Austin American Statesman Article about the AAIM Interfaith Thanksgiving Celebration!
November 23, 2009
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/11/23/1123thanksgiving.html
Different faiths gather to mark annual interfaith celebration
More than a dozen religions gathered, performed and feasted at
25th annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service and Celebration
hosted by Austin Area Interreligious Ministries.
By Isadora Vail
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, November 23, 2009
This wasn't a typical church service.
The 25th annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service and Celebration on Sunday began with a Muslim chant and the blowing of a ram's horn from the second floor of the First Baptist Church of Austin. Dancers leading a procession wore bright purple dresses, green-and-white robes, Wiccan symbols, crosses, hijabs and yarmulkes.
"God planted different colors of flowers around the Earth, just like different colors of men," said Ustad Ghulam Farid Nizami, a Pakistani musician who played the sitar and sang as part of the celebration. "Today's celebration is about love and peace," he said.
Nizami, who taught last year at the University of Texas through a Fulbright scholarship, and about 900 other people attended the event. Organizers said the celebration included the Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Baha'i and Covenant of the Goddess faiths. Celebrants of more than a dozen religions sang and played African drums, guitars and pipe organs.
The service is aimed at connecting different religions for a big Thanksgiving ceremony and dinner. The Austin Area Interreligious Ministries organizes the service every year.
"We are all standing in the shadow of what happened at Fort Hood," said Tom Spencer, who heads the Interreligious Ministries. "Today is about sustaining relationships with different religions, and we want to challenge the people of this city to help us do just that."
Spencer said the celebration of Thanksgiving has come a long way in the past 25 years, including overcoming a controversy in 2007 in which the Hyde Park Baptist Church refused to welcome non-Christian religions in the church. That year, the ceremony was moved at the last minute to another location.
Austin is increasingly diverse, and it is necessary to celebrate days like Thanksgiving with other religions, Spencer said.
Ziad Al Anbaki, an Iraqi refugee who attended the event with his family, said he came to the United States about seven months ago. Anbaki spoke little English but said he was happy to be in the church with many different people.
For Jessica Schumacher, who sang with St. John's United Methodist Church-Austin, she was intrigued by the different styles of worship she saw.
"I didn't know too much about the celebration, but it was such a neat opportunity," Schumacher said. "Normally, I wouldn't see anything like this, so I'm really glad we came."
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posted by Sara Hickman at 08:30 am
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Sad News: Governor Perry
November 20, 2009
Thank you for contacting Governor Perry and urging him to grant clemency
to Robert Lee Thompson, who is scheduled to be executed by the State of
Texas tonight. We deeply regret to inform you that the Governor has rejected
the recommendation of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and declined
to commute Thompson's sentence to life in prison.
TCADP Executive Director Kristin Houle issued the following statement in
response to the Governor's decision:
"The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP) is outraged that
Governor Perry has rejected the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommendation
to commute the death sentence of Robert Lee Thompson. Thompson is scheduled
to be executed this evening for the murder of Mansoor Rahim, even though
he was not the triggerman. His co-defendant, Sammy Butler, the actual killer of
Mr. Rahim, was tried separately and convicted on a lesser charge. Butler is
serving a life sentence and will be eligible for parole.
This was only the fourth such recommendation for clemency from the Board
in cases where the inmate faced imminent execution, but it constitutes
the second time that Governor Perry has chosen to ignore the Board,
whose members he appoints. Perry previously rejected a recommendation
for clemency by the Board in 2004 when he allowed the execution
of Kelsey Patterson, an inmate with severe mental illness, to proceed.
The Governor's decision comes at a time of increased public awareness
and scrutiny of the flaws and failures of the Texas death penalty system.
TCADP joins with a growing chorus of diverse voices, including those of
law enforcement, religious leaders, murder victim family members, and
state legislators in calling for an end to this arbitrary and error-prone
form of punishment."
Please call the Governor and express your outrage that he once
again has failed to promote justice in Texas:
Office of the Governor
Citizen's Opinion Hotline: 1-800-252-9600
Phone: (512) 463-2000
Fax: (512) 463-1849
posted by Sara Hickman at 08:47 pm
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17th Annual House the Homeless Memorial Service
November 19, 2009
November 22
7 a.m.
Auditorium shores near the gazebo @ the Memorial Tree
(near Stevie Ray Vaughn sculpture, which I think is at First & Riverside)
Please come out and share in the moving memorial in honor of those
homeless who have passed away on Austin's streets. Reading of the names,
honoring our veterans, and fellowship with words and music.
