Three Sisters as featured on the
reverse of the 2009 Native American
U.S. dollar coin

In gardening and agriculture there is a method called Companion planting. Companion planting is the planting of different crops in proximity for pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial creatures, maximizing use of space, and to otherwise increase crop productivity. For example I plant marigold flowers around the edges of my raised vegetable garden in front of the house.

Marigolds are said to deter some common insect pests, such as tomato, eggplant and chili pepper which I am growing in this garden. Another example are the Three Sisters, main agricultural crops of various Native American groups in North America: winter squash, maize (corn), and climbing beans (typically tepary beans or common beans).

Some plants should not be mixed with other plants. For example, when I first plant my perennial flower rain garden, also in front of the house, I planted a plant I thought was called a Wisconsin sunflower. It actually was a tall flower that had a small sunflower on top. In a few years I realized this plant was a very invasive species and was taking control of flower garden. I tried pulling them up but they kept coming back. I finally realized they spread by underground roots. I build underground a wall along the side of garden and dug up the rest. They come up later in summer so now I have tulips in this space but will eventually have massive number of these ‘false sunflowers.’

Communities and neighborhoods are like companion gardening. If we plant racial, diversity, income diversity, decent jobs and transportation, decent housing, a good educational system and city services in the neighborhood it will flourish just like in companion planting. However, if we plant racially segregate, a neighborhood of poor people with lack of employment and transportation, poor housing and educational system with poor city services we will create an environment of violence, hopelessness and broken families. Some will blame the people in neighborhood for crime and violence and call them names.

Although people must be accountable for choices we cannot change people by blaming them or calling them names. However, we can, as Peter Maurin, the co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement used to say, “We have to make the kind of society where it is easy for people to be good.” I heard a similar sentiment by the Pope after 9/11 when he said we cannot excuse the ‘terrorist’ but we need to look at the root causes of such great hatred of Americans. The former governor of Maryland said something similar recently about the problems in Baltimore: We need structural change in our communities, jobs, good education, decent housing, and good schools to avoid more similar situations.

In today’s editorial section a Judge that handles homicide cases pointed to “bad thoughtless violent behavior” as the reason for violence in North Central Milwaukee, a neighborhood, with poor education and housing, racially segregated, poorest neighborhood in second poorest city in USA. This sentiment is has some truth to it but leaves us hopeless. We cannot change bad thoughtless violent behavior. However, we can as a city create an environment which it is easier to be good. We can change our own behavior and the environment of this neighborhood.

History has taught us the root causes of crime and violence, that we can affect, is poor housing, high unemployment, extreme poverty, racial segregation, good city services and transportation. But as individual and community we do not make the necessary investment but take the more expensive way out, incarcerating more people, more policing and prosecution, poor city services, not creating jobs in this area and blaming the people. We sow what we plant. Companion planting is an ancient way of growing. When will we ever learn that a more effective cue for violence and crime is to create an environment and “society where it is to be good?”

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