New Orleans violence: conversation's role?

[Douglas D. Germann, Sr.]

Hi friends--

Gangs roaming the streets of New Orleans, people shooting at the
helicopters trying to evacuate the Super Dome: this is something directly
out of a disaster movie. People are becoming angry, but some are also
violent. Then there are stories of overwhelming sharing and caring and
sacrifice for other humans. The depths of humans and the human species is
brought out.

The looting, the gang turf wars--is there a role for conversation? The role
is up front, before the disaster comes, to help people see that they are
one with the others around them, trying to do the best they can, the others
are not other but their own kind, trying to help, nothing and no one to be
feared. This has to happen one and two at a time. No government program
will resolve it, but parents must talk to their toddlers, must sit and read
with them, must meet with other toddlers and parents, grade schools need to
get past the us vs them way of teaching, one person in front of the class
doling out the good stuff to the dummies with their minds out, kids must
learn from talking and sitting and doing with one another, pre-teens
working on projects, learning first hand that people can and do care,
learning how to be with others. Then, when the storm comes, they are ready
to help not harm, they do not see it as a chance to get even or get more
than their share, grab the gusto, but a chance to be their highest selves,
and that is together.


But even after the storm, we need to make the effort, hard as it might be,
to reach out to those inclined to violence and taking to seek their help,
to show how they are important and to see other people as important too. It
means approaching them not as an enemy but as one off the path.


Perhaps Lisa, from her work in the prisons, has much better ideas and
insight.


It has been coming home to me in many ways in the past week that there are
no easy solutions. To ask How is often to ask "What magic pill can I give
to this situation that will solve it once for all time?" and of course
there is no such thing. It takes hard work. More than that it takes
engagement.


And that over time. This is the eternal vigilance that George Washington
reminded us of 2 centuries ago. Engagement over time.


                              :-Doug. Germann
                              Seeking people making community change.

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist