The Alewife

Why Your Teeth Could Be Killing You

By Jacques Fleury  

   

[First published in Spare Change News.net]

 

My motivation for writing this article is simple: to alert people about the correlation between poor dental hygiene and systemic pathology like Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and what you can do to protect yourself.

First and foremost, I do not profess to be a medical doctor nor am I a health and wellness expert; however I do have a medical background, understanding and personal experiences that I think are applicable to the subject matter of which I will attempt to write about. I have completed one year at Mass Bay  College’s Nursing Program which included Fundamentals  of Nursing, Biology I & II, Anatomy and Physiology, Nutrition, Microbiology and Medical Terminology just to name a few before I changed my major to Liberal Arts and transferred to UMass Boston upon graduation.

The other criteria of which I think is of critical importance in writing this article is that my father recently died of CHD and his doctors concluded that there was an undeniable connection between his heart disease and his poor dental hygiene.  My brother—who   took care of dad and who is also a medical doctor specializing in cardiology—was in agreement with his medical contemporaries regarding the link between dad’s neglect of his teeth and gums and his heart disease. My father—who was a professional man with his own business in Haiti—neglected to take care of his teeth for years. Even as one spoke to him, one could see the debris of bacteria nesting like yellow swirls in his teeth and gums but no one dared to tell him about it; that is until it was too late.

Based on my own personal experience I’ve noticed that a lot of people here in America do not consider going to the dentist or dental hygienist on a regular basis. People are often leery of the dentist with their dreadful drills that triggers shivers of fear and anxiety in their patients. I’ve seen some of my acquaintances; friends and even family members lose some of their teeth due to poor dental care. To prove my point, even health insurance providers like Mass Health who offers medical coverage to the disabled and families with dependent children only recently offered dental coverage to their participants. I suppose they did not consider “dental care” as a necessary part of the general physical and preventive health maintenance ideology. Mass Health have narrowed their dental coverage to only include mostly preventive care such as but not limited to regular cleanings and check-ups.  

I would not be writing about this subject had I not been able to relate it to myself. I have been maintaining regular dental hygiene appointments for years now, every six months to be exact.  Even more diligently since I’ve lost my dad to heart disease back in 2005.

“Over the past decade, an increasing amount of research have been conducted that supports the association between periodontal diseases and systemic disease, “declares Mea A. Weinberg, DMD, MSD, RPH, a clinical associate professor of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry at New York University in her article, “The Fire Within: The Link between oral inflammation and systemic health has signaled a paradigm shift in treating the periodontal patient.” She goes on to say that, “The role that inflammation plays as a pathway to the rest of the body is becoming much better understood, making the control and prevention of gingivitis and periodontitis a critical part of optimal patient care.” Because new research have come to light to illuminate these silent potential killers known as gingivitis and periodontitis (which in laymen’s terms means inflammation of the gum tissue surrounding the teeth), more people are becoming aware and paying more attention to their own esoteric practice of dental hygiene. One of my male friends has recently told me that he too have known about the dental/heart connection since high school and his only 34 years old. He said that he had known that flossing was imperative to good dental care and have been doing it regularly since then. “The oral cavity is the portal to the rest of the body,” states Weinberg, “…an emerging body of evidence has linked oral infections—primarily chronic inflammatory periodontitis—to systemic conditions including atherosclerosis…”

Dr. Dan Peterson of Family Dental Care in his article, “Oral Health and Your Heart” concurs with Weinberg by promulgating that, “Periodontitis seems to influence the occurrence and the severity of coronary artery disease and increases the risk of heart attack or stroke, and the study proposes two hypotheses for this occurrence. One hypothesis is that periodontal pathogens could enter the blood stream, invade the blood vessel walls and ultimately cause atherosclerosis. (Atherosclerosis is a multistage process set in motion when cells lining the arteries are damaged as a result of high blood pressure, smoking, toxic substances, and other agents.)” Dr. Peterson also highlights the astounding fact that the correlation between gum disease and heart attacks is considerably higher than the association between high cholesterol and heart attacks. He says that, “New studies suggest that people who have gum disease seem to be at higher risk for heart attacks, although no one knows how this relationship works. Your oral health affects your overall health, but the studies that will find exactly why these problems are linked are still underway.”

Peterson also emphasizes the point that flossing is imperative and integral to your dental and essentially systemic health.  How can gum disease affect your overall health? Well, according to Peterson, “…bacteria present in infected gums can come loose and move throughout the body. The same bacteria that cause gum disease and irritate our gums might travel to your arteries.”

So although the research showing the connection between poor dental hygiene and heart disease is inconclusive, it is imperative that you keep your mouth healthy and see your dentist and/or dental hygienist regularly or at least twice yearly. My dental hygienist recommended that I brush my teeth with the electronic tooth brush Sonic Care, she also related to me that the sound that it makes as you are brushing have a germ killing affect. Sonic Care can be expensive; a more affordable alternative is Spin Brush Pro Clean Sonic which essentially is just as effective. Another dental health tip that my hygienist informed me of is that flossing is even more critically important than brushing. I have personally found that when I went to see my hygienist, I discovered that my teeth had more plaque (a bacteria-containing film on a tooth) and my gums used to be more inflamed before I started flossing regularly.  

“Infected gums bleed, making it easier for bacteria to enter your bloodstream,” professes Dr. Peterson. “If bacteria become dislodged, the bacteria enter through cuts or sores in your mouth and travel to other parts of your body through your bloodstream…This can cause arterial plaque to accumulate in the arteries; which can cause hardening and affect blood-flow. Compromised blood-flow to your heart can cause a heart attack.”  Peterson also reminds us that gum disease is most definitely the result of plaque buildup.  So to minimize your chances of getting gum disease which can compromise the homeostasis of your heart, remember to brush, floss, floss and floss some more on a regular basis and preferably after each meal and most definitely before you go to bed; so then you won’t have to worry your head about the health of your heart.

 

Jacques Fleury’s book: “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe & available at www.lulu.com. His CD “A Lighter Shade of Blue” with the folk group “Sweet Wednesday” to benefit Haiti charity St. Boniface is available on iTunes. Contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com.

 

 

 

How Haiti Earned Its Place in Black History

The first independent nation in Latin America and the first black-led

        Republic in the world shaped the African-American identity

  

By Jacques Fleury

  

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

                                                                  Martin Luther King Jr.

 

 

     In the years since the earthquake devastated Haiti, a country already marred by political depravity and economic hardship, Haitian scholars have shed some light on the profound connection between Haitian and African-American history. The Haitian people’s triumph over slavery and their achievement as the first black republic have inspired African-Americans in their own melee against centuries of slavery and modern day inequality rooted in racist ideology.

 

     First and foremost, I want to chart some of Haiti’s history from my point of view as well as from the point of view of Haitian scholars. I grew up in Haiti for the first thirteen years of my life until my parents brought me to America to escape the Jean Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier’s implacable and brutal dictatorship. I was part of a middle class family; my father was a well known businessman and clothes designer with his own clothing store in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. Although my father was well connected politically, I remember the fear in my parent’s eyes when it came to expressing ideas about politics. No one was allowed to speak unfavorably of the government; we all lived under a conspiracy of silence.

 

     Once in America, I found that most of the Haitian kids I came in contact with were greatly ashamed of their Haitian identity because they had been misinformed by the American media or knew very little of its iconoclastic place in history. These negative ideas were reinforced by the lack of attention paid to African-American history in American schools. I don’t remember being taught much of Black history in either high school or college. Partly due to the recent spotlight on Haiti, I’ve began to study Black history independently and what I discovered have helped me to understand the correlation between the Haitian revolution and the African American experience of railing against a system of racial inequality.

 

     In his  book: “Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution,” historian Laurent Dubois argues that the Haitian revolution—which began in 1791 and lasted until Haiti won its independence in 1804—posed a challenge not only to the French but to “the existence of slavery itself.” The Haitian revolution inspired people of color in other countries who were waging their own wars against oppression and discrimination and set a precedent for the antislavery insurgencies to come, particularly in the American south.

     Toussaint Louverture, a former Haitian slave, became a leader in the Haitian revolution against the French occupiers who had long enslaved the Haitian people. The 2009 film “Egalite [equality] For All: Toussaint Louverture and the Haitian Revolution” chronicles Louverture and the Haitian army’s fight for Haiti’s freedom. After Louverture’s capture by the French, and his subsequent imprisonment and death, his fame reached new heights when he was compared to George Washington for his bravery and military acumen. 

After Louverture’s death, Jean Jacques Dessalines, who had served as Louverture’s principal lieutenant, became the new leader of the revolution.

The Battle of Vertieres on November 18, 1803 marked the last battle of the revolution and the first time in the history of humanity that a slave army had won their freedom. Dessalines who became known the Father of Haiti, was the first ruler of the newly free country.

 A recent book by Laurent Dubois: “Haiti: the Aftershock of History,” argues that even centuries later, Haiti continues to be punished by the international community for its successful slave insurrection, hurling the country into a cycle of debt, isolation and political instability. Dubois’s book also highlights the Haitian people’s triumphs and resiliency in their ongoing fight for autonomy and equality despite the devastation caused by the earthquake.

 According to the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (I.H.R.C) website, Haitians have observed some positive progress since the earthquake. Clean water has been more readily available since the recent outbreak of cholera. Although unemployment remains a pressing concern, an investment from a Korean garment maker is expected to create about 20, 000 jobs in the country’s northeast region.

  One of the commission’s most crucial goals is to gain the confidence of the international donors by promoting government accountability and transparency, no easy task considering the country’s history of corrupt leadership.  So far, only half of the $4.6 billion promised for 2010 and 2011 have been acquired and disbursed. The commission also reports that most of the donated money has been attributed to “non-governmental organizations [NGO] and private contractors,” a fact that the commission considers to be problematic.

  President Michel Martelly, a former popular musician, is reported to be faring better than his predecessor Rene Preval, who was criticized as an impediment to Haiti’s development goals. In the fall of 2011, Martelly promulgated a plan to lodge 30, 000 residents of the six tent cities and to begin construction of new housing developments. Significant progress is also being made in the area of health and education. The NGO Partners in Health has unveiled plans to build a new teaching hospital in rural Haiti. To improve educational opportunities for Haitian children, the inter-American Development Bank will direct $150 million in aid money towards training teachers and building and repairing schools.

  As rebuilding efforts continue, Haiti will continue to need a profusion of international support to continue on its path toward political and economic stability. In the past, outside help have often proven to be self serving and to the detriment of Haiti’s people. Now that Haiti is in the international spotlight, government transparency and accountability has never been more important.

 Although the country has seen great adversity, Haiti’s monumental achievement as the first Black republic has earned the country a permanent place in African history. Haiti’s unsurpassed legacy of successful rebellion against slavery will leave a revolutionary dent in the hearts and minds of oppressed, maligned and aggrieved people everywhere.

 

Jacques Fleury’s book: “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe & available at www.lulu.com. Contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com and visit him at: www.facebook.com/thehaitianfirefly.

 

As the Sun Sets Over Port-au-Prince

 

By Jacques Fleury

 

In honor of my mother Marie-Evelyne, an iconoclast in her own right

 

 

     In Haiti, I grew up taking blood baths, basking in the epoch of oppression. I am a Creole poet, by my nation was occupied by the French, but still I am a Creole poet. My Caribbean spice rack is stock full of flavored stories which I will gladly tell you just enough to satisfy your hunger for the knowledge of courage of my people; since my blood was once the color of slavery. But now, since I left Haiti for America, I dream the dream that every Americans dream: to sleep on the pillows of justice, freedom and opportunity. After all, aren't we all entitled to be happy? So now watch me run from the lasso of the unjust, just to make it under the wire of justice. The great Cuban poet who penned the lyrics to the popular song "Guantanamera" wrote, "...with the poor people of this earth, I want to share my faith." But like him, my heart has been oppressed and wired and my vocal codes have been tapped, but like the great Rhythm and Blues singer Marvin Gaye so eloquently said, "True artists suffer for the people" and so I'm going to continue to say what I need to say even if it means some suffering along the way.

 

     In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on the island of and named it "Hispaniola." Taino Arawak Indians, who referred to their homeland as "Hayti" or "Mountainous Land", originally inhabited the island. In 1697 slaves were sent to Haiti. The island was cherished by European powers for its natural resources, including cocoa, cotton and sugar cane. The French shipped in thousands of slaves mainly from West Africa to harvest the crops.  In 1804 after a slave rebellion led by a man named Bookman in 1791, Haiti became the first free Black nation in the world under General Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who declared himself Emperor. America feared that the slave rebellion in Haiti would ignite anti-slavery insurgencies in the U.S. southern states and as we all now know, eventually it did. Perhaps this is one the many of multifarious reasons why America's relationship with Haiti is strained to this day. The Uses of Haiti, a book by Harvard University professor Dr. Paul Farmer chronicles America's long and perplexing history with Haiti. Tourism flourished in Haiti from the 1950s to 1986; practically ending with the Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier mutiny. Haiti's main tourist attraction is La Citadelle Laferierre built on mountains overlooking Port-au-Prince. It has walls 130 feet high and is the largest fortress in the Americas and was designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world history site in 1982. It was built to keep the newly independent nation from French incursions, which never materialized.

