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Doug Clark, News & Record:

“Political. That’s my impression of the work of the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission, based on its executive summary. Especially the recommendations, which borrow heavily from the vocabulary of “progressive” politics… For all its pretense about taking a balanced view of Nov. 3, 1979, the commission embraced the social and political aspirations of the Communist Workers Party participants and turned its wrath on the city of Greensboro…”

Read more on Preach, Doug…

In Memoriam: May 29, 2006
In honor of those who have died in the service of the United States of America:

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13

Read more on In Memoriam: May 29, 2006…

Things are not always as they seem. My first impression of Jeff Phillips was that he was born on third base. Tall, blond, healthy, athletic, happily married, involved father, intelligent, educated, successful businessman, charming, funny, dedicated to serving others, and a committed Christian. But his all-American, affluent, happy, “together” life belied the childhood behind him, as he later shared with me, and which he shared publicly in today’s News & Record:

Read more on Things Are Not Always As They Seem…

I was involved with the GTCRP for about a year or so, beginning in January 2003, as part of a grad class at UNCG, and this post on Ed Cone’s blog prompted me to go back and skim through the many related emails and papers I still have saved on my hard drive. Somewhere I also have a box full of handwritten notes and papers from all the meetings I attended.

Read more on Nov. 3 To Me…

Weary of warring opinions, frowning and frustrated over the diametric conclusions reached by the audience of experts I’d consulted in the day’s study of homelessness and poverty, I dropped the offending texts on the cold metal cart and escaped to the sanctuary of the library coffee shop with a bookish friend, to whom I bared my grrrr-ridden soul.

Read more on Epiphany Over Coffee: One Rock At A Time…

Doing research today, at the library. Reading a collection of scholarly articles entitled Poverty: Opposing Viewpoints. Experts divided. No easy answers. Just like real life.

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:: Poverty stems from a lack of individual responsibility.

Read more on Experts Divided… Me, Too…

From CNN:

“The ties between two elderly women and a homeless man killed in a hit-and-run were strong enough to raise police suspicions five years ago, but it took a second death with eerie similarities for police to make arrests. Helen Golay, 75, and Olga Rutterschmidt, 73, were charged last week with eight counts of federal mail fraud for collecting more than $2 million from policies they held on the two homeless men, Paul Vados and Kenneth McDavid.”

Hearts of darkness.

Read more on Homeless Scam: Women Collect Millions from Deaths of Homeless Men…

Diane Davis posts a searching and fearless moral inventory of our town. The truth hurts and the truth heals.

Our newly appointed interim police chief, Tim Bellamy says, “We’re committed to running our organization … based on integrity, honesty and respect.”

Read more on Our Town…

As part of National Law Enforcement Week (May 14-20), the Greensboro Police Department recognized the efforts of citizens and honored their own at the 2006 Police and Citizens Appreciation Dinner. WSPD Chief Patricia Norris was the evening’s speaker.

Read more on Greensboro Police Recognize Citizens and Honor Their Own…

Winston Salem’s top cop, Patricia Norris spoke at Greensboro Police Department’s “2006 Police and Citizens Appreciation Dinner“on Thursday, May 18th. She began by talking about her childhood, when neighbors shared what they had, families killed pigs together, kids slept on the porch in the summertime and in general, life was just uncomplicated. (I know. Pig-killing? Stay with me…)

Read more on WSPD Chief Speaks at GPD Event…

Meetup

Another good Meetup: Billy, Kristin, Ben, Sean, Roch, Sue, Shu, Dara, Ndesanjo and Chris (blog?) If I left anyone out, please let me know! And a cameo appearance by Silfray Hraka, to whom the photo at left is dedicated.

Read more on Meetup: Christianists, Virgins & Beltie Cows…

– Notes from sermon by Bill Goans: “Unexpected Commendation,” (play audio of sermon), 04/17/05, Grace Community Church, Greensboro, NC

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People don’t pick up pennies. “My two cents,” we say. But nobody cares about pennies.

Read more on Goans: Giving Sacrificially…