The Contributor: July 6, 2022 by the-contributor-live

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Volu m e 16

| Number 14 | Ju ly 6 - 20, 2022

LOCALES - POLÍTICA - INMIGRACIÓN - TRABAJOS - SALUD - ESPECTÁCULOS - DEPORTES Y MÁS...

I N T H E I S S U E L a N ticia 2022

GRATIS

Julio

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

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Año 20 - No. 353

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Nashville, Tennessee

Nuestro sistema financiero de atención médica es nuestra principal causa de muerte

Cada año, un asesino silencioso amenaza más vidas en los Estados Unidos que el tabaquismo y la adicción a los opiodes combinados. Se esconde detrás de las muertes prematuras atribuidas a Gary A. Puckrein, enfermedades car- PorPhD, Presidente y d i ov a s c u l a r e s , CEO, National cáncer, covid-19 y Minority Quality Forum obesidad.

Vendor Writing

La Muerte, con su guadaña literalmente (The Grim Reaper) aquí es un sistema financiero de atención médica perversamente diseñado para limitar el acceso a una atención de calidad.

Vendor Spotlight

Fuente: CDC

La Noticia + The Contributor

La Noticia, one of the In this issue, vendors write "I wake Habla hoyup con tuand médicogive acerca de las pruebas de detección del cáncer colorrectal y otras enfermedades. régimen financiero niega y leading Spanish-language about Este public servants, thanks, that’s the first desempeño. En todos los casos, parte del sistema está diseñado para raciona rotundamente las intervenhacen esencialmente lo mismo: ciones médicas sobre la base de la elevar el riesgo de morir jóvenes. newspapers in the nation, white supremacy, disability, thing I do as soon as I administran el riesgo financiero elepobreza, la raza, el origen étnico y el Spanish vando el riesgo del content paciente. to Considere quethat's para que género; luego cubre sus huellas al no problems, solutions and wake up and theel Congreso brings ofrecer información sobre el impacto vote sobre un cambio en la ley de Contributor. going políticas de financiación de la be." salud,itlashould Oficina de Presupuesto del EstasThe en la home. salud de sus reglas y proced- way imientos. En esencia, nuestro sistema es una máquina dedicada a mitigar el riesgo financiero en lugar del riesgo de enfermedad debilitante y muerte prematura del paciente. Ya es hora de corregir este conjunto de prioridades y sesgos mal concebidos.

Cuando una persona aquí en los Estados Unidos visita al médico o a la sala de emergencias, probablemente lo hace con la expectativa de que nuestro sistema de atención médica esté diseñado para ayudarlos a disfrutar de una vida larga y de alta calidad. Pues se equivoca. Gran

Congreso (CBO, por sus siglas en inglés) debe "anotarlo" por su impacto en el Tesoro federal. CBO es alegremente indiferente a si el cambio podría conducir a vidas más largas y mejores.

Pero el CBO no es el villano aquí. Simplemente está haciendo el trabajo que le asignó el Congreso. Tampoco es el único. Numerosas agencias federales evalúan las regulaciones y los programas de atención médica en áreas que van desde la cobertura de medicamentos recetados hasta los pagos hospitalarios basados en el

sanidad hacen que 14,000 personas mueran de hepatitis C cada año porque no vamos a pagar para curarlas, cosa que podemos y sabemos hacer. La expectativa de vida promedio para un paciente con anemia falciforme es de 42 a 47 años porque no hemos invertido en tratamientos. Estamos a punto de introducir pruebas de detección temprana que pueden detectar cincuenta tipos de cáncer con una extracción de sangre. Sin embargo, se necesitará una ley del Congreso y un laberinto de regulaciones antes de que esté disponible para el público estadounidense.

Mientras tanto, la FDA aprobó un tratamiento que podría retrasar o incluso detener el progreso de la enfermedad de Alzheimer en millones de estadounidenses, y Medicare decidió que no pueden tenerlo porque le costaría demasiado dinero al gobierno.

