The following “letter to the editor”, written by Jim Cunningham, appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on September 10th. The letter is a rebuttal to Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani’s negative, despicable comments in reference to all the individuals who work in the area of community service and development which includes community organizers.
Vice-presidential aspirant, Sarah Palin laced her Sept. 3 convention address with demeaning assumptions and charges vilifying the humble but historically significant occupation of community organizing. Doesn’t this bright and lively young woman know that St. Paul the apostle was a community organizer who first made Christianity an international faith, as he sailed around the then-known world spreading a powerful new vision and recipe for happiness?
Right here in Pittsburgh, Tom Murphy, a mayor who started out as a community organizer, helped to provide our town with flourishing PNC Park and Heinz Field before the curse of underpopulation weakened the vigor of our city center.
Right here today throughout the neighborhoods and nearby towns of Pittsburgh, dozens of community organizers help residents preserve and build their small communities. A prime example is Carl Redwood, who has put a lifetime of energy into his own Hill District.
A heroic trio of organizers, Rick,Swartz, Aggie Brose and Richard Flanagan, have spent an unbelievable 25 years patiently bringing renewed energy and stability to once-hopeless Garfield.
The Post-Gazette almost daily celebrates the work of this profession, although those doing the work are not always labeled as community organizers. In the last 50 years, thousands of community organizers have been turned out at Pitt and other colleges in our region as well as in other regions of America. We can only be hopeful that in the next 60 days, Sarah Palin will be educated to the important and productive roles played by members of this profession.
James V. Cunningham is Professor Emeritus of Community Organization, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
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Blogger Black Buzz received the Humanitarian Award from the nationally acclaimed Operation Dig/Careers, Inc. in 1987 for outstanding community service. There are millions of people who have been involved with community service and community development work locally, statewide and nationally. And for anyone to attack the people who have been involved in community service is very petty and reveals the person’s basic lack of understanding and appreciation for improving the conditions of ordinary American citizens.
Vice-presidential aspirant, Sarah Palin laced her Sept. 3 convention address with demeaning assumptions and charges vilifying the humble but historically significant occupation of community organizing. Doesn’t this bright and lively young woman know that St. Paul the apostle was a community organizer who first made Christianity an international faith, as he sailed around the then-known world spreading a powerful new vision and recipe for happiness?
Right here in Pittsburgh, Tom Murphy, a mayor who started out as a community organizer, helped to provide our town with flourishing PNC Park and Heinz Field before the curse of underpopulation weakened the vigor of our city center.
Right here today throughout the neighborhoods and nearby towns of Pittsburgh, dozens of community organizers help residents preserve and build their small communities. A prime example is Carl Redwood, who has put a lifetime of energy into his own Hill District.
A heroic trio of organizers, Rick,Swartz, Aggie Brose and Richard Flanagan, have spent an unbelievable 25 years patiently bringing renewed energy and stability to once-hopeless Garfield.
The Post-Gazette almost daily celebrates the work of this profession, although those doing the work are not always labeled as community organizers. In the last 50 years, thousands of community organizers have been turned out at Pitt and other colleges in our region as well as in other regions of America. We can only be hopeful that in the next 60 days, Sarah Palin will be educated to the important and productive roles played by members of this profession.
James V. Cunningham is Professor Emeritus of Community Organization, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
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Blogger Black Buzz received the Humanitarian Award from the nationally acclaimed Operation Dig/Careers, Inc. in 1987 for outstanding community service. There are millions of people who have been involved with community service and community development work locally, statewide and nationally. And for anyone to attack the people who have been involved in community service is very petty and reveals the person’s basic lack of understanding and appreciation for improving the conditions of ordinary American citizens.
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