casey Salsinger Corey Gibson David Heitfield Eli Braun Government Graffiti Gregory Flannery Jeni Jenkins Jeremy Flannery Jerry Judge Jesse Call John Peet Jon Hughes Larry Gross Lew Moores Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Marijuana Michael Fanning Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Migrant Nick Swartsell Paul Kopp Photography Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Seattle Veronica Glass Vinit Murthy Workers Rights