Jerry,
Your observations resonate and I believe your comments are the beginning of a substantive dialogue. I believe that every citizen matters regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and the list goes on. Too often on this listserv and throughout Ward 5 we get bogged down in matters related to race and social stratification, which sadly keeps us fragmented and bickering.
Finally, we should endeavor to respect and embrace our neighbors in every part of Ward 5. Every community in Ward 5 matters and every citizen deserves to be heard.
Kathy HendersonSent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®Sender: ward5@yahoogroups.comDate: Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:23:08 -0400To: <ward5@yahoogroups.com>ReplyTo: ward5@yahoogroups.comSubject: [ward5] Hypocrites and Crypto Racism
Citizen's of Ward FiveIt is my belief that this Yahoo Group needs to perform a deep and comprehensive examination of conscience (A uniquely Catholic concept). We should look into our collective hearts and ask ourselves, are we part of the solution or part of the problem? We need to consider the entire Ward 5 community and not just Edgewood, or Brookland or, whatever! We need to realize accept and yes, celebrate the cultural and social differences that are the basis of a plural culture such as we are blessed to have here in Washington DC. We need to come together ... not pull apart. People in Brookland need to be concerned about the people in close proximity to McMillan and the McMillan folks need to care for what happens to the resident adjacent to 901 Monroe.The last few years have been fraught with strife and conflict. Many of us opted for development at any cost. Anyone who used the term, "Smart Development," was branded a reactionary. As a result the developers and the large land owners (CUA, The Paulists) have been able to abrogate almost every agreement made in their one-sided, takeover of the center of Brookland. CUA was allowed to "warehouse," and tear down decent housing and sit on it for years waiting for this moment to "cash in." All of the religious orders who were given property here in Brookland are now getting ready to follow their lead. The result will most likely be devastating to this community.The divide between the long time largely African American community and the new, largely white, upward mobile young marrieds and others is growing and becoming very uncomfortable. This is especially evident in some of the rhetoric used on this List serve here in Ward 5. I am speaking specifially about the comments made about the nascent farmer's market being developed. Hazel Thoma is working diligently to create a farmers market, This is not an easy task. It took the Brookland Market a long time to get it together. I know because I used to play drums there when it was at Col Brooks Mansion. Only in the last year or so has it really taken off. Persistence is a key and Hazel has that for sure. Instead of supporting her, Allison Stewart asked a rhetorical and pointedly snide question, implying that Hazel's new farmers' market was too small and lacking resources!I don't know about you folks but I think that is an obvious insult to Hazel and to this community in general ... there will no doubt be loud cries of ... Oh, no, I just wanted to know who would be there this week! Ms. Stewart's comment is an obvious and obnoxious attempt at sarcasm, an attempt to belittle the efforts a long time community activist and exemplary citizen who is trying to improve the quality of life in this community! AND ...it ain't right!I'm signing off for now, but I'm not done!I'll be back!Jerry in Indignation__._,_.___
Reply via web post Reply to sender Reply to group Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (3) .
__,_._,___
--
R. Ramson
3744 12th Street, N.E.,
Washington D.C., 20017
202-438-5988
"We must become the change we want to see" - Mohandas Gandhi-
(Together, for a Brighter Tomorrow)
--
WardFive@googlegroups.com is open to WardFive residents for community discussion and information sharing.
To post to this group, send email to wardfive@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to wardfive+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/wardfive?hl=en
0 comments:
Post a Comment