Comments on: “Sit With Us In Council,” Say The Spiders To The Fly http://www.perkersonpark.com/2010/01/sit-with-us-in-council-say-the-spiders-to-the-fly.html Continuing conversations in the park begun in the autumn of 1969 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:22:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tracey Hudson http://www.perkersonpark.com/2010/01/sit-with-us-in-council-say-the-spiders-to-the-fly.html/comment-page-1#comment-1868 Tracey Hudson Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:07:05 +0000 http://www.perkersonpark.com/?p=5144#comment-1868 Perhaps your friend has never really had a life circumstance that placed them in a situation where they had to deal with the harsh realities that can happen to a soul at the hands of government or law enforcement - if that's the case they are very fortunate - naive but fortunate. Perhaps your friend has never really had a life circumstance that placed them in a situation where they had to deal with the harsh realities that can happen to a soul at the hands of government or law enforcement – if that’s the case they are very fortunate – naive but fortunate.

]]> By: Gene O. http://www.perkersonpark.com/2010/01/sit-with-us-in-council-say-the-spiders-to-the-fly.html/comment-page-1#comment-1816 Gene O. Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:07:14 +0000 http://www.perkersonpark.com/?p=5144#comment-1816 The linked article about the homeless mother giving birth on the street is heartbreaking, and all the more so when you realize that this sort of thing must happen dozens of times every day in cities across the country. I have personally seen the way the homeless are treated by the police and it does not make me proud to be a taxpayer or citizen. The linked article about the homeless mother giving birth on the street is heartbreaking, and all the more so when you realize that this sort of thing must happen dozens of times every day in cities across the country. I have personally seen the way the homeless are treated by the police and it does not make me proud to be a taxpayer or citizen.

]]> By: Carla http://www.perkersonpark.com/2010/01/sit-with-us-in-council-say-the-spiders-to-the-fly.html/comment-page-1#comment-1803 Carla Sat, 09 Jan 2010 18:42:04 +0000 http://www.perkersonpark.com/?p=5144#comment-1803 The federal, state and local governments in this country are designed to serve the wealthy not social justice. Local government is closest to the people on the street and it does a great job of keeping the problems of the poor from touching the lives of the rich, just like it is designed to do. The federal, state and local governments in this country are designed to serve the wealthy not social justice. Local government is closest to the people on the street and it does a great job of keeping the problems of the poor from touching the lives of the rich, just like it is designed to do.

]]> By: Beverly http://www.perkersonpark.com/2010/01/sit-with-us-in-council-say-the-spiders-to-the-fly.html/comment-page-1#comment-1795 Beverly Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:35:31 +0000 http://www.perkersonpark.com/?p=5144#comment-1795 Actually Prentice, you didn't fail to make your point. I suffered a cognitive mishap and only read what I thought I was reading - not what was written. To put it more simply, I am wrong and promptly admit it. Although IF YOU HAD WRITTEN, what I thought I had read - I would have been right. Does that hold up? Actually Prentice, you didn’t fail to make your point. I suffered a cognitive mishap and only read what I thought I was reading – not what was written. To put it more simply, I am wrong and promptly admit it. Although IF YOU HAD WRITTEN, what I thought I had read – I would have been right. Does that hold up?

]]> By: Prentice http://www.perkersonpark.com/2010/01/sit-with-us-in-council-say-the-spiders-to-the-fly.html/comment-page-1#comment-1794 Prentice Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:05:21 +0000 http://www.perkersonpark.com/?p=5144#comment-1794 Beverly, I seem to have failed to make my point. I'm not quite sure how. I have painted with a broad brush because I believe the evils to be pervasive. I have not, however, "painted all with the same stroke." The words "all", "entire" and "most" appear nowhere in the article, only in your comment. If I say that "Nashville police officers chauffeur Evil nightly," that is not the same sentence as "All Nashville police officers chauffer Evil nightly." If you read the latter, you did not read it in my piece. Having said that, I would add that no one would more welcome the news that none of the things mentioned in the article occurred than would I. Sadly, my glasses will not filter the images from my sight. I have been impressed with the clarity of Jeannie Alexander, writing in<em> The Contributor</em> (Nashville's homeless newspaper) as she described the event of a homeless child born, to a homeless mother harassed by the police, on the streets of Nashville on Christmas Eve. The event, and Jeannie Alexander's article, are mentioned and linked in my post. "Unto us a child was born, and unto us an opportunity was given: an opportunity to show love instead of hate, open doors and compassion instead of jail cells and disdain, justice and mercy instead of the damndable torture of hell-twisted minds that choose the most dangerous path of all—indifference. And so we failed. I failed, you failed, and thus this city failed, and a child was born homeless, a child was born screaming in the night onto streets of death. Did you hear? Could you hear the cries of one so small: Nashville’s newest, youngest, homeless person?" Beverly, I seem to have failed to make my point. I’m not quite sure how. I have painted with a broad brush because I believe the evils to be pervasive. I have not, however, “painted all with the same stroke.” The words “all”, “entire” and “most” appear nowhere in the article, only in your comment.

