This is a ghost story, a story of this world and another, of befores and afters. Before his mother leaves him. After she went to Chicago. After Bishop was raped. Before Samuel's story revealed Bishop's secret to Bethany. Before Faye knew Sebastian for a fake. Before the war.
If you know who the murderers are, why don’t you arrest them?
In Richmond, CA police identified a mere 25 people causing 70 percent of the city’s violence. When I learned these statistics were similar to ours in Miami, I asked what I thought was a simple question. “If you know who these murderers are, why don’t you just arrest them?” The answer is not so simple. These people often escape arrest and prosecution because witnesses are too fearful to testify. So, no, the police can’t just arrest them even though they’d like to.
Our county refuses to be a sanctuary. Our churches are stepping up.
I’d never heard of a sanctuary church before and now I’m part of one. It ends up they have a long history in the U.S. of protecting runaway slaves along the underground railroad and assisting conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War. At least four houses of faith that I know of have already declared themselves as sanctuaries to protect our undocumented community members from government overreach.
What Would You Do with $275 Million?
A lot! I've been thinking a lot about the next City of Miami General Obligation Bond, fondly referred to by City staff and commissioners as the GO Bond or #GOBond. That's probably because GO sounds a lot more exciting than General Obligation. With a #GOBond, we can go places, we can achieve things, we can actually build some of the things we need for the City's future.
"You only have one life, but if you live it well, that’s enough. The only reality is now, today. What are you waiting for to be happy? Isabel Allende
It's unclear to me who needs the Japanese lover more? Alma? Irina?
Does Anyone Have a Comprehensive Vision for Housing in Miami?
The price of housing is out of control in the county. It doesn’t matter your socio-economic class or your education level. It’s just plain expensive to live here. It’s costly if you are a teacher or a college grad or a cop. It’s The Miami Herald reports on it all the time. They say that Miami is one of the least affordable cities for teachers. They say that Hialeah is the least affordable for renters with Miami coming in at #2. Businesses worry about a brain drain because young college educated workers can’t find a decent place to live
Coffee Klatch and Guns
It may sound a bit odd to sit around drinking lattes and talking about guns, but it's actually extremely comforting. Chatting about violence, suicide, and death is never pleasant so why not wrap your hands around a good cup of coffee? It did seem to make it easier for a circle of women to open up about our worries about guns in south Florida as victims, advocates, and human beings. This was my first Mom's Demand Action meeting.
Why Do We Have to Teach Parents about Gun Safety?
Because 1.7 million kids live in homes with guns that are loaded and unlocked. In any other country, there would be no need to implement a training program for parents about gun safety. But, this is the United States of America where guns are everywhere whether we want them to be or not. That means kids are around them. The Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense group is rolling out their BE SMART training program.
I can't believe I have to march for science
I never thought I would have to march for science. I'm so shocked by this fact that I have temporarily been struck speechless.
Why do Food Pantries have so many Banana Boxes?
Many of you can attest to the fact that I returned from my visit to Cornell University’s PCCW Feeding the World Sustainably conference fired up to understand more about how many people are food insecure. I decided to start right here in my own Floridian backyard. It was when I met Paco Velez, CEO of Feeding South Florida that I learned just why their warehouse was stacked floor to ceiling with banana boxes. Bananas are the #1 selling item in grocery stores, which means there are lots of empty banana boxes donated to food banks to reuse.
Do we have more Food Pantries than McDonald's in America?
Diana Aviv fed 46 million people last year. I nearly fell over to hear that almost 15% of our population is food insecure. This is the United States! We are the richest country in the world, but it’s true. We are a country filled with people who cannot reliably feed themselves nor their children. Diana is the CEO of Feeding America and her organization keeps food on the shelves in 60,000 food pantries across the U.S. To put that in perspective, I looked up the number of CVS pharmacies: 9,600. What about the number of McDonald’s? They seem to be everywhere, but there are only 14,100 or so. Hunger is everywhere, in every state, in every county, in every congressional district.
What if I Wore a Hoodie? Meeting Trayvon's Parents
Tonight I met parents with the saddest of stories to tell. They are the parents of a teenager whose name is so well-known. It’s Trayvon Martin. To me that name - Trayvon – is a symbol, of injustice, unfairness, and racism. But to Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, he was their son. A real boy who was really killed because of the color of his skin.
If you, like me, care about having the option to create city or county ordinances and regulations that make sense for us locally, you may be interested in reading my letter to the editor in The Miami Herald about the State legislature's attempt to minimize the voices of Miami-Dade residents and of its elected leaders. We know Miami Beach is expensive and needs to set a minimum wage that makes sense for Miami Beach, not one that makes sense for lawmakers in Tallahassee.
Should an $8 Mistake Ruin a Life?
Today I was proud to represent PACT Miami (People Acting for Community Together) in front of the Dade Delegation to Tallahassee on one of our most important juvenile justice issues. We are asking that the excellent civil citation program that our local police forces have implemented in Miami-Dade be expanded consistently throughout the entire state.
Love the Hell Out of Them
I already had protesting on my mind when the alarm went off early on a Sunday morning only to hear Krista Tippet interviewing civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis. She titled the episode The Art & Discipline of Nonviolence. I highly encourage you to take a listen. If this is your first time listening to On Being, I guarantee it won't be your last.
Are the Everglades Inaccessible if you are Poor?
Once again I have the Peace Corps to thank for making me think differently about the world, but this time it’s a part of the world that's right next door to me. I just got home from a great day in my beautiful backyard, the Everglades, thanks to the protection of the National Park Service....It was only as I was driving home that I began to realize that a trip to the Everglades is something that struggling inner city families cannot even begin to afford.
198 Methods of Non-Violent Action
We seem to be protesting a lot these days here in Miami. I’m being invited to attend a rally or protest pretty much every day. Signs. Songs. Chants. It’s exhilarating to feel connected to community members who believe so strongly in women’s rights, LGBT rights, immigrant rights, black lives matter, our environment, solar energy, affordable housing, and so much more. It’s also exhausting. Just how did people like Gandhi and Dr. King do it day after day?