 

 

 

 

 

Growing up partly in Haiti with mostly marred memories of mango trees and my macabre childhood swaying in the lazy wind was no walk in the park, more like a walk in the woods. As we know, the woods are much less manicured than the park. Also in the woods, it is not always clear as to what lays ahead. One minute you maybe leaping with gaiety downhill, and the next minute you may find yourself straining and striving to reach a summit. Don't get me wrong, on Haitian terrains, there were certainly moments of triumph (fabulous cuisine and a colorful culture) but unfortunately they were equally matched and often surpassed by moments of failure (living under the constant weather of fear and intimidation). The government was an archetype for this ideology. As the tyrannical government oppressed the people, the people then reciprocated by oppressing each other. It was to my chagrin when I realized that the mentality of the Haitian people was "Every man and woman for himself or herself" and trust was in actuality non-existent. Also in Haiti, we were all subjected to living within a conspiracy of silence. "See no evil, speak no evil" because "evil" had the people under panoptic surveillance and this can be a family member hired as a spy to turn their own in should they speak unfavorably of the government.

 

     You see, in Haiti, dialect was in handcuffs, a place where fear tore souls to pieces and left scattered along the scorching pavement and dark dirt roads hungry dogs to feed on. Imagine a place where a teacher is without students and who lost his freedom to ignorance, his voice is but a squeak in the fading forests; while the tongue of dissension lay entombed at the bottom of an empty well waiting for a subversive echo to give his voice a chance at change. But even though dialect of dissension in Haiti is gagged up, his voice is an intricacy of words loaded to snap its constraint and recoup its power!

     The guts of the Haitian nation have exploded since the devastating earthquake back in Jan. 12th of 2010. Its long stinky yet valiant and pioneering intestinal history sprawled snarling and unsympathetic in discordant bliss all over the ubiquitous dirt roads. Perched participating ears like all the humanitarians who rushed over to help the aggrieved people can almost hear the debris hiss; as the apathetic summer air suffocates Creole fireflies. Sounds of volatile youths banging their heads against scarcities echo like gun shots impregnating the empty fear filled streets; while the savage beat cops known as "ton ton macoutes" strutted around town.  Baby Doc, rueful that he couldn't fly, fell prey to domestic maladies and was exiled to France. "Garcon!" mama used to call me. "Yes, ma ma!" and with fear fighting to hold back her valiant voice she said, "Never walk bare feet on cold concrete and never EVER talk too quick!" Then I was forcing sleep, was stifled by yet was supple. One day mama woke me up and said, "Time to go America!" Then I tried smiling, but my big parched patois lips felt raw.

 

 Jacques Fleury’s book: “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe & available at www.lulu.com. Contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com and visit him at: www.facebook.com/thehaitianfirefly.

Talking Back: A Critical Dialogue on Spirituality

 

By Jacques Fleury

 

 

 “Just for today, do not worry

Just for today, do not anger,

Honor your parents, teachers and elders.

Earn your living honestly.

Show gratitude to everything”.

                               Dr. Mikao Usui

 

 

      I was once walking down a road paved with rocks.  It was like they were put there to slow me down, to keep me from reaching my ultimate destination.  I was becoming quite angered with the constant stumbling and tripping, mind you.  Then, I tripped onto this one particular rock with an oval shape and a glow like the moon in a black out.  I didn’t know what to make of it at first.  But then it came to me.  I know that it will probably sound strange but that rock to me represented my unique ability to glow among seemingly hardened stones!  I held the rock in my hand, and it felt like a beaming ray of energy zing zaging in all directions in my hands.  I realized then that I held the power, formerly referred to as Reiki: Universal Life Force Energy!

 

 

     I came upon this article on The Reiki Page. It was on the website: http://reiki.7gen.com/index.html.  Dr. Usui was the founder and former practitioner of Reiki in the late 1800’s.  I found his ethical philosophies to be deceptively simple, at least on a prima facie level.  I stared at his words just as I did the rock, while deciding how to get beyond my first impression.  For there is always an “opportunity” to find truth in any given situation, if you look closely enough.  As a matter of fact, that very notion of “deceiving simplicity” was what drew me to explore and implore their empirical and spiritual depth, with a more curious eye and intuition.  The philosophy to which I am referring is quoted at the top of this article.  After reading it through, I decided to go through it line by line.  For each line was deceivingly basic and fascinating to me!

     “Just for today, do not worry.”  I spend most of my days worrying.  Mostly about this or/and that! And when I’m not worried, I anticipate becoming worried.  So at times, when worrying left me in isolation, I started thinking.  What is it that I’m not doing, while I’m worrying, that’s making me so anxious?  Then it came to me!  My heart was frozen!  I had let the hurt and anger from the past overtake me, even more so than my mother, as you will see in further along in this article.  I knew then that in order to increase blood flow to my frozen heart, I would have to thaw out its interconnecting veins!  I realized that it was going to be an ongoing process.  

     “Just for today, do not anger.”  The anger for me has been a constant struggle.  I anger easily.  Although, I am a joyful person.  But I can’t seem to cope with disapproval in my life.  It’s like my mother is perpetually hovering over my spirit, constantly molding and redirecting the beams of my eternal light.  I want everything that I am to be accepted fully and wholly without reservations.  I know that that’s not realistic of me to ask that of others, but I do.  In effect, I’ve come to realize that that is something to undertake personally: to completely accept myself just as I am!  Anger is often said to be the absence of love and the presence of fear.   It becomes logical then that once I learn to stop being afraid to love myself, then there might be less room in my heart for anger and more room for love.  Maybe that’s why I am so drawn to the supernatural world, like Reiki for example.  It allows me to rise above it all, including myself!  I’m learning to get out of my own way!

     “Honor your parents, teachers and elders.”  Now I have always, always been taught to honor the latter three.  I am from Haiti and you don’t pass the womb until you learn that!  But somewhere along the way, I started to question the notion of respecting your elders unconditionally, especially when you don’t necessarily get even a modicum of that respect back!  For example, in Haiti at one time, you could not look at someone directly in the eye while talking to him or her if they are older than you!  As a matter of fact, a young man acted like that with me just a couple of years ago.  When I asked him why, he said that it was old “habit”. Yeah, old is the right word alright, I thought! Given all this, adults would call you names, talk down to you, and take your money, all in the name of love.  And if you ask for that money back, there’ll be hell to pay for undermining the wisdom of a supposedly “honest” and “respectable adult.”  Nowadays, I have learned that “respect” is a two-way street.  I am just as worthy of it for my limited wisdom as my much “wiser” elders are worthy of it for their allegedly more comprehensive ones.

 

 

Jacques Fleury’s book: “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe & available at www.lulu.com. Contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com and visit him at:  www.facebook.com/thehaitianfirefly.  

Talking Back: A Critical Dialogue on Spirituality Part II

 

By Jacques Fleury

 

 

“Just for today, do not worry

Just for today, do not anger,

Honor your parents, teachers and elders.

Earn your living honestly.

Show gratitude to everything”.

                               Dr. Mikao Usui

 

  

     The following is an extrapolation on the above seven principles of Dr. Mikao Usui, founder and former practitioner of Reiki in the late 1800’s. I have been scrutinizing and elaborating on his doctrinal offerings and so far I have talked about learning to let go of worry, and managing anger. I read in “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” that anger is the absence of love and the presence of fear. I asserted that although the young should honor the old, the old should also honor the young since respect is a two way street. Now onto the next principle:

 

 

“Earn a living honestly.”  Now, I know I can earn a living.  But does an “honest” living constitute honesty of the spirit in choosing to work in a particular field?  Subsequently, what does Dr. Usui mean by “earn a living honestly”?  The prima facie meaning is to “earn” instead of “steal” money to sustain yourself. I know someone who chose their profession simply just for income potential, and not a kind of spiritual “calling.”  Now, I know that not all are blessed with loving our careers.   But, an acceptable step down from that would be, those who can readily appreciate the necessity of their chosen vocations.  I believe that there is a modicum of honesty in that.  Although I am also aware that by “honest” work, Dr. Usui probably means to work without cheating anyone.  So then, are priests doing “honest” work?  Are lawyers doing “honest” work?  Sure their professions are honest, but are they?  And one may have their own personal standards of “honesty”, in effect to be true to themselves.  Whether or not it compliments societal standards would be debatable.  Is it dishonest to be honest particularly with yourself when considering the ethical expectations dictated by society?  Or are we not allowed the luxury to have our own private set of ethical rules, aside from the rules mandated by our nouveau millennium society?  Have we all been “boxed-in” by societies’ often questionable moral code? The only saving grace then is our option to “choose” for ourselves what is right and what is wrong.  Choice—whether it’s you or someone else doing the choosing, is the only way to preserve your own ethics and philosophies; in essence, your own life.  If you are “honest” with yourself in “choosing” a suitable career, than you are more likely to do “honest” work. When you choose a career for unethical reasons, you’ll be doing the people you were trained to service a disservice.

     “Show gratitude to everything.”  I have just begun to understand that concept.  In the past, I’ve been one to miss some gifts floating within my well-lighted space.  I think that was because I wasn’t spiritually ready to receive them.  But since I’ve begun to internalize and philosophize regarding  my internal reality and its relation to my surrounding environment, I’ve grown to appreciate those gifts that I have for so long ignored.  As a matter of fact, I feel much “gratitude” to have the opportunity to write this essay.

     “We create our own reality,” the article “What Is Reiki” found on the Reiki website http://reiki.7gen.com/index.html purports. To some extent, I agree.  For example, if I was to think that I am the president of the United States and writing this document as an addition to the constitution, then that would be my immediate reality!  Although we all know that’s not true. 

     As much as “we create our own reality,” I also believe that our reality creates us.  It’s similar to the old debate of nature verses nurture.  I do think that our environment, to some extent, “creates” who we are.  Why do polar bears have such thick white coats?  Because they live in the artic, where the temperature is nothing to sneeze at!  Why do Africans have such thick black skins?  Because they live in Africa, where the sweltering sun stares with a glare and it’s nothing to laugh at!  My point is because of their living conditions, both the polar bear and the African people have to develop thick skins to survive in their own respective environments.  Essentially, they have to adjust to their own crust; however the way in which they do “create their own [realities]” is how they go about their lives in spite of their living conditions.  For example, African people having the skills needed to feed themselves and care for their kids.  Also they take responsibility for their own mental health, by “choosing” to listen to their very own “emotional cues.”  I think that there is a strong correlation between “creating your own reality” and “having your reality created for you.”  It all depends on whether or not you choose to use or forfeit the “choices” you were granted by birthright.

     We interact with our reality every day, be it on a philosophical level, or an empirical one.  For example, my mother taught me quite a bit in my adolescent years.  You see. I lived in an urban ghetto before I moved “north” to the suburbs so to speak.  My reality everyday inside my house was my mom informing me of the “realities” she had known.  Hence by educating me on what she then felt were her “truths,” her intention was to “protect” me from the bleak reality I was seeing and hearing outside my window! 

     When I did finally try to “hang” with the gang, so to speak, I found out that I wasn’t nearly prepared to match wits with the other kids at least in the “empirical” sense.  I knew I was intelligent, but unlike their intelligence.  I believe they call it “street smarts” and boy was that a surprise!  As a smart kid, I’d never felt so dumb!  So then, my “external reality” began to change my internal reality, hence enhancing my “new” perceptions of the world at large.  My conundrum then was “Who am I outside of the confines of my house?”  I felt like I was my mother’s thoughts, motivations, rationales, mores and customs.  But what did I stand for?  What were my thoughts, my motivations, and my rationales?  I had to turn, if even for a moment, from the reality created for me by my mother, to see the other reality that awaited me in the broader world.  It was interacting with the kids in my “ghetto” neighborhood, as well as my teachers and other people like the school custodian or a beggar, whom one often times mistakenly think have nothing to teach, that I began to learn who I was.  So I created my own reality in terms of howI perceived what I saw around me based on what my mother taught me.   But my outer reality created me in terms of how it impacted my perception ofwhat I saw: that things are not always as they seem.

 

 

Jacques Fleury’s book: “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe & available at: www.lulu.com.  Contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com

Talking Back:A Critical Dialogue on Spirituality Part III

 

By Jacques Fleury

 

 

 “Just for today, do not worry

Just for today, do not anger,

Honor your parents, teachers and elders.

Earn your living honestly.

Show gratitude to everything”.

                               Dr. Mikao Usui

 

 

      I have written about how my mother helped to create my own reality, hence my own identity.  Now I will write about the need to create my own existence outside of my mother, whom I considered my primary spiritual leader.

 

 

“The healers’ job is to get out of the way,

 to keep the healing space open,

 and to watch and listen for signs of what to do next.”

The Reiki Page

 

 

       The latter quote from the article “What Is Reiki” found on the Reiki website http://reiki.7gen.com/index.html focuses on the relationship between healer and seeker.  They must separate in order for “something to happen” between their “healing space.”  My mom and I often seem like we are conjoined at the hip.  Sure, I understand our closeness has to do with the fact that she’s not that much older than me, and also I was her only child for thirteen years before my sister was born.  She made it her mission to mold and shape my cognitive demeanor and profile, ensuring that they don’t get too fragile.  But by being so protective of my persona, she failed to realize that while I was strong in one area (her world), I was lacking in the other (the outer world).

      After looking at myself through the eyes of those outside of my mother’s clutching womb, I started to experience myself as an evolving, well- generated black man.  I combined my mother’s well-intentioned doctrinaire, with the knowledge gained through the wisdom of the eclectic external world.  Mother had to “...get out of [my] way...,” but at the same time be sure to stick around “...to keep the [nurturing] space open...” And while I was on my search, I often felt like wax, melting at the bottom of a candle, and with valiant hands reaching out for the light above!  It was during those times that I needed my mother, my spiritual healer the most.  As the quote offers, I needed her to “...watch and listen for [my] signs of [need and tell me] what [I should] do next.”  But I reached for something deeper, something even my mother didn’t have access to, my own inner strength, minus my perceived limitations.

     Breaking through some spiritual limitations with my mother only left me to wonder, what else is out there?  What other spiritual wonders have I kept myself from; by being too uncertain of who I was to cut the umbilical cord, forever tying me to my mother?  The article on the Reiki page states that Reiki is only limited by one’s “old ways” of being, that one must challenge “old patterns” of behavior in order to “accept healing.”  I used to only believe that what you see is what you get, that is “if it can’t be proven, it’s not real!”  However I have since reconsidered my new wisdom that “what you see, isn’t always what you get.”  As trite as it may sound, for me, it’s true.  I have since decided to think outside of my enclosed box of suffocating limitations that reads “Do Not Open until I’m dead!” 

     Subsequently forsaking my own warning, I decided to open the box and dawned upon Reiki.  I feel that Reiki, its inherent meaning being “Universal Life Force Energy”, was and has always been a part of me.  I just could never see the energy because I had not yet “earned” a “critical eye.” Now that I have opened the box, so that dawn can charm the morning fog right off my squinting eyes, I intend to investigate both past and present limitations I have had infringed on me.

     The article also purports that “The way we acquire deviations from our ideal form, is to accept [limitations] in our life [sic].”  For instance, there had been a plethora of negative connotations associated with “mouthy” children in Haiti.   You were not allowed to “speak-up” during “adult” conversation.  If and when you did, you were given a “silenced” glare, namely “the look of death,” to foreshadow your punishment.  In other words, “Ya gonna hav’ ‘ta deal wit me later mouth!”   The article agrees in that it discerns the latter by introducing the idea that “A limitation maybe a parent yelling “BE QUIET!!” enough times that the child learns not to speak.”

     Growing up in Haiti, I was constantly told, “A child should be seen and not heard.”  So I learned to shut up!  Still in present times, I find it quite uncomfortable to speak up within a forum, where people express ideas deliberately and freely.  I fear sounding unintelligible, like a deaf person, mouthing off the words he/she have never even heard.

     The article also suggests “In any healing, the goal is to find the limitation, recognize the pattern, recognize where it came from, and let it go.”  So I am presently deconstructing what I’ve been taught, and re-learning a new more enlightened set of wisdom.  I am licking my wounds and stepping up to the podium!  And the dust I find there, to me, represents the “old” knowledge.  I see the dust as scattered powder of self-loathing, self-deprecation, and self-indignations and last but not least, self-limitations!  So I decided to blow it all off!  All this gray stuff that was shielding my eyes!  If I must have clouds in my life, I will have them be transparent, so that I can see the blue skies on the other side!  All to make room for “new” information.  I will use “old” information as a building block, and not a stumbling block towards the path to my “new” enlightenment.

      “I’M MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!” as from that ubiquitous movie titled “Network”.  I have reclaimed my “ideal form” and “rejected” having the limitations placed on me.  I am becoming free from myself and others in every way.  I can only hope that you, the reader, can be just as motivated to continue to change your life making each New Year a new you.  Role around in the colored leaves of autumn, or rejuvenate yourself in the silken youthful hands of spring.  Then go out and rent the movie “Life is Beautiful!”

 

 

Affirmation

 

 

“I invoke the healing Buddha and the master spirits of Reiki.

 I ask that my channel be pure and clean, without fear,

 and with honor and love for all.”

The Reiki Page

 

 

Jacques Fleury’s book: “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe available at: www.lulu.com. Contact him at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com

Pimental grads Marine boot camp

Marine Corps Pfc. Jose A. Pimentel, a 2010 graduate of Prospect Hill Academy, Cambridge, Mass., recently completed the Marine Aviation Maintenance Administration Course.

During the course with Marine Aviation Training Support Squadron One, Marine Aviation Support Training Support Group 21, Meridian, Miss., Pimentel receive training on security of classified information, aeronautic technical publications and the Navy Airlift maintenance program. Studies also include training on aircraft accounting systems and procedures, aircraft log books and Navy correspondence and directive systems.

Pimentel joined the Marine Corps in September 2010. 

Happy Feast of St. Patrick!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

These are the opening words of his own account of his life, "The Confessions of St. Patrick," which his wrote in his native Latin:

"I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many, had for father the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a priest, of the settlement [vicus] of Bannavem Taburniae; he had a small villa nearby where I was taken captive. I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our desserts, for quite drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought down on us the fury of his being and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now to be found among foreigners.

And there the Lord opened my mind to an awareness of my unbelief, in order that, even so late, I might remember my transgressions and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who had regard for my insignificance and pitied my youth and ignorance. And he watched over me before I knew him, and before I learned sense or even distinguished between good and evil, and he protected me, and consoled me as a father would his son.

Therefore, indeed, I cannot keep silent, nor would it be proper, so many favours and graces has the Lord deigned to bestow on me in the land of my captivity. For after chastisement from God, and recognizing him, our way to repay him is to exalt him and confess his wonders before every nation under heaven."

Read the entire memoirs here.

 

'Faces' disco compound to become apartment complex

Artist rendition

Our good friend Brock Parker wrote an article in The Boston Globe about the upcoming transition along Route 2 on the edges of the Alewife wildlife area:

Excerpt: "Cambridge officials have approved a long-awaited makeover for the dilapidated “Faces” discotheque site along Route 2.

The Planning Board approved a special permit Tuesday for Criterion Development Partners to build a four-story, 227-unit apartment building on the site of the run-down old club near the Alewife MBTA stop."

Kelley: City police failing to respond to North Cambridge violence

Our good friend City Councillor Craig A. Kelley, who for 10 years was the president of the North Cambridge Stabilization Committee, send us a follow-up on the response from the Cambridge Police Department to the Clifton Street shooting:

Folks: 
I’ve attached a .pdf [Download Police Department Clifton St comm] from CPD describing their respsonse to the Clifton Street shooting last month, as well as  pasting an email from CPD inviting people to another meeting on Tuesday, 8 March (Shrove Tuesday- I will miss this meeting as we have an event that evening at Church).  Also- please pass this email on to anyone you think may wish to attend the CPD meeting.

The CPD’s response is interesting, but not entirely accurate when it describes how the Alert system is used.  I’ve gotten alerts from CPD for one-off events and CPD is interested in how to better use the system to meet the community’s needs.

More importantly, the report notes that their have been 6 shootings in the immediate area in the past 18 months.  I’m not sure how many stabbins there have been- pehaps none, but there have been some over the years. 

City Councillor Craig A. Kelley

My point is, if every 8 block area in Cambridge had the same level of violence as this stretch of Clifton/Jackson/Jefferson Park/Rindge Towers, it’d be a stupendous number. 

That the violence is especially concentrated here reflects something unique about this area and we need to address that issue to tamp down the violence. 

Happy New You

By Jacques Fleury

The Haitian Firefly Speaks 

     The bells and whistles of Christmas are but a distant memory; the holiday dramatics are now over and a New Year has dawned upon us, perched like a proud and hopeful eagle, as we begin to make the often provisional promises to ourselves for the New Year. However, I know that I have made promises to myself in the past that I was unable to keep and I’m almost certain that you too will succumb to a similar fate. But I am not necessarily here to simply tell you that the building blocks of your New Year resolutions are doomed to collapse, I just want to emphasize some key strategies about how you can be more methodical and realistic about them; thus minimizing the possibility of failure and ensuring a grader degree of success.

     The faltering economy will most likely affect New Year resolutions in 2011. Surfeits of people fell victims to the unsteady economy and lost their jobs and homes. No one was impervious to the dark claws of economic scarcity. Even the Television show “Inside Edition” profiled a lawyer who went from litigating in the courtroom to cleaning the bathroom by taking a job as a housekeeper; proving that—as I’ve always known—anyone can succumb to hardship and essentially become jobless and/or homeless at any given time no matter what their circumstances.

     December 21^st marked the National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, a fact that I just recently became aware of and which I’m certain that most people don’t even know about. I long for the day when we won’t need a day set aside to commemorate the homeless because they’ll all be housed. Nevertheless, there is good news about homelessness in Massachusetts. During the 31^st Annual Homeless Census on Dec. 6^th, Jim Greene, director of the city’s Emergency Shelter Commission went around town counting the city’s homeless. “City and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) figures released on [Dec. 21^st] show a 30 percent decrease in homelessness in the past five years,” writes Justin A. Rice of the Boston Metro. He goes on to say that, “The number of chronically homeless people has decreased 25 percent, which officials attribute to the city’s…efforts to permanently house the homeless.” Hence for those that are still homeless, their New Year resolution will probably be to become permanently housed and to them I say I find that prayer and perseverance is the cure to all barriers, so keep pushing through until

Capuano discusses current budget turmoil on Capitol Hill

 

 

Rep. Michael E. Capuano, D, Mass.

We received this update from Rep. Michael E. Capuano, D, Mass., who is the congressman for Massachusetts' Eighth Congressional District, which includes North Cambridge:

 

 FY 2011 Budget Bill

 The House is still debating H.R. 1, the Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the federal government for the remaining seven months of Fiscal Year 2011. Hundreds of amendments were offered and, at this writing, final passage is not expected until possibly some time tomorrow. Unfortunately, I do expect H.R.1 to pass although I will be voting NO.

 Many worthwhile programs have been cut and many more completely eliminated. The Republicans’ goal is to eliminate $100 billion in funding for this fiscal year alone. The battle over FY 2012 funding is expected to be just as heated and the proposed cuts just as deep.

 On Tuesday I highlighted the impact that H.R. 1 would have on some vital programs. I wish I could tell you that we were successful in restoring funding for all of those programs but that is not going to be the case.

 I consider myself a fiscal conservative and I believe that we must address our staggering federal deficit. That is why I opposed tax cuts for millionaires in December. We couldn’t afford them last year, and many of the cuts included in this CR illustrate exactly why those tax cuts for the rich shouldn’t have passed.

Once H.R. 1 passes the House it will go to the Senate, where it will face a much more difficult path. President Obama has already indicated that he would veto the House’s CR so I still remain hopeful that some of the more painful cuts will be adjusted.

 I am not opposed to all programming reductions. There are many cuts we can and should make that will not cause so much pain for so many. For example, the CR doesn’t touch defense spending. In January, Secretary Gates himself proposed $78 billion in cuts to the Defense Department. Additionally, I also support cuts to farm subsidies, eliminating tax breaks for oil companies, and instituting certain medical malpractice reforms. I would also consider an across-the-board approach that would spread the pain, not heap it unfairly on the people who rely on many of the programs identified for cuts. I will report back next week on the outcome of the debate over H.R. 1.

 Baggage Bill

This week I re-introduced the Baggage Fee Fairness Act, which would require airlines to refund baggage fees if luggage is lost, damaged or delayed in reaching its destination. Many airlines now charge a fee for checked luggage. It is a simple matter of fairness to refund that fee to consumers if the airline has not fulfilled its commitment to transport the luggage to its intended destination in a timely fashion and without damage. It would require a refund no later than 30 days after the arrival of a passenger's flight. My legislation would also require more prominent disclosure of baggage fees when consumers obtain ticket price information on the internet or over the phone. Consumers often receive an unpleasant surprise when checking their bags at the airport when the ticket they thought was the best value didn't include the cost of luggage and they must pay additional fees. In the interest of transparency and competition all fees should be readily available when researching ticket prices. My legislation is currently in committee and I will work to advance it.

 Subcommittee Work

 This week the Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held its first hearing of the year. I serve as Ranking Member on the subcommittee. The hearing focused on Fannie Mae, and legal fees that were paid to defend former executives accused of accounting transgressions. When the federal government took over Fannie Mae, taxpayers essentially became responsible for the legal bills. This protection was part of employment contracts negotiated before the government stepped in. Millions in legal fees have been paid and the subcommittee is concerned about the amount of taxpayer money being spent. While these types of contracts are typical for corporations, it seems to me that $160 million in taxpayer funded legal fees is unreasonable. The subcommittee will continue reviewing this matter and exploring ways to address this. I feel strongly that Fannie Mae and its regulator; the Federal Housing Finance Administration (FHFA), should be doing everything in their power to prevent the use of taxpayer money for legal fees to defend these executives.

