Redeeming Hope - September 2005 Archives

September 2005

Thoughts on Our Way Back - Dateline Las Vegas (15:29) - During one of my book events this week in Las Vegas, a person asked me about how I see race playing into the issues surrounding the people’s retreat from public life and politics. I believe it plays a big role, and it is an issue we must squarely address in our society. | 0 Trackbacks | 0 Comments

Thoughts on Our Way Back - Dateline Las Vegas (13:45) - As I travel the country talking about Hope Unraveled and the conditions of American public life and politics, inevitably someone asks, “It’s all so overwhelming, what could I ever do to make a difference?” The negative conditions we face, and the sheer magnitude of the challenge, can be overwhelming. I remember a woman from Richmond, VA., one of the people I interviewed for the book in 1998, turning to me and saying, “If you look... | 0 Trackbacks | 4 Comments

Thoughts on Our Way Back - Dateline Seattle (19:14) - I’m writing from Seattle where I released my new book, Hope Unraveled: The People’s Retreat and Our Way Back. What strikes me most in my conversations with people is the extent to which we have become mechanistic in our response to a fundamentally human condition. Here’s what I mean. Over the last four days, I have been attending the national Conference on Foundations Community Foundation annual conference. I have spent 15-hour days talking with community... | 0 Trackbacks | 1 Comments

Pledges We Must Keep (17:57) - This Sunday we will mark the fourth anniversary of 9/11. I hold vivid memories of seeing in response to that tragedy Republican and Democratic members of Congress join hands on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and sing God Bless America. What came of our response, and what can we learn in the wake of Hurricane Katrina? You’ll recall that after 9/11 numerous pledges were made. You could hear people say that our politics would... | 0 Comments

Faces of Tragedy, Faces of Grace (12:31) - Just a couple of weeks ago I was in New Orleans sitting at the counter of the tiny Clover Grill with my family. Earl, our waiter, told me his place had never closed during a hurricane. Today, I hope that he and his lovely place were able to make it through this latest nightmare. I vividly remember Earl and his funny, spirited stories about New Orleans and its people. | 0 Trackbacks | 3 Comments