Well, DO something about it

If you've read my Facebook posts or my blog you are surely aware that I lean left on most issues. It's time, I think, to point out that I do more than just complain about issues. I see folks on TV, on Facebook, in newspapers to whom social justice is only an intellectual game. I have little respect for such gamesmanship, whether it comes from the left or the right. The question in my mind, when I hear this, is "And what are you doing about it?"

Other note: a few weeks ago I got tired of hearing Newt Gingrich talk about President Obama being a "Saul Alinsky liberal". If Newt hates Alinsky so much, then this Saul Alinsky must be someone worth learning about. He is, indeed. Lessons from Alinsky: 1) the key to getting anything done is organization; 2) your organization's target must be of a manageable size - big enough to make a difference, but small enough so that victory is achievable. Boil a pot of water. Don't try to boil the ocean.

My life outside of work and home:

AT SAINT MARY'S, DAVENPORT: I'm a lector in April, July and October. I'm a Eucharistic Minister in January and May. Two years ago I volunteered to serve on the Parish Council, and I was both humbled and honored to be selected as the Parish Council President. The Parish Council members each serve on one of the committees of St. Mary's. I selected the Social Action committee. That led to my involvement with. . .

QUAD CITY INTERFAITH: We're an organization of several churches in the Quad Cities. We have representatives on our Board from Catholic parishes, from UCC congregations, from Christian Church and Presbyterian congregations. We look to organize, and to assist others in organizing, in order to make the Quad Cities a more just place. We look, not to eradicate poverty and injustice, but to remove the underlying causes of poverty and injustice. We work through committees - task forces. We have an Immigration task force (mine), an Education, a Transportation, and a Health Care task force. Among our triumphs: last August we had a Transportation Summit, at which a Community Benefits Agreement was discussed. The rail line is coming to the Quad Cities (well, the Illinois Quad Cities.) There will a a lot of good jobs that come with the building and running of the railroad, and we'd like to have these jobs go to people in the QCA who need jobs. (Imagine that!) Another: we arranged, in cooperation with St. Ambrose University, a showing of the film abUSed. It's about the Postville raid. You should really research.

QCI does organizing, but important work can be done, and should be done, at the congregational level. We aim to have Core Groups at congregations. We had a training session last spring at St. Mary's to which a number of congregations were invited. As a result of that training, St. Mary's now has my third area of involvement, our

CORE GROUP FOR JUSTICE. Last year our Core Group maintained a focus on immigration and racial profiling. DWB - either Driving While Black, or Driving While Brown - will get you pulled over.

St. Mary's is actually a Spanish-speaking parish that happens to have a couple of English Masses. Probably 2/3 of our parish is Latino. Ours is, I think, the only Spanish Mass on the Iowa side. We arranged some meetings between our Hispanic parishioners and folks from the community that would be of interest to them: a public relations officer from the Davenport PD, someone from the Diocese who assists with immigration issues. This year, our Core Group has met twice. We have studied the issue of human trafficking and what we, in our little corner of the world, can do about it. It is not a very big leap from treatment of immigrants to trying to help victims of trafficking. Lots of victims - but by no means all - are from outside the U.S.

If you're from a parish or congregation that has no connection with QCI, or that has no Core Group, come join us. We'd love to have you! We don't require any particular expertise. The only thing you need is a mind and heart for justice. And a mind and heart for God.