All in Community Action
Hurricane Irma taught me that Miami-Dade County needs a different sort of emergency response plan for low income neighborhoods. That plan should include community-based organizations as part of the response. It must acknowledge that the financial burden of preparing for emergencies leaves low income families even more vulnerable. These communities need a more thorough response. A storm shouldn't allow them to slip further down the economic ladder.
How did I spend my Sundays in August and September? Reviewing the Miami-Dade County Budget. I wasn’t alone, and that was a good thing. I’d certainly spoken up in the past for things I’d wanted to see funded, but hadn’t ever really poured through the budget to understand what was funded and what was missing. I have lots of people to thank for helping me dig deeper to understand what's there and what's not. Especially David McDougal & Maggie Fernandez.
There's a reason we need to stop the proposed Concealed Carry Reciprocity (CCR) from being enacted by Congress. If the NRA gets their way, and this legislation passes, Florida would be forced to abide by the weakest gun laws in the nation.
People, Get Ready Rod Stewart
Miami, Get Ready. We have never had the ability to mobilize quickly as a community when something we disagree with happens. Many friends and like-minded neighbors have told me that they are willing to be ready to stand up against injustice and nonsense - the minute it happens. Want to be part of it?
I’d never heard of a sanctuary church before and now I’m part of one. It ends up they have a long history in the U.S. of protecting runaway slaves along the underground railroad and assisting conscientious objectors during the Vietnam War. At least four houses of faith that I know of have already declared themselves as sanctuaries to protect our undocumented community members from government overreach.
A lot! I've been thinking a lot about the next City of Miami General Obligation Bond, fondly referred to by City staff and commissioners as the GO Bond or #GOBond. That's probably because GO sounds a lot more exciting than General Obligation. With a #GOBond, we can go places, we can achieve things, we can actually build some of the things we need for the City's future.
It may sound a bit odd to sit around drinking lattes and talking about guns, but it's actually extremely comforting. Chatting about violence, suicide, and death is never pleasant so why not wrap your hands around a good cup of coffee? It did seem to make it easier for a circle of women to open up about our worries about guns in south Florida as victims, advocates, and human beings. This was my first Mom's Demand Action meeting.
Because 1.7 million kids live in homes with guns that are loaded and unlocked. In any other country, there would be no need to implement a training program for parents about gun safety. But, this is the United States of America where guns are everywhere whether we want them to be or not. That means kids are around them. The Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense group is rolling out their BE SMART training program.
I never thought I would have to march for science. I'm so shocked by this fact that I have temporarily been struck speechless.
I already had protesting on my mind when the alarm went off early on a Sunday morning only to hear Krista Tippet interviewing civil rights legend Congressman John Lewis. She titled the episode The Art & Discipline of Nonviolence. I highly encourage you to take a listen. If this is your first time listening to On Being, I guarantee it won't be your last.
We seem to be protesting a lot these days here in Miami. I’m being invited to attend a rally or protest pretty much every day. Signs. Songs. Chants. It’s exhilarating to feel connected to community members who believe so strongly in women’s rights, LGBT rights, immigrant rights, black lives matter, our environment, solar energy, affordable housing, and so much more. It’s also exhausting. Just how did people like Gandhi and Dr. King do it day after day?