Tom Wills, Chair Cathy Jennings, Bruce Doeg, Demetria Kalodimos, Ann Bourland, Kerry Graham, Peter Macdonald, Amber DuVentre, Jerome Moore, Annette McDermott, Drew Morris, Andy Shapiro

Contributors This Issue

Linda Bailey • Amanda Haggard • Judith Tackett • Ridley Wills II • Yuri Cunza • Joe Nolan • Claire Porter • Norma B. • Jen A. • Alvine • Maurice B. • Mr. Mysterio • Chris Scott Fieselman • Vicky B.

Algo me dice que no podrán mantenerlo alejado de las personas con el dinero para pagar los $28,000 al año que cuesta.

Moving Pictures

Contributor Volunteers Christine Doeg , Volunteer Coordinator Joe First • Andy Shapiro • Michael Reilly • Logan Ebel • Ann Bourland • Laura Birdsall • Richard Aberdeen • Marissa Young • Ezra LaFleur • Rachel Stanley • Linda Eisele • Matthew Murrow • Gisselly Mazariegos

Hall aren’t kids anymore.

Hemos llegado a un punto de inflexión. Estamos dominando la ciencia que nos llevará a los límites de la longevidad humana. Pero no podemos llegar allí sin un sistema financiero de atención médica en el que la alta calidad y la larga vida sean la máxima prioridad. Gary A. Puckrein es presidente y director ejecutivo del Foro Nacional de Calidad de las Minorías (National Minority Quality Forum). Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

Conoce tus derechos: THANK ¿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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YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

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.

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Cathy Jennings Executive Director Tom Wills Director of Vendor Operations Carli Tharp SNAP Specialist Ree Cheers SOAR Manager Rachel Ternes Housing Navigator Amy Holt Housing Navigator Jesse Call Operations Consultant Raven Nye Director of Housing Initiatives Arnita Carson Recovery Specialist Justin Wagner Resource Coordinator & Reporter Barbara Womack Advertising Manager Amanda Haggard & Linda Bailey Co-Editors Andrew Krinks Editor Emeritus

The Contributor now accepts Venmo! Scan the QR Code above, or find us: @The-Contributor Make sure to include your vendor’s badge name and number in the description. If you bought this version digitally, you can still leave your regular vendor a tip. Email Cathy@thecontributor.org for more information or with questions!

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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NEWS

LEARN MORE ABOUT: How Metro intends to spend $50 million in federal funds on Homelessness BY JUDITH TACKET T The Mayor’s Office has put together a $50 million proposal to address homelessness for the Financial Oversight Committee, which is charged to review proposals to use federal relief funds Nashville received through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). A recent Metro report* outlines the spending plan for the $50 million as follows: • $25,000,000: over three years towards adding affordable housing units through Coordinated Entry, for very low income (30 percent Average Median Income) and set aside in developments for Permanent Supportive Housing. Funding will be designed to create program income to sustain housing and/or services. • $9,000,000: over three years for Housing First supportive services, such as programs such as ACT, ICM, and SOAR, which help people stay in housing. • $9,000,000: over three years for low-barrier “Gap Housing” — temporary housing for individuals and families waiting for housing units and/ or permanent housing subsidies. • $3,000,000: over three years to build capacity of the Low Barrier Housing Collective (housing incentives, landlord engagement, housing navigators) to increase landlord participation and retention. • $4,000,000 competitive grant funds to local nonprofits, such as high fidelity coordinated Housing First programs to be accessed through coordinated entry. If we take off the $25 million that is set aside to add affordable housing units for people experiencing homelessness, that leaves $25 million for three years in support services and potential administrative costs. Then there is $9 million dedicated to Housing First support services, roughly $3 million per year. These are programs that need sustainable funding, which Metro has said would be addressed in the future by looking for state and private dollars. In today’s column I will provide a quick overview of what ACT, ICM, and SOAR means. ACT stands for Assertive Community Treatment and is a best-practice team approach to meet the needs of individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. The characteristics of an effective ACT model include: • A team approach. An ACT team consists of a community-based group of medical, behavioral health and rehabilitation professionals who serve individuals who generally do not benefit from receiving services across

