SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
January 9, 2020
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/14/20
In this edition:
*RIP Ron Ikan
*Linda Herring
*MLK
*Obama Book
*Big Structural Change
*Did You Know?
*RIP Ron Ikan
We lost a good one last week with the passing of Ron Ikan of Solon. Ron and his wife Pat are longtime Democratic Party activists in Solon, and darned good people. RIP, Ron.
*Linda Herring
The Board of Supervisors is doing a proclamation honoring Linda Herring of Tiffin. As I wrote in a Salvos Salute a couple weeks ago:
Linda Herring is retiring from serving as a first responder for the Tiffin Fire department, something she had done for over 20 years. She is also no longer going to be a foster parent, after having over 600 kids since being licensed in 1980. Let me say that again. SIX HUNDRED foster children! In addition, she has taken special needs kids that would often have gone to some sort of group care. An example is Linda’s daughter, Dani. Dani was born with only a brain stem in August of 1990. Linda took her into her home as a foster child, and was told she wouldn’t live more than a few months. Dani is now 29 years old. All I can say is God Bless you, Linda!
*MLK
Monday, January 20 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 did a proclamation in his honor; this year, that was Thursday, January 9 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 women die in childbirth at ridiculous rates. 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 MLK Unity March begins at 9 AM at Eastdale Plaza, marching to the Scanlon gym at Mercer Park. Festivities there begin at 10 AM, with lunch served at noon.
Bethel AME Church is holding a service and program from 12 - 2PM at the church.
The Coralville Public Library will do a reading of the “I Have A Dream” speech at 5pm that day at the Library.
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.
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!
*Obama Book
One of the best things about campaigns is the people you meet. Back in 2007, I met a young Iowa Citian named Chris Liddell Westefeld. He was (and is) delightful, as are his parents, Deb Liddell and John Westefeld. We spent two years working together on the Obama campaign, which Chris followed up with a stint in the White House!
Now my friend Chris has written a book. Please help a local kid out and support this effort! The following is from Chris himself:
“As many of you know, six years ago I left my job at the White House to start an oral history project on the 2008 Obama campaign. The idea was that aside from memoirs by the campaign leadership, few of the staff and volunteers who worked to elect the 44th president had recorded their memories of the experience and I wanted to capture some of those stories before they were lost to history.”
“One interview led to a dozen, which turned into 50, which turned into more than 200, which eventually turned into my new book, They Said This Day Would Never Come, which will be published on January 7, 2020.”
“The book is the story of what the 2008 Obama campaign looked like on the ground—from Iowa through Inauguration—as told by those who lived it. The core voices are staff and volunteers who joined up when the outcome was far from certain, reflecting on the moments that remained most vivid to them years later.”
“So many friends and Obama alumni volunteered their time and resources to make this project a reality, and it would mean a lot if you would help spread the word. The official release date is January 7, but here are some ways you can help – thanks for all the support along the way.”
“Publishers use pre-orders to determine how much support to put behind a title. And because so few people buy books in 2019, much like a caucus-goer in an Iowa precinct, one person can make a big difference.”
“You can pre-order here on Amazon, or through a local independent bookstore in-person or on IndieBound, and encourage others to do the same by sharing details of the book on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. And if you listen to audio books, you can download an audio version, which features more than 60 of the original voices in the book, in their own words.”
“There will also be an Iowa City stop on Sunday, January 26 at Prairie Lights bookstore at 4 pm.”
*Big Structural Change
As you know, I support Elizabeth Warren for President. A big part of the reason I support her is that I believe the US needs some big structural changes.
I have been challenged by some friends on this. They say, “We do not need these big changes.” Each person who has said something like this is older, white, straight, well-insured, and relatively quite wealthy. Of COURSE they do not feel like big changes are warranted!
When they say, “We don't need these big changes,” what they mean is, “I don't need these big changes.” Most Americans are not so lucky! And you may not be so lucky in the future! The American people need big structural change, and they need it right away!
*DID YOU KNOW? The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Junior would be 90 years old if he was alive today.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 8:23 AM
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