 

Kelley: Attend City Hall meeting on the future of North Mass. Ave retail

 

City Councillor Craig A. Kelley

We received this notice from our friend City Councillor Craig A. Kelley about a Feb. 22 City Hall hearing about proposed changes to the business and residential zoning for North Massachusetts Avenue:

FYI, folk:

The future of retail in North Cambridge , specifically along North Mass Ave , has been the subject of a lot of conversation in the past several months.  You can access the various documents on North Mass Ave planning at http://www2.cambridgema.gov/cdd/cp/zng/nmass/index.html and about North Cambridge in general at http://www2.cambridgema.gov/cdd/cp/neigh/11/area11.html.  With its desire to have more housing, the City and the City Council have created zoning incentives for North Mass Ave that prod developers into providing more housing and less retail and, at least partially as a result of that incentive, we’ve seen retail on the Avenue decrease and be replaced by various condo complexes.  At the various North Mass Ave meetings the City recently held (univerally attended by what I thought was an astoundingly large number of people), the overwhelmingly expressed opinion was that ground floor retail of a local nature is important to people in this community.  To help protect and promote that retail, a number of people have been working to rewrite the zoning to, at the least, get rid of this “de-incentivization” of retail and to possibly require existing retail to be maintained as buildings are redeveloped.  A common fear is that once we lose retail spots to residential units, we won’t ever get that retail back again and that, at a certain point, there simply won’t be enough retail on North Mass Ave to be sustainable.

 Councillor Cheung (Lcheung@Cambridgema.gov) will be having a meeting to talk about North Cambridge retail this Tuesday at 5:30 PM at City Hall.  It would be great if folks could show up, but if that isn’t possible it would be almost as great if you could email Councillor Cheung and let him know your thoughts.  Rezonings can be very tricky things to get passed (at the least, you need six out of nine votes and if it is contested you may need seven Councillors to vote “yes”), so having Councillors know that you care about this issue is important. 

 The meeting info is as follows:

5:30 PM Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Location:
City Hall
795 Massachusetts Ave

Mental Illness and Stigma: How Far Have We Come?

By Jacques Fleury

 The Haitian Firefly Speaks

 

     Mental illness was once, and to some extent still is a taboo subject matter that most people feel uncomfortable talking about within familial or societal spheres. However, because of the superfluity of media coverage and cinematic portrayals of people afflicted with mental illness, it has gone from private whispers behind closed doors to public dialogues. However, the one issue that has not dissipated is the stigmatization of persons afflicted with mental disorders, particularly marginalized groups like the poor and the homeless.

      “The word ‘stigma’ comes from the Greek word ‘stizen’ which means to tattoo or to brand,” writes Adhikari Sr. , a psychiatry department lecturer in an article in Kathmandu University Medical Journal. He goes on to say that, “In ancient Greece, they branded …slaves or criminals so that others could identify them as less valued members of society.” I can most definitely identify with the whole idea of being “branded” and I’ll tell you why.

      I figure if I am going to write an article about mental illness and the whole idea of whether or not to seek treatment or disclose one’s diagnosis for fear of dire repercussions, I might as well start with myself. Because I want to help shed some light on this most sensitive subject matter and hopefully help someone else who maybe experiencing a similar fate, I am prepared to disclose to you, my readers, that I have been diagnosed with depression.

      As a Haitian and particularly a Haitian male, admitting to having any type of mental disorder is extremely taboo within the Haitian family and community. Admitting to having a mental disability is analogous to admitting to being afflicted with having a severe weakness as a human being, but particularly as a man and even more so a Haitian man. The notion of equating admitting to being mentally ill with being weak caused both my family and I to hide and ignore my depression for years. My mother recognized some of the signs due to depressive symptoms like oversleeping, overeating, irritability and anxiety for months at a time. Behaviors that ended up disrupting our entire family structure.  Another reason why my family kept me from seeking help was because of fear of what a formal diagnosis would entail; some of the many possibilities were fear that I may not be able to get into college, get a job, health insurance etc…But mostly, my mother feared that the rest of my family would be ashamed of me and therefore ostracize me. My mother claims that she was only trying to “protect” me from experiencing prejudice from narrow minded people.

A lookback at the Little River

The Friends of the Alewife Reservation have posted a nice history of the Little River which is part of the Fresh Pond Marshes and flows into the Alewife Brook.

Excerpt: In the nineteenth century, the area west of Fresh Pond, extending to Little Pond in Belmont and Spy Pond in Arlington, was still known as the "Fresh Pond Marshes." Around 1860, according to Birds of the Cambridge Region by William Brewster, "the meadow grass which covered them was regularly cut and drawn off in hay wagons." The water in the marsh's streams was clear and drinkable. It was possible to canoe from Fresh Pond up the Little River, through the marshes, to Little Pond and Spy Pond without once getting out of one's canoe. 

Tolman lays out spring agenda

State Sen. Stephen A. Tolman, D, 2nd Suffolk and Middlesex District, which includes parts of North Cambridge, at the end of January released his plans for the spring legislative session with this press release:

(Boston) – This morning Senator Steven A. Tolman unveiled his 2011-2012 legislative agenda.  Senator Tolman’s portfolio of 101 bills includes legislation which addresses a wide range of issues including efforts to increase consumer protections, improve education, provide appropriate substance abuse treatment, increase the availability of public transportation to residents of Massachusetts, and improve Massachusetts’ criminal justice system.  Senator Tolman is also supporting legislation which aims to reduce healthcare costs in Massachusetts.  The upcoming legislative session will be a challenging time for the Commonwealth, and the Legislature is prepared for a busy and productive session.

State Sen. Stephen A. Tolman

One of Tolman’s main priorities during the 2011-2012 session is a measure that would limit citizen's exposure to toxic chemicals by mandating the replacement of toxic chemicals with a safer green alternative, if it is available.  Tolman has filed a similar bill in previous sessions, in the 2007-2008 session the legislation passed in the Senate but not the House, and he is hopeful that in the upcoming session the measure will be passed into law.  “Citizens continue to be exposed to chemicals daily which have been shown to cause birth defects, delayed development and ill health even after safer alternatives to the chemicals have been developed.  This is unconscionable” Tolman said. 

Silver Maple Forest's salvation always in jeopardy

 

Our friend Ellen Mass from the Friends of Alewife Reservation was quoted in this story on Change.org:

But as Ellen Mass, the president of the Friends of Alewife Reservation, explained, once the permit is granted there is nothing but snow standing between O'Neill's bulldozers and these wetland trees. And once it melts there will be nothing left to do; it's game over for thousands of species that call Alewife home.

The Massachusetts legislature has already passed a bill that would require an appraisal of the damage such a loss would cause to the environmental health of the area, along with instructions to further appraise the price of the land. The hope is to buy it back and turn it into the focus of ecological tourism and a resource for environmental education. Not too difficult to arrange, really, as it's already both of those things.

Read the whole article here: http://bit.ly/fgAYDO  

Rindge & Latin grad, nephew of North Cambridge couple completes boot camp

Army National Guard Pvt. Timothy P. Norton II has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C. 

 

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises. 

He is the nephew of Phyllis Norton of Yerxa Road, Cambridge, Mass. The private graduated in 2006 from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Cambridge.

 

Why We Still Need Black History Month

By Jacques Fleury

The Haitian Firefly Speaks

 

 

     In an article by Mema Ayi and Demetrius Patterson from the Chicago Defender, they wrote that “actor Morgan Freeman created a small firestorm…when he told Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes that he finds Black History Month (BHM) ridiculous.” Freeman goes on to say that “Americans perpetrate racism by relegating Black history to just one month when Black history is American history.”

     As you can clearly see, a month dedicated to Black history continues to stir controversy. The point of the matter is we can’t continue to ignore the fact that—although we have made progress towards racial unity—we still have ways to go towards racial, harmony,  understanding and tolerance if not acceptance.

     Scholars and historians such as Conrad Worrill, chairman of the National Black United Front repulses the commercialization of the celebration, stated Ayi and Patterson. However, they go on to say that “but [Worrill] agree that Black Americans still need February and everyday to reflect on the accomplishments of Black Americans who contributed countless inventions and innovations into society.”

     It was in 1926 when Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week. Now all these years later has evolved into Black History Month. But why do we still need—even in 2010—a month set aside to recognize Black history in this country? Perhaps you can look within your hearts for that answer. Negro History Week morphed into Black History Month in 1976, when African Americans developed a renewed interest in their ancestral history primarily as a result of Alex Haley’s revolutionary miniseries “Roots.”

     Radio personality Cliff Kelley offers an explanation as to why we need Black History Month. Loosely translated, he said that we need it because capricious historians conveniently leave out certain parts of history that does not corroborate their version of history, which I think consist mostly of dead White men. Blacks are virtually removed from it to substantiate the White historical agenda. Plenty of Black youths do not know their history. Most of them think that their history begins and ends with slavery, wrote Patterson and Ayi.

 

Kelley: Harvey Street co-housing meeting Tuesday on Jan. 27 shooting

[Our good friend City  Councillor Craig A. Kelley sent out the following email regarding his impressions of the police response to the Jan. 27 Clifton Street shooting.]

City Councillor Craig A. Kelley

FYI,

The more I think about this issue, the more I think we’re sitting on top of a lot of problems and we should be neither patient nor quiet about them.  This Order reflects some of that feeling, though I can’t promise it will result in anything new and different without neighborhood pushes behind it.  This is not the first shooting in Cambridge , nor is it the first shooting in this area.  That no one was apparently hurt in this gun battle that seems to have involved at least two people shooting at each other in a pretty dense residential area doesn’t make it any less serious. I got a CPD Alert about a stabbing outside of Harvard Square , but I didn’t seem to get one about a multi-shot gun battle on Clifton Street 10 days ago.  Communications seem spotty, as I’ve said before, and the underlying issue of why this part of the world sees the amount of shootings that it does needs a lot more attention than we’re giving it.  We can’t stop all shootings- the war on drugs, poverty, educational failures, readily available guns and a whole lot of other issues beyond our control create an overly violent world- but I would think we could do a better job of keeping the shootings from happening with such a disturbingly repetitive nature in this area.

 There is a meeting at the Harvey Street co-housing this Tuesday at 7 PM.  And the more folks who show up to express concern at Council on Monday, the better.  I’ve seen a zillion police officers of all stripes guarding roads where snow removal crews are working- I know it’s not a completely parallel argument and the funding streams are somewhat different, but it seems we have our priorities somewhat askew.  If we can park cruisers by snow removal equipment where there is no clear statistical evicence that they’re making anything safer, I’d like to think we can deploy more police in an area where we know shootings are overly common.

'Tis the Season to be Jolly

By Jacques Fleury

 The Haitian Firefly Speaks

 

     With all that we have been through this year:  celebrating the second year of America’s first Black President and some wondering if they made the right choice; the announcement of the impending end of the war in Iraq; and last but not least, the floundering economy; which had some losing their jobs and homes and those who hitherto never thought they would be homeless in their lifetimes, found themselves succumbing to the dire economy and facing homelessness for the first time.  Yet still I, like you, am dreaming of a white Christmas and most definitely ready to put 2010 behind me because “‘tis the season to be jolly!”

     Soon, the  snow will cascade  from the December sky and it will lend on my waiting face like a lingering winter kiss, adorning trees that sparkle with shimmering lights with branches that seemingly spread like open arms as if to beckon blessings from above. And I, subdued with holiday cheer and even a little bit of jeer, recall memories of doves and wondering if the world will ever succumb to peace and love. So I began to ponder about what Christmas really means, at least to me.

     I am not here to harangue you on the true meaning of Christmas, I am simply offering my understanding of this most wondrous time of year and you may or may not identify with me but hopefully you will. You see Christmas to me is about more than just ceremony. It is about more than the money we spend to impress our loved ones and desperately hoping that this will make them happy. Christmas to me is about celebrating life, family, and community. It’s about enjoying one another’s company and appreciating each other’s humanity. And by humanity I mean both positive and negative characteristics that make us all who we are.  Anyone can love someone who loves you back, but the real challenge is to love someone who hates your guts.

     Some of us may not be aware of this, but often our love is conditional. And I include myself in this category. How many times have you find yourself falling out of love with someone because you suddenly discover that they are (taking a deep breath) “human” and therefore “broken?”  We are all broken pearls along the road. I’ll give you a near perfect example, I say near perfect because I’ve finally come to realize that as long as I remain a human being, I will never experience this great illusion of perfection. I once thought that my mother’s love was “perfect.” She herself claims that she had me because she wanted someone to love completely and who will love her back completely. But in her then youthful innocence, she did not foresee that her love for me would eventually be tested. The same thing applies to me; I did not foresee that my love for her would be tested in return. Ultimately time proved to be the great enemy of complacency. My mom, whom I saw as the greatest thing since the invention of the internet, became suddenly “human” and essentially imperfect when she, in anger over something I’ve done, used words as sharp as a newly sharpened #2 pencil with the intent to cut deep into my heart and psyche. And I, in overwhelming shock over her hurtful and abusive words, return the favor with even greater intensity then she. The whole ordeal was no flower arrangement and that’s for sure. It was that day that I realized that if my own mother, who claimed to love me more than her own life, could inflict such hurt upon me, than I reasoned that anyone else could do the same and again, myself included. It was during this dire revelation that I discovered human imperfection to negate any prior illusions of “human perfection” which fundamentally is an oxymoron.  It was because of that incident that I reasoned to look to someone greater than my mighty mother for unrestricted love. It was at that time that I gleefully looked to Jesus Christ for eternal and unconditional love.

     This brings me to speculating about the true meaning of Christmas. I truly believe that we can all find happiness with one another, granted that we do this one thing: learning to accept one another because of our humanity and not in spite of it. I know that a lot of you have different conceptions about religion and the whole idea of who God . I am not saying that my God is necessarily your God.  My main concern is that you believe in something…anything. For I truly believe that believing in anything will fill you will hope since hope is the light that consumes all darkness.

