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Make Repentance Great Again
LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...
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L a N ticia
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IN THE ISSUE Año 19 - No. 322
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“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”
No puedo recordar ya cuantas llamadas telefónicas de alerta he recibido en los últimos meses con mensajes, algunos pregrabados, que parecen provenir del gobierno, departamento de impuestos federal (IRS), oficina Por Yuri Cunza del seguro social La Noticia (SSA), o aseguranza Editor inChief del “automóvil @LaNoticiaNews nuevo” que no tengo.
Aunque se sienta vergüenza, muchos han sucumbido a la manipulación de personajes siniestros que aprovechando los miedos diversos, especialmente de aquellos miembros de comunidades vulnerables que incluyen inmigrantes y personas de la tercera edad han “cooperado” en facilitar información privada que ha tristemente ayudado a que desfalcos económicos sean perpetrados desde el vasto, impenetrable y obscuro mundo virtual de la internet, con escasos recursos de poder recuperar lo perdido.
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Nashville, Tennessee
El fraude por internet y cómo protegerse (parte 1)
Qué puede usted hacer
Aprenda a reconocer el fraude cibernético. Descubra las señales de alarma de los modelos más comunes de fraude, incluidos el “phishing” o “spoofing”(en inglés), la filtración de datos y los programas maliciosos (“malware”).
Internet fraud and how to protect yourself (Part 1)
un entorno no confiable. Puede ocurrir que los datos sean robados desde su computadora personal o a una compañía que tenga su información personal.
A continuación compartimos varios pasos a seguir en esta Parte 1, de varias, en donde intentaremos cubrir las diferentes modalidades de estafa comúnmente usadas en tiempos recientes.
Programa malicioso o “malware”: es software peligroso diseñado para dañar computadoras y sistemas informáticos.
Hay estafadores que utilizan la internet para defraudar a millones de personas cada año. Mediante software y servicios digitales, engañan a la gente para que les envíen dinero o información personal. Por eso es importante tomar precauciones para protegerse y denunciar el fraude por internet.
“Phishing” o “spoofing”: es cuando estafadores utilizan correos electrónicos falsos, mensajes de texto o un sitio web de imitación para intentar robar su información personal o su identidad. Ellos tratarán de averiguar sus números de tarjetas de crédito, de cuentas bancarias, pines de tarjetas de débito y contraseñas.
Tipos de fraude por internet Algunos ejemplos comunes de fraude cibernético incluyen: Filtración de datos: es cuando se filtra información confidencial (personal o financiera) desde una locación segura a
Tom Wills, Chair Cathy Jennings, Bruce Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Ann Bourland, Kerry Graham, Peter Macdonald, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Erik Flynn
de manera fraudulenta, a través del uso no autorizado del número de una tarjeta de crédito o débito. ¿Adónde denuncio el fraude cibernético? Si cree haber sido víctima de fraude por internet u otro delito cibernético, presente una denuncia en inglés ante el Centro de Denuncias de Delitos por Internet (IC3) o a través del formulario electrónico de aviso al FBI.
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Fraude en subastas por internet: implica la tergiversación de un producto anunciado en un sitio de subastas por Internet o la no entrega de mercancía. Fraude con tarjeta de crédito: es cuando los estafadores obtienen dinero o bienes
Su queja será enviada a las autoridades encargadas de cumplir la ley a nivel federal, estatal, local e internacional. Contacte a su compañía de tarjeta de crédito para notificar la disputa de cargos realizados por estafadores o si sospecha que su número de tarjeta fue robado.
Actualice sus programas de antivirus y anti espías (“antispyware”). La mayoría cuentan con actualización automática. Si su sistema operativo no ofrece protección gratuita contra programas espía o “spyware” (di-señados para evitar que el software recolecte información sin su consentimiento), puede encontrar opciones baratas para descargar en internet o en su tienda local de computadoras. Pero tenga cuidado con los anuncios en internet que ofrecen software de protección contra “spyware” descargables. Solo instale programas de fuentes confiables. Lo que no debe hacer
No dé su información personal a personas en las que no confía. Nunca escriba su información personal en un correo electrónico, una ventana emergente o un sitio web al que fue dirigido desde otro correo electrónico o página web. No deje su computadora prendida todo el tiempo. Si lo hace, la hará más vulnerable a “spyware” y a ataques de hackers y ladrones de identidad.
¿Cómo me protejo del fraude por internet?
Con información de: www.usa.gov/espanol
Tome estas medidas antes de navegar o comprar productos y servicios en Internet.
Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com
Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada? 1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)
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Conozca a su comprador o vendedor. Si no conoce a la persona a la que le está comprando o vendiendo, investigue un poco.
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Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.
Vendor Spotlight
Q&A: Paula Foster
La Noticia + The Contributor
Vendor Writing
... Freeman got to a point where he couldn’t work full time anymore... “It’s just my mind says ‘go’ and my body says ‘no.’”
New Open Table Nashville director Paula Foster talks about next steps and finding peace in the chaos.
La Noticia, one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers in the nation, brings Spanish content to The Contributor.
In this issue, vendors write about grandmothers, the capitol riots, God, the new year, and That Beautiful Smile.
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Contributors This Issue
Linda Bailey • Hannah Herner • Amanda Haggard • David Dark • Ridley Wills II • Yuri Cunza • Athiyah Azeem • kstreephotographydc • Marcellus Phillips • Queenie Featherstone • Joe Nolan • Mr. Mysterio • William B. • Vicky B. • Leslie S. • June P. • Jen A. • John H.
Contributor Volunteers Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • Ann Bourland • Patti George • John Jennings • Janet Kerwood • Logan Ebel • Christine Doeg • Laura Birdsall • Nancy Kirkland • Mary Smith • Andrew Smith • Ellen Fletcher • Richard Aberdeen • Shayna Harder Wiggins • Pete MacDonald • Robert Thompson
Cathy Jennings Executive Director Tom Wills Director of Vendor Operations
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Hannah Herner Staff Writer Jesse Call Housing Navigator Raven Lintu Housing Navigator Barbara Womack Advertising Manager
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Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus Will Connelly, Tasha F. Lemley, Steven Samra, and Tom WIlls Contributor Co-Founders
Editorials and features in The Contributor are the perspectives of the authors. Submissions of news, opinion, fiction, art and poetry are welcomed. The Contributor reserves the right to edit any submissions. The Contributor cannot and will not endorse any political candidate. Submissions may be emailed to: editorial@thecontributor.org Requests to volunteer, donate, or purchase subscriptions can be emailed to: info@thecontributor.org Please email advertising requests to: advertising@thecontributor.org
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CORRECTION: In our Jan. 6 edition of The Contributor, we published the wrong email address for people to email about donating items for our Home Kits, which help newly housed people with items when they move into a home. Email Christine at cdoeg22@gmail. com if you’d like any information on how to help.
January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 3
VENDOR SPOTLIGHT
Doyle has faith as he figures out what’s next STORY AND PHOTO BY HANNAH HERNER
Doyle Freeman is a recovering workaholic. At 10 years old, he started doing odd jobs for his dad, who had his own automobile electric business in Lebanon, Tenn., where Doyle and his seven siblings grew up. At 12 he picked up a paper route, and soon after started mowing lawns on the side. At 18 he started working full time for his dad, and after the family business closed he worked for another auto electric business for 25 years. When he got done at that job for the day, he would go and deliver pizza until the wee hours of the night. On many weekends he would travel with a Southern gospel quartet. It was such a big part of his family’s life that he said his son and daughter were practically raised on a tour bus.
