****S O J O M A I L****
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spirituality, politics, and culture meet
Brought to you by SojoNet
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Visit: http://www.Sojo.net
++++++++++++++++++++ 13-July-2001 +++++++++++++++++++++
Q u o t e o f t h e W e e k
*John Steinbeck...owning and being owned
H e a r t s & M i n d s
*Could Milosevic trial set precedents for U.S.?
F u n n y B u s i n e s s
*Word play
S o u l W o r k s
*Lord's Prayer for cellular believers
W o r d o n a W i r e
*Who is my enemy?
B y t h e N u m b e r s
*Segregation still touches U.S. minorities where they live
B a t t e r i e s N o t I n c l u d e d
*Why Johnny and Susie hate sports...
C u l t u r e W a t c h
*New film by Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers
B o o m e r a n g
*SojoMail readers hit reply
R e l i g i o n & S o c i e t y
*Vicar in tune with karaoke hymn-singing
B u i l d i n g a M o v e m e n t
*Working Assets to help nonprofits - including Sojourners!
W e b S c e n e
*Energy savers: tips on saving money and energy at home
*Someone actually cares to hear you whine
*Airline tracker
*Real swell: best USA surfing (offline)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Q u o t e o f t h e W e e k
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"If you could separate causes from results, if you
could know that Paine, Marx, Jefferson, Lenin, were
results, not causes, you might survive. But that
you cannot know. For the quality of owning freezes
you forever into 'I,' and cuts you off forever from
the 'we.'"
- John Steinbeck in "The Grapes of Wrath"
---------------------------------------------------------------------
H e a r t s & M i n d s
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Could Milosevic trial set precedents for U.S.?
by Jim Wallis
During the 1999 bombing of Serbia, I wrote in an MSNBC
column that the creation of an international court to
try those accused of ethnic cleansing and war crimes
would be a far more effective way of dealing with those
situations than massive attacks on a country.
In a sudden move two weeks ago, the Serbian government
transferred former president Slobodan Milosevic to The
Hague to stand trial before a U.N. war crimes tribunal.
It is the first time a former head of state will go
before an international court accused of war crimes.
And it is the right thing to do; policy makers,
including heads of state, should be held more
culpable than the ordinary soldiers who are usually
the ones tried.
The transfer of Milosevic did not come without
substantial pressure. The United States had
threatened to boycott an international conference
considering aid to Yugoslavia unless the transfer
occurred. Only two days after his arrival in The
Hague, Western nations pledged $1.28 billion to
help rebuild Yugoslavia. The New York Times quoted
a Belgrade historian who said, "We sold him for
money."
In his first court appearance, Milosevic refused
to respond to the charges against him and the
next hearing is scheduled for August 27. It
will be a trial of great significance for both
Yugoslavia and the world, as any precedents set
could have far-reaching implications.
During the bombing I also wrote that an
international court, if it is truly to be an
instrument of justice, must be able to rule on
U.S. actions that violate international law.
Yet the United States still has not approved
the creation of the International Court of
Justice: U.S. political leaders are not
interested in such a body sitting in judgement
of U.S. behavior.
In his now-famous opening statement to the
Nuremberg Tribunal in 1945, U.S. chief prosecutor
Justice Robert Jackson said: "We must never forget
that the record on which we judge these defendants
today is the record on which history will judge us
tomorrow. ...While this law is first applied against
German aggressors, the law includes, and if it is to
serve a useful purpose it must condemn, aggression
by any other nations, including those which sit
here now in judgment."
Those words are still true today. But no U.S.
official has ever been judged for actions taken
since then. From the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki to Vietnam to Central America and
the war against Serbia, no court has punished the
violations of international law committed by the
United States.
The trial of Slobodan Milosevic could be a new impetus.
*********************************************************************
THERE'S STILL TIME TO REGISTER!
SOJOFEST 2001: A CELEBRATION OF HOPE is now
less than 2 weeks away (July 26-29 in Wheaton!),
and you'll want to be there! Join us for any or all
of the celebration. If you live in the Chicago area
and would like to join us for an evening celebration,
they are open to the public (for a suggested $5
donation). The schedule:
Thursday 7/26 Tony Campolo, with the music of the
DuPage AME Gospel Choir. Followed by a concert by
Over the Rhine.
Friday 7/27 Jim Wallis and the music of Ken Medema.
Saturday 7/28 A panel discussion on Activism Through
the Generations, moderated by Rev. Calvin Morris and
including Vincent Harding, Rocky Kidd, and Jim Wallis.