     Growing up in Haiti, in the middle Port-au-Prince city, I remember when the Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier government used to have Christmas for the kids in the Haitian White House. I remember the first time I heard of Santa Clause, except in Haiti, he is called “Papa Noel.” I remember being in total awe of Papa Noel. I thought that he was this magical being who was going to rescue me from the ills and perils of my childhood. I grew up with an abusive alcoholic stepfather. I remember the day my mom told me that she was going to marry him, I felt like the floor suddenly and violently collapsed right from under me. And I knew right then that my hitherto magical childhood was over. I even stopped believing in Papa Noel and my gained a premature mature composure and shaking my head in perceived adult mentality where I saw other kids fall over themselves to get to Papa Noel. But now, all these years later, I am trying to rekindle my fascination with the holiday season. As I walk around town at night, I bask in the glitter of the glimmering trees and exuberant smiles on the people’s faces and I start thinking about what Christmas really means.      

     The true meaning of Christmas for me is essentially love yourself and one another as you are; knowing that you and your life are “perfect” in the eyes of God. The true meaning of Christmas is not about out doing your neighbor’s Christmas decorations, or buying the most expensive gift for your loved ones. At the threat of getting too syrupy, the true meaning of Christmas should be about lending a smile to someone who bears a frown, offering a hug to someone in tears and providing food and shelter to someone in need. The true meaning of Christmas is about seeing one another as family and not as enemies. Don’t let the melanin in your neighbor’s skin determine whether or not he/she is worthy of your respect. Don’t let the size of your bank account or family breeding determine your worth or your neighbor’s worth. The true meaning of Christmas is seeing one another as ONE in the eyes of God.  The true meaning of Christmas is about celebrating our legacies not deficiencies; it’s about fraternity and diversity not hostility and bigotry; collaboration not division; it’s about being giving, joyful, and thankful for what we have and not what we don’t have. Finally, it’s about the beauty and miracle of creation: the birth of Jesus Christ.

     Even I struggle with these issues every day, so I speak from experience. I come face to face with anger and prejudice constantly, partly due to negative societal conditioning. But I constantly aim to eschew negative thought patterns to reflect a healthier approach. I use the following mantra: “Be a source of love and light in the face of prejudice and hatred.” And only then will you finally learn the true meaning of Christmas.  Joeux Noel et Bonne Anne a tous (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All)!

Jacques Fleury is a Poet, Author & Columnist. His book: “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe. Sample or buy the book at: www.lulu.com. 20% of proceeds will go to Haiti charity Partners in Health. For personal appearances or comments contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com.

 

 

Haiti: Post-Quake, Needs Still Great

By Jacques Fleury

The Haitian Firefly Speaks

 

 

     In the aftermath of one of the biggest tragedies in Haiti—a country already known for persistent political unrest and economic depravity—the country is still maligned with the lack of subsistence to meet basic human needs. Long after the multi-media coverage of the January 12^th earthquake has ceased and Haiti’s fifteen minutes of fame appears to have faded, one thing remains the same: the resilient and perpetual thriving spirit of the Haitian people.

       I interviewed my cousin Betty, who recently came to America for a month of respite and reflection after the catastrophe in Haiti. She looked surprisingly well adjusted and at times even jovial and comical. Her spirit reflects that of the people in Haiti as they strive to return back to a normal life. Although I am painfully aware that the term “normal” in this context may take different meanings giving the dire conditions the people have to endure in the poorest country in the western hemisphere. However, as a Haitian man myself, I know that the Haitian people have always been spiritually prosperous. I love America and feel very fortunate to be here, however in
America much emphasis is bestowed on financial prosperity. A large number of people in this country live beyond their means just to keep up appearances and convey a façade of financial security when often the true reality denotes a much more humble economic situation.

 

     “The people’s spirits remains high,” Cousin Betty said, “women are still getting their hair and nails done and going on with life as usual.” She also mentioned that people are still having “Rarras.” A Rarra is when a bunch of people take to the streets dancing with drums, and other Haitian musical instruments and as they go through the neighborhoods other people join them. This is something I experienced myself having grown up in Haiti for the first thirteen years of my life before I came to America. Although the Haitian people have always maintained an attitude of “Joix De Vivre” which is French for “Joy of Life”, the world and particularly the American people and news media has just beginning to recognize the undying fire that is the Haitian spirit. In the darkness of times, it’s a guarantee that you will see a Haitian dancing on a cloud. I recently saw journalists and celebrities, who after coming back from visiting Haiti; speak emphatically of the Haitian people’s positive and mirthful dispositions.

 

     “While it looked like life resumed on the streets, the trip was sobering for me,” said Bill Lin, Director of Corporate Contributions for Johnson & Johnson  who recently went to Leogane, Haiti, which is a city west of Port-au-Prince and at the epicenter of the Jan. 12^th earthquake. Lin was interviewed by Melissa Waggenspack in an article on the internet where she emphasizes the pressing needs of the Haitian people. Lin goes on to say that “So many people are displaced and are still living in tent cities. The need for housing is so tremendous.” When asked about the health concerns of the Haitian people, Lin responded “Hurricane season began on June 1^st, presenting a new threat to those who are still living in tent cities…there is a great concern over the spread of waterborne disease…that is why, in Haiti, Johnson & Johnson is providing more assistance for housing than we have during previous disaster relief efforts.”

     When I asked Cousin Betty about how she experienced the earthquake and the ensuing aftermath she had this to say “I was at home when the quake hit. Our house shook but did not fall. However because of the anticipation of aftermaths, we were forced to sleep on a football field for 4 to 5 days. Then we returned back to our own yard to sleep in tents. Today, we still sleep in tents just to be on the cautious side but during the day, we stay in the house. Although now, we keep the doors open incase we need to exit the house in case of aftershocks.”

     Regarding American aid to post-quake Haiti cousin Betty said, “American aid helped provide first-aid to those under debris, there were a lot of amputees, there were 2,000 amputees in a two month period.” And regarding donation monies, she said that the people are very frustrated because even though they are getting all this money in earthquake relief aid, as usual there is no account of where the money is going. She also said that “most of the money goes to non-profits like Habitat for Humanity, but actual help is slow in progression.”

      In an article by Maria Sacchetti of the Boston Globe, she writes about how in Petionville, Haiti, a once prosperous suburb of Port-au-Prince, people are sleeping in rat infested tents  with “reeking latrines” and also how basic human needs like food and water is still scarce. She describes a situation when the water ran out: “In scorching heat, a group of angry parents…marched to the winding road above the camp armed with empty containers, a sawed-off garden hose and pans. They busted open an exposed pipe and collected the water that gushed from it.”

      “There is not much help,” Sacchetti writes quoting Benice George, a 50-year-old construction worker, cradling his 1-year-old son. He ended up using the water he collected earlier to cook spaghetti on a campfire, his family’s only meal for the day, “We’re not living like human beings,” Benice said. In terms of the donated monies and what has been done so far in Haiti, she wrote: “Across the Caribbean nation, less than 4 percent of the debris has been cleared since the powerful… earthquake and some 1.6 million people are living in tent camps in the middle of hurricane season, despite 1.8 billion in earthquake aid according to U.S. government and United Nations figures.”

      The current crisis in Haiti is finally catapulting its glaring political maladies into view for the whole world to see. For years not much has been done to intercept the corruption that has plagued the Haitian government and its people. At times, America has either looked the other way, except when intervening has been mostly in their best interest.

 

     “Paul Farmer, founder of Boston-based Partners in Health (PIH) and a deputy special envoy for the United Nations, recently told a congressional panel that less than 3 percent of aid has gone directly to the Haitian government, and urged lawmakers to increase such disbursement,” writes Sacchetti. And when it comes to America’s complex and often problematic relationship with Haiti, Sacchetti writes, “ In the past [Paul Farmer] said, US and other policies have sometimes bypassed Haiti’s leadership, weakening it and contributing in part to the crisis today.”

      Another problem that plagues Haiti’s recovery efforts is that most countries have failed to deliver on Haiti aid pledges as reported by CNN.com. International donors promised $5.3 billion after the earthquake; only four countries have distributed any money at all, less than 2 percent of the money that’s been promised has been delivered, the U.S. pledged more than $1 billion and distributed nothing with the money tied up in the congressional appropriations process.

     Although much haven’t been done in terms of helping earthquake victims meet basic human needs like permanent housing, food and water, there is a glimmer of hope for the children of Haiti is the form of the Life is Good Kids Foundation (LIGKF).

     “The Life is Good Kids Foundation is working with Haitian childcare providers to make sure that nothing destroys the joy, playfulness and optimism of the children,” says head playmaker and chief executive officer Steven Gross. “Sadly, the children of Haiti will need to overcome many opticals and when you face those opticals with optimism, you’re more likely going to be able to figure out creative solutions.” He also spoke of a group of people called “Guerye Jwa” which is Creole for “Joy Worriers.”

     “The Guerye Jwa are going to tent cities in Port-au-Prince and they are playing with the children in a very intentional way and the children come to life when the Guerye Jwa come to town.” When I asked him how LIGKF is funded, he said, “All of the work in Haiti is funded by the Life is Good Kids Foundation through the sales of a special Haiti T-Shirt with the Haitian flag and Life is Good character holding the flag.” You can help by purchasing a T-Shirt on their website at www.lifeisgood.com.

     Haiti is a country that has been victimized for years, however its people refuse to become victims. Haitians have contributed greatly to America and at one time even provided the U.S. monetary assistance during America’s revolutionary war. The Haitian people that live here in America are mostly hard-working, law abiding people. Most of the men and women work as health care paraprofessionals and professionals as Doctors, Nurses and Nurse’s Aids taking care of America’s elderly population and a plethora work as cab drivers getting the people of America from point A to point B. Now, Haiti and its people need help more than ever before. One way you can help is by joining the Annual Urban Walk for Haiti which happens in late March or early April. I happen to be the Official Poet and Publicity Agent for the walk which was intended to raise monies for PIH, a ubiquitous organization spearheaded by Harvard University Professor Dr. Paul Farmer as mentioned earlier, designed to help third world countries like Haiti meet basic human needs but particularly it helps build schools and hospitals in poverty stricken nations like Lima, Peru and Haiti.

     So help keep the spirit of the Haitian people strong. If you’ve always wanted to make a difference in someone’s else’s life than a way to help Haiti is to participate in the upcoming Urban Walk for Haiti in the Spring of 2011.  The adage “Think globally, act locally” seems fitting in this instance. For more information or to make donations visit www.Partnersinhealth.org  and www.walkforhaiti.org.

 

Jacques Fleury is a Poet, Author and Columnist; his book “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe. Sample or buy the book at: www.lulu.com. 20% of proceeds will go to Haiti charity Partners in Health. For personal appearances or comments contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com.

 

 

    

Hello. I am writing from an Army camp in Kuwait awaiting transportation back to the United States. For me, the New Iraq is now a memory, gladly a happy and positive one.

Local Community to Walk for Haiti

The Haitian Firefly Speaks

  

by Jacques Fleury, The Haitian Fire Fly

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: “Life’s most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?” So let’s take a moment to remember the less fortunate and, instead of accumulating more “stuff” that we don’t really need, work to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti who have been deeply affected by the tragic earthquake on January 12. We should take advantage of opportunities to reach out in solidarity to those suffering in developing countries, such as Haiti. You have the perfect opportunity to do so on Saturday, March 27th through the Seventh Annual Urban Walk for Haiti in Cambridge.

 

The event is co-sponsored by the Urban Walk for Haiti Committee and the Cambridge Mayor’s office to support the Boston-based organization, Partners In Health (PIH), which provides education and health care to the people of Haiti.

 

Aside from the short and scenic three-mile walk, perfect for people of all ages, the event includes a Haitian market place and quality Haitian entertainment; this year we will feature an all-female Haitian music ensemble, ZiliMisik, along with Haitian drumming, a Haitian choir, dance, food, a few speakers and poetry from my book Sparks in the Dark. There will also be a speech by a surprise guest from Partners In Health.

The Walk proceeds will be used to fund the construction and maintenance of schools this year in response to the devastating earthquake on January 12.  In the past, the Walk has supplied medicine, improved water and food programs and helped raise the standard of living. In the past six years, the Walk has raised nearly $250,000 dollars.

The Rise and Fall of Haiti

The Rise and Fall of Haiti

By Jacques Fleury: The Haitian Fire Fly

Jacque Fleury is a Poet, Author and Writer. His book “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe. Sample or buy the book at www.lulu.com .20% of proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Haiti charity Partners In Health. For personal appearances or comments, contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com.

 

     “ ‘History is the memory of states’, wrote Henry Kissinger in his book A World Restored in which he proceeded to tell the history of 19^th century Europe from the point of view of the leaders of Austria and England, ignoring the millions who suffered from those state men’s policies.”

     The aforementioned excerpt is from Howard Zinn’s revolutionary book:  A People’s History of the United States. It depicts U.S. history from the point of view of the common man. His method of operation is in direct correlation to what I’m about to do: tell you Haiti’s history from my point of view. History is not necessarily or essentially “the memory of states” as Kissinger puts it. It is the narrative of the people whose lives were impacted, fragmented or altogether destroyed by intransigent politics and capricious foreign policies of dominant powers.