In 2013, Freeman got to a point where he couldn’t work full time anymore. The 40 years of such physical work had taken its toll. Sciatica and damaged knees disabled him. Conf lict over his changing work life caused his marriage to fall apart and he became homeless as a result. “It was like, what do I do now? It was overwhelming. Because I loved to work. Maybe a little too much,” he says. Around that time, he started selling The Contributor. “It’s been a lifesaver,” he says. “Especially the spot I have now. I couldn’t make it without The Contributor. I enjoy doing it too. I’d probably do it even if I didn’t need the money. It’s something to do. It’s
just my mind says ‘go’ and my body says ‘no.’” Freeman would rather not print here where he sells, but he does travel about 50 miles outside of Nashville to his spot in a rural area, and he likes being the only one there. For the last few years, Freeman has been living with a close friend of 30 years, and became his full-time caretaker when his muscular dystrophy got worse. When his friend passed away in early December, Freeman became homeless again. For now he’s couch surfing, or sometimes staying in his car, or a motel if he can afford it. “It was tough emotionally, but on top of that I have nowhere to go,” Freeman says.
PAGE 4 | January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
Hobbies and interests outside of work weren’t things that Doyle had much time to think about until now. His next focus is to get into a stable place to live, The Contributor social work team is working on that. Then maybe he’ll pick up fishing again, and going to the movies. He loves comedies, especially with Jim Carey, and karate movies, especially with Chuck Norris. When asked how he keeps his spirits up in the midst of uncertainty he said, “Number one is my relationship with God. Nobody’s perfect, but that’s what I’d say. You gotta keep positive. There’s so much negativity in the world. The world is in such a state. You’re still on top of the ground, not in it. That’s one thing to be happy for.”
NEWS
LYSANDER MCGAVOCK’S HOME: MIDWAY BY RIDLEY WILLS II
Midway was the name of Lysander McGavock ’s home, which he built at Good Springs in Williamson County in 1829. Earlier, Lysander, whose wife was the former Elizabeth Crockett, of Wy the Count y, Va., had lived near Freeland’s Station where his father David McGavock built his brick home. The McGavock home in Williamson County was named “Midway” because it was halfway between Nashville and Frank-
lin. Good Springs later changed its name to Brentwood. There are several theories about how Brentwood got its name. One guess is that it was named for Brentwood, Md. In the 1850s, the head engineer who super vised the railroad cut at Brentwood, came from Brentwood, Md. It is said he named the Tennessee village for his hometown. Another idea is that Brentwood took its name from the ancestral homes of Horatio McNish in Virginia.
Their names were Woodstock and Brenton. McNish lived in the Brentwood area from 1827 until the 1850s. Lysander’s Good Springs home was heavily damaged by a f ire in the mid 184 0s and was replaced in 1846 by the brick home that is now the clubhouse of the Brent wood Country Club. Nashville mayor John Cooper and his brother Jim Cooper, our long time congressman, are McGavock descendants, as I am.
NEWS BRIEFS COVID-19 Assessment Centers adjust hours for winter The Davidson County COVID-19 Community Assessment Centers operated by Meharry Medical College will adjust hours of operations to accommodate colder weather through the Winter months. All the COVID-19 Community Assessment Centers will operate from 10:00 a.m.3:00 p.m. Monday-Friday beginning on Jan. 19, 2021. The assessment centers will also institute a Cold Weather Community Assessment Center Plan for days when opening all three assessment centers is not possible because of frigid temperatures. Testing will be available at the Nissan Stadium site on these days while the Former Kmart location and Meharry Medical College location are closed. Testing is free to the public at all community assessment centers operated by Meharry Medical College. The COVID 19 Hotline number is (615)862-7777. The hotline operates seven days a week from 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. The Community Assessment Centers are located at: • Nissan Stadium Lot “N” 1 Titans Way Nashville, TN 37213 • Meharry Medical 918 21st Ave North Nashville, TN 37208
• Former Kmart 2491 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN 37217 Davidson County ranks among worst for child well being Davidson County ranks 92nd among Tennessee counties in child well being, according to a report from the state. “Some of the county’s strongest rankings are a high median household income and a relatively low rate of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect,” the report says. The county’s biggest challenges are a below-average high school graduation rate and an above-average rate of school suspensions. An additional strength is a below-average rate of substantiated cases of abuse or neglect. Additional opportunities for improvement include high housing costs and a high percentage of children without health insurance. Nashville launches task force on affordable housing Mayor John Cooper today announced on Jan. 12 that the city would be creating a task force of 21 housing experts to help create more affordable housing in the city. The group’s first meeting is on Jan. 21 and their work will inform the 2022 fiscal year budget plan that Mayor John Cooper will make later this year to Metro Council. “Nashville’s housing needs are urgent,” Cooper said in a release. “By working to-
gether and listening to one another, we can find solutions that work best for Nashville’s neighborhoods.” Cooper and the task force, the Metro Planning Department, the Metro Development and Housing Authority and other city agencies will support the task force as they focus on policy, access, financing and land use. Recordings of all task force meetings will be posted to nashville.gov. “This task force represents an important step toward meeting Nashville’s pressing housing needs,” Metro Council Member Burkley Allen said. Allen and Metro Council Member Zulfat Suara will serve on the task force. “I look forward to working with my colleague, Council Member Suara, and with the other members of this task force to make recommendations to Mayor Cooper and the Metro Council,” Allen said. Task force members will also work with residents who have lived experiences to share about what it’s like to need, seek and find affordable housing in Nashville. “Nashvillians need help,” Kay Bowers, an MDHA board member, said. Bowers will serve on the task force. “I’m pleased to be part of a diverse group with the skills, knowledge, and, most of all, commitment to find real solutions to our urgent housing affordability problems.” Mick Nelson, founder and CEO of Nelson Community Partners, and Edward Henley, III, principal and project executive at
January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5
Pillars Development, LLC, will co-chair the task force. “Nashville’s housing needs are critical. Mayor Cooper has assembled a group with the experience and the expertise to identify meaningful solutions to those challenges,” Henley said. “I am eager to get to work and excited by the impact we will make.” Tennessee General Assembly passes Medicaid block grant In its first week convening for the 112th session of the Tennessee General Assembly, legislators passed a controversial Medicaid block grant proposal. The opening week of the assembly often only includes organizational steps, but the legislature was attempting to push the legislation through before Jan. 20 when Joe Biden took office as the 46th president of the United States. The block grant gives Tennessee a great deal of flexibility with funds used for health care, which some say means worse outcomes for people in poverty. The Trump administration approved the deal in early January and Gov. Bill Lee has pushed to get the proposal through — House Majority Leader William Lamberth, a Republican from Portland, Tenn., says President-elect Joe Biden would not be able to reverse the measure. New House Finance Chair Patsy Hazlewood told the Nashville Post that, “the speed with which the legislature was considering the plan was ‘rather extraordinary.’”
The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams (1941)
Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. First published in 1941, this series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year. It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver
2ND WEDNESDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
THE CONVERSION OF ST PAUL
HERE you have the true reason why revenge or vengeance is not allowed to man; it is because vengeance can only work in the evil or disordered properties of fallen nature. But man, being himself a part of fallen nature and subject to its disordered properties is not allowed to work with them, because it would be stirring up evil in himself, and that is his sin of wrath or revenge. God therefore reserves all vengeance to Himself, not because wrathful revenge is a temper or quality that can have any place in the holy Diety, but because the holy supernatural Diety, being free from all the properties of nature, whence partial love and hatred spring, and being in Himself nothing but an infinity of love, wisdom, and goodness, He alone knows how to over-rule the disorders of nature and so to repay evil with evil, that the highest good may be promoted by it. William Law: The Spirit of Love.