With the music of Carrie Newcomer, followed by
David Wilcox in concert.
The festival also includes Bible studies (with
Ched Myers, Leah Gaskin Fitchue, Bill Wylie-Kellermann,
and others), workshops, peace camp and child care for
the kids, an outdoor fair, cyber café, coffee house,
Sunday worship led by Rev. Yvonne Delk, and more!
We have a one-day registration option, and group
registration rates for parties of 10 or more. For
more information, call Robin at 1-800-714-7474, or
register online at
http://www.sojo.net/sojofest/index.cfm/action/sojofest_home.html
*********************************************************************
F u n n y B u s i n e s s
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Word play
The Washington Post's Style Invitational asked readers
to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding,
subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new
definition. Here are some recent winners:
Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which
lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit
and the person who doesn't get it.
Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you
are running late.
Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off
all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like,
the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
Glibido: All talk and no action.
Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem
smarter when they come at you rapidly.
****************************************************************************
TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT SOJOMAIL!!!!!
Send them a sample edition along with an introductory
letter...all with no ongoing commitment. Go to:
http://www.sojo.net/sojomail/index.cfm/mode/display/action/send_to_friends.html
****************************************************************************
S o u l W o r k s
++++++++++++++++++++
Lord's Prayer for cellular believers
The Lord's Prayer has been translated into the language
of the text message as part of a new plan to send church
services to worshippers on their mobile phones. "Our Father,
who art in heaven" has become dad@hvn while "forgive us
our trespasses" is rendered as "4give r sins."
Other prayers, readings, and meditations are also to be
translated to give worshippers an entire service in text
message format. The idea is to bring Christianity to a
generation that is "too busy to go to church." The Muslim
community has already seen the benefits of text-messaging
believers with their five daily "calls to prayer."
The mobile phone church services will be launched at the
Greenbelt arts and music festival in Cheltenham, UK,
in August. When their messages arrive, it is hoped the
young people will stop what they are doing and read them
aloud to friends around them, creating a new form of
simultaneous virtual worship.
The idea came from a religious service conducted by text
messages in Germany. The Lord's Prayer was conceived after
an on-line competition to find the best version, cutting
it from 372 characters to 160 or fewer. A history student
at York University came up with the accepted version.
For more on the story, go to:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001223504,00.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
W o r d on a W i r e
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Who is My Enemy?
Readings for July 15:
Amos 7:7-17; Psalm 82; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37
God calls each of us to struggle for justice,
no matter what our profession, education, or
experience, a lesson well told by the great
prophets of Israel. Amos testifies that "The
Lord took me from following the flock, and
said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'"
He does his job so well that he is eventually
expelled from the kingdom for preaching
repentance to a people whose idolatrous greed
and exploitation of the poor provokes God's
fury. The psalmist also calls Israel,
especially the powerful, to account, crying
out, "How long will you judge unjustly, and
favor the cause of the wicked?
http://www.sojo.net/magazine/index.cfm/action/sojourners/issue/soj0107/article/010749.html#071501
------------------------------------------------------------
B y t h e N u m b e r s
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Segregation still touches U.S. minorities where they live
Despite increased diversity across the country,
U.S. neighborhoods remain highly segregated along
racial lines, according to a recent study. It found
that Asians and Latinos are increasingly segregated
from whites as they become a larger share of the
population in more places. Blacks remain the most
segregated, a pattern that has persisted since
segregation was first measured in the 1920s. Black-
white segregation is highest in the metro areas in
the Northeast and Midwest, areas that absorbed most
of the black migration from the rural South before
World War II. The average white lives in an area
that is 83 percent white and 7 percent non-white. The
average black lives in a neighborhood that's more
than half black and 33 percent white.
