It was hot and humid today, what a change of weather for spring and summer so far. There was a little rain this afternoon so the sun and heat were maximized for my tomato plants.

I heard yesterday that this has been the warmest climate in the world so far this year. I like to call the weird and intense weather we are having this year ‘climate change’ but in light of all the world there is some ‘global warming’ mixed in.

Some things change and some do not. After all our lessons in history you would think ‘racism’ has decreased due to awareness but it is not. Tonight I attended a dialog with other persons from Milwaukee County about racial discrimination but rather than be upset about talk and no action about racism I got home feeling supported and encouraged. I met a number of people there who I had mutual friends and acquaintances with, something nearly normal about Milwaukee County culture. In this case the small town feeling this awareness brings was rewarding. The people attending this dialog ‘got it’ and we were able to share our experiences of racism rather than talk about whether it existed. On a hot humid day that was refreshing.

One of the lessons learned is that racism has a tough time when people know each other. If the adults in the neighborhood would have only talked and met the young African American adults playing full court basketball they would have not been so quick to tear down the rim, backboard and pole. If the executive council and central office of St. Vincent de Paul would only listen to people they claim to be serving they would not being making a five million dollar investment in the suburbs for a thrift store rather than build one at a fraction of the cost in the neighborhood in need. It is hard to be racist to a friend.

Racism occurs when one person or group of person claims to know what is best for another person or group of persons. “We will make our neighborhood safer but not having full court basketball playing” or “we will make money for the poor by investing five million dollars in the suburbs.” Try telling something like this to a friend on the other side of the issue who is a friend. It will not work and only works due to stereotyping and stigmatizing unknown persons.
Be a friend to someone in need or “Walk in their shoes” and you listen and learn what the right thing to do for a friend.

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