The following was written by Gil Caldwell. I am posting it for him.
Gabrielle (I am not Kevin Brown)
______________________________________________________________________
We moved to Asbury Park to be near our now 3 year old grand daughter.
She calls me "Papa Cane" because I walk with a cane, the result of
surgery in 2000. As I sat with great weariness in last night's Zoning
Board meeting with the Jersey Shore Rescue Mission being the "item" of
the night, I had what we in the church call an "epiphany moment". I
had a new vision of an Asbury Park that I had not "seen" before.
Be patient as Asbury Park's "Papa Cane" shares in what I hope will be
a grandfatherly way.
The negative words spoken about homeless and hungry people, I have
also heard spoken about Gays, whites, blacks, Hispanics, rich, poor,
and people-in-between, people on the east side as well as the west
side. The negatives I hear about homeless and hungry people may be
descriptive of some of them but not all of them. Rather than being on
the edge of saying about ourselves in Asbury Park, "We can absorb (a
lot of some folk) and are unable to live (with some other folk),
provide your own definitions in each parenthesis, we must now admit to
ourselves that we are creating a new city that must be inclusive and
not exclusive. Persons in all of the above-mentioned groups sometimes
engage in actions that may be reflective of their "group", but those
actions may not contribute to the making of a healthy city for all
groups. As a clergyman who is an ally/advocate of Gay rights in church
and society, in conversations with Gay colleagues in more than one
city where I have lived, we have agreed that some of that,that happens
publicly on Gay Pride week-ends is not productive of creating
community, nor is it appropriate for children and young people. As an
African American with great pride in my racial reality, I am sensitive
to others who are not Black, as I express my Black Pride. While some
complain about the actions of homeless/hungry people as well as all
poor people, other persons complain about the actions of some of us
who are not homeless/hungry, nor poor.
In the 1980's Grace and I lived in Columbia, Maryland, a "new
community" half way between DC and Baltimore. Its concept was to be
about intentional inclusion; racially and economically. We seem not to
have yet found and shared a common, inclusive vision for Asbury Park.
So many of the public meetings we attend, become "us and them"
meetings. I have yet to observe persons on different sides of an issue
commit themselves to sitting down with those whom they view as the
opposition. I must admit that in some meetings I have wondered if
elected and appointed officials, think of themselves as representative
leaders of the total community,or just of the rich and powerful. Is
perception a manifestation of reality?
The smallness of Asbury Park is a blessing. We know each other, we see
each other, even though sometimes we wish we could avoid each other
(smile). Last night at the Zoning Board meeting I heard persons speak
about the possibility of being more intentional about working to
create a shelter that met the needs of the Homeless, 24/7. None of us
ought be satisfied with homeless and hungry people who have to spend
their days begging. Some of us saw the movie with Will Smith as the
star; "In pursuit of Happyness", (with a deliberate mis-spelling of
happiness). It was the story of a homeless man (Will Smith) and his
son, (Will Smith's actual son) who stayed in the shelter at Glide
Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco, who eventually got
his life together and now is a success; economically and otherwise. I
want to believe that anyone who is serious about a "new"
Asbury Park wants this to happen to every homeless and hungry person.
It could happen here if we work together, rather than fight each other.
Last night in our "neighborhood" we looked out of our windows and saw
the hundreds of cars that brought people to the Bruce Springsteen
concert. I believe Springsteen popularized the words;
"Born in the USA". The USA stil has a multiplicity of problems:
economic opportunity (Where are the people of color in the Unions of
this area?), public schools (a "new" Asbury Park will never be new if
public school education is not improved), adequate healthcare for all
(If that cannot happen under the banner of capitalism, something is
wrong with capitalism), and what a new friend in AP calls, "soft
racism". I could go on to list other problems. However. ASBURY PARK IS
NOT GOING TO SOLVE ALL OF THE PROBLEMS OF THE USA BY NEXT YEAR! But,
we could, in this small city, begin to work on them, rather than deny
them. I propose that we create a Commission (or some other name)
composed of representatives of the groups I have mentioned, and more,
that meets reguarly, with agreed upon guidelines for speaking and
listening and agreeing and agreeing to disagree agreeably, that begins
to discuss and create the vision for the new Asbury Park. Where is the
"Table" in this community where folk who are not afraid to disagree in
public sit together, to share the common struggles that face All of
Asbury Park?
I rejoice when I see the Rainbow Flags displayed here. I have seen too
few Black Liberation Flags (red, green and black). I have seen
American Flags, Flags of other nations, a few Christian Flags. Why not
in time, get our act together so that we create an Asbury Park Flag
that is symbolic of who we are seeking to become? Regardless of how
the Zoning Board votes on the Jersey Shore Rescue Mission, I saw and
felt the possibilities of a new Asbury Park emerging last night;a city
that pulls from the ashes of our disunity, the possibilities of a new
unity that is reflective of what must be in 21st century USA.
Grandfathers are known to go on, and on, and on and on, and on. Sorry!
Gil Caldwell,
"Papa Cane"
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