Of the 50 metropolitan centers with the largest percentage
of Asians, here are the 10 areas where Asians and whites
are most segregated:
2000 rank 1990 rank
New York 1 7
Stockton, CA 2 1
Houston 3 8
Sacramento 4 6
San Francisco 5 4
Los Angeles 6 15
Vallejo, CA 7 16
San Diego 8 10
Detroit 9 9
Atlanta 10 17
Of the 50 metropolitan centers with the largest percentage
of blacks, here are the 10 areas where blacks and whites
are most segregated:
2000 rank 1990 rank
Detroit 1 1
Milwaukee/Waukesha 2 4
New York 3 7
Chicago 4 2
Newark, NJ 5 3
Cleveland 6 5
Cincinnati 7 6
Nassau-Suffolk, NY 8 9
St. Louis 9 8
Miami 10 15
Of the 50 metropolitan centers with the largest percentage
of Latinos, here are the 10 areas where Latinos and whites
are most segregated:
2000 rank 1990 rank
New York 1 2
Newark, NJ 2 1
LA/Long Beach 3 5
Chicago 4 4
Philadelphia 5 3
Salinas, CA 6 7
Boston 7 8
Bergen, NJ 8 6
Ventura, CA 9 11
Orange County, CA 10 14
*Source: Lewis Mumford Center, University of Albany
********************ADVERTISEMENT************************
Bilingual Grassroots Manager Needed
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*********************************************************
B a t t e r i e s N o t I n c l u d e d
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Why Johnny and Susie hate sports
by David Batstone
Youth sports today are too often about frustrated
parents living out their own long-lost dreams on a
school playground. About sons becoming highly
recruited pitchers with college scholarships, about
daughters being the next Brandi Chastain.
Kids are fleeing sports in droves as a result. The
National Alliance for Youth Sports reports that
nearly 70 percent of the children drop out of
organized leagues by the age of 13. The number one
reason they gave in a survey was that it ceased to
be fun.
Maybe it's time to ban parents from the ballfields
and let the kids have their fun. In fact, youth
leagues around the country are starting to
institute a "no-tolerance rule." One outburst of
aggression and that parent is banned for the season.
That's certainly a good start.
But more is needed - above all, a total mind shift
about the goal of youth sports. Let's pause for
a reality check here. Youth leagues are not a
farm system for the NCAA. The chances of your
kid getting a college scholarship - let alone a
pro career - for kicking, throwing, or catching
a ball are next to nil. Whenever my son announces
he'll be going to North Carolina on a basketball
scholarship (and hey, he does have a great shot
for an 8-year old!), I tell him to deflate
the ball and pick up that book laying beside his
bed. While an academic scholarship might be the
equal of sinking a half-court shot, a sports
scholarship is the equal of throwing one in
the hoop from the parking lot.
I hold a silly hope that by joining a sports
league my children will gain skills that will
endure both on and off the field. I'm most proud
of my own children when they walk off the field
after a loss and feel proud of their efforts, or
show true respect for their opponent in a winning
effort. Spiritual maturity is to find value in
the win and the loss.
See below for the full article:
http://www.sojo.net/magazine/index.cfm/action/sojourners/issue/soj0107/article/010765.html
***************************************************************
NOT A SOJOURNERS MAGAZINE SUBSCRIBER? SIGN UP AT A SPECIAL
INTRODUCTORY RATE! GO NOW TO:
https://www.kable.com/pub/sjrn/newsubs.asp
***************************************************************
Culture Watch
++++++++++++++
New film by Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers
THE TOUR
Director: Ra'nan Alexandrowicz
Producers: Liran Atzmon, Raed Andoni
THE TOUR, a feature-length documentary shot last
summer before the intifada, observes a three-day
bus tour bringing Palestinians from the West Bank
and Gaza into Israel. It brings home more
forcefully than countless pamphlets or meetings
the human loss that must be faced and the historical
injustice that must be remedied if there is to be
peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Look out
for it at your local (art house) theater.
**************ADVERTISEMENT*************************
Part-time job opening: Bilingual Minister
Western N.Y. minister sought by Hudson Valley based
organization. Must be bilingual English/Spanish with
experience in social change movements. Salary:
$13K (20 hrs./week). Reply by July 20, 2001 to:
Richard Witt, RMM, Box 4757, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602,
or fax (845) 485-1963.
****************************************************
B o o m e r a n g
++++++++++++++++++
Tom Gilsenan of Ames, Iowa, wrote:
Thanks to [David Batstone] for his reflections on
gun violence. I know all too well what a terrible
epidemic it is among young people. During the 1990s,
while a teacher and community worker in
Minneapolis, more than a dozen young people I
knew were shot and killed with handguns.
So what can we do? I have these ideas: First, comfort
those who have suffered a homicide in their families.
If it has happened to parents you know, call them.
Ask them how they are doing. Say the name of their
deceased son or daughter out loud. If it has not
happened to someone you know, you can still reach out.
Next time you read about a youth homicide, find the
address of the family. Send them a card and let them
know you are grieving with them. These notes do
make a difference.
As a second step, speak out in favor of gun control.
Regulation of handguns is essential to halting the
epidemic of youth violence. Nearly every young person
I know who has been murdered has been shot and killed
with a handgun.
