Mayoral race: again, it's about values

The RCJ has summarized the finance reports filed for the June 5 elections in Rapid City. Mayor Shaw has outraised all other candidates combined by a 2-1 margin.

I was surprised to see that Alan Hanks hasn't raised and spent more, from the look of my mailbox -- I've gotten four glossies (two mailings--my spouse and I have different names) and that kind of mailing is not cheap. Maybe he's targeting carefully.

My personal favorite, Tom Johnson, is in the running, and, like Hanks, has seriously invested in his own campaign. You have to admire that level of commitment.

I'm of the opinion that Hanks [from what I know of his opinions and actions as a legislator] and Shaw [from what we've seen in his recent dealings with Wal-Mart and Cabelas] are both business friendly candidates, running for a City Hall that seems to be looking out for "economic development" ie, developers and other heavy power interests, and not as interested in the good of those that aren't in the top 10-percent income folks. It's time for a change in leadership.

I feel Tom Johnson is the best choice because he has experience on the Council and far less divisive than the other Council members running for mayor. If you have been to Council meetings or seen them on public access TV, you know what I mean when I also observe that he is not quite as interested in hearing the sound of his own voice than others in the group. (!)

If you live in Rapid, be sure and vote next Tuesday. This is an important election.

Transgender UMC pastor re-hired

This is a wonderful story. Which of these quotes sound like a Christian response to you?

...[our group] objects to any acceptance of sexual identity changes.... [A] change in gender identity conflicts with God's order of creation.

or...

This isn't an issue. This is a human being.

Talk about the Holy Spirit at work.

No Test Left Behind in South Dakota

There is a startlingly harsh assessment of No Child Left Behind in the current Time Magazine cover story (June 4).

The brutality of the whole test-centered initiative, which threatens schools with sanctions instead of support if they don't meet improvement standards, is made clear in a figure that compares state test results for reading against Federal test results. South Dakota comes up with one of the largest spreads between state and Federal test results - according to our state tests, 87% of SD fourth-graders are proficient in reading. However, according to the standard Federal test, only 33% are.

Even with the apparently easy SD tests, the State reports we didn't meet the NLCB goals in 2006, largely because some groups are being left behind. (I think you can guess who without following the link.) By the way, I agree with Time that NCLB does provide useful information, all the way down to your local SD school--do check out the site. It's the "produce the numbers or starve" aspect of NLCB that concerns me--it actually stifles innovation as schools are forced to focus their efforts around test numbers.

There's a graph that compares all the states that's really well laid out. On the web, there is a less informative but nevertheless interesting interactive graphic where you can easily compare with other states. Nebraska is worse, but somehow that doesn't make me feel better. Hm, seems to me the so-called red states have easier tests in general. Shocking.

This doesn't take into account that in some states it has been demonstrated that some teachers cook the test results, either to cheat to cover their own poor performance, or simply out of desperation with a system stacked against schools and kids with unmet needs.

If NCLB has any hope of helping education, we can't let local governments dependent on artificially positive results writing the tests--the conflict of interest is simply way too great.

Klaudt is innocent...

Before you get too wound up about lynching former Republican Rep. Ted Klaudt, I urge everyone to remember that in this country we hold people innocent until proven guilty. That's one of the things that is best in America, and we are recently putting it in danger. Especially in such a small state such as ours, the rush to judgment by public consensus could damage the ability to hold a fair trial in this case. Court TV has really led our culture away from the rule of law in this area. We must honor the process instead of giving in to the feel-good, easy Nancy Grace attacks on "the bad guys" while the jury is out (or even summoned).

Save your outrage at him until we know the real truth. What's really outrageous is there are far too many victims of crimes like this, and although if true these allegations involve economically vulnerable kids, this kind of tragedy isn't restricted to a socioeconomic level (or political party). (Of course I don't believe Republican priorities in this state are helping the situation, but that's not a reason to convict someone ahead of the legal process.)

In response to this kind of thing, we should now resist the urge to snark and instead do all we can to support teenage and other rape victims in our midst. Drop off some stuff at WAVI in Rapid City. Send some money for Pretty Bird Woman House. Support folks for mayor, Council, and school board this June that have a clue about these issues. And pray for all victims of abuse.

Tinky Winky says bye-bye to Jerry Falwell

on Salon.com:

Tinky Winky says bye-bye to Jerry Falwell

The former TV star recalls the trauma of being called gay by the conservative preacher.

By King Kaufman

May 16, 2007 Eight years ago the Rev. Jerry Falwell warned parents that BBC children's television star Tinky Winky was a hidden symbol of homosexuality. Falwell died Tuesday at 73, and the world wanted to talk to Tinky Winky.

"Jesus Camp" coming to Rapid City

To Black Hills independent film fans:

This month's selection from the Voices of the Heartland will be a fascinating documentary entitled JESUS CAMP. The film will be another challenge to our thinking on how American society can accommodate intense religious views, preserving both an official tolerance for diversity and an unattached government.