multiple, disconnected providers. The ACT team meets daily to discuss how each consumer is doing and whether service adjustments are needed. • Service delivery in the places and context where individuals live. The ACT team is the main provider of all services and if services (for example medical) are needed outside of what the team can provide, the ACT team ensures those services are available. In addition, crisis intervention services are accessible 24/7. • A small client-worker ratio. An ACT team consists of 10-12 members and typically serves about 100-120 people for a service ratio of about 1:10, even though the team approach focuses on the team as an entity serving all clients. • Time-unlimited services. Serving about 100-120 individuals with an ACT team costs an estimated $1.2 million per year as estimated by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). These services will be expected to continue for as long as needed. ICM stands for Intensive Case Management and is a service approach that offers a community-based care package to provide long-term care for people suffering from severe mental illness who do not require immediate admission. ICM evolved out of the ACT and traditional case management models. ICM offers small “caseloads” with a ratio of fewer than 20 consumers per worker. The definitions of ICM are blurrier than those of an ACT team. ICM can follow a team structure but not all programs do. The key for both these interventions is intensive case management with a small case ratio and ongoing support services, which are appropriate for a Housing-First oriented permanent supportive housing program. A quick rule is that support services should be budgeted at about $5,000-$6,000 per person per year — $1 million would serve about 180 people per year, but those support services will be ongoing as long as needed for each individual. SOAR stands for SSI/SSDI Outreach Access and Recovery. The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provide income benefits to people who suffer from disabling conditions that impact their ability to work. However, these federal programs are not easily accessible to people experiencing homelessness. The SOAR program offers an active engagement effort to link people with these income sources and couple those with Medicaid benefits; therefore, SOAR offers a critical service and income connection that often is the first step toward the path

of recovery for many people experiencing chronic homelessness. A SOAR worker completes about 20 claims per year, which includes outreach, relationship building, and other assistance. For $1 million per year, roughly 200 people could be linked with SSI/SSDI income and potentially health insurance. With this quick calculation, I looked at the $9 million Housing First support services the Mayor’s proposal would cover. Serving an estimated 300-400 people experiencing chronic homelessness, which would significantly reduce chronic homelessness in Nashville. The additional funds outlined in the Mayor’s ARP plan would pay for interim housing options until permanent housing is available and move people off the streets at a rapid pace, which is essential to providing high quality support services. Finally, the $4 million for nonprofits would help increase the support services assistance, at least temporarily. Thus, these funds could significantly enhance the number of people served. With all this said, we need to be realistic, the $50 million will help A LOT of people and make a huge dent toward moving people off the streets and out of encampments. I applaud the effort. But it will not be sustainable unless these support services are coupled with renewable funds. That’s where other opportunities like the recently announced federal NOFO (Notice of Funding Opportunity) to address unsheltered and rural homelessness come into play. The Nashville-Davidson County Continuum of Care** is eligible to apply for an estimated $4.85 million for unsheltered homelessness over three years. A third of these funds will become renewable on an annual basis after three years and would be a great opportunity for Davidson County to expand its permanent supportive housing programs. One of the things that needs to happen now is for advocates to call on city leaders to shift some of the ARP proposal’s temporary support services funds into next year’s operating budget to ensure ACT, ICM, and SOAR support services are lasting longer than through the next election cycle. In the most recent operating funds, Metro expanded staffing capacity for homelessness with a focus on outreach positions, which signals Metro’s focus on encampments. With the housing-first approach, the gap funding for interim housing, I hope there will be sufficient safe options for people to go to before encampments are dismantled. This is a solid start, but if Metro is finally getting serious about ending chronic homelessness then the focus will need to shift on ongoing support services dollars,

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The Financial Oversight Committee consists of nine members: six appointed by the Mayor, three appointed by the Vice Mayor representing Metro Council. Their charge is to “issue reports upon and review the use of funds as it deems appropriate. Further, it will collect, consider, and recommend appropriate uses of the American Rescue Plan Funds as designated by the Metropolitan Council disbursement plan.” Overall, the city received a total of $259,810,600 in ARP funds. These are allocated in two installments. The city has received the first half of funding allocation, and as of midJune, all with the exception of $60,465 has been allocated to specific programs. The second half of $129,905,300 is expected soon, and of those, the Mayor would like to designate $50 million to address homelessness in Nashville and use these funds over a three-year period. Cities must obligate ARP funds by Dec. 31, 2024, and programs must spend down the allocated funds by Dec. 31, 2026.

