Racism? I’m shocked!

So the big story in Worcester is not that the refs at a couple South High vs. Holy Name basketball games made bizarre calls that handed the games to Holy Name.

The big story is that the South High coach, in a considered statement to the press, violated Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association rules by criticizing the refs and suggesting they were motivated by racism:

“It’s everywhere, but the Catholic schools are worse,” [South coach Patrick Williams] told the Telegram & Gazette in a 29-minute interview after his team’s 60-56 loss Sunday afternoon at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. “You have the same officials, and they look at all black players and a black coach, and they make the calls.”
(Telegram & Gazette)

T&G subscribers can get part of the story over there. Indymedia has Scott Schaeffer-Duffy’s take:

I saw five South High games this year and noticed a definite difference when South played Holy Name and Saint John’s. In both games, South took substantial leads over their opponents only to suddenly face a disproportionate number of foul calls against them. It was like watching the all-black squad from South having to play with cement blocks on their feet to even up the competition.
[…]
If we dismiss Coach Williams’s charge without absolutely clear independent review, we tell black youth in Worcester that they will never get a fair shake in this town. Let’s not go that route.

My favorite tidbit is that Worcester Public Schools athletic director John Pepi called the refs to apologize. That’s right: no investigation has happened, but the schools have apologized to the refs.

This reminds me of Harry Whittington apologizing to Dick Cheney for getting shot.
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If elected, I’ll ask for a recount.

The NPR affiliate in Norman, Oklahoma — KGOU — aired a great story about my campaign for Mayor of Oklahoma City today. The reporter, Scott Gurian, used to hang out with folks at the NYC Catholic Worker, so he understood how to interview and report on a Catholic Worker running for a political office. I put an mp3 of the story at my website, http://www.bobwaldrop.net/waldropkgou.mp3

Items

Tom Lewis getting better: The Worcester artist/activist has been in the hospital for a few days, both for cardio surgery and because of complications. With luck, he’ll be out in a couple days. He was in a very good mood when I saw him this morning, and he denied reports that he’d developed an infection. Please do send a “get well soon” letter to 136 Austin St, Worcester MA 01609.

Tom Lewis making a print
Tom Lewis making a print. Photo by the artist.
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Vegan Lent

Most Catholics in the US give up eating bird and mammal meat on Fridays during Lent. Since I became vegan five years ago, my friends and co-workers have teased me: “You’re not giving up anything! Maybe you should eat meat on Fridays!”

Adam Villani suggests that I give up soy on Fridays during Lent, and I’m going to take his advice. For a vegan, that’s giving up an especially satisfying part of the diet.

Gamera wishes Mike a slamin birthday (Bean Counter, Worcester)
This year I was surprised to receive a birthday cake that was both vegan and decorated with Gamera. Cake: The Bean Counter, Worcester. Photo: Claire Schaeffer-Duffy.

Easy conversations about things that matter

On page 19 of the new book The Catholic Worker Movement: Intellectual and Spiritual Origins is an old Peter Maurin piece that I hadn’t seen before, or at least didn’t remember:

Easy conversations
about things that matter
would keep people
from going to the movies,
from talking politics,
from cheap wisecracking.
Easy conversations
about things that matter
would enable Catholics
to understand Catholicism,
to give an account of their faith,
and to make non-Catholics curious
about Catholicism.

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