It will be shown at 6:30 pm Monday, May 21st on the Elks Theatre's big screen. (This is a week earlier than our usual last Monday of the month date, in order to avoid Memorial Day). An open discussion will follow the show. All seats are $5.00. More information about our group and past presentations can be found at: http://www.backroomevents.com/voices
______________________________________

jesuscampthemovie.com

SYNOPSIS: A summer camp at Devil's Lake, ND brings
kids as young as ten from all over the country to be
trained as evangelical preachers intent on converting
America to a Christian stronghold. The camera follows
the camp's charismatic and articulate leader and other
evangelists as they explain and implement their vision
of transforming society. We get glimpses into the
religious and family backgrounds of the remarkable
children involved.

REVIEWERS' COMMENTS:

"Grady and Ewing's depiction of this modern-day
children's crusade is remarkably unbiased."
--Ken Fox, TV GUIDE'S MOVIE GUIDE

"Often funny, but it's also a scary, sobering inside
look at the attempts of an increasingly powerful group
to erode the separation of church and state".
--Ann Hornaday, WASHINGTON POST

"You don't have to be extreme or liberal to be shaken
by Jesus Camp".
--Phil Kloer, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

"This riveting documentary explores Kids on Fire, a
summer camp in Devils Lake, N.D., that grooms children
to be soldiers in 'God's army'."
--Stephen Holden, NEW YORK TIMES


AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS:
2007--Nominated for Oscar, Best Documentary

2007--Nominated for OFCS Award, Best Documentary,
Online Film Critics Society Awards

2006--Nominated for CFCA Award, Best Documentary,
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

DETAILS: MPAA rating:PG-13 for some discussions of
mature subject matter. 87 min. In English. 2006.
Color.
________________________________________

We look forward to seeing you on Monday, May 21st!

Voices of the Heartland Independent Film Group

Mothers Day

This piece was published in the Rapid City Journal two weeks ago, but for some reason did not make it into the online edition. The author was kind enough to share this for posting online here.

Mother's Day

by Lin Jennewein
(used with permission)

We are in the season called "Eastertide" which includes the five weeks following the resurrection when Jesus shows up in a variety of ways and to a variety of people in order to prove his resurrection. About a week after this event Jesus came through the locked doors of the Upper Room and said to the disciples: "Peace be with you" and then repeats it again "peace be with you" (John 20:19). Scripture reports that a short time before the crucifixion he had also said to the disciples: "Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you" (John 14:27). I have always used these words at the conclusion of a funeral or memorial service; they are soothing and re-assuring words. But I also wonder about this peace that is "not as the world gives do I give to you".

I have written many sermons on peace and I strive for peace in my life but I have come to the conclusion that peace is one of the most elusive theories or concepts that I have ever tried to wrap myself around.

The Rev. Henri Nouwen, a Catholic priest gives us a clue when he writes "always remember that the peace you are working for is not of this world. Do not let yourself be distracted by the great noise of wars, the dramatic descriptions of misery and the sensational expressions of human cruelty. These do not create in you a true desire for peace. Keep your eyes on the Prince of Peace.

This is a difficult thing to do in light of the amount of chaos in the world today. One of the Denver Post columnists recently wrote that though she could not bring about peace on earth she could do simple things in and around her to help make it possible. She would use peaceful language in her home, read to her children by the fire, listen carefully to the imaginative ideas of others and rub lotion on tired feet. This made sense to me and helped me to define for myself what peace could be.

And as we approach Mothers Day, let us remember Julie Ward Howe who nursed the soldiers in the fields during the Civil War and who after seeing the realities of war took on a new cause. In 1870 she called for women to rise up and oppose war in all its forms. She wanted women to come together across national lines and commit to finding peaceful resolutions to conflicts. She issued a declaration hoping to gather together women in a congress of actions. Here were a few of those words from the declaration: "Arise then women of this day. Arise all women who have hearts whether our baptism be that of water or of fears. Our husbands shall not come to us reaking of carnage; our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask that a congress of women be appointed to promote the great and general interests of peace".

Though she did not live to see this "mothers day for peace" come into being, another woman, Anna Jarvis, took up her cause and in l914, Woodrow Wilson declared the first national "Mothers Day".

As I re-read Howe's declaration, I do not feel quite so guilty about opposing this war and speaking for peace. Julia said nothing about abanding the troops; she merely asked women to unite for bringing the men home and rending unto God what is God's. Perhaps the "rending unto God" is what Jesus meant when he said "not as the world gives do I give to you."

Perhaps Julia Ward Howe of long ago presents all of us with a challenge for today. Perhaps we too can speak or take action for peace in our little corners of the world. Actually, this might be the greatest Mothers Day present a mother or the world could receive. Peace.

Study says... gay parents are okay

Another study that flies in the face of the "common knowledge" more like the "common prejudice" pushed by the religous right.

The evidence is pretty overwhelming to (real) social scientsts that gay parents do just fine, thanks. It's a shame South Dakota didn't pass Amendment C to support these families.

Mother's Day for Peace

Warm Mother's Day wishes to all moms, and children of great moms everywhere.

If you missed Lynn Jennewein's wonderful Mother's Day piece in the Rapid City journal, last weekend, it's a shame, I can't find it online. I am trying to see if I can find it elsewhere.

In the meantime, please do visit mothersdayforpeace.com or just view the video directly below... good thoughts for Mother's day and a wonderful idea for the Mom that is hard to buy for... why not help a kid instead of sending roses? Or maybe just send one dozen and help a kid too!

Illegal immigration

In Utah, a Republican State senator has a new theory about the source of the problem of illegal immigration. (Don't think this isn't an issue here in South Dakota, too.) No Marxist moonbeam talking points about workers exploited by NAFTA-enabled economics, pushing en masse to a country (the US of A) with a socialistic minimum wage... nah. Turns out, it's Satan's doing.

Whew. Thought we'd actually have to rethink the wisdom of "free" trade, or some other thinking. That's better. It all makes sense now.

DIA mayoral forum May 30!

Democracy in Action is set for a candidates night that sounds just fascinating -- no written position statements, we all will have heard enough of that by then, but instead some real honest discussion (or not so honest, this forum sounds pretty revealing) of vision for Rapid City's future.

Mark your calendars!

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION MAYORAL FORUM

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

A forum for all candidates for the office of Mayor of Rapid City will be held Wednesday, May 30, 6:30 pm at National American University, Administration Building, Kansas City Street.

Coffee will be offered at 6:30 pm, giving the public an opportunity to meet with the candidates on an informal basis. The forum will begin at 7:00 pm, and is anticipated to end about 9:00 pm. All members of the public are welcome. Admission is free.

"We feel this will be a different forum from others that are planned," said Ruth Waddington. "Ours will be less formal, less structured, and hopefully that will encourage a dialogue between the public and candidates, a free exchange of ideas and open discussion."

Other differences between the DIA forum and others will be the elimination of introductory remarks, which, with eight candidates, could take as much as 40 minutes. Two DIA women will moderate the forum, which will assure candidates equal time and encourage complete answers to questions asked by the public. The candidates themselves will have an opportunity to address or question each other.

"Our only rule," said Waddington, "is civility. We want to encourage civil open dialogue between the public and candidates."

The word for those that presume to draw a line in the sand for God

.. and a word of encouragement for those who find themselves on the other side of the drawn line.

Do not let anyone* disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.
-- Colossians 2:17-19 (nrsv)

* Not Dr. James Dobson, Tony Perkins, +Peter Akinola, Rev. Martyn Minns, or anyone else trying to place themselves in an exclusive circle of right-thinking orthodoxy.

KOTA propagates the Reagan myth to South Dakotans

I'm usually quite supportive of Black Hills station KOTA-TV's reporting, but I just have to point out that they passed on this piece of wrong, and misleading information in this story about Tony Perkin's love-fest with a few local evangelicals at Mount Rushmore Thursday. (Three hundred is all they could gather?)

The National Day of Prayer ... was reaffirmed by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 when the popular Commander-in-Chief designated the first Thursday in May as the annual Day of Prayer. (emphasis mine)

The facts: Although the press did and continues to say Reagan was a wildly popular president, the facts are he was less popular than most recent presidents. For example:

After two months in office, his rating of 60 percent compared to Carter’s 75, Nixon’s 65, Kennedy’s 73 and Eisenhower’s 67. At the end of a year, his rating of 49 percent compared to Carter’s 52, Nixon’s 46, Kennedy’s 77 and Eisenhower’s 68. At the end of two years, his 37 percent job approval rating trailed Jimmy Carter’s 50, Nixon’s 56, Kennedy’s 70 and Eisenhower’s 72.

(It turns out that the least popular years of Reagan's administration were the early years when he was tracking the conservative agenda most closely. Remember these early years of Reagan were before Iran-Contra came out, before the US was pushed by terrorists out of Lebanon, before the 1984 tax hikes. Interesting.)

Even more interestingly, despite years of unrelenting right-wing radio, pulpit, and pundit criticism and slander, Clinton's approval numbers track Reagan's. These two graphs show what amazing ability that both Reagan and Clinton had to inspire and lead, even in the face of problems of they brought on themselves by their choices, as well as strong political and historical forces working against them.

The truth is, years of inaccurate reporting and flawed analysis by the media, together and aggressive conservative propaganda about Reagan have distorted his true legacy.

I have admiration for Reagan in that he showed himself to be a realist and a flexible politician who not only took responsibility when problems arose, but even (gasp) changed staff and changed course in response to setbacks. We haven't seen enough of that recently, that's for sure.

It's a shame our flagship Rapid City source of TV news saw fit to pass on the "extremely popular president" myth. I feel Ronald Reagan's legacy deserves more than the warm fuzzy version we continue to hear from the media and the political class.