Here is a rundown of the service:
17th House the Homeless Sunrise Memorial Service
“Joy”-Sara Hickman
Welcome– Colleen Troxell
Invocation– Jacob Vanhorn
Keynote Speaker– City Council Member Randi Shade
“What if God Was One of Us”– Sara Hickman
Salute to Veterans– John Curran
Reading of the Names:
Hugh Simonich, Laura Mota, Darrell Garrett
“We are Each Other’s Angels”– Sara Hickman
Perspective– Richard R. Troxell
“It’s Alright”– Sara Hickman
Benediction– Jacob Vanhorn
Taps– Reverend Armin Steege
Closing– Colleen Troxell
Launch of the Thermal Underwear Drive
“I Wish You Well”- Sara Hickman
Reception to follow at the Fanny Davis Gazebo
food, coffee, cocoa, and friends
posted by Sara Hickman at 05:31 am
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PLEASE CALL Governor Rick Perry RIGHT NOW!
Breaking news! The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has recommended that Robert Lee Thompson's death sentence be commuted to life in prison. Thompson is scheduled to be executed by the State of Texas on Thursday, November 19, 2009. This is only the fourth such recommendation for clemency from the Board in cases where the inmate faced imminent execution.
Thompson's lawyer successfully argued that he was not the triggerman in a December 1996 convenience store robbery-murder. His co-defendant, who was the actual killer of Mansoor Rahim, was tried separately and convicted on a lesser charge; he is serving a life sentence and will be eligible for parole.
Please call Governor Perry IMMEDIATELY! Urge him to follow the Board's recommendation and commute Thompson's sentence!
Office of the Governor
Citizen's Opinion Hotline: 1-800-252-9600
Phone: (512) 463-2000
Fax: (512) 463-1849
Read more about the clemency recommendation in the Houston Chronicle.
Here's more information about Thompson:
Robert Lee Thompson, 34, is scheduled to be executed on November 19, 2009. He and co-defendant Sammy Butler, 32, were tried for capital murder for the December 5, 1996 stickup of a Braeswood Boulevard convenience store in which clerk Mansoor Rahim was killed. Under Texas' law of parties, all participants in such cases are eligible for the death penalty, regardless of who did the actual killing.
Thompson, who wounded but did not kill another employee, was convicted and sentenced to die. Prosecutors failed to prove Butler intended to kill his victim, however, leading to a non-capital conviction and a life sentence for the triggerman. Butler will be eligible for parole in 2036.
Please call Governor Perry as soon as possible and urge him to follow the Board's recommendation by commuting Robert Thompson's death sentence.
Thank you!
posted by Sara Hickman at 05:00 am
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Response from Tim, founder of Alamo Drafthouse… about Busking/Panhandling Issue
November 11, 2009
of House the Homeless. Tim League started the beloved Alamo Drafthouse...
Oct 30, 2009, at 1:01 AM, Tim League wrote:
Hey Sara,
Tim League here from Alamo Drafthouse. I just read your really extensive blog post regarding DAA, 6ixth Street Austin
and the issues involving the homeless in Austin. You have a lot of really good things to say in your article,
but I don't think you are up to speed on all the things in which 6ixth Street Austin is engaged regarding the
homeless community in Austin. I just came on board as the chairman of 6ixth Street Austin last month,
and I can tell you that this issue is my top priority.
Our organization doesn't have much money - we have a tiny "public improvement district" tax assessment
paid by Sixth Street property owners that is enough to fund one staff member and a couple tiny projects
throughout the year. The rest of the organization is comprised of volunteer labor, such as myself.
That said, among many of our projects, we are working towards solutions to homelessness.
6ixth Street Austin, for the past 8 months, has been spearheading meetings with downtown stakeholders:
social service providers, judges, police, business operators, property owners, city staff, city council, city
management, EMS, the churches, etc. This diverse group is developing strategies that
the city can adopt to help mitigate the plight of the homeless.
This process was also sponsored in City Council by Sheryl Cole who is on a mission
to improve the services for the homeless in Austin.
In the past couple of months, I've gone on a tour of the spectacular new $95 million dollar
"Haven for Hope" campus facility in San Antonio, had lunch with Bill Hobson, the director
of the Seattle "Housing First" projects including their groundbreaking wet-housing facility,
had lunch with Father Bill Wack who oversaw the Phoenix homeless mission and toured
several of the Green Doors facilities here in Austin. Tomorrow night, I'm meeting with
council-members Chris Riley and Laura Morrisson along with representatives from DANA,
DAA and Front Steps for a round-table "stew and cornbread" dinner at The ARCH
to talk about and debate a direction for Austin's response to homelessness.
Anyhow, I just wanted you to know that 6ixth Street Austin and the DAA aren't as
callous as your journal makes us sound. We are working very hard on the real issues
surrounding homelessness.