If I say that “Nashville police officers chauffeur Evil nightly,” that is not the same sentence as “All Nashville police officers chauffer Evil nightly.” If you read the latter, you did not read it in my piece.

Having said that, I would add that no one would more welcome the news that none of the things mentioned in the article occurred than would I. Sadly, my glasses will not filter the images from my sight.

I have been impressed with the clarity of Jeannie Alexander, writing in The Contributor (Nashville’s homeless newspaper) as she described the event of a homeless child born, to a homeless mother harassed by the police, on the streets of Nashville on Christmas Eve. The event, and Jeannie Alexander’s article, are mentioned and linked in my post.

“Unto us a child was born, and unto us an opportunity was given: an opportunity to show love instead of hate, open doors and compassion instead of jail cells and disdain, justice and mercy instead of the damndable torture of hell-twisted minds that choose the most dangerous path of all—indifference. And so we failed. I failed, you failed, and thus this city failed, and a child was born homeless, a child was born screaming in the night onto streets of death. Did you hear? Could you hear the cries of one so small: Nashville’s newest, youngest, homeless person?”

]]> By: Beverly http://www.perkersonpark.com/2010/01/sit-with-us-in-council-say-the-spiders-to-the-fly.html/comment-page-1#comment-1793 Beverly Sat, 09 Jan 2010 02:38:46 +0000 http://www.perkersonpark.com/?p=5144#comment-1793 This is one time Prentice when I must disagree with you. While I understand that the ranks of politicians, police and greedy capitialist power brokers are filled with men and women who serve no other master than their own desires, I do not believe all can be painted with the same stroke. I have known too many good people in this world to feel that any particular career path rides the beaten path of evil. I just can't accept that Prentice. Granted evil things are done by some, but is that not just another challenge to fight for those things right and good? Branding an entire government, group of public officials and law enforcement personnel as evil is reckless and quite frankly serves no purpose but to promote apathy. Actually I need the gift of hope that I receive when I at least seek to recognize the good in even the most misguided of souls. To be sure sometimes it is like looking for a needle in a haystack - but if I don't at least seek to see a smidgen of the positive the pain I feel only serves to make me less than the God who created me meant for me to be. For if He can do for me what I cannot do for myself, I have to believe that He will do the same for others. Perhaps I am wearing rose colored glasses, but I like the view. This is one time Prentice when I must disagree with you. While I understand that the ranks of politicians, police and greedy capitialist power brokers are filled with men and women who serve no other master than their own desires, I do not believe all can be painted with the same stroke. I have known too many good people in this world to feel that any particular career path rides the beaten path of evil. I just can’t accept that Prentice. Granted evil things are done by some, but is that not just another challenge to fight for those things right and good? Branding an entire government, group of public officials and law enforcement personnel as evil is reckless and quite frankly serves no purpose but to promote apathy. Actually I need the gift of hope that I receive when I at least seek to recognize the good in even the most misguided of souls. To be sure sometimes it is like looking for a needle in a haystack – but if I don’t at least seek to see a smidgen of the positive the pain I feel only serves to make me less than the God who created me meant for me to be. For if He can do for me what I cannot do for myself, I have to believe that He will do the same for others. Perhaps I am wearing rose colored glasses, but I like the view.

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