November 11, 2019
Many people know that as a result of a UNITE INDY publication that was sent to a prisoner at Putnamville Correctional Facility, I received a letter from an inmate named Jesse. Since then, we have written two or three letters a week back and forth for a couple of years. Letter writing produces a special kind of relationship. Many have wondered what kind of letters I get from him so I decided to share this with you...
October 21, 2019
For all those who plant winter wheat, the time is now to plant the seed. It's a great crop that has many advantages. It matures slowly which gives it time to cover the ground to protect the soil, and it doesn't cost much. All you have to do is remove competitive weeds.
October 7, 2019
Many were surprised last night at Christian Theological Seminary's Faith & Action event at Clowes Hall when Van Jones, a CNN commentator, a "social justice accelerator," and special advisor to President Barack Obama, praised President Donald Trump. I have to say, I'm right in there with him. Anyone who has followed my writing for long, knows that I have developed a close relationship with Jesse Rosbia, an inmate who as a young man, was put away for decades for a victimless crime. He is now 41 years old, and because of the prison reform legislation that Trump campaigned on and pushed through Congress, it looks like my friend could soon be released...
September 21, 2019
It is said that the definition of "poor" is when you have too much month left at the end of your money. You have income. Maybe just Social Security, but you get by. Then the tire blows on your only vehicle, or your child breaks his arm, or the furnace goes out and it's below zero outside.These issues are a pain to most, but to you, it's a financial catastrophe. So you take out a payday loan. You're in a hurry...
September 7, 2019
It wasn't too long ago that Lori Laughlin (of Hallmark Channel fame, no less) and Felicity Huffman were headliners in an investigation that revealed they had paid up to $500,000 to get their children accepted into the colleges of their choice. One headline read "Money and Privilege Make Parents Stupid and Dishonest." The headline could have been "How Dumb People Mess Up Their Kids." The term "helicopter parenting" has been replaced by "snowplow parenting."
August 21, 2019
Poverty is a many-headed dragon. Racism, lack of education, generational cultural issues, drugs, incarceration of someone in the family, you name it--it all stands in the way of lifting folks out of poverty and the limits that surround them. From the beginning, UNITE INDY knew that although there were many hands at work in our city, so many of these efforts suffer and many fail due to their lack of the simple supplies and assistance they need every day to do their work, like diapers, or socks, or people to work along side them. To that end, we introduced our Meet The Need web portal. On this site, ministries and charities upload their needs for volunteers and items they require, and the great people of our city have responded...
August 7, 2019
Every year payday loan companies drain $60 million in fees from our communities on the 1.2 million loans they make here. These loans mostly affect those in our urban areas and predominantly people of color. Pretty much, everyone working in the inner-city sees these companies as a cancer that feeds on our most vulnerable citizens. In spite of an annual percentage rate (APR) of 391 percent, these loans are sold as a sensible solution to a short-term financial need...
July 21, 2019
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. Maybe you've heard it? But have you ever taken it seriously? Ever looked in the mirror and asked yourself, "is this is a story about me?" Well let's read it again: There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have...
July 7, 2019
My granddaughter was making a deal with her younger brother regarding a swimming competition they were about to undertake at the community pool. I had suggested that the smaller child get some kind of handicap so their race would be more fair and after much negotiation, she said to him, "now draw that up and we will sign it." That's the world today...
June 21, 2019
In 2017 I wrote a blog about Brishon Bond and a conversation he had with Jim at our first meeting on racism in Indianapolis. They talked about phrases like "black lives matter" and "white privilege" and how those terms can mean different things to different people. Brishon spoke eloquently, without rancor about a black man's view of the world. It was an important discussion, and provided insight on how things look through the eyes of a man of color. Brishon had served time in prison, so for many of us, he was kind of a rock star--he was our example of the kind of success those who had once been imprisoned could have if given an adequate chance at a normal life...