and it would be an extremely strong signal to federal, state and private funders if Metro put up a good portion of operating dollars to invest in quality, time-unlimited support services, and then leverage those other funding sources in a comprehensive way to keep people with severe and persistent mental illness and other vulnerabilities in housing long term. *The report is available on the Metro Homeless Impact Division’s Website (under the Metro Social Services Webpage): https://www. nashville.gov/sites/default/files/2022-06/ Nashville-Performance-Study-Homelessness-Affordable-Housing.pdf?ct=1654192067 **The Continuum of Care (CoC) is a federally designated area in which all stakeholders from a community work together to build a system to prevent and end homelessness. CoC’s receive competitive federal funds for their systems work.

NASHVILLE HISTORY CORNER

Rock Castle front view.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE'S OLDEST HOME ROCK CASTLE SURVIVES BY RIDLEY WILLS II Rock Castle is Middle Tennessee’s oldest home. The house’s construction began in 1784 by Daniel Smith, who surveyed and drew the first map of Tennessee. Smith came from Virginia two or three times before he brought his family here in 1783. On one of those occasions, his party was attacked by Native Americans and scattered. Shot in his chest, Smith managed without help to crawl several miles to Mansker’s Fort where he nearly died but was nursed back to health. He then immediately went back to his home in Virginia, not to give up

on plans to move to the frontier, but to gather his wife and two children and move to the remote location in today’s Sumner County where he had almost been killed, which is in present-day Hendersonville. The house was a two-story Federal-style limestone structure. It stood at the confluence of Drake’s Creek and the Cumberland River on a 3,140-acre land grant given Smith for his services in the Revolutionary War and for his surveying work. Sarah supervised the house’s construction over a number of years as Smith was gone for

long periods of time. General Smith held many positions during his life. They included Commissioner of the Mero District of North Carolina, Secretary of the Southwest Territory, chairman of the committee that drafted Tennessee’s Constitution, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Commissioner for Indian Affairs. Smith died at his home in 1818, survived by his wife, Sarah, his daughter, Mary Ann, whom everyone called Polly and his son, George, who inherited the house. Earlier, George had fought with

July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 5

the Tennessee Mounted Gunmen in the War of 1812. Polly married Rachael Donelson Jackson’s youngest brother, Samuel Donelson, and had three boys. After his premature death, Sarah married James Sanders and had nine more children. The State of Tennessee purchased Rock Castle and eighteen surrounding acres, including the family cemetery in 1971. Ten years later, Historic Rock Castle opened to the public on May 1, 1981. Its executive director today is Sam Gilbert. His wife, Jess, is director of education and events.

VENDOR SUBMISSIONS

The Thankless Life Of A Public Servant BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR I’ve recently come to realize that individuals who serve their communities are just “regular people” that are, in fact, like so many others overworked and under appreciated. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know a few of them. One such individual is Vice Mayor Jim Shulman. He recently attended The Contributor awards breakfast on May 11 to show his support for The Contributor and more importantly for me, to escort me on and off the stage to ensure I didn’t fall — again. Yes, I said again. On May 4, 2021 I was invited by him to bang the gavel at the Metro council meeting where he presented me with my medal for being a top vendor of The Contributor. I said a few words, and then fell off the stage scaring everyone to death, including him. Unfortunately, when you have cerebral palsy falls are just a “normal” part of life, and I’ve learned to do it in a way that doesn’t cause me serious injury— most of the time. But he did far more than help me on/off stage that day he took his role as a “public servant” to a whole new level when he served me breakfast after my speech! Not to be overlooked is my local councilwoman Erin Evans from Hermitage, who I first met after the March 2020 tornadoes when she was going through my neighborhood surveying the damage and

