47 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 11 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
Exclusive to OpEd News:
OpEdNews Op Eds   

The Spirit of Community

By       (Page 1 of 2 pages)   1 comment
Follow Me on Twitter     Message Jason Paz

Most human beings on the planet lead lives of quiet desperation. They have little sense of being, because they function alone. "It's a dog eat dog world out there." They say. "Join the rat race," we say to our youngsters. Somali refugees at the Kenyan border live in a waste dump wondering where to find potable water.

Similarly, Americans drop the keys to their mansions in the mailbox and sleep in the family car at the nearest Wal*Mart parking lot. They have lost possessions that are beyond the wildest dreams of most of the world population.

Both nationalities consider themselves destitute beyond saving. Both groups have yet to learn to think outside the box.

While sliding into a depression, why does a small town 17 miles north of Pittsburgh stage an art show?


Local Building Owners Open their Doors for Art
The Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce, Sewickley Borough and volunteer professionals have come together to effectuate a program for temporary utilization of available storefronts during the Sewickley Fall Gallery Walk.
In the true spirit of cooperation, six property owners are allowing their available retail storefronts to become galleries in support of the visual arts community and the Village of Sewickley. They will open their doors as complete "Art Galleries during the Fall Gallery Walk, September 25th 5:30 - 9pm. The locations are in the heart of the business district, on Broad and Beaver Streets.

Sweetwater Center for the Arts will fill at least two venues with their talented instructor artwork at the retail spaces on either side of the Sewickley Hotel.
Featured painting instructors are Douglas Brown (watercolor), Deborah McLaren (various media), Joyce Werwie Perry (oil), D. Zoe Shutka (acrylic, drawing) and Ron Thurston (watercolor).

Sweetwater Center ceramic artists Bryce Hemington and Ellen Siergiej, along with printmaker Bryan Hunt, will be featured at
439 Broad Street. Sewickley Academy will be showcasing its artistic talent at 510 Beaver street (next to Clearview Federal Credit Union). The former Feathers Shop, located on 417 Beaver Street, will house Quaker Valley School District's art exhibition entitled "Opportunities , which reflects the wonderful opportunities visual arts provides students for learning and growing. Local art advisor and independent curator Ingrid LaFleur Whitehead has organized an exhibition of photographs by Ayana V. Jackson at 541 Beaver Street entitled "Looking Glass Self . The work is a collection of images taken during the artist's travels through Kenya, Rawanda, South Africa and Mexico.

Free parking after 3pm, and on Saturday's through the end of 2009. For further information, please visit the Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce web site at www. sewickleychamber.org.

General McChrystal Can Win the Afghan Hearts and Minds

There are 30,000 villages in Afghanistan. Including Blackwater mercenaries, we have about 120,000 troops in the country. Our stated intent was to develop the nation into a viable economy with soldiers able to defend it. Since the US public lacks the patience [and the resources] for ten years of engagement, I suggest a shortcut.
The pay should be equalized among our troops mercenary and not. They should have a unified command under the US Army. The soldiers would become embedded four to a village. They would take on duties as instructors in elementary schooling, in infrastructure building and in military training. Their students would receive a standard wage for participating in schooling, building or military tasks.
While these projects are underway, each village would be responsible for its own defense. There would be little or no Taliban infiltration, because villagers [motivated by the standard wage] can spot them.
Until the program is established, our embedded troops will be in danger. They can call on air support with a twist. The Taliban must kill innocent villagers to get at our kids. This makes all the difference. Americans are with the people rather than invading their land.

Peace with Justice is a Real Stretch

Murder and war are easier. When an employee rocks the boat, take his health insurance from him. His chances for dying increase by 40 percent. Who would prosecute a clean cut businessman or government official for murder and torture?
Most recent articles at OEN bore me to tears. They focus on the blame game. When the other side fails to reveal their latest ploy to overthrow the government, the pundits deplore the activities of their troops. Every Sunday David Gregory fashions a commentary by pestering every sluggard in sight.
Nasty children run the world. They shoot peacemakers, don't they?
The typical suicide bomber earns $9 per day. Limited in job opportunities, he is probably doing the best he can to provide for his family.
In my spare time I developed a peace plan for Afghanistan. It called for embedding four US soldiers in each of the 30,000 Afghan villages. Our people would organize the common defense, advance education and needed infrastructure development. However primitive, my plan is superior to trading shots with insurgents and bombing villages. An OEN editor politely suggested a re-write.

I See 60,000 boots on the Ground for no Useful Purpose

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Supported 1   Interesting 1   Valuable 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Jason Paz Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Born a month before Pearl Harbor, I attended world events from an early age. My first words included Mussolini, Patton, Sahara and Patton. At age three I was a regular listener to Lowell Thomas. My mom was an industrial nurse a member of the (more...)
 
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Follow Me on Twitter     Writers Guidelines

 
Contact EditorContact Editor
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Justice Delayed is Justice Denied

What if Sirhan Sirhan Had Missed?

Kathleen Cleaver on Human Rights

What Goes Around Comes Around Like Torture

Martin Luther King and Unjust Laws Today

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend