Disgruntled Cow

Dawn, Marna and I met this afternoon at the DMZ community garden. We needed to meet and coordinate our work in the garden. Marna, co founder of Mothers Against Gun Violence has long suffered with some serious illnesses and the last few months she has been very sick. Dawn, operator of Foundation Dwellings has been busy working a job to pay the bills along with her more than full time role of housing 14 persons with disabilities in houses she owns. My excuses for lack of attention to the DMZ have not been as good as these two but I have been busy also. Despite illnesses, housing poor persons with disabilities and my busyness the garden has been planted and with some coordinated attention could flourish. The community in the neighborhood is willing to help as others may be but we just need some leadership from the three of us.

After a good meeting in the garden I drove Marna home. There she was met by her son and a friend with some tragic news, her 42 year old niece has been shot and killed last night. She was overwhelmed with misery as she has suffered the lost of so many family and friends to gun violence, including her own son.

This juxtaposition of events, coordinating the DMZ community garden and another homicide in Marna’s family makes me feel upset about all the hypocrisy we live in today’s society.

There is so much talk about organic growing and urban fish farming, sustainability and food justice. Awards, honors and grants are given yet where in Milwaukee can you purchase one of those healthy tilapia or perches that fish farms are growing. I cannot find any affordable healthy fish locally to purchase. Where can you find fresh healthy food, let alone organic, outside of farmer’s markets, at affordable prices outside on the once a month Share program.

For years Marna and the other Mother’s Against Gun violence has been trying to pass the “Responsible Gun bill” which would close the loophole where convicted felons, underage youth and others who should not own a handgun can purchase one without a background check. The democrats, when they were not in power in the State Legislature would blame Republicans and NRA for not passing this bill. Now they are the majority and in power in the State and do not talk about it anymore.

When the homicide rate when down last year, the police chief and Mayor were quick to take credit for it. Now that the homicide rate is up and the number of shootings with hand guns is on the rise the Police Chief and Mayor do not take credit for it. The truth is there are a lot of factors contributing to increase violence including the availability of hand guns and the economic bad times.

Recently I wrote to a moral theologian at Marquette University who won an award as an outstanding teacher of morality and ethics. He is an excellent teacher as I can personally attest to having taken a course in moral theology from him. I included in the letter three other theologians at Marquette in ethics and moral theology. It is teaching like these persons do that have formed my views on racism, war and peace and practicing our values in everyday life. However, these very persons who teach that the war in Iraq and Afghanistan is “immoral and unjust” are silent and ignore the issue of Marquette University hosting four departments of the military that teach more values contrary to what they teach and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

My wife would say, and rightly say, the above statements are “disgruntled”. At first I resisted this designation as “disgruntled” but now accept it and even embrace it. I am upset about saying things, be it others or myself, and doing something else. Actually it is easy being disgruntled in today’s society if one cares and has a sense of right and wrong. Also it is easy to ignore these disgruntled feelings as many do. What is difficult is to face these disgruntled feelings, recognize them and move on keeping hope alive and struggling to live our values and beliefs.

It is now fair for Mara to come home from the DMZ community garden with some hope that it will work well to face the senseless death of her niece. It is not fair but knowing Marna she will face this tragedy and keep struggling, despite her illnesses, to fight for justice and for persons to do, not just say, the right thing. There is death in the Garden but also hope and new life.

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