SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
January 4, 2018
Sullivan’s
Salvos 1/9/18
In this edition:
*MLK
*CRC MLK Event
*Serving as Chair
*Did You Know?
*MLK
Monday, January 15th marks the federal holiday
celebrating the birthday of the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior. I am
so pleased that our country has chosen to honor this great man, and I hope you
enjoy the holiday in his name. As usual, the Board of Supervisors will be doing
a proclamation in his honor; this year, that will be Thursday, January 11 at
5:30 PM.
We
would like to think America has come a long way since the 60s. After the 2016
elections, I’m not certain I feel that way any longer. Race was a HUGE issue in
the 2016 election, and the team the racists supported won.
Look
at America today. Black Lives Matter is a response to the epidemic of black men
being killed by police. The US Supreme Court killed much of the Voting Rights
Act, and they are likely to kill Affirmative Action. Black men are more likely
to go to prison than college. The list goes on and on. Our society still has a
deep racial divide.
We also need to recognize that King was a radical. America
grudgingly accepted racial reforms because they were less dangerous to the
status quo than the other issues King championed. King took seriously the
Biblical teachings that the love of money is a sin, and that rich men will not
be welcomed into Heaven. (Yes, King was a Social Democrat!) He proposed seismic
changes to the political and social structures that exist in America. In
addition, King was adamantly anti-war. To the status quo, he was the most
dangerous man in the world.
Take
some time this week to read some of the great books that are out there on Dr.
King. More importantly, take some time to read the things he wrote himself.
And if you are so inclined, there are several worthwhile local
celebrations. Here are a few:
The University of Iowa celebrates Human Rights Week in conjunction
with the MLK holiday. There is a long list of events; see https://mlk.uiowa.edu
for details.
Beginning at 9:00 a.m., the Martin Luther King
celebration “Morning Glory Unity Prayer and Reflection Service” will be held at
New Creations International Church, under the leadership of Pastor Anthony
Smith. Senior faith community
leaders are asked to wear official attire, and to offer a prayer or a brief
word of reflection. The church is located at 2929 E. Court St, Iowa City, with
parking access on Raven St. For more information, call 319-654-4624.
Iowa
City’s Unity March will be held on Monday, January 15. Citizens will gather at
10 a.m. at Faith Academy located at 1030 Crosspark Ave., and walk in a
demonstration of strength and support, to Grant Wood Elementary School at 1930
Lakeside Dr. A program with entertainment, service projects, and a call to
action town hall meeting will take place at Grant Wood Elementary until 2 p.m.
Transportation will be provided to retrieve vehicles left behind.
Beginning at 2:30 p.m., the Annual Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Day “Community Celebration” will commence at Bethel A.M.E.
Church, under the leadership of Reverend Kimberly Abram-Bryant. Community guest
speakers, Praise Dancers, and musical selections will be featured. The church
is located at 411 S. Governor St, Iowa City. For more information, call
319-338-7876, or contact bethelameiacity@yahoo.com
The Coralville Public Library will present a public
reading of Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic “I Have a Dream Speech” at 5 pm on
Monday, January 15 in the Library Rotunda. Readers will include representatives
(including yours truly!) from local government, library partners, and community
groups who work to make Dr. King's vision a reality. Library patrons will also
be encouraged to share their own dreams for a more just world, and the library
will display them throughout the month. For details, contact: reference@coralville.org or 319.248.1850.
We have SO much work to do. We cannot forget that. But we also
need to take the time to celebrate our successes. Happy MLK Day!
*CRC MLK Event
I was extremely disappointed to hear that the
Consultation of Religious Communities is not holding its annual MLK service on the
Sunday before the MLK holiday.
I understand why – we are all busy people. I do not
blame anyone - it is just sad. We have attended every year, and every year it
restores my faith. I guess I’ll need to find that feeling somewhere else. As
you can see above, there are plenty of options!
*Serving As Chair
Supervisor Mike Carberry will serve as the Chair of the Board in
2018. Before you go in search of juicy election results, understand that the
role of Chair is simply rotated amongst the members of the Board. Yes, there is
technically an election, but tradition here has been that the position of Chair
rotates.
Each
county does this somewhat differently. In some counties, a single individual
has served as Chair for over 25 years. There are counties that have spirited,
contested elections for Chair. In other counties, the role of Chair rotates,
but only between members of the majority party. Many counties operate as we do.
It is all over the board. (Pun intended!)
Serving
as the Chair is interesting. There really is more work involved – primarily
legislative. The amount of extra work here can vary greatly, but for me in 2016
it was probably 3 extra hours per week for 25 weeks. As always, the amount of
work any given Supervisor puts in can and does vary greatly.
There is also at least one additional meeting per week to set the
weekly agendas. Plus, the Chair has to sign everything. That might not sound
like much, but it would surprise you! I counted, and in the last week of 2016 I
had over 175 documents requiring my signature!
The biggest difference between serving as Chair and simply serving
as a Board member is running the meetings. Running meetings well requires more
than just reading the agenda. To do it well, one needs to watch the clock, keep
everyone involved, and clearly summarize things. It is tougher than it looks!
The
first time I served as Chair was 2008. Blizzards, floods, evacuations, curfews…
2012 and 2016 were pieces of cake compared to that!
Good
luck to Supervisor Carberry as he slides into the role of Chair for 2018! And
good luck to our Vice Chair, Supervisor Lisa Green-Douglass!
*DID YOU KNOW?
"I want to say to you as I
move to my conclusion, as we talk about "Where do we go from here?"
that we must honestly face the fact that the movement must address itself to
the question of restructuring the whole of American society. There are forty
million poor people here, and one day we must ask the question, "Why are
there forty million poor people in America?" And when you begin to ask
that question, you are raising a question about the economic system, about a
broader distribution of wealth. When you ask that question, you begin to
question the capitalistic economy. And I'm simply saying that more and more, we've
got to begin to ask questions about the whole society."
---Martin Luther King, Jr.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
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come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
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As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 8:58 PM
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