I know we don't agree on the panhandling issue, and I'd love to chat with you
further about it and maybe present our side of the rationale behind the initiative,
and by our, I mean the unanimous support of the social service providers in downtown Austin,
not just 6ixth Street Austin. Even if we don't eventually see eye to eye on the issue
of the anti-panhandling ordinance, I'd still like to work with you on the more important
issues on which we are working. Panhandling is a symptom, it's not the cause, and I'd
frankly not like to get too bogged down in that one issue. The cause is Austin's desperately
inadequate facilities, resources and housing.
I'd like to ask you to engage in our process. It sounds like you have a wealth of information
on the subject and would have a lot to contribute. I personally want to enact some real change
in Austin and get the city motivated to invest in housing and homeless resource facilities.
So you know, I wholeheartedly endorse the Habitat on Wheels project (and I think it has strong
support at the city too), I think we absolutely need a wet housing facility and we are GROSSLY
behind in all aspects of housing, treatment and training/resource facilities for the homeless.
Right now, there is strong support with many members of city council, and I think if we can
quickly get a unified plan of action, we may actually be able to get some real and tangible results soon.
I've rambled a bit, I know, but I wanted to:
1) ask you to be a part of the team that is working towards expanding homeless resource
facilities and housing solutions
2) let you know that Sixth Street Austin (and the DAA for that matter) has a lot of people
who care about this issue for the right reasons and are working to get political support to fund solutions
Please call my cell or drop me an email if you want to meet up and chat. I look forward to hearing from you!
Yours,
Tim League
Founder
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Rolling Roadshow
Fantastic Fest
http://www.originalalamo.com
My response:
On Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 9:30 AM, Sara Hickman wrote:
Dear Tim,
Thank you so very much for your thoughtful, lengthy, and engaging letter
concerning my blog post. First, I have to make one correction in that I did
not write that post. My dear friend, Richard Troxell of House the Homeless,
wrote the article, and I only posted it. I wish I was as eloquently supplied
with facts and figures as Richard (or you, for that matter!). I wanted
to post what Richard had sent to me, which also I forwarded on to the
Austin Music Commission, because Richard sent it to
me after Bill Brice (DAA) had visited one of our AMC meetings.
(You should also know I have since resigned my position with AMC
as I felt I've just got too much going on in my world and needed to
pare back to what is essential.)
Several months ago, I had approached Councilwoman Laura Morrison,
who appointed me to the Austin Music Commission, about
being involved on a commission that was concerned with the homeless
problems in Austin. I am, as you stated, serious about finding solutions and helping those
who are living on the streets---whether it is a living wage, a home, rehabilitative services
or furthering education, or all combined---as I felt I wasn't of much service on the
Austin Music Commission, although everyone on that board is working hard on music
related issues and incredibly intelligent.
I wish I could meet with you tonight at your round table, but I'm a mom, so being as it
is Halloween night, I will not be able to come to this gathering, but if you would like to mention
to Laura that I am still interested in some sort of involvement, you are welcome
to remind her, and perhaps, I can get involved with you all at some level/become a part of your team.
I think it is an amazing testament to your desire to create change that you have toured
so many facilities. I was recently in Ft. Worth, where I performed at three facilities there.
Having been involved in speaking out about homelessness for over 20 years, I am still
shocked at the rising numbers of those displaced---mix population growths, new
developments razing older neighborhoods, poor education, drug rise, lack of family
planning/education, etc---and the numbers are staggering. That said, I am not set in
stone about panhandling, or any issue to do with homelessness; I am open to dialogue
and continuing to educate myself about the different aspects/positions concerning
key ways to change/handle this growing epidemic.
In regards to DAA, I was only passionate in that Bill Brice understand the difference
between "panhandling" and busking/musicians. When he came to visit us at AMC,
he had nothing written within the papers he presented (that he had also been sharing
with Mayor Lee Leffingwell), and that was my job, to point issues like this out so that
nothing is written into local law without complete definition.
Anyway, I am honored you took the time to write. If you would like me to post your letter,
here, on my blog, I am happy to counterbalance what Richard wrote. I try to engage people
via my blog (and also "Startthedialogue.com", where we discuss the death penalty, family matters,
issues of the day)....as that is the most I can hope to accomplish in an era over inundated
with information and distractions.
I would enjoy meeting with you, Sheryl Cole, Laura Morrison, whomever. I realize
I don't have any power, but I can continue to learn and share what I learn at my
shows and on my sites so that, hopefully, we CAN create a healthier world
for all of Austin's citizens.
In Grace and Gratitude,
Sara
posted by Sara Hickman at 03:24 pm
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