     First and foremost, I want to outline Haiti’s historical chronology; thus giving you a theoretical basis from which you can begin to undergo a more comprehensive understanding of the country’s history and its present state of political and environmental instability.

     In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on the island and named it Hispaniola. Taino-Arawak Indians, who referred to their homeland as “Hayti” or “Mountainous Land”, originally inhabited the island.  In 1697 slaves were sent to Haiti. The island was cherished by European powers for its natural resources, including cocoa, cotton and sugar cane. And so the French shipped in thousands of slaves mainly from West Africa to harvest the crops. In 1804 after a slave rebellion led by a man named Boukman in 1791, Haiti became the first black independent state under General Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who declared himself Emperor.  America feared that the slave rebellion in Haiti would ignite anti-slavery insurgents in the southern U.S. states. Perhaps this is one of the reasons America’s relationship with Haiti is strained to this day.  In 1844, after decades of strife and multiple rulers, the island was split into two nations: Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

     In 1915, U.S. marines occupied Haiti to [supposedly] calm a state of anarchy.  The Americans improved the infrastructure while helping to create the Haitian armed forces. In 1957 a reign of terror began when Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier seizes power. His son, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier then just 18 years old, took over in 1971, continuing his father’s legacy of tyranny. In 1986, a rebellion ignited. As protests gathered steam, the U.S. arranged exile in France for Baby Doc and his family. In 1990, after decades of dictatorship, former Roman Catholic Priest Jean-Bernard Aristide, becomes Haiti’s first freely elected leader. In 1991, after a military incursion, Aristide is ousted and is forced to seek exile in the U.S. The coup ignited a mass exodus with more than 40, 000 Haitians rescued by the U.S. coast guard during a twelve-month period. In 1996 Rene Preval becomes president.

     In 2000 Aristide is elected once again. In 2004 political violence plagues the Haitian capital, with accusations of a fraudulent election looming, a few weeks after Haiti celebrates in 200^th anniversary, a rebel movement usurps control and Aristide is forced into exile again. Deadly floods leave 2,000 dead and causing deforestation. In 2006 Preval is elected in the first election since Aristide was overthrown in 2004. In 2008 food prices in Haiti aggrandized as they have elsewhere in the world but the situation on the island was exacerbated since most Haitians only live on $2.00 dollars per day. Also deadly hurricanes left 23, 000 homes destroyed, many dead and 70 percent of the nation’s crops wiped out.  In 2010, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 ambushed Port-au-Prince, collapsing buildings with 100,000 thousand estimated dead. World Vision—an organization that has worked in Haiti for thirty years—makes an expedited trip to the island rushing emergency supplies to the survivors.

     A great man once said, “Life’s most important question is: What are you doing for somebody else?” Dr. Paul Farmer, a Harvard Professor and anthropologist, is an avid supporter of Haiti. He became involved with the country when he went on a school trip as an undergraduate student at Duke. Today, he spearheads the now ubiquitous Boston-based organization Partners In Health (P.I.H), devoted to aiding third world countries like Haiti. Farmer is known for his support of a Preferential Option for the Poor, a central precept of Liberation Theology. His approach to practice in Haiti, Peru and Russia has its basis in ethnographic analysis—the science that studies and compares human cultures—and real world practicality. Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Could Cure the World by Tracy Kidder details Farmer’s work in Haiti and abroad. I have been a part of P.I.H. since I was bestowed with the honor of being the Official Poet and Publicity Coordinator for the Annual Urban Walk for Haiti, which raises monies for P.I.H.

      In Haiti, it was common knowledge that one’s own friends could be bribed as spies and government informants. Their jobs were to safeguard the brutal reigning regime by turning in anyone whom they considered subversive. Under the Haitian weather, the wind in the trees often swirled about all the fetid feeling of death and despair. However, contrary to what the American news media has imprinted as fact in the heads of people across the world, Haiti has more dimensions than poor, poorer and poorest.

     There are three classes of people: the bourgeoisie, the middle class and then the poor. I was part of the middle class. Both my parents owned property in Port-au-Prince and my father was a Tailor and mercantile entrepreneur. My mother was a housewife and landlord with a degree in cosmetology and the culinary arts. I attended an exclusive private school near the Haitian palace called Frere Andre (Brother Andre). It was there that I leaned how not to think for myself through blatant memorization of pedantic texts and taking dictations to prepare me for the dictatorship of the ruling class. Today, however, my childhood home is a trumpeting pile of dilapidated earthquake muddy putty. My families are all alive but some are displaced and expectedly traumatized, as am I. But Haiti is more than just doom and gloom.

     I remember staring in stupor the dance of the Caribbean wind over the azure sea, the deep green elegance of the palms, picnic by moonlight and sweet memories of mangoes. Purple butterflies, a visual feast of dancing loveliness, under the flowery spring sun. The joyous sounds of laughter resounding from the young as they run about playing hide and seek during blackouts.  But unfortunately, there also lied in the sea a maelstrom of fear, violence, misery and poverty, which most can barely swim out of, while the orchestrating powers that ensnare them stand by cross armed and snarling. But one day, it is my fervent hope that Haitian children will wake up to shiny silver mornings and hummingbirds singing, promising freedom, serenity and prosperity.

     We lived in a world dominated by the hetero sexist macho male culture. However my mother Marie-Evelyne Toussaint, who bears the same name as Haitian rebel fighter Toussaint L’ouverture, was and still is iconoclastic in that she dared to be a leader for her family when most women were subjected to being simply subservient to the men. Since we were considered middle class, she became caught up in the gaudy accoutrements of upward mobility, so when the Haitian economy began to plunge, threatening our lifestyle, we all came to America.  She related to me that under the Duvalier dictatorship, tourism in Haiti flourished from the 1950’s all the way up to 1986, practically ending with the Baby Doc mutiny. Foreign groups like Arabs, Lebanese, and even Chinese exiled from their respective countries lived and built businesses in Haiti. Also Haiti’s number one tourist attraction, La Citadelle Laferriere, built on mountains overlooking Port-au-Prince 17 miles south of the city of Cap Haitien by Henry Christopher—a general in the Haitian army—has walls 130 feet high is the largest fortress in the Americas and was designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a world history site in 1982. It was built to keep the newly independent nation from French incursions, which never materialized.

     Haitians in American are for the most part hard working honest and joyous intelligent people. Most of the women work as Certified Nursing Assistants in Nursing Home facilities, caring for America’s elderly population and a plethora of men work as cab drivers. Large majorities also attend college to become doctors, lawyers, engineers and nurses. Both the men and women pursue the American Dream by buying cars and houses, sometimes working two to three jobs. I too am living my version of the American dream by graduating from college with honors (Phi Beta Kappa) and publishing my first autobiography of prose and poetry aptly titled Sparks in the Dark, which was featured in the Boston Globe. Yet still, there seems to be an undercurrent of fear and hatred towards the Haitian population here in the States. Maybe its because the conscientious and resultant collaboration of the “Have Nots” that often instigate the principal fears and resistance of the “Haves”, since the rich want to remain rich and in control. Robert Lawless, quoted in Farmer’s book The Uses of Haiti, asserts “Haitians are the immigrants Americans love to fear and hate.” But why, I ask of you?  Which leads me to ponder, is hate and prejudice ever truly justified?

     “Why should we care about Haiti?” writes politico and M.I.T professor Noam Chomsky in the introduction to Farmer’s book The Uses of Haiti. “…we are the richest and most powerful country in the world, while Haiti is at the opposite extreme of human existence: miserable, horrifying, black, ugly. We may pity Haitians and other backwards people who have, unaccountably, failed to achieve our nobility and wealth, and we may even try to lend a hand, out of humanitarian impulse. But responsibility stops there.” I once heard the adage “If your neighbors bed is on fire, wet yours.” As we know tragedy affects all of us, having experienced hurricane Katrina, and 9/11. In relation to American occupation of Haiti, Chomsky goes on to say,  “In a situation of domination and occupation, the occupier… has to justify what it’s doing. There is only once way to do it—become a racist. You have to blame the victim. Once you’ve become a raving racist in self defense, you’ve lost your capacity to understand what’s [really] happening.” In other words, it’s like putting someone’s eyes out and then accusing them of being blind. America’s exploitation of Haiti, it’s support of the Duvaliers and the military for the repression of the Haitian people and expedient U.S. foreign policies and an ongoing debate about Haitian asylum seekers, are all impediments to the progression of the Haitian nation. It seems like light skinned immigrants like Cubans and Mexicans get asylum, why not Haitians?

     Like Martin Luther King Jr., I too have a dream that one day Haiti will rise again and re-claim its former beauty, it’s glory days of rampant tourism and finally stand on sturdy economic and political grounds. I urge you to make this dream of a better Haiti a reality by contacting your local red cross, Partners In Health or visit the website: www.walkforhaiti.org .

Jacque Fleury is a Poet, Author and Writer. His book “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe. Sample or buy the book at www.lulu.com .20% of proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Haiti charity Partners In Health. For personal appearances or comments, contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com.

 

 

Been There by Neil W. McCabe

So long for now

I entered this Web site cum blog routine in 2004 through the good offices of a great journalist Nick Pinto, who was a contributing editor for me at The Somerville News. The question was how to post articles from the paper without getting caught in the weeds of a Web site. I was overwhelmed. He was not.

Nick figured it out and patiently explained to me the little tricks, such as changing the size of the pictures and changing the date and time an article could be posted. This way a number of stories could be loaded up in advance and launched at different times.

When the newspaper "The Alewife" began in 2005, there was no question it would have a companion Weblog to post the articles and hundreds of notices and other stories.

Since Nick, I have found my own tricks and stolen others along the way. I was never a programmer, but there were times, frankly, I was very pleased with the content programmed here.

I can share with you now that part of the grab of doing something like this is watching the traffic come in from search engines. There were stories I picked up on, not from a tip, but from people using the same keywords reaching the site accidentally because of a previous posting that was somehow close enough. By following up on what they were searching for and not finding, I could find the story myself. Insiders looking to see if a story broke, ended up breaking the story themselves through their search words.

Hmmm. Maybe this is only interesting to me. Sorry, I tend to digress.

As I have checked out other blogs, I have recognized that most reach some kind of terminus and the creator has to make his final entry. This is that entry for me.

Since 2003, I have been a regular contributor to The Pilot, the newspaper of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Over time that committment has expanded to becoming a photographer for Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley's own blog and then last year joining the staff as the full-time reporter.

For the last year, I have tried to keep the Web site fairly current with items and news, but looking back it was not really done so good. My only defense is that I have been pulled away in other directions. In the last year those directions included research on a book about Charles W. Whittlesey, and six weeks of active-duty training with the Army.

Now, I being pulled away from everything.

Since 2000, I have been a member of the Army Reserve, where I am a photojournalist with a combat historian designator.

In March, my unit the 311th Military History Detachment deploys to Iraq. We will collect first-person accounts, other primary sources and artifacts for future military historians researching our victory there. It is a mission I have been preparing for since June when I was put on stand-by as the alternative for the 54th MHD.

The editors of The Pilot have asked me to send them back "Soldier's Diary" pieces, which I will do from time-to-time, but given the operational tempo I expect, there is no way I can even pretend to maintain this site. It is better to finish it off here, and look at it again when I get back.

I thought this would be difficult, but the other day it just seemed obvious.

Good bye.

My chat with the Tylenol Man

Alewife Photo by Neil W. McCabe

[Send media inquires to: thealewife@yahoo.com]

Wednesday's police raid on the 170 Gore St. Cambridge apartment of James W. Lewis has sparked interest in my October 2007 interview with him.  Roger Nicholson, who was a columnist for the paper, arranged the interview and he has been all over the media talking his association with Lewis and his having Lewis on his Cambridge Community Television show "The Cambridge Rag." Moments ago, in fact, I just gave his cell number to "Inside Edition." Go figure.

Elements of Good Fiction: "Their Eyes Were Watching God"

The Spiritual Life:

A Column by Jacques Fleury:

The Haitian Firefly

Elements of Good Fiction: “Their Eyes Were Watching God”

“Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they

come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all the things they don’t want to remember and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.”

So begins Zora Neal Hurston’s epic story about an emotional and spiritual journey of self-discovery. Through my incessant study of literature and the craft of writing, I have learned that what grabs a reader right from the onset of a story is by having a fully formed voice and vision that prepares us to go along for the ride; that we will be transported elsewhere to another reality.

In honor of Black History Month, the historical inauguration of America’s first Black President and Valentine’s Day, I’ve decided to offer a dichotomous exploration of variant thematic ideologies of love and Black literary contributions to American culture and “Their Eyes Were Watching God” allows me to do just that.

“A graduate of Barnard…, Zora Neal Hurston published seven books—four novels, two books of folklore, and an autobiography—more than fifty shorter works between the middle of the Harlem Renaissance and the end of the Korean War, when she was the dominant Black woman writer in the United States. The dark obscurity in which her career than lapsed reflects her staunchly independent political stances rather than any deficiency of craft and vision,” writes Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in the afterward to Their Eyes.

Hurston, whose life spanned between the year 1891 and 1960, was a novelist, folklorist and anthropologist. Her fictional and factual writings of Black Heritage remain second to none. “Their Eyes Were Watching God” is Hurston’s most highly praised novel and is considered a classic among the best of Black literature.