WHEN a man's behaviour, his mission, his exercise of authority, impress us as being of divine authority, what do we really mean? If we take the word 'divine' seriously, we mean that in this man the invisible has become visible, that what he is calls to mind what he is not, that a secret lies above and behind his behaviour, and is hidden as well as illustrated by his conduct. We do not in any case mean that the secret is to be identified with his actions. Barth: The Epistle to the Romans.
3RD THURSDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
IN Adam I fell, in Adam I was cast out of Paradise, in Adam I died; how shall the Lord call me back, except He find in me Adam; guilty as I was in him, so now justified in Christ. St Ambrose: On the Death of Satyrus.
THERE is a temporal unsatiableness of riches, and there is a spiritual unsatiableness of sin. Donne: Sermons. ONE of the old men said, "When a man saith unto his companions, 'Forgive me,' and at the same time humbleth himself, the devils are consumed. The Paradise of the Fathers.
3RD FRIDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY PERFECTION of a thing is threefold: first, according to the constitution of its own being; secondly, in respect of any accidents being added as necessary for its perfect operation; thirdly, perfection consists in the attaining to something else as the end . . . This triple perfection belongs to no creature by its own essence; it belongs to God only, in Whom alone essence is existence; in Whom there are no accidents; since whatever belongs to others accidentally belongs to Him essentially; as, to be powerful, wise, and the like, as appears from what is stated above; and He is not directed to anything else as to an end, but is Himself the last end of all things. Hence it is manifest that God alone has every kind of perfection by His own essence. Aquinas: Summa Theologica.
3RD SATURDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
LET God operate in thee; hand the work over to him and do not disquiet thyself as to whether or no he is working with nature or above nature, for his are both nature and grace. Eckhart: In Collationibus.
3RD MONDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
IF you kept your body in accordance with virtue, your desires would not be of this world. Leonardo da Vinci: Notebooks.
3RD TUESDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY HE that seeks God in everything is sure to find God in everything. When we thus live wholly unto God, God is wholly ours and we are then happy in all the happiness of God; for by uniting with Him in heart, and will, and spirit, we are united to all that He is and has in Himself. This is the purity and perfection of life that we pray for in the Lord's Prayer, that God's kingdom may come and His will be done in us, as it is in Heaven. And this we may be sure is not only necessary, but attainable by us, or our Saviour would not have made it a part of our daily prayer. William Law: Answer to Dr. Trapp.
4TH SATURDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY THE highest point that may be seen in the Passion is to think and know that he is that suffered. And in this Shewing he brought in part to mind the height and nobleness of the glorious Godhead, and wherewith the preciousness and the tenderness of the blissful Body, which be together oned; and also the lathness that is in our kind to suffer pain. For as much as he was most tender and clean, right so he was most strong and mighty to suffer. And for every man's sin that shall be saved he suffered: and every man's sorrow and desolation he saw, and sorrowed for kindness and love. For as long as he was passible he suffered for us and sorrowed for us; and now he is uprisen and no more passible, yet he suffereth with us. Juliana of Norwich: Revelations of Divine Love.
FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY GIFTS of nature are common to good and bad, but grace or love is the peculiar gift of Thine elect, and they that bear this mark are accounted worthy of eternal life. This grace is so excellent, that neither the gift of prophecy, nor the working of miracles, nor the understanding of deep mysteries, is of any worth without it. But neither faith, nor hope, nor any other virtue is acceptable to Thee without charity and grace. Thomas à Kempis: Imitation.
4TH MONDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY DO not suppose that our Lord has need of any works of ours; He only expects us to manifest our goodwill. Saint Teresa: The Interior Castle.
3RD WEDNESDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY OBEDIENCE cometh into existence because of obedience; for if a man obeyeth God, God also will obey him. The Paradise of the Fathers.
THE PURIFICATION OF ST MARY
A BROTHER asked an old man questions about comforts (or pleasures), and the old man said unto him, “Eat grass, wear grass, and sleep on grass, and then thy heart will become like iron.” The Paradise of the Fathers.
ALL our moralities are by our outworks, our Christianity is our citadel; a man who considers duty but the dignity of being a man, is not easliy beat from his outworks, but from his Christianity never. Donne: Letters.
THE peace of the celestial city is the perfectly ordered and harmonious enjoyment of God and of one another in God. The peace of all things is the tranquility of order. St Augustine: City of God.
NOW the reason why there are spiritual properties in all the material things of this world is only this, it is because the matter of this world is the materiality of the Kingdom of Heaven, brought down into a created state of grossness, death, and imprisonment, by occasion of the sin of those angels who first inhabited the place or extent of this material world. Now these heavenly properties which were brought into this created compaction lie in a continual desire to return to their first state of glory; and this is the groaning of the whole creation to be delivered from vanity which the Apostle speaks of. William Law: An Appeal.
Unknown.
THE self, the I, the me, and the like, all belong to the evil spirit, and therefore it is that he is an evil spirit. Theologica Germanica.
HE to whom (God) is different in one thing from another and to whom God is dearer in one thing than another, that man is a barbarian, still in the wilds, a child. He to whom God is the same in everything has come into man's estate. But he to whom creatures all mean want and exile has come into his own. Eckhart: Sayings.
THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
THIS also is Thou; neither is this Thou.
4TH THURSDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
WHOSOEVER seeketh from God ought besides God, doth not seek God chastely. St Augustine: Sermons.
4TH FRIDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY MOREOVER, I did pray all creatures (seeing how that I had offended them inasmuch as I had offended the Creator), that they would not accuse me before God. Thus did it appear unto me that all creatures and all the saints did have compassion upon me, wherefore with a greater fire of love did I apply myself to praying unto God more than was customary. Angela of Foligno: The Book of Divine Consolation.
WHEN love is the spirit of your life, it will have the freedom and universality of a spirit; it will always live and work in love, not because of this or that, here or there, but because the Spirit of Love can only love, wherever it is or goes or whatever is done to it. As the sparks know no motion but that of flying upwards, whether it be in the darkness of the night, or in the light of the day, so the Spirit of Love is always in the same course; it knows no difference of time, place or persons; but whether it gives or forgives, bears or forbears, it is equally doing its own delightful work equally blessed from itself. William Law: The Spirit of Love.
4TH TUESDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY I CONSIDER Jesus Christ in all persons and in ourselves: Jesus Christ as a father in His Father, Jesus Christ as a Brother in His Brethren, Jesus Christ as poor in the poor, Jesus Christ as rich in the rich, Jesus Christ as Doctor and Priest in the priests, Jesus Christ as Sovereign in princes, etc. For by His glory He is all that is great, being God; and by His mortal life He is all that is poor and abject. Therefore He had taken this unhappy condition, so that He could be in all persons, and the model of all conditions. Pascal: Pensées.
Sponsored by Matthew Carver, publisher
PAGE 6 | January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7
FEATURE
Q&A: NEW OPEN TABLE NASHVILLE DIRECTOR PAULA FOSTER TALKS NEXT STEPS AND FINDING PEACE IN THE CHAOS BY HANNAH HERNER In October 2020, Open Table Nashville celebrated 10 years of service, and named a new executive director, Paula Foster. Foster has spent decades in social work, serving those with HIV/AIDS, the LGBTQ community and people with disabilities. A common thread throughout her years of service has been serving those who experience homelessness, she says. Foster went from her small hometown in Louisiana to New York City for 13 years and then to Nashville for the last 20 years. In those 20 years, she taught social work at area colleges, and served on a number of boards, including Saddle Up!, the TN Disability Coalition, Women’s Political Collaborative and Nashville Pride. She’s coming to Open Table from her most recent job as executive director of the Tennessee Conference on Social Welfare, a statewide advocacy and training organization, and is currently the chair of the Nashville Continuum of Care Homeless Planning Council. Former executive director Ingrid McIntyre will now be heading up The Village at Glencliff, which will provide medical respite and operate independently, though in partnership with Open Table. While settling into her new role, Foster shared with The Contributor her vision of the organization, and what keeps her going in the field of social work. Do you have a memory of the first interaction you had with Open Table? It was probably in 2015. There was one night when it was really, really cold. My wife works for Nashville Cares and she had met Ingrid (McIntyre). And she said that Open Table was doing this warming shelter and needed someone to help prepare a meal. We prepared a meal and took it over to the warming shelter, and that’s the first time I ever met Ingrid. And then from there I continued to support Open Table through different things. I actually ran for city council and I did an event for folks to bring stuff for Open Table, and so we did a whole big drive where we got stuff for their welcome home kits. I even had my Amazon smile donation thing set for Open Table. So I’d been doing those things for several years before I had the opportunity to actually come on board with them. So it was amazing.
