Congressional Visit
May 3, 2009
I have experienced Cincinnati’s political process much more than I desired over the last year, so I was not at all anxious about visiting our Senator on Capital Hill. Cincinnati has worked feverishly over the last five years to displace the poor and rid itself of its homeless population. Recently they have taken steps to remove Social Services from within the Downtown, the West End and Over-The-Rhine areas by claiming that the concentration of these services increases crime and reduces property values, amongst other complaints.
We were asked to represent Cincinnati as a coalition from this week’s “Mobilization to End Poverty Conference.” I was not prepared, nor did I pack clothing for visiting dignitaries. So imagine my wonder when it was announced that we would not only visit Capitol Hill, but our Senators as well. The group of forty Ohioans began to choose who should speak when we arrive. Naturally, I was volunteered! Though I am never really at a loss for words I had no intention of volunteering myself. Since my boss was one of those offering my name, I did not dare decline. A true Toastmaster never turns down an opportunity for an impromptu speech!
We chose four representatives to visit Senator George Voinovich and four to see Senator Sherrod Brown. I was chosen to share real life experiences of individuals from poverty in Cincinnati. I put on my game face and became excited about the challenge. My enthusiasm was dampened by the absence of the Senators upon arriving at their office. They were replaced by their aids. It was not surprising, just disappointing, and there wasn’t room to fit our entire delegation in one room.
The aids were pretty well informed, especially Senator Sherrod Brown’s, as they enlightened us to the Senator’s views after listening intently to our concerns. It was an experience we will remember and now we are prepared if the need arises again. It is pretty easy to get into your representative’s office, although you may not get to meet with them face to face. It is said that persistence wrecks the resistance; which is what we will need if we are to fulfill President Obama’s agenda on reducing domestic and global poverty.
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Sherman,
Great post! My name is Dan, and I’m writing on behalf of Here’s Life Inner City, the compassionate urban ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. Not sure if you’re familiar with Tim Keller, but he recently spoke for Here’s Life Inner City (http://www.hlic.org) at our staff conference in Colorado this past July. He spoke about Christian responsibility to the poor, among other insightful subjects. Thought you might like to take a look at the video. Feel free to share it with friends and readers. It’s available here: http://hereslife.ning.com/page/case-for-compassion. Also, would love to have you join iHope at http://www.ihopecommunity.org, where you can dialogue about inner-city poverty and homelessness. Thanks again for the great post!
Best,
Dan