City police: Beware of neighborhood purse snatchers

This police alert was brought to our attention by City Councillor Craig A. Kelley:

Folks:

I just got this from CPD.  It's not exactly a crime wave, though I'm sure it
was to the people who were victimized, but I thought you might like to know
all the same.

If you'd like to get these email alerts directly from CPD, go to
http://www.citizenobserver.com/cov6/app/userReg.html?_flowExecutionKey=_c6B1
73718-8FD3-3AD8-FA20-A030E0BA7438_kDE2BE5D6-CA2A-6650-8D27-93C58D2B92E9 and
sign in. 

Take care.

Craig
________________________________

From: CitizenObserver [mailto:alerts@citizenobserver.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 11:38 AM
To: craig@craigkelley.org
Subject: New Citizen Alert

Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 11 - North Cambridgespacer
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Citizen Alert

North Cambridge Community Alert

Since January 7, 2009 there have been three handbag snatches in the area of
North Cambridge. These incidents occurred at the following locations:

.        January 7, 2009 Cedar Street and Dudley Street

.        January 10, 2009 Raymond Street and Upland Road

.        January 11, 2009 Walden Street and Wood Street

In each of these robberies the suspects were unarmed and were described as
being 3 black males approximately 14-18 years old who approached the victims
and demanded their property. All these incidents took place between 9:00 PM
and 12:30 AM.

Anyone with information concerning these incidents are requested to contact
the Cambridge Police Department at (617)349-3370  (detectives) or
(617)349-3301 (operations 24 hours).

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Please do not reply to this email. Direct any questions or feedback to the
contact at your local law enforcement agency.

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Rice to enter Baseball HOF

From the Red Sox Web site:

BOSTON -- For Jim Rice, the sting from 14 years of rejection suddenly became as far gone as many of the 382 home runs he belted during his career with the Boston Red Sox. Down to his 15th and final at-bat on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot, Rice received the enormous honor of being elected into the Hall of Fame on Monday.
He joined Rickey Henderson, baseball's all-time stolen base king, as the two members of   the 2009 Hall of Fame class.

Befitting the struggle it was for Rice to gain entry into Cooperstown, he didn't make it by much. Rice was named on 76.4 percent of the ballots. Seventy-five percent is the required amount to become a Hall of Famer. Rice received 412 votes, just seven more than the minimum amount he needed.

It was a sweet triumph for the 54-year-old Rice, who fell just 16 votes short on the 2008 ballot.

Former Marino's building may become African food restaurant

Developing...

City council debates jobs program

Our great friend City Councillor Craig A. Kelley sent over this heads-up:

Folks:

Many of you followed the Neighborhood Safety Task Force's work of a few summers ago and may remember that one theme (in addition to building neighborhood solidarity) we focused on was the need to give people assistance in finding and keeping a job.  Councilor Reeves has been very energetic on this issue, and the report, below, will give you a pretty good update on what we're doing in this regard. It's not clear to me how future financial constraints might impact this new program.
 
If you would like to speak on this issue, or a sufficiently related one, at City Council, you may call 617-349-4280 on Monday between 9 and 3 to sign up, or you may show up at Council chambers between 5:30 and 6 PM.  Council public comment usually starts a little after 5:30 PM and lasts until everyone who wishes has spoken.  You have three minutes to speak and have to speak on some Council Order, Committee Report, Resolution or Manager's Agenda item.
 
You may email the entire Council on any item by using Council@Cambridgema.gov and the City Manager at Rhealy@Cambridgema.gov.  To get something in the Council's packet, it needs to be at the Clerk's office by 5 PM the Thursday before a meeting:  email MDrury@cambridgema.gov to get something in the packet.
 
You may also see archived and ongoing Council meetings over the internet by visiting http://www.cambridgema.gov/webcast-splash.cfm.
 
Have a great 2009!

Craig

Happy New Year!

Gordon College professor paints Marion tryptychs

[This article was originally published Nov. 21 in The Pilot.]

by Neil W. McCabe

On the campus of Wenham’s Gordon College Dec. 4, a faculty member will unveil two 12-foot wide triptychs of the Virgin Mary he painted that will ultimately hang in an Italian cloister.

But perhaps even more interesting than the journey the paintings will make is the spiritual journey the artist made while painting them.

Because he is not a Catholic, he was not raised to have a relationship with Mary. But, in the process of painting her and thinking about her life, he has developed a rapport with her, said Bruce Herman, an art professor and holder of the Lothlorien Distinguished Chair in Fine Arts at the non-denominational Christian college founded in 1889 to train Protestant missionaries.

The two pieces, “Miriam, Virgin Mother: ‘Via Activa,’” and “The Second Adam: ‘Via Comtemplatica,” depict Mary at two critical moments in her life, and thus in human history, Herman.

Mary’s effect on him is similar to the way his wife of 36 years changed him, he said. “She is the mother who confronts us with honesty, not too strong, not too weak.”

In May, the triptychs will travel to their final destination, the chapel of the San Paolo Monastery in Orvieto, Italy, near Assisi. The monastery is home to the sisters of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, who have partnered with Gordon’s art department to create classroom and dormitories facilities on their compound for an ongoing year-long program for art majors in their junior year to study traditional art, including Catholic art traditions.

The first triptych “Via Activa,” or “The Path of Action and Obedience,” Herman said he depicts on the right panel, Mary at the Annunciation, confronted by the archangel Gabriel with the news that she is to carry the Christ-child.

“In all other instances in the Bible, when people are confronted by an archangel they fall prostrate and are terrified. They fall unconscious sometimes, they are so terrified, but she remains calm, but troubled,” he said.

For Gabriel to address her with: “Hail, Highly Favored One,” is astonishing, considering that she is a simple 14 or 15-year-old girl, he said. “But, her response is even more astonishing, because she says, ‘Yes, let it be done unto me. Behold the handmaiden of the Lord,’ she immediately agrees to embrace this role in cosmic history--let alone human history.”

In this way, Mary is really the world’s biggest risk-taker, he said. “She is never portrayed this way, but I see her as the ultimate artist. As artists, we blunder into things we hardly know. In the worst case scenarios: we jump off cliffs; we try what we are not supposed to try; we ask questions we are not supposed to ask. But she is obedient.”

What makes Mary different is her obedience, he said. Mary is a bold woman willing to take an enormous chance, which at the same time puts her in perfect synch with God’s will.

“I have always seen Mary as the exemplar, the model, of both action and contemplative prayer,” he said. “We are told that she ponders all of these things and treasured them in her heart. She thinks about things. She weighs things so, already at 14 or 15, she is exemplifying this amazing capacity for contemplation.”

The center panel, “The Overshadowing,” is the artist’s attempt to portray the moment Gabriel explained to Mary what will happen to her, after she asked how her pregnancy would come about since she did not know man, he said. The scene is bathed in 23k gold to represent the Holy Spirit.

Herman said from his research that he is sure that moment has not been depicted before, so he had no guides or models to follow, although afterwards he consulted other artists and a theologian, who agreed with his approach.

For the second triptych, Herman painted the wedding at Cana on the left panel, where he said Mary inaugurated her son’s ministry, even though it had been prophesized to her by Simeon that this road would end in his suffering and that the sword would piece her own heart

Originally, Herman created a scene where Mary was with Jesus and the steward who was distraught that there was no more wine, he said. In the background, there were hundreds of guests for a party that would last for days.

Merry Christmas from The Alewife!

Snow comes to the neighborhood

Navy son of city man battles Gulf of Aden pirates

[FHTNC Dec. 10]--Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Pierre D. Ericsson, son of Trina N. Ericsson-Brown of Upper Marlboro, Md. and David Graham of Cambridge, Mass., along with fellow sailors and Marines aboard USS Cape St. George (CG 71), Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group (PELSEG), homeported in San Diego, Calif., recently returned from a six-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operation.

During the deployment, the PELSEG conducted maritime security operations (MSO), theater security cooperation, community relations projects, and participated with coalition nations in training exercises. The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit participated in training exercises Eager Mace and Infinite Moonlight.

Additionally, the PELSEG rescued six mariners from a sinking vessel in the Strait of Balabac and thwarted a pirate attack on a civilian merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden.

Cape St. George made port visits to Penang, Malaysia; Manama, Bahrain; and Brisbane, Australia.

MSO help develop security in the maritime environment, which promotes stability and global prosperity. These operations complement the counterterrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt violent extremists' use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.

The PELESG is led by Amphibious Squadron (COMPHIBRON) 3 and includes the flag ship, USS Peleliu; amphibious ships USS Dubuque (LPD 8) and USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52); the guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71); and the guided-missile destroyers USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Benfold (DDG 65) and embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Ericsson is a 2001 graduate of Northbrook Senior High School of Houston, Texas and joined the Navy in September 2002.

For more information on USS Cape St. George, go to http://www.cape-st-george.navy.mil/default.aspx and the PELSEG, go to http://www.navy.mil/local/lha5/.

DPW: Walden Street Bridge to open Friday

By Anastasia Pasecinic

The city's DPW told The Alewife the Walden Street Bridge will temporarily re-open for traffic Friday after more than two years of construction work that severed one of the city's major through streets.

During the project's construction residents and commuters have endured an irksome detour scheme compounded by the neighborhood's one way streets, in addition at least three businesses along Walden Street have closed or changed hands.

“We intend to open the bridge on Friday December 19th. The west sidewalk and roadway will be opened on that day,” said Adam Hurtubise, a spokesman for the state's highway department, the lead agency supervising the Walden Street bridge construction project.

The bridge will have to be closed again for NSTAR electric to relocate electric lines from the old bridge, said Owen O’Riordan, the city engineer at public works.

O’Riordan said he expects NSTAR to complete the electrical work by the end of January when the old bridge will be removed.

The sidewalks on southeastern side of the bridge will be completed by spring while the bridge stays open for traffic, he said. “We are still waiting for NSTAR electric to relocate the lines from the old bridge, which is maybe a few weeks away.”

Rebecca Fuentes, the community relations manager at public works, said the Walden Street bridge construction project was budgeted for two years. There was hope that the project would be completed by spring 2008. However, the structural elements of the bridge were completed in the fall, within the two-year limit that was budgeted.

Hurtubise said the bridge was closed for $5 million of construction work in October 2006. The paving of the bridge is now complete, but minor work on the East sidewalk will be finished in the spring. “We anticipate the east sidewalk and ornamental bridge fence will be finished in the spring, completing this project.” In the meantime, a temporary pedestrian bridge will remain open."

The project extends from the Richdale Avenue intersection to approximately 15 feet beyond the King Street intersection. The work includes rehabilitation of the historic brick arch cattle path, he said.

Support those supporting the homeles at Johnny D's Dec. 18; Livington Taylor headlines packed bill at Davis Square landmark club

Our very good friend, and a DINFOS grad, Mark Alston-Follansbee at the Somerville Coalition for the Homeless sent over this notice:

 

Marine CR&L grad Patrick completes Iraq tour

[FHTNC Dec. 10]--Marine Corps Master Sgt. Chris M. Patrick, a
1984 graduate of Cambridge Ridge And Latin High School, Cambridge, Mass.,
and fellow Marines and sailors of Marine Wing Support Squadron 172
(MWSS-172), Marine Wing Support Group 17 (MWSG-17), 1st Marine Aircraft
Wing (1st MAW), Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan, recently
returned from a seven-month deployment to Iraq in support of Operation
Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.

MWSS-172 supplied support to the forward element of Marine Aircraft Group
16, 3rd MAW (Forward), to include tenant and visiting squadrons at Al Asad
Air Base, Anbar province, Iraq, as well as provided combat service support
throughout the province.

MWSS-172 constructed more than 25 helicopter landing zones throughout
Anbar province and built a refuel and replenishment point about 100 miles
north of the Euphrates River, increasing the operation area of the 3rd
MAW. Additionally, the squadron's motor transportation company carried
103, 062 tons of cargo more than 429, 733 miles between March 25 and Oct.
15, and the squadron's explosive ordnance disposal unit aided the
newly-trained Iraqi EOD soldiers with controlled detonations as well as
responded to local area requests for EOD support.

The sailors of MWSS-172 are primarily corpsmen, including augments from
Marine Aircraft Group 36, MWSG-17, Naval Hospital San Diego and Naval
Hospital Twentynine Palms, Calif. They maintained the squadron's medical
readiness and secured supplies for two cooperative medical engagements
with the Iraqi medical system as well as provided medical treatment to
Iraqi civilians in remote villages.

MWSS-172 was the first Marine wing support squadron from the III Marine
Expeditionary Force to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and
the first deployment of the squadron in support of the Global War on
Terrorism.

For more information on MWSS-172, go to http://www.mnfwest.usmc.mil,
http://www.1maw.usmc.mil or http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil

Starlings sighted at Alewife Reservation

From the Web site Brewsters Linnet:

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

A homily by Father Bonaventure of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Marian Friary Our Lady of Guadalupe:

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Pro-Life Movement. Our culture of death, as Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have referred to it, is far worse than the Aztec Indian culture which sacrificed living human beings to their serpent God to appease him. Today we are sacrificing our unborn children to the serpent on the altar of pleasure. Our Lady of Guadalupe…Pray for us and our poor nation!
Ave Maria!

+++

Couple say rosary, prayers helped them survive ordeal at Mumbai hotel

By Neil W. McCabe
Catholic News Service

BOSTON (CNS) -- The prayers of family and friends and the rosary helped a Brockton couple endure a 15-hour ordeal waiting to be rescued from their room in the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, India, which came under siege from terrorists Nov. 26.