Third, try to be a witness for peace at home and in
your neighborhood. As parents, we can do a lot to
teach and model ways to resolve conflicts without
violence.
------------------------
Pam Swift of Glasgow, Scotland, wrote:
I've noticed a number of folks from the UK
amongst the Boomerang correspondents. I wonder
if they realise that they can take the Sojourners
journal for only £21 yearly and so help to build
up the Sojourners community in the UK. I am happy
to send a sample copy of the journal to anyone
who contacts me at pamswift@lineone.net with
their name and address. For a subscription at the
special introductory rate of £18 for the first year,
send cheques (payable to Sojourners UK) to
Sojourners UK, St. Matthew's, 200 Balmore Road,
Possilpark, Glasgow G20 0BQ.
----------------------------
Chris Beach of Tulsa, Oklahoma, wrote:
In response to the letter to President Bush last week,
I would like to offer my own letter to the president
via SojoMail:
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20050
Dear President Bush,
We are very appreciative of the fact that we are
receiving a tax rebate as a result of the Tax Relief
Act of 2001. We want to thank you for the government's
increased role in better serving the poor through
empowering the faith community. We believe that
any government budget surplus should be given back
to taxpayers so they may donate more money to
faith-based ministries to help address the unmet
needs of our most vulnerable citizens. Please keep
up your efforts. We'll do our part!
-----------------------
Steven Clark of Bainbridge Island, Washington, wrote:
Farhad Manjoo seems to have missed the point of the
A.I. movie by getting lost in the technology. Spielberg
uses the medium to call the basic assumptions of Western
"civilization" into question. We have created a dichotomy
between myth and fact, so much that to many people,
myth = false.
Will Campbell has observed that we have become myth
poor. Our society has taught us that you don't respond
to myth. Thus, we cannot respond to God Who IS beyond
our language and science. Just because we have to use
myth to speak of that which is beyond our speech does
not mean it did not happen.
-------------------------
Mark Forrester of Nashville, Tennessee, wrote:
As always, I appreciate Jim Wallis' "Hearts & Minds,"
especially his post-McVeigh assessment of the death
penalty and where the public now sways. For those of
us who feel a biblical mandate to abolish state killing,
it comes as both bane and blessing that moratoriums,
like that called for by Gov. Ryan of Illinois, don't
really address the substance of the issue itself.
Moratoriums rightfully acknowledge racial and class
inequities in the system, how the poor and mostly
minority defendants in capital cases are under-
represented, how capital punishment means, essentially,
that those who don't have the capital get the punishment.
This is a good first step in the right direction, but
the journey from moratorium to abolition is long
and arduous. As a Christian it's hard to put a lot of
confidence in public opinion, since our Lord himself
was crucified only after Pilate took a poll.
--------------------------
Paul L. Whiteley Sr., of Louisville, Kentucky, wrote:
I hope Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's
rethinking the inequities of the death penalty will
lead to its abolishment in our country. The only way
executions are going to stop in America is for an
enlightened majority to vigorously protest the death
penalty and all its inequities. Then the Supreme Court
and members of Congress will pay attention to the
voice of the people and abolish the death penalty.
It is sad that every single Democrat and Republican
who ran for president in 2000 favored the death penalty.
Most candidates for public office would be anti-death
penalty if a majority of the electorate opposed it.
--------------------------------------
Boomerang is an open forum for all kinds of
views. Want to make your voice heard? Send
Boomerang e-mails to the editor:
"boomerang@sojo.net"
***************************************************************
CALL TO RENEWAL SEEKS CAMPAIGN MANAGER
Call to Renewal, a national network of churches and
faith-based organizations committed to overcoming poverty,
is seeking energetic candidates for the exciting new position
of Campaign Manager.
The Campaign Manager shall:
* Develop policy associated with the Campaign to Overcome
Poverty
* Facilitate communications with elected and government
officials
* Provide a voice in Congress for those in poverty
* Coordinate and assure participation of entire CTR network
(to include national partners, local affiliates, activities,
and roundtables) in our "Campaign to Overcome Poverty"
* Represent the convener on campaign-related matters
* Participate in and facilitate strategic thinking
* Coordinate National Roundtables
* Work with CTR denominational and FBO policy representatives
* Assist convener with writing/speaking
* Oversee the Call to Renewal policy team
* Supervise campaign volunteers
For more information, go to www.calltorenewal.com or call
(800) 523-2773.