taking note of the immediate needs of those affected by the storm, doing what she could to help. Not long after that, she stopped by my spot at Old Hickory Boulevard and Central Pike and bought a paper and gave me a tip. (She‘d heard from Cathy Jennings our executive director my birthday was coming up.) Soon after that, she even got a subscription to The Contributor! More recently, one evening when I was working later than usual selling the paper, she called to make sure I was OK, and that I had a way home. She told me if my ride didn’t show up to give her a call, and she’d pick me up and take me home! She also attended The Contributor awards breakfast, but more than that, knowing I don’t drive, she offered me a ride. As it turns out, her sister unexpectedly ended up having surgery the same day. Talk about a good excuse to get out of a prior commitment! Yet she was at my house at 6 a.m as promised! (Don’t worry, she was there for her sister's surgery too!) As I sit here reminiscing about the events of my recent past, I’m reminded of yet another occasion when a selfless public official saved the day for me. On Wednesday March 12, 1986 (my birthday) John Hancock, the mayor of Gallatin, Tenn., was having dinner at Cherokee Steak House in Lebanon, Tenn.,

where I was supposed to be getting married — but things DID NOT go according to plan. We were going to get married outside by the lake, but the torrential rain put an end to that idea. No problem, the staff at the restaurant said we could use the Banquet Hall and they made sure it looked beautiful! (It helps to have connections. My mom was the salad girl, the maid and the fill in waitress for the Cunninghams (who owned the restaurant). But then, our officiant cancelled at the last minute. So there we were, all dressed up. Me in my pretty pink dress and matching hat, the groom in his best blue suit, but no one there to seal the deal. Looking back, maybe I should’ve taken this as a sign NOT to do this, but I didn’t. Instead I sat behind the counter crying until a man in a crisp white shirt and red sweater and slacks came back there and asked, “Young lady, what’s all the fuss about? Don’t you know people are trying to eat their dinner?” I explained that I was supposed to be getting married, but my officiant cancelled last minute, and I didn’t want to be an old maid. He then asked me how old I was. When I said 18, he asked, “And how long have you been 18?” I replied, “Fourteen hours.” He immediately picked up the phone and started making calls (this was before cell phones). I’m not sure how many people he called, and to be honest I didn’t even

know who he was at that point, or exactly what he was doing. When he finished on the phone, he turned to me and told me to stop crying and to do whatever I needed to do to get ready because help was on the way! (I guess my mom wasn’t the only one with connections!) Within an hour or so, Mr. Guy Randall Jones, then a Sumner County Road Commissioner, (though as of August 2020 he now serves as the Executive Director of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference) came in spite of the pouring rain and married us that night! I’d like to think a good time was had by the handful of people who attended my wedding. We feasted on an a nicely decorated but inexpensive Kroger sheet cake, had lots of Hawaiian Punch (my new husband was a recovering alcoholic) and of course, there was plenty of steak and all the fixins to go around! Yum! As you can see from this story, the life of a true public servant is NOT a 9 to 5 job! Still many of them do it with grace and humility often at great cost to themselves and their families. They go above and beyond — and in these cases, FAR beyond — the scope of their job description to help the people they serve. May we ALL give credit where credit is due, or at the very least give commendation when it is warranted. Thanks for ALL you do!

Production Notes: From Your Last White Supremacy Protest Rally BY JEN A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR I would like to address the group of white supremacists who showed up at the Juneteenth Celebration in Franklin. If you meant to intimidate the folks attending that joyful celebration of freedom, you totally missed the mark. Did y'all stop to think about what you actually looked like? The only response that your visual presentation evoked was laughter. First off, you wore white shirts and black pants. Good grief men, everyone knows that y'all consider your pants parts as your power center. Covering your man parts in black showed that you think black lower body parts are more powerful than white lower body parts. Were your white pants at the cleaners? Did you stop to consider kha-

kis? Or did you believe that you'd soil yourselves because you were so scared and the black pants would provide more discreet cover as you slithered back off to your cars? The "buffer" of armed gunmen in bulletproof vests. I can't even begin to tell you how pathetic that looked. Are you men or are you mice? Is there any conviction you hold that doesn't need to be enforced and protected with a gun? You looked like a bunch of frightened children. Were your mommies there too? The signs. This was a major visual faux pas. Your slogans were pedestrian and showed no real emotion. “Stop White Replacement” and “White Lives Matter” are passive phrases when viewed in the context of a Franklin, Tenn., that

is 88 percent white. And did it strike any of you as ironic that your white poster-board signs needed black markers to scrawl your hateful messages? You might want to go with black poster board and white markers next time. To be a fullfledged racist you have to think about the image you're projecting. That goes for your white shirts as well. That phoney white-nationalist logo was black. Come on — black shirt, white logo. Finally, the masks and dark glasses. You are an arrogant group of white men who took every boneheaded opportunity to publicly refuse to wear a mask to protect your neighbors from a deadly disease during the height of the pandemic. Now, suddenly, you show up in a ridiculous mask to assert your hostility