What do you see as Open Table’s role in ending homelessness in Nashville? One of the things that is unique about Open Table is that we recognize that homelessness is not a problem that you can fix overnight, even if you just put someone into a home or an apartment. The support that is needed is tremendous for folks who’ve been chronically homeless. Our philosophy is to walk with folks through their journey. They don’t trust and I don’t blame them. They’ve been kind of shut out of things for so long. We at Open Table feel like it’s incredibly important to help folks get to where they need to be at their own pace. We don’t push people into housing, we develop relationships with them, we make sure that they know that they can trust that we’re going to be there for them. So while I believe in the housing first model, part of what I think is difficult here in Nashville is that we can put people in the housing, but we don’t always have the follow up services people need to help keep them in housing. What sparked your interest in social work? I did some church work in the summers when I was in high school and spent some time in Houston, Texas, doing some interesting ministry. That really opened my eyes to poverty. And I think that’s where my mission, my calling — whatever you want to say — to become a social worker was born. Because at that point, I had never experienced that kind of abject poverty. What are your goals for Open Table? Being so new, I don’t know that I can answer that completely at this point. My first goal for us, as an organization, to do is a new strategic plan. Because we’ve been around for ten years now. We need to
take a look at who we are and what we do and how we do it, and kind of reevaluate whether or not it is the most effective way that we can serve the people that we want to serve. With input from all of our constituencies — the people we serve, the people who serve our organization, volunteers, staff — we all have a part in figuring out who we are and where we go from here. And so I think that’s my biggest goal for us right now. And I don’t know exactly where that will lead us. Because again, it’s not my plan for the organization. It’s a collaborative plan. And I think that’s incredibly important for who we are. What keeps you from burning out after so much time in the nonprofit field? I think I’ve figured out ways, over my lifetime, to balance what I do with my personal life. I understand that there’s a need to disconnect from work. I am a social worker, I don’t just do social work. It is who I am. But I recognize that, you know, I’m driving down the street, I see someone standing on the corner, I can’t stop and help everyone. What I do in my work life is the best I can do to serve as many people as possible. And I understand that I am not going to be able to save everyone and help everyone and I have to be able to be at peace with that. When I left graduate school, I was so tired of reading academic journals and articles that I started reading trashy de-
tective novels. I still love that because I lose myself in those sometimes. When I really feel like I just need to disconnect and find my balance again I find a really stupid mystery novel and read it. And that’s how I rejuvenate. Everybody’s got to find their thing that helps them do that. If people want to help out the organization, what’s a good way to do that? We’re spending a lot of money this year on canisters of propane. Because folks who are living outside need to be able to keep warm, and one of those little camp stove canisters of propane, when you put it on to a buddy heater — only lasts for about three hours. It takes two or three of those a night for folks to be able to stay warm. So we’re going through a lot of propane. So quite frankly, if someone wanted to donate money for us to buy propane, that’s one of the best things that we can get right now. Anything else you’d like to add? These folks [on staff at Open Table] are incredible — their commitment to the people who live outside and trying to find places for people to live. It is an incredibly difficult job and the resources are scarce. The need is tremendous. And I am just thankful for who they are. I’m incredibly thankful to be able to help lead the team and provide the service to the folks who really, truly, need it the most.
Foster gathers with commuinity partners while volunteering for the 2018 Point-In-Time count.
PAGE 8 | January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF STREET PAPERS
LEFT: Benjamin Burgess / Street Sense Media / kstreetphotographydc.com ABOVE: McPherson Square photo by Athiyah Azeem
WASHINGTON D.C. STREET PAPER VENDORS ON DISRUPTION CAUSED BY TRUMP LOYALISTS AT CAPITOL RIOT BY ATHIYAH A ZEEM AND STREE T SENSE VENDORS
T
he pro-Trump protests at the White House and violent breach of the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6 aiming to delay certification of the 2020 election results followed a trend of violence demonstrated at previous pro-Trump protest events in December 2020 and included multiple factions of racist, white supremacist and far-right extremists. Ahead of the rally, US Park police had the venue, McPherson Square, cleared of people experiencing homelessness due to its proximity to the White House, according to Daniel Kingery, who has been sleeping there. The US Park Police did not respond to requests for comment. Pro-Trump crowds are expected to return — an internal FBI bulletin obtained by ABC News aid the bureau had received information about armed protests being planned at all 50 state capitols and again at the US Capitol up until Inauguration Day on Jan. 20. The street paper in D.C., Street Sense, asked its vendors to reflect on the riots on Jan. 6, as Trump supporters and his administration continue to disrupt the lives of those on the streets.
Courtesy of Street Sense Media / INSP.ngo; Vendor images courtesy of Street Sense Media.
ald Trump will be known as the most lame president ever. I pray his supporters, after the deadly consequences of their actions and the many people now being arrested for their actions, will never come to Washington D.C. again. Marcus Green, Street Sense artist/vendor
These last few days, Trump supporters have detoured my life. They remind me of Jim Jones’s cult juice. Some of these people were so far gone that he could have probably gotten each and every one to drink the suicide juice that day. Trump is a coward hiding behind his security and Twitter account — and that last one has been taken away. It takes so much denial to not see him for what he is that these people don’t know what reality looks like anymore. But if it would have been African-Americans storming the Capitol instead of Caucasians, we’d be planning a lot of funerals right now. They had to give a lot of ground before a gun was even drawn. That right there says a lot. White people are policed differently than Blacks. That was brave of Congress to go back to certifying Biden’s victory as our newly elected President of the United States of America. Will they hold Trump accountable for inciting a riot and aiding and abetting manslaughter? Moving forward, let’s hope he doesn’t take another stab at the presidential race in 2024. Historically, Don-
Queenie Featherstone, Street Sense artist/vendor
To me it was hell and stressful. Not necessarily because of the evilness of the Trump supporters, because as I still had to carry on with my errands that day, I still would say “hello” to the Trump supporters that I saw, trying to be nice and kind. Even though we understand the evilness behind their intentions and their being here, I feel you still should be nice somewhat, not bring about more hatred. But the part that stressed me badly was that because of the curfew at six o’clock, we all had to go home or stay at home. I am always out and about doing things, running errands, helping others. I felt I had to be forced to go into a shelter that’s bad for me. The shelter is bad and stressful for me. I felt like I was locked in somewhere. That was the stressful and the hurtful part. I tried to sleep, write
some poetry — I wanted to write an article — so I tried to keep myself busy in this room at the shelter. Because of the rioters and the nature of the event, they forced us again to do something not so pleasing and stop our daily activities. To be having to be there at 6 o’clock, amongst the people who live at the shelter, to me it was terror. To me it’s more terror at the shelter than walking through the Trump supporters. Because as I was walking through the Trump supporters I would nod and say “welcome”. I was almost a little at peace, even though we knew their intentions. But then to have to go into the shelter at 6 o’clock, it made me sick.