**************************************************************
R e l i g i o n & S o c i e t y
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Vicar in tune with karaoke hymn-singing
by Maurice Weaver
UK Telegraph
A vicar has improved the singing of hymns in his
church by installing a karaoke machine. The Rev.
Brian Duckworth's congregation failed to make
the heavens ring after their organist moved away.
But the karaoke machine has made all the difference
to services at St. John the Evangelist's Church in
Hucknall, Notts.
Rev. Duckworth can control the karaoke machine from
his pulpit and even take it with him for outside
services. "After the organist departed, one of our
worshippers stepped in with a guitar but then she
left, too," said Duckworth. "Our services were
getting very dull. I'm afraid singing unaccompanied
just wasn't the same," he added.
Stephen Langford, assistant secretary of the Southwell
Diocese, which approved the vicar's music-making idea,
said: "This machine is making its mark on St. John's in
a way the original organ probably did 100 years ago."
The congregation raised £2,850 to pay for the Digital
Hymnal, an American-made ecclesiastical version of the
Japanese sing-a-long device. It plays 2,400 hymns.
---------------------------------------------------------------
B u i l d i n g a M o v e m e n t
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tax rebate matching grant through GiveForChange.com
Is your check from George W. Bush in the mail? We
have a great idea for how to use this money. Show
your opposition to Bush administration policies that
punish the poor and endanger the environment by
making a donation to Sojourners -- Working Assets and
GiveForChange will match contributions (up to $1 million).
Here's How It Works:
Just donate exactly $300 or $600 to Sojourners in one
transaction through GiveForChange.com before November
1, 2001 - and your donation will be matched. Please
note: Your individual contribution will be matched up
to $600 only.
You can even send President Bush a gift card to thank
him for the rebate and to let him know about your
donation. Just enter "President Bush, 1600 Pennsylvania
Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20500" in the gift card fields.
As always, your online transaction is fast, easy,
and tax-deductible - simply click to donate. Thank
you for your generous support!
To choose Sojourners as your rebate designee, click on:
http://www.giveforchange.com/cgi-bin/GiveForChange.storefront/EN/product/SOU-23-7380554-00
To get more information about Working Assets and
GiveForChange's campaign, see http://www.GiveForChange.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------
W e b S c e n e
++++++++++++++++
*Energy savers: tips on saving money and energy at home
The U.S. energy crisis is front-page news, but
there are steps you can take to conserve energy
and save money. This site has tips on home
insulation, lighting, landscaping, and more.
http://www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/
------------------
*Someone actually cares to hear you whine
Whether it's an airline that's lost your luggage
or a restaurant that gave you food poisoning,
eComplaints.com gives you an outlet to vent your
frustrations where it could do some good. Submit
your consumer horror story to eComplaints.com,
and they'll publish it on the Web and send
a letter to the offending company. Go to:
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------------------
*Airline tracker
This is a nifty Web site for the frequent flyer.
When you type in the flight number, it shows
you exactly where the plane is, the ETA, and
arrival gate, in real time! Go to:
http://www.flightracker.com
------------------
*Real swell: best USA surfing (offline)
Surf the Web to find the best places to do some real
surfing. Swell is dedicated to bringing U.S. wave-riding
devotees the latest surf reports, forecasts, travel tips,
and much more. The site covers the surfing hot spots of
California and Hawaii as well as Florida, parts of the
East Coast, and even areas abroad, like Mexico, the
Caribbean, and South America. Surf on over to:
http://www.swell.com/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
....................... E D I T O R I A L ......................
David Batstone T 415.422.6660
Executive Editor
Jim Rice T 202.328.8842
Managing Editor
Molly Marsh T 202.328.8842
Assistant Editor
Ryan Beiler T 202.328.8842
Web Editor
..................... A D V E R T I S I N G ....................
Larry Bellinger T 202.328.8842
Advertising Manager
....................... T E C H N I C A L ......................
Bob Sabath T 202.328.8842
Chief Technologist
Susannah Hunter T 202.328.8842
Internet Assistant
......................... S 0 J O N E T ........................
The Sojourners Network T 202.328.8842
2401 15th Street NW F 202.328.8757
Washington, DC 20009 http://www.sojo.net
For more information, e-mail us: info@Sojo.net
................................................................
.................... L E G A L N O T I C E S .................
Copyright (c) 2001 Sojourners. All Rights Reserved.
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bears the following attribution:
Source: SojoNet 2001 (c) http://www.Sojo.net
................................................................
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