William and Geraldine Stadelmann were on the last day of a three-week tour of India, which included a visit to the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle in the city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras. The following day, the couple was to depart with a smaller tour going to Nepal to see Mount Everest.

The India leg of the trip concluded with an afternoon reception on the hotel's ground floor for the tourists, many of whom William Stadelmann said stayed downstairs for dinner, while he and his wife returned to their room to pack for their 4 a.m. departure for the airport.

"At the party we were all saying how safe we felt in India," he said in a Dec. 2 interview with The Pilot, Boston archdiocesan newspaper.

At or around 10 p.m. there was a loud explosion.

"I thought it was fireworks," he said.

Next, he said, came a call from the hotel security, who told him there were gunmen in the hotel and he should turn off the lights, lock the door and open it for no one. For the next 15 hours, the couple stayed under their bed.

From under the bed, the couple could hear terrorists move down the hallway, pound on each door and use an explosive that sounded like a grenade. "They would blow the door open and start shooting everyone inside," Stadelmann said.

There was at least one gunman perched high over the atrium firing into the rooms and down upon the people running across the bottom of the atrium to escape the hotel.

With the sniper outside, he said his wife did not want to risk getting up and going to the bag with her rosary beads, so she used her knuckles to keep track, he said. "Of the 15 hours, my wife was saying the rosary for, I'd say, 14 and a half hours."

Meanwhile, Stadelmann said he used his laptop equipped with an international wireless Internet card to maintain contact with his family back home.

Beyond the explosions and the gunmen going door-to-door, the greatest danger to the couple was the fire, he said. "There were 1,000 rooms in the hotel, so I figured our chances were pretty good. But, the fire was really something. A fire will find you."

A column by Charlie Lieu

Reign of Terror

Scores were killed today in Mumbai/ Bombay (see CNN headline)... I haven't heard from Chaavi, and it's worrying me. At the end of the mass of chaos, nearly 200 dead... it is senseless. The officials say the style is unlike any other terrorist attack before, but India is no stranger to violence of this magnitude.

Terrorism, it seems, has infiltrated our consciousness. Has it always been there? Have we just been blind to it until it reached our soil? And more importantly, how do you change the world to end it?

I hear (wo)men of peace speak of compassion and altruism being the hallmark of humanity... that each of us is ultimately good at the core. When I dared to open my heart, I see it... I believe goodness to be the truth... but I often question if this truth is a manifestation of reality in a society sheltered by civility. Would we all degrade to the lowest common denominator of hatred and fear if the world is to run amuck? I want to believe there is not only light in the world, but that it triumphs over darkness... in the face of terrorism, I feel naive to even entertain that belief. I know there is good in the world... but sometimes... sometimes it's just so hard to hold on to hope when people commit such senseless violence.

How do you fight terrorism? With education? With patience and compassion? At what point do you give up on love and peace to bear arms? And yet, the more I look at our common history, the more it seems war merely begets more war... more violence. How do we forget, forgive, find answers... how do we learn from ourselves, our past and end the reign of extremism?

In a recent address in Boston, Noam Chomsky noted that "changes and progress very rarely are gifts from above. They come out of struggles from below. And the answer to what’s next depends on people like you." Although Chomsky was speaking in context of people hinging their hopes on Obama bringing change (and Obama's cabinet members being the furthest thing from change), the central thesis is applicable to our society as a whole... back to the idea that each of us must be the change we wish to see in the world.

p.s. for those of you trying to understand (as I do) why terrorists targets Mumbai, this poetically written article in the New York Times titled, What They Hate About Mumbai, attempts to summarize and suggests how we might help.

The Abyss: A Garden of Eden in Cambridge

The Spiritual Life: A Column By Jacques Fleury: The Haitian Firefly

Once upon a sunny day, I was strolling along my merry way… With autumn colors lighting up my path, the gentle breeze breathing kisses into my ears as I strolled along smiling through my fears. And then I came upon this gate, adorned with words encouraging me to accept my fate, giving me something to celebrate. It said “Your secret is that this powerless overwhelmed feeling is just a dream…Today is the day you awake… When you cross into the Abyss, with no path in sight, fearing one small change in your life may exhaust you entirely. When you believe and dare to proceed, your feet will find ground, new strength, more change and calm shores on the other side.” And so I entered and then my journey began.

The following interview is with Johnny Monsarraton, the creator and founder of this awesome place he refers to as “a little shrine that’s looks a little like a Tibetan prayer wheel. It’s all at 123 Elm Street, Somerville MA, near the Porter Square subway stop.”

The Alewife: Tell me a bit more about who you are and what you do and how you do it. Elaborate on your life journey of self-discovery.

Johnny: I grew up in Massachusetts and was raised to believe in Big Projects. So in school I was always running student clubs – even playing the college mascot, the MIT Beaver -- and followed that up by starting a videogames company, Turbine, that’s now the largest in New England. Along the way I learned a lot about life through my own problems. Most people follow their heart in love and their gut instinct for everything else. But I know my heart has led me astray and the head is much better at complex problems. So I recommend using your head, make a list, make a plan, work it out and don’t give in to wishful thinking like “Maybe if I do nothing, it will get better”.

TA: Why, when and how did you create and construct the concept for The Abyss? And where did you get the quote by the entrance?

Johnny: When I decided to turn my garden into a Big Project, I thought why not make it interactive? Why not include some of my life philosophy? I wrote the opening quote to inspire people to take action. The biggest obstacle to happiness is our fear of the future and this causes us to procrastinate on making the changes in our life we so desperately want. Basically, it’s a garden. People enter and leave a card with a question in a submission box. I write an answer on the back of the card, and all the cards get posted in the garden in a little shrine that’s looks a little like a Tibetan prayer wheel. It’s all at 123 Elm Street, Somerville MA, near the Porter Square subway stop.

Walsh unveils "Goody" project in North End; Artist reception Nov. 25

Our good friend John Walsh will exhibit his artwork from his graphic "Goody's Lament," at the North End's Goody's Glover's restaurant Nov. 15 through Dec.1. Walsh was the genius behind the "Somerville Stories: Amazing Tales of a City on the Edge." He is also researching the Irish Potato Famine.

Here is an excerpt about his "Goody" project from his blog :

In the 1680's, during an era of anti-witch hysteria, the Puritans of Boston condemned an innocent woman to hang on the Commons for practicing witchcraft. Unfairly accused and sentenced, Goody Glover's plight was not helped by the fact that she was a proud Irish Catholic — a small group that was hated and despised in Boston at the time.

A poor women ripped from her home in Ireland, sold into slavery and eventually settled as a servant in the New World, Goody Glover would find that the old miseries of hatred and intolerance had followed her across the Atlantic.

I hope as many people as possible can make it out to Goody Glovers in the North End and see the show on the second floor. The show just went up, and is hanging until the end of November. Also, there will be a reception on Nov. 25th from 7-9 PM. Stop by and buy a pint (or two)!

When Glovebox and I decided to do this show, I tried to find out as much info about Goody Glover that I could and found that there isn't much out there. In fact, her first name might be Mary or Ann as there is no clear answer.

Here is some of Walsh's description of the creative process:

EMT's struggle to save driver

At or around 8:40 a.m., city police and EMT's arrived to the aid of a middle-aged white man whose pickup truck crashed over a fire hydrant and stopped just short of the pane glass windows of the Rockler Woodworking and Hardware store at the intersection of Massachusetts and Rindge avenues. Developing...

Two Tingle shows coming to Arlington

Our great friend Jimmy Tingle checked in with us:

Hello Happy Americans in this post election season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a Great Time for our nation and the sense of gratitude and possibility for a better future is everywhere in the air. I want you to know that even though I was not elected nor did I receive any votes in my quest for the White House, I will continue to do my part with "Humor for Humanity".

Check out this blog and upcoming fundraisers for extremely worthy causes this upcoming Thanksgiving Day weekend.

Friday, November 28th at the Regent Theatre will be a fundraiser for my friend and comedic colleague Jennifer Trainor who was stricken with Pancreatic cancer. The event itself will no doubt help lift her spirits and the proceeds will help offset the medical costs of her very serious illness.

Sunday, November 30th will be a fundraiser for the GREAT REGENT THEATRE itself. They are a remarkable and generous group who have helped myself and many, many performers and audiences alike. In the spirit of THANKSGIVING we want to say THANK YOU to them and help them STAY OPEN and pay their heating bills this winter.

They donated the space for the Ding Ho reunion last May to benefit comedian Bob Lazarus and they are again donating the space on Nov. 28th to help comedian and jazz singer Jennifer Trainor. Please spread the word about these shows and help them to continue to help others.
 
Thank you all you are THE BEST!!!!!!!!!
JT

A Tribute to Jennifer Trainor
Hosted by Comedian/Social Commentator Jimmy Tingle!
Friday, November 28 at 7:00 PM

Playing at The Regent Theatre
7 Medford Street
Arlington, MA 02474

Tickets are $25 for general admission. For tickets and info, call 781-646-4849 or visit www.regenttheatre.com.

Keeping The Heat On!
Hosted by Comedian/Social Commentator Jimmy Tingle!
Sunday, November 30 at 7:00 PM

Playing at The Regent Theatre
7 Medford Street
Arlington, MA 02474

Tickets are $35 for Preferred Seating and $25 for Reserved Seating. For tickets and info, call 781-646-4849 or visit www.regenttheatre.com.

Silver Maple Forest advocates press on despite Freed's ruling

The Coalition to Save the Silver Maple Forest filed a

Wednesday to inform the court that they have hired a hydrologist, Bruce L. Jacobs, PhD, to review the DEP's Oct. 31 finding and that they are ready to process with their lawsuit at trial, having failed to reach an agreement with the developer.

Download 2008-11-courtroom-status-report-1781325_3.doc

The state's Department of Environmental Protection ruled Oct. 31 against the Belmont Conservation Commission's rejection of plans to develop the 15 acres of the Silver Maple Forest bordering the Alewife Reservation, some of which is inside Cambridge.

In her ruling, formally called a Superseding Order of Conditions, Rachel Freed, the wetland section chief for the department, wrote that BCC concerns with the environmental impact did not prove that the developer, AP Cambridge Partners LLC, based in King of Prussia, Pa., violated the laws and regulations for such projects in its plans for the project to be known as "Residences at Acorn Park."

This is a PDF of the ruling.

Veterans Day: Military chaplains reflect

[This article was written for The Pilot and appears in the Nov. 7 edition of that paper--ed.]

by Neil W. McCabe

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, many priests in and from the archdiocese can look back on their tours of duty in the military chaplain corps, a unique ministry serving those who serve in uniform.

“The major bond between the men and women serving in uniform is their Church or synagogue, and the military chaplain must be the strength of that bond,” said Msgr. John P. McDonough, the interim Secretary for Faith Formation and Evangelization. Msgr. McDonough served as an Air Force chaplain from 1963-1991, and retired a major general and the chief of that service’s chaplain corps.

“Being a military chaplain is different because he is part of the military, he wears a uniform and he has a rank, which gives him a place in the structure,” he said. “But, the source and strength of that place is the word ‘chaplain.’”

The Monsignor said Boston traditionally sent more priests to the chaplain corps than any other diocese, “In my class, 1952, 13 of us became military chaplains.”

Another example of the Archdiocese of Boston’s prominence in this ministry is that there have been four other priests from the archdiocese who have risen to become the chief chaplains of their service, he said.

The most remarkable time of the Monsignor’s career as chaplain was during the ceremonies for the 40th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, he said. As the Air Force chief of chaplains in Europe, Msgr. McDonough said he traveled with the military’s senior leaders to offer prayers during the programs.

“In each village, the children were all dressed up and carried an American flag and a flower,” he said. The children would place a flower at the monument in the center of the village and then place flags at the American cemetery.

Msgr. McDonough explained that a military chaplain may be called on to celebrate holy days from other religions and minister to people of other faiths.

“It is a responsibility which you accepted most graciously and which you proudly provided. You are a priest to your community, but a chaplain to everybody,” he said.

It is a life that one has to be called to, he said. A priest cannot apply to join the chaplaincy until three years after his ordination.

Some priests find it to be a difficult life because of the unpredictable nature of events and the isolation from mainstream society, he said.

Being a military chaplain is a different kind of ministry, said Father Richard M. Erikson, the vicar general of the archdiocese, who served as an Air Force chaplain in Iraq, because, like other military personnel, the chaplain is willing to lay down his life in his ministry.

Father Erikson said when he deployed to Balad air base in the summer of 2004, the situation was dangerous, given the daily mortar and rocket attacks, but he simply accepted it. “The soldier or airman can never let his guard down but, at the same time, he still has to do his job.”

The vicar general’s own work schedule was the 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. shift, he said. “But most days I worked until one or two o’clock in the morning.”

Despite the danger and the hectic operational tempo, Father Erikson said it was an environment in which his own faith and vocation were renewed, as well as the faith of the military personnel who were his flock.

“When you are in a life and death situation, faith, God and the questions of life are that much more present to you,” he said.

“At that time, 50 percent of the convoys were being hit with either roadside bombs or small arms fire. Hearing confessions from guys about to go out on convoy was very intense, as was anointing the injured sailors, airmen, soldiers and Marines coming off the helicopters,” he said.