Marcellus Phillips, Street Sense artist/vendor
Donald Trump takes others’ lives as a joke. All my life I have been against politics and politicians because of the special treatment they seem to get over the public and those they consider beneath them and their colleagues. Instead of coming up with ways to help the homeless, they focus on who is going to hold a particular
January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9
position in the very system that seems to be failing us so many people struggle just to get by. Stunts like what happened when Trump encouraged his supporters to come here and contest the election are not only dangerous, but make the U.S. look weak to the rest of the world. It appears we cannot even secure our own Capitol, which other countries used to view as invincible. When the BLM protests took place in the summer, the police had the city on lockdown before anyone could think of doing anything. Those protests had true meaning. Meanwhile Trump supporters act like spoiled brats that can’t get their way. I’m not a Democrat or a Republican because I believe both parties are the same - they just have slightly different approaches for how they want to control the world. When I was in high school, government was the class I disliked the most because of who the laws left out and how they were built off a racist culture that looks down on others. Our government is saturated with older individuals that are stuck in their ways and complacent with the values that were on full display the day the Capitol was breached. It’s time for a change. And for others to start accepting the harsh reality that no one will ever have things 100 percent in their favour. Let’s come together and help those that are ready to help themselves and our society by displaying positive mentalities.
COVER STORY
Make Repentance Great Again AN ESSAY BY DAVID DARK
PAGE 10 | January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
COVER STORY
I
was teaching high school Eng lish in Nashv i l le when a parent tried to get me fired for declining to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Before it got to that point, the parent and I had a phone conversation, which I’d believed settled things. Having aired the concern to an administrator, the parent had been given my phone number. By trying to talk our potential conf lict out privately as a first step, we were now in compliance with a policy, which was derived from the counsel of Jesus of Nazareth: “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone” (Matthew 18:15). As we concluded, I said I’d love to talk more as time permits. He said he’d be up for that so long as it was “in the right spirit.” I felt a chill and realized then that I had very little control over what spirit (or attitude) he sensed in anything I did or said. He could characterize our exchange to others in any way he wanted to. As it turned out, he was done submit ting to conversation as equals. While pursuing his case against me, he would not agree to speak with me about the thing I didn’t do that bothered him again. Meaning, I came to know feelingly, is a consensual activity. At that stage in my teaching career, I had more than one superior who was committed to protecting me, and I kept my job. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve tried to remember that millions of people around the world who are targeted by those who hope to bring them down do not have that advantage. I hadn’t thought of that conversation in years, but it’s come back to me since the domestic terror attack occurred at and within our nation’s Capitol on Jan. 6. There is still so much to process in regard to what was being ordered, joked about, or incited in the speech of millions of Americans who were and remain scandalized by the results of our election. I believe a number of people I have known and even loved for much of my life are waking up and wondering if something they’ve said or played along with can be
meaningfully (or legally) tied to a white nationalist terror putsch which, it seems, is still underway. I’ve thought it important to contact a person or two to let them know that I want what’s best for them and their families. This doesn’t mean that I support any person who’s proven to be abusive continuing to exercise power over other people. “What’s best,” often involves standing down. Declining to plat-
Of course, this love has to begin with particular people, a neighbor, for instance, before it can be said to apply to a city, a state, or a nation. Whether you’re a citizen, pundit, or an elected official, you’re faced with the question of scope in regard to the content you’ve created or promoted for whatever reason. We become what we promote, mediate and abide. “I didn’t mean that,” is of limited
‘We become what we promote, mediate and abide’
form, support, fund or partner with citizens and elected officials who have incited or participated in a white supremacist terror putsch isn’t divisive, hateful, or an instance of cancel culture. It’s baseline moral seriousness. Every fact is a function of relationship. In a nation of equals, assuming responsibility for your own words and actions, especially when they prove to have been demonstrably abusive, is one actionable way of loving your country.
usefulness when it comes to assuming responsibility. Are we responsible for the lies we’ve allowed other people to voice in our presence unchallenged? I kind of think we are. Repentance is changing your mind and letting your words and actions follow. It isn’t a defeat. It’s a moral breakthrough that benefits self and others. It might mean less power to control your fellow creatures, a slight dip in income, or even a prison sentence, but true
January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11
repentance is never bad news. As it happens, “repent,” is the first word of Jesus’ gospel. According to more than one sacred tradition, the wholeness of a genuinely undivided life requires owning your own words and behavior in relationship to others which will always involve change. To love a person is to love a process and to know oneself as a process. No one gets saved without changing their minds and bearing fruit in keeping with the change. It’s in the details of words made f lesh. Faith without deeds is dead. In Tennessee, many famous people — in and out of office — claim to be men or women of faith. “Faith,” in this sense, is a best-selling generalization, which can win elections, garner followers and accrue “clicks” in our reaction-driven economy. “Faith,” the generalization, can be easily defanged with a simple question: faith in what exactly? It’s time to put this question to Gov. Bill Lee, Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Sen. Bill Hagerty in regard to their own decision to cave and conform to an escalating abusive culture that’s been slow to recognize the results of our free and fair elections. Are they interested in the positions of public service they sought and won? If they regard their offices as mere platforms for some other end that doesn’t serve the well-being of most Tennesseans, we need to know. There are worse things than not being in public office. “Make Repentance Great Again” is something of a nonsense imperative, because I’m not sure anyone’s ever felt great at the starting line of repentance. It’s a necessarily meek practice. But there’s no greatness, no human future — no salvation — without it. It’s an invitation to be a human being among human beings, an invitation to know the joy of truly human relationships. In this sense, repentance might be said to be the final human seriousness. I hope it catches on in a new and unprecedented way in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
David Dark as a lifelong Nashvillian who teaches in incarcerated communities and at Belmont University. He’s the author of The Possibility of America.
LA NOTICIA “The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.
“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.
LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...
2021
L a N ticia
Año 19 - No. 322
“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”
GRATIS
Enero/2
Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital
www.hispanicpaper.com
Nashville, Tennessee
El fraude por internet y cómo protegerse (parte 1)
No puedo recordar ya cuantas llamadas telefónicas de alerta he recibido en los últimos meses con mensajes, algunos pregrabados, que parecen provenir del gobierno, departamento de impuestos federal (IRS), oficina Por Yuri Cunza del seguro social La Noticia (SSA), o aseguranza Editor inChief del “automóvil @LaNoticiaNews nuevo” que no tengo. Aunque se sienta vergüenza, muchos han sucumbido a la manipulación de personajes siniestros que aprovechando los miedos diversos, especialmente de aquellos miembros de comunidades vulnerables que incluyen inmigrantes y personas de la tercera edad han “cooperado” en facilitar información privada que ha tristemente ayudado a que desfalcos económicos sean perpetrados desde el vasto, impenetrable y obscuro mundo virtual de la internet, con escasos recursos de poder recuperar lo perdido.
Qué puede usted hacer
Aprenda a reconocer el fraude cibernético. Descubra las señales de alarma de los modelos más comunes de fraude, incluidos el “phishing” o “spoofing”(en inglés), la filtración de datos y los programas maliciosos (“malware”). Conozca a su comprador o vendedor. Si no conoce a la persona a la que le está comprando o vendiendo, investigue un poco.
Internet fraud and how to protect yourself (Part 1)
un entorno no confiable. Puede ocurrir que los datos sean robados desde su computadora personal o a una compañía que tenga su información personal.
A continuación compartimos varios pasos a seguir en esta Parte 1, de varias, en donde intentaremos cubrir las diferentes modalidades de estafa comúnmente usadas en tiempos recientes.
Programa malicioso o “malware”: es software peligroso diseñado para dañar computadoras y sistemas informáticos.
