Cromey Online

The writings of author, therapist, and priest Robert Warren Cromey.

Thursday, June 30, 2016

SF Chronicle, homeless and proffits

Thank you for the sad and moving series on the homeless. I live in the Mission. Dozens of homes are being built next door to men and women hanging out and sleeping on the streets. Few if any homeless persons will move into those apartments and condominiums. Profit making entities build these buildings. The companies and stockholders want their profits and dividends.

My question is how much profit is enough? If profits were reduced, perhaps units would be cheaper. If profits were reduced then true low cost housing could be built.  If profits were reduced some units could be built for the temporary homeless as they transition to better quarters.

Profits are good and necessary for buildings to be built. They do not have to be made at the expense of the poor and homeless.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

CANNERY ROW

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

We enjoyed our stay at the Spindrift Hotel on Cannery Row in Monterey, CA. June 24-27. We went to escape the revelers for gay pride weekend where Dolores Park is crammed full of celebrants all weekend.

Our hotel was right in the midst of the tourist laden Cannery Row. John Steinbeck’s novel of the same name made the area famous. Now the end piece is the large Monterey bay Aquarium with a wonderful collection of fish, seals and coral. Speakers and guides make the visit interesting for most. We were there on Monday morning June 27 and the place was packed by noon. Getting there at opening time meant we did not feel too crowded. Whole and partial families walked through the exhibits. Children aplenty stared in wonder at the   30 feet high tanks of fish of all sizes and colors swimming idly around being gazed upon.  I had a feeling of sadness that the fish were in captivity, like the zoo animals.

I did notice that there were many people of color and ethnicity different from baseball games, the opera and symphony.

We walked for a half hour before we went into the aquarium, partly to keep warm on the chilly morning. After an hour in the Aquarium I got quite tired and even bored once we had made a good round the major exhibits. I went for coffee and a bun while Ann pursued her interest in other aspects of the institution.

Many people raved about the feeding of the seals to take place at 11 AM. We stood for 15 minutes to watch a couple of seals surface and chomp on bread and meal. As usual I thought it was highly over-rated. It takes a lot to excite me much less interest me mildly. Ann of course is interested and excited about all things in nature. She is so wonderful that way.

The hotel room 403 had a watery view of the Monterey Bay.  Blue water, sail boats, foggy mornings and sun in the late morning and afternoon. The room was colored in browns, tans and white trims. There was a fireplace, two easy chairs, a footrest in front and a large TV above the fireplace. We never turned on the set. Oh, yes a king sized bed.

I lit the gas-generated fire and had not opened the damper enough and we had a smoke filled room and a noisy alarm excite us. Shane, a bellhop came, opened the windows and shooed the smoke away from the alarm. After a few minutes the smoke diminished and things returned to a smelly smoke normal breathing air.

There is a print in the room with diametric forms that looked like a turkey to me. It was done in browns, dark reds and whites. It was pleasing and provocative to look at, as one could never be sure exactly what it depicted.

Each morning we had a continental breakfast served in the room. It features hard boiled eggs, raisin brain, orange juice a fruit plate with pineapple, melon and berries, coffee, cream milk and some delicious brown moist muffins.

After breakfast we took a walk up and own the three blocks of Cannery Row and we walked a ways together and Ann went on to hike a longer distance.

We were delighted surprised how good the food was right along this touristy walk. In Lalla salads with seafood, at Linguini Louis we had delicious fettuccini with fresh clams in a wine and lemon sauce.  The first night we ate in The Sardine Factory, an old style, very expensive Italian place that is a veteran on the area. I had abalone with way too much creamy sauce all over it. Ann had scallops, which she liked. They pride themselves as having resisted California Cuisine and it showed. Our final dinner was in a take out restaurant with tables. We sat down and had quite good chicken, spinach and cheese dis Panak Paneer.


I loved it that we could walk right out of our hotel into a busy people strewn street with shops and restaurants nearby.

Monday, June 20, 2016

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

What to Do at the Prayers of the People

Here is a time in the service when you can make your particular concerns aloud or silently. Think of the events in the news that affect you –war, politics or upheavals in the world. We pray for our leaders in church and state, in our city and government. We remember the issues affecting our water, air and health.

We pray for the sick in mind body or spirit; those with addictions and chronic diseases; those displaced by war, famine, earthquake, fire and food.

We remember those who have asked for our prayers. We remember them by saying their names aloud as printed in the prayer list.

We pray for those who have died recently and in the past. Remembering by mentioning their names aloud or silently makes the memory real.

Perhaps each Sunday before we come too church we take a moment to make a note on paper or mentally of the people, issues and concerns that we want to mention during the prayers of the people. This helps us connect the important things in our lives to the prayers.

Remember that when we pray for things, we may be called to do something about what we pray for. If we pray for peace, we work for peace. If we pray for someone who is sick, we might visit them, send food, a card, flowers, make a phone call or send an email.


RWC

Thursday, June 16, 2016

HILARY NOT DONALD

Donald Trump is the presumptive candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. Hilary Rodham Clinton will probably be his democratic opponent. Trump’s campaign features anti Muslim and anti Mexican rhetoric. He proposes laws preventing Muslims from entering the U.S. He also wants a wall to be built to keep out illegal immigrants from Mexico. He appeals to the American underclass. They are Americans who are poorly paid, feel excluded from the mainstream and feel foreigners have taken over the job market.


The campaign will be viscous as Trump is charismatic, foul mouthed and unrestrained.  Clinton will answer his allegations with damning advertisements designed to further denigrate her opponent. I will vote for and support Hilary Rodham Clinton.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

THE WOMAN AT STANFORD AND JESUS


The Woman

The woman shows Jesus great love by kissing his feet, bathing the road weary feet, anointing them with oil and drying them with her hair. The woman is a sinner, probably a prostitute. Unmarried women in Jesus day were in the depths of poverty. There was no welfare, food stamps or soup kitchens. There is a good chance she was known as a prostitute.


Jesus was criticized by his host for allowing this woman to touch him and knowing she was a sinner. Men in Jesus day did not even allow women to touch them.

Quote Jesus: Simon, do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you her sins, which are many, have been forgiven: hence she has shown great love. But one, whom little is forgiven, loves little. Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Men sat Table woman on the floor. But Jesus saw the woman as a human being. He raised her up and defended her to his host. He made her important. Jesus held women in high regard.

We Christians are called to treat women with high regard, dignity and justice.

Treatment of women as second-class citizens, weak and to be used results in RAPE.


Stanford raped woman, Jane Doe’s Story: She was drunk, assaulted and unconscious by by Brock
Allen Turner after a fraternity party

He gets six months in jail for raping the unconscious co-ed. His father Dan Turner was quoted as saying “Why should his life be ruined for twenty minutes of action?” His statement followed broock’s light sentencing.

Sexism alive and miserable. 1 in 5 women will be sexually assaulted on college campuses. My granddaughter Catherine is a sophomore at Boston University. I worry about her.

Many straight men look upon women as sex objects, not persons.

Many gay men express hostility toward women.

Machismo is present among many Latino and black men.

Of course many women regard all men as animals.

Prison systems turn a blind eye too men raping men in prisons and women raping women.

Sex prejudice reigns in our culture.

Jesus associates with the woman. We followers of Jesus need to repent of our constant sexism and repent and beg forgiveness and then go out seeking love and justice for all.

Here is a Christian take away:

We all repent of our sexism toward women and men

We can support legislation to treat raped women with respect

We can support legislation that assures rapist will receive appropriate punishment and treatment.

We pray for Brock Allen Turner, the convicted rapist.

We pray for his father, Dan Turner who callously said his son “should not be punished for 20 minutes of action.”

We pray for Judge Aaron Pesky, who is vilified for his slap on the wrist sentence of Brock Allen Turner.

We pray for the two Swedish bicyclists who helped Jane Doe survive the attack.

We pray for Jane Doe the victim of the rape, for her continued healing and restoration of her dignity.

We pray for ourselves that we avoid self-righteousness as we seek powerful justice for the victims of brutal crimes.