Hay estafadores que utilizan la internet para defraudar a millones de personas cada año. Mediante software y servicios digitales, engañan a la gente para que les envíen dinero o información personal. Por eso es importante tomar precauciones para protegerse y denunciar el fraude por internet.
“Phishing” o “spoofing”: es cuando estafadores utilizan correos electrónicos falsos, mensajes de texto o un sitio web de imitación para intentar robar su información personal o su identidad. Ellos tratarán de averiguar sus números de tarjetas de crédito, de cuentas bancarias, pines de tarjetas de débito y contraseñas.
Tipos de fraude por internet
Fraude en subastas por internet: implica la tergiversación de un producto anunciado en un sitio de subastas por Internet o la no entrega de mercancía.
Algunos ejemplos comunes de fraude cibernético incluyen: Filtración de datos: es cuando se filtra información confidencial (personal o financiera) desde una locación segura a
Fraude con tarjeta de crédito: es cuando los estafadores obtienen dinero o bienes
de manera fraudulenta, a través del uso no autorizado del número de una tarjeta de crédito o débito. ¿Adónde denuncio el fraude cibernético? Si cree haber sido víctima de fraude por internet u otro delito cibernético, presente una denuncia en inglés ante el Centro de Denuncias de Delitos por Internet (IC3) o a través del formulario electrónico de aviso al FBI. Su queja será enviada a las autoridades encargadas de cumplir la ley a nivel federal, estatal, local e internacional. Contacte a su compañía de tarjeta de crédito para notificar la disputa de cargos realizados por estafadores o si sospecha que su número de tarjeta fue robado.
Lo que no debe hacer No dé su información personal a personas en las que no confía. Nunca escriba su información personal en un correo electrónico, una ventana emergente o un sitio web al que fue dirigido desde otro correo electrónico o página web. No deje su computadora prendida todo el tiempo. Si lo hace, la hará más vulnerable a “spyware” y a ataques de hackers y ladrones de identidad.
¿Cómo me protejo del fraude por internet?
Con información de: www.usa.gov/espanol
Tome estas medidas antes de navegar o comprar productos y servicios en Internet.
Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com
Conoce tus derechos: ¿Que hacer en caso de una redada? 1. Mantenerse callado 2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido 3. No mentir 4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos 5. No revelar su situación migratoria 6. No llevar documentación de otro país 7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)
por
Actualice sus programas de antivirus y anti espías (“antispyware”). La mayoría cuentan con actualización automática. Si su sistema operativo no ofrece protección gratuita contra programas espía o “spyware” (di-señados para evitar que el software recolecte información sin su consentimiento), puede encontrar opciones baratas para descargar en internet o en su tienda local de computadoras. Pero tenga cuidado con los anuncios en internet que ofrecen software de protección contra “spyware” descargables. Solo instale programas de fuentes confiables.
Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.
ww w.ju ane se.c om jua ne seUSA@gmail.com
PAGE 12 | January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
MOVING PICTURES
Relentless Surveillance NEW DOCUMENTARY EXAMINES THE FBI’S NOT-SOSECRET WAR AGAINST MLK BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC
In the 1960s J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI were obsessive in their surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr. Their goal was to find incriminating and embarrassing personal information about King in order to undermine his authority as a moral leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Information gleaned through the FBI’s surveillance has recently been declassified and made available to the public. Director Sam Pollard’s new documentary, MLK/FBI offers viewers a deep dive into King’s life, his movement, and the FBI’s disturbing history as an antagonist to the expansion of civil rights and populist movements. Hoover is on record saying that his greatest fear in the 1960s was the rise of a “Black Messiah,” and that, “after the March on Washington it’s clear that Martin Luther King Junior is the most powerful Negro in America, and we have to use every resource at our disposal to destroy him.” The roots of the FBI’s interest in the Civil Rights Movement began with standard information gathering on the various Southern black rights activist groups in the South in 1955. The temperature started to rise on their investigations when the bureau discovered that Stanley Levinson – a Jewish American lawyer and a member of the American Communist Party – had become a close friend and advisor to King.
For Hoover’s thuggish regime the combination of Reds and Blacks tripped all of Hoover’s racist and Russians alarms at once. The bureau wiretapped Levinson only to find out that King had remained in touch with his advisor despite King having told both Bobby and John Kennedy that he would sever ties with Levinson at the president’s request. King’s deception set off more alarm bells and more phone taps which revealed that King’s private life was less than monogamous. That’s when the FBI went into the dirty laundry business, shifting from a Cold War investigation of domestic communism to a personal smear campaign. Hoover’s snoops soon graduated from tapping phones to planting microphones in King’s hotel rooms. The relentless surveillance went on for years. Pollard’s movie is made-up of familiar elements: period footage and still images, images of actual declassified documents and audio from the wiretap recordings. Pollard fills in the blanks with his own short segments, which recreate the period in mid-century Cold War cinema aesthetics: cigarettes in ashtrays, shadowy exteriors, the ominous and relentless spinning of a reel-to-reel tape recorder. The scenes are informed by expert commentators who unravel the story told by the FBI.’s declassified files, but they aren’t introduced onscreen until the end
of the film. Pollard’s use of talking heads sans heads is his boldest choice here. It’s a refreshing way to keep the focus on the subject and not the experts. That said, for the entire movie it’s not clear if we’re hearing from authors, historians, police officials or actual peers of King who took part in his movement. I love the idea of keeping the commentators offscreen, but Pollard should have established their credentials and perspectives at the beginning of his film. MLK/FBI illuminates that Hoover and his agency weren’t rogue actors in their surveillance
of King – they had approval and cooperation from both the Kennedy and Johnson White Houses. Pollard’s film even makes references to the idea that the surveillance of King was due to the kind of institutional racism that’s been recently spotlighted by contemporary movements like Black Lives Matter. That said, the film might have gone further: In 1999, King’s widow Coretta Scott King brought a civil suit against Lloyd Jowers – a Memphis restaurant owner who’d confessed to the shooting – and others whom she alleged had conspired to assassinate her husband. The King fam-
January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13
ily felt MLK’s accused murderer James Earl Ray was innocent, and so did the jury at the civil trial. After only an hour of deliberation their verdict was that Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by a conspiracy that included Jowers along with “high level government agencies.” MLK/FBI opened on Jan. 15 on VOD and in limited theaters.
Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.
PAGE 14 | January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
VENDOR WRITING
January 6, 2021, changed America BY VICK Y B.,CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR I was saddened. I was sick. I was watching an attack on our very constitution unfolding on my TV. Americans mobbed the Capitol building in Washington after leaving a rally where POTUS had stated to, “fight like hell.” This man entered the White House four years earlier after winning the election over Hillary Clinton. A huge upset but, not too surprising given that voter turnout had been steadily declining. I even thought that having a businessman in the White House
would be better than a back scratching politician. He was elected and I made many posts online about giving him the respect he deserved being an elected official. I was unfriended by many because of the views I had for someone new entering the arena of politics. Since entering the White House, Trump has been embarrassing to me as a United States citizen. He has poor communication skills and is on social media with the ab-
sence of a much-needed filter but, Jan. 6 was it. Trump had fired up the crowd, He’d been throwing kindling on the fire for months with lies about “winning the election by a landslide” and “stealing the election” and “voter fraud.” Is it a wonder we didn’t see this coming? Now there are high fences topped with barbed wire surrounding the Capitol looking like a prison instead of the freedom it stands for. Two years in I was beginning to under-
stand what others were saying about Trump. The pandemic gave me more time in front of the TV watching the news. I realized that he was in fact a poor president acting more like a six year old throwing a temper tantrum because he wasn’t getting his way. This didn’t make America great again, it set America back several years with division and so-called conspiracy theories that people would rather believe than accept the truth.
Here We Are in a New Year BY WILLIAM B.,CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Here we are in a new year. I’ve written quite a few stories about my life, the way it used to be and some of the things I’ve done in it. I’ve written some of the good things that have happened to me and some of the bad things. I thought I’d never see anything so bad in my life as this pandemic. When the towers fell on 9/11, I thought that was bad, but this pandemic is the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m 72 years old. I don’t think I could see anything worse than this. And the second worst thing I’ve seen is Trump leading people into the Capitol Building and causing the riot. I think he should
be impeached. That’s my opinion only, but I’m entitled to that. Other presidents might have been bad, but we haven’t had a worse president in my history than Trump. This pandemic is so bad. I lost a friend: My fine cousin Stan. Years ago he nicknamed me, “weed hopper” because when I used to be on drugs I smoked more marijuana than any of them did. Stan was one of my favorite cousins and now he’s gone. I also lost one of my favorite brother-in-laws this year and his name was Raymond. Raymond was a veteran. He fought for his country. He
met my sister and they fell in love and they were married for quite a few years. They have two beautiful kids and my sister, she’s a good girl. She’s a lot younger than me. She’ll go on because that’s what Raymond would have wanted. I just hope she doesn’t pick up cigarette smoking again. In my lifetime, I’ve been off of them quite a few times. This last time it’s been almost three years. I feel good except my lungs are still pretty bad. I’m on three different inhalers for my COPD. I’m not going to keep on about my health. With this pandemic and people with their
masks on I can’t tell if people know me or not, and I don’t know who they are. They could be family and I don’t even know it. I won’t say nothing unless they say something to me. If you say something to someone because you think you know them, the way the world is, people will cop an attitude real quick. Me, I will try to walk away before I duke it out. Fighting is not what makes the world go round. Walking away, talking it out, and if you were wrong, admit to it. If they were wrong and they don’t want to admit to it, just walk away. Don’t egg it on.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU
2021
May God bless you on whatever road you take
Happy New Years to my customers in Belmont at Bi-Rite grocery.
May God never turn his back on you in your time of need.
Want to thank you all for ya’s support
May God cherish your loyalty
and help in everyways, money, clothes, food, shoes,
Cherish God’s love of you he must speak
everything I could possibly need.
Forever you went out on a limb to save others that were lost,
You was there.
but now they’re found … God’s love
I am grateful.
LESLIE S.
JUNE P.
And the talk we have every day, every week. God is your loving heavenly father, in heaven
I would not take anything for them.
A member of God’s congregation is coming to save you despite the sea of demons that chose to desecrate and deceive you
Love you all.
This knowledge can be miraculous and life-changing it’s a spectacular display of God’s power
Thank you all at Osborne’s Bi-Rite for having me.
Judgement day is right around the corner …
January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 15
FUN
HOBOSCOPES CAPRICORN
I’m writing this from the past, Capricorn. You may remember it. I’m writing from a strange week in an already strange year. And I was just wondering if things are gonna get any less strange in the future where you are. If they do, try not to forget how weird things were just a couple of weeks ago. And if they don’t, well, we got through my week, we’ll probably get through yours, too.
AQUA RIUS
Sure, every living human being shares common ancestors. Makes sense. We’re all the same species, and we’ve only been around for 120,000 years or so. But scientists now believe that all humans may share a common ancestor as recently as 3,500 years ago. Like, that every person living on the planet can follow their family tree to the same somebody who was alive around 1,400 BC. It’s not really all that long ago in the grand scheme, Aquarius. At times like these, it’s good to remember that we’re all family, here. So let’s treat each other like families should.
PISCES
Not only was Franklin Delano Roosevelt the only president to be elected for a third term, he was also the only president to be elected for a fourth. But less than four months into his fourth term, Roosevelt died and was succeeded by his Vice President. A couple of years later, congress passed the 22nd amendment which limited presidents to serving only two terms. And it wasn’t because Roosevelt had been so bad, it was more just in case the next guy was. Is there anything in your life that’s running out it’s term this year, Pisces? Maybe you don’t have to give it another shot.
ARIES
Armadillos are one of the only animals known to carry leprosy. Scientists believe that leprosy has been spread among humans for thousands of years but that armadillos never encountered the bacteria until European colonists arrived in North America. Now leprosy has spread among armadillos for generations and as their populations expand in a warming southern United States, they’re starting to give us leprosy back. Sometimes, Aries, you get what you give. What have you been passing around?
TAURUS
You’ve been selected to take part in a brief astrological survey, Taurus. How satisfied are you with your most recent horoscope? Would you describe your experience as “Transcendent,” “Very Helpful,” “Helpful,” “Not Very Helpful,” or “Enraging?” Please speak your answer out loud now. Mr. Mysterio is always working to improve accuracy for you and every Taurus. Come to think of it, Taurus, this would be a good week for you to speak out loud about your level of satisfaction with a few other things, too. To exit this survey, simply look away from the paper and say “exit survey.”
GEMINI
They said it might snow tonight, Gemini. I hope it does. I like how snow kind of erases everything it covers and makes it all the same. Just some soft shapes and shadows with no detail. It’s like a giant reminder that everything you can see is just one thing. All houses are the same house. All cars are the same car. Even if it doesn’t snow tonight, Gemini, it’s a good time to imagine all those details you’re so focused on and all the sharp differences you’re afraid of covered in a soft, uniform blanket. It’s all one thing.
CANCER
In 1885 Louis Pasteur successfully tested the first rabies vaccine. In those days, dog bites came with a much greater likelihood of rabies. Pasteur discovered that because of rabies’ long incubation period, the vaccine he’d developed could be administered after the bite and still prevent the subject from ever developing rabies. I know your wound was recent, Cancer, and that you’ve been pretty hard on yourself for not being more prepared. But it’s not too late, friend. You can start caring for yourself today and pretty soon you’ll be as good as new.
LEO
It’s about time for an oil change, Leo. Sure, you could go another few hundred miles and I’m sure everything would be fine. But if you do it that way this time, you’ll probably do it that way next time and the time after that. Eventually it starts to make a difference. Give yourself the everyday maintenance you need right now and you won’t have to worry about it so much tomorrow.
VIRGO
Historians refer to him as Ramses II. The ancient Greeks called him Ozymandias. He was one of the most important pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Ruled mightily, conquered enemies, and built marvels. My pal Percy Shelley even wrote a poem about him. He calls out from the dust of his monuments, “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” So I’m just dropping in, Virgo, to remind you and any other Ramses you may know that there are greater things than building an empire. The compassion you show and the love you give may not be remembered in a millennia but they’ll bring a lot less despair.
LIBRA
When I was a kid my family dog broke her hind leg. The vet said it was no big deal. He set the bone and said she needed to rest, stay still, and heal. No running, no jumping, no playing, no chasing squirrels in the backyard and no getting worked up barking at the garbage truck. It was just a few weeks, but for me it felt like forever. Waiting for my dog to be a dog again. By spring the bone had set and she was back to running, and jumping, and playing. I know it feels like too much to get through right now, Libra. I know it’s hard to wait. But this might be the time to rest, stay still and heal.
SCORPIO
The earth used to spin much faster, Scorpio. The solar system was fresh and chaotic and the new earth would spin all the way around in just six hours. If you were to stand on that equator, you could watch a sunset and three hours later watch it rise again. But then something happened. An impact with another small planet or asteroid. And a piece of the earth broke off and over time became the moon. And the earth slowed. And the earth and the moon spun and tugged on one another with their gravity until we entered the rhythm that we now call a day. Things may seem chaotic right now, Scorpio. And that impact was so hard. But it’s almost time to slow down. A new rhythm is on the way.
SAGITTA R IUS
I think Phil Connors is one of the greatest characters in all of American literature. I’m sure you remember, Sagittarius, that Connors is the character played by Bill Murray in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day. Connors is a weatherman who becomes trapped in a small town reliving the same day again and again. The only thing he can change is himself. So he does. Sometimes I feel trapped in a town, in a day, in a pattern. But I think of Phil. And I do my best.
Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a certified egyptologist, or a trained television meteorologist. Mr. Mysterio is, however, a budding intermediate podcaster! Check out The Mr. Mysterio Podcast. Season 2 is now playing at mrmysterio.com. Got a question, just give Mr. M a call at 707-VHS-TAN1
PAGE 16 | January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
VENDOR WRITING
THAT BEAUTIFUL SMILE JEN A.
It’s been almost a year, hasn’t it Since I last saw you You looked up at me with that Bright joyful smile of yours And your eyes were twinkling Catching every bit of light in the room I can still see you now I keep the image in my mental file To pull up on grey dreary days It reminds me of how life used to be Surrounded by friends, family, fun With all the bells and whistles Days of wild abandon When we hugged and laughed and Reveled in being close What I wouldn’t give to hug you now I was so sorry to hear about your mother She gave you that beautiful smile, you know And she’d want you to carry it on Carry it on, precious, carry it on
TOO GOOD JEN A.
THEME: FA MOUS DUOS
He’s a good man Shirt off his back good I count to four And the coughing on the other side Of the concrete block wall That divides our small cells Begins again It’s a deep dry crack hack That booms from his barrel chest Like a cannon I count to three Again the coughing rages He’s only seen life Through the barrel of a gun From mean streets to Nam
ACROSS 1. *Timothy Q. Mouse’s friend, in Disney classic 6. River in Germany 9. Bridle parts 13. Whatsoever 14. Like tuna tartare 15. Forearm bones 16. Plural of #3 Down 17. Hardware store 18. “Gladiator” setting 19. *Ferb Fletcher’s stepbrother 21. *Mr. White’s unfortunate student 23. Welcome spot for weary traveler 24. It shall, for short 25. Cul de ____ 28. Young herring 30. Dieter’s cuisine, for short 35. Gator’s cousin 37. French “place” 39. Chunk of iceberg
40. St. Louis monument 41. Like new TV set 43. Front of ship 44. Singular of loci 46. Additional 47. Reality TV’s Spelling 48. *Assistant to regional manager Michael Scott 50. Missing a limb 52. More, in Madrid 53. Like acne-prone skin 55. Pimple fluid 57. *Shirley’s roommate and fellow bottle-capper 61. *Rory Gilmore’s mom 65. Make an effort 66. Legal org. 68. Long stories 69. Scottish valleys 70. Doctor Dolittle, e.g. 71. *One of The Carpenters duo 72. Bone-dry 73. Opposite of WSW
And back again I count to two Will this hit be enough To expel the horror and pain He carries so deep inside Will he have to cough up a lung To finally breathe free I count one He’s too good For what America has Made of him
January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17
74. Red or orange announcement DOWN 1. Slightly wet 2. *Malone and Stockton of the ____ Jazz 3. Skirt length 4. Shrovetide dish 5. *Mary-Kate and Ashley 6. Geologists’ studies 7. *____ and cheese 8. Moved under the rug 9. “All ____, no bite” 10. Footnote word 11. *Amy Poehler’s comedic partner 12. Welsh alternative to Siobh·n 15. Was almost out of gas, e.g. 20. Source of indigo dye, pl. 22. “____ Be Home For Christmas” 24. In the best possible way 25. Coffee burn, e.g. 26. *Bow and ____ 27. Spherical bacteria 29. *Corona’s main squeeze? 31. What willow did 32. Read-only chip 33. Greek bazaar 34. *Clark’s fellow traveler 36. College party chant 38. Celestial bear 42. Dancer’s beat 45. Daisy dukes, e.g. 49. “Wizard of Oz” man 51. Archimedes’ exclamation 54. Furlough 56. Flower part 57. Frog delicacy 58. Wheel shaft 59. Swerve 60. European sea eagle 61. *David and Paul on the “____ Show” 62. Italian currency, pl. 63. Maple genus 64. Negative contraction 67. *Jerry’s fellow treat-maker
VENDOR WRITING
A Tale of Two Grandmas BY NORMA B.,CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR
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From the start, I should say that my dad’s mom was known as “Grandma” and my mom’s mom was known as “Meme.” The stor y goes that my mom’s mom wanted to be called Memaw but her oldest granddaughter Cindy kept calling her Meme and the 12 grandchildren that followed did the same. Meme and Grandma’s paths crossed for the first time in Ashland Cit y. My Grandma was a transplant from Alabama, brought there by marriage to my Pop. My Meme was born and raised there. Her family even had a local area named after them — Pace Hollow — though the last time I visited it wasn’t much to speak of. They each had six children, and the similarities end there. They were as different as night and day! My Grandma had four boys and two girls. My Meme had four girls and two boys. My Grandma was a farmer’s wife. Do you remember on the old tv show Hee-Haw how they would say, “Hey Grandpa what’s for supper?” and he would always answer with a menu that
would make your mouth water? That’s how it always was at Grandma’s house. You always knew what was for supper by what she pulled out of the garden early in the morning. If it wasn’t the gardening time of year, she always had the things that she had canned or frozen from the garden the previous year. Yum! You’ve heard the expression, “made with love,” well, everything always was, and sometimes it was almost too pretty to eat! My Meme wasn’t as accomplished in the garden or the kitchen. She was very good at making shoes. She worked at Genesco for as long as I can remember, and was certified in every aspect of making shoes. She used to joke that everything she cooked tasted like shoe leather, and that wasn’t far from the truth. (And we always hoped that she wasn’t watching Perry Mason, Wild Kingdom, or Dan Rather’s evening news, otherwise dinner was sure to be burnt!) On another front, when it came to sewing my Grandma
could make some of the most beautiful quilts you’ve ever seen! My Meme didn’t take up sewing until she retired from Genesco. She used every scrap of material she could find. Nothing ever went to waste, and while I can’t say her quilts were beautiful (to be honest, they were anything but) they sure were warm! I can’t sew in spite of my Grandma’s efforts to teach me. (When I broke my right arm in first grade and became left handed she said that made it virtually impossible for her to teach me.) How sad, things like that are becoming a lost art. Still, I like to think I have the best of both of them in me, somewhere. I can cook (thanks to my ex-husband, but that’s a story for another day) though not as good as my Grandma, and I’ve burnt my fair share of dinners like my Meme. What’s the point of all this? I think it’s important to celebrate all things that make you who you are as a person, and they certainly played a big part in who I’ve become.
Giving From the Heart BY JOHN H.,CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR Many days I go to work, I’ll have good days. When I do, on the way home, I will take five bucks and give it to the less fortunate that day. Giving is a good thing. God said, “the more you give, the more you receive.” He wants us to give from the heart. He also says that when we give, we shouldn’t be demanding something in return. I understand to the effect that when we act this way, our giving is prac-
tically void– as if we never gave. I had a person in the past to help me out with my bills and it got to the point where this person wanted me to somewhat jeopardize my relationship with Christ, my savior. Not in a bad way but, we must respect and consider others’ feelings even though you are a giver. And it’s like, they call the shots whether it’s convenient to you or whether you can make schedules fit, but
PAGE 18 | January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
don’t expect a man who loves the Lord to stop serving. By doing so, you are stepping far out of your boundaries. Some don’t think so because it’s just how many think. God’s not a part of them as they pretend. You see, what many don’t understand is “the giving of God’s word.” And when you ask me to give up God’s time, we’ve got a big issue. God doesn’t break his promises, why should we?
VENDOR WRITING
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January 20 - February 3, 2021 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19