PAGE 6 | July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

toward your Black neighbors. I'd laugh in your face, if you had faces. How can anyone take you seriously if you won't even show your faces to spew your hate. Your visuals vividly showed the fearful cowardice of your true selves. It did not support the disgusting message of white power y'all attempted to project. I don't know any of y'all. I'm thankful for that. But I believe your attempt at hate and intimidation fell woefully short. You're just not good at it. The next time you're looking for something to do on a beautiful, joyful Juneteenth holiday, why not take part in the celebration. Free yourselves from the bondage of your fear and self-loathing. As Miss Opal always says, “None of us are free until all of us are free.”

July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 7

NEWS

A Few Questions With Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda, District 30

BY JUDITH TACKETT

ouncilmember Sandra Sepulveda is currently the only Latinx member on the Metro Council. She fills the role that former Council member Fabian Bedne held in representing not only her district, but also the entire Nashville Latinex community. The Contributor talked with Sepulveda as part of a series called A Few Questions where we interview council members about their district’s most pressing issues. Sepulveda talked with us about her district responsibilities as well as her expanded roles on Metro Council. What does it mean to represent District 30? Do you feel pressure to represent the entire Latino community in Nashville? It’s always a big responsibility representing almost 20,000 people in the community that I grew up with. I’ve lived here since I was five, so I’ve seen the changes through varying representations. And yes, there is a layer of expectations wanting to make sure that I represent everyone accurately and fighting for those who elected me and even those who didn’t. I absolutely represent the entire Latino community. Being the only Latinx council member that responsibility falls on me. If I don’t [take on this responsibility], then there is no one else to do it. When you look at at-large Metro council members, they represent the entire county, they don’t have district responsibilities. Similarly, I represent an entire group of people countywide, but I also have district responsibilities. What are the main concerns you hear from your constituents? What has been consistent is needing basic services, like wanting better sidewalks, wanting better roads, wanting that infrastructure that other parts of the city have been building for a long time that we haven’t necessarily seen over here. District 30 is one of the smaller geographic districts because we are much more densely populated. It’s an older neighborhood in a sense. We have several immigrant community members who have moved in, but we have generational homes, where you see two, three generations living under the same roof. District 30 might be the most diverse district in the county. From the immigrant community, what I hear most is people getting taken advantage of by their landlords. They get taken advantage of because they don’t know their rights, and the residents decide not to say anything because of legal status and other reasons. So a lot of my work in the immigrant community is helping out with that. People call me to tell me they received information that they don’t think is right and asking for help with interpretation. What I hear the most of is help to access basic services.

METRO COUNCIL COMMITTEES: Education Committee, vice chair Affordable Housing Planning and Zoning

You are just one person. Who do you partner with to ensure people are linked to the services including interpretation services if needed? We have several community partners I work with such as the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRC), Workers’ Dignity, Conexion Americas, American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC), and others. Sometimes they get the first call, sometimes I get the first call, and then it’s just a lot of handholding. I also help some of my colleagues [at Metro Council] sometimes when they have people who don’t speak English in their districts. I have been doing this work for much longer than I have been on Metro Council. It would be so much harder if we didn’t have some of that infrastructure provided by different organizations. Vice Mayor Jim Shulman appointed you to the Financial Oversight Committee that is charged to distribute federal relief dollars, first of COVID-19 funds, now of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds. What has worked well in that process? Where do you see opportunities for improvement? Us being able to ask several questions to the organizations that are bringing proposals forward before it gets to the Metro Council, the whole set up of how the committee was imagined, that part was great. We filtered everything through, we vetted it, we looked for equity, we put some specific reporting requirements, and then the proposals went to Metro Council. So doing a lot of that work before it gets to the Metro Council floor, I think has

What was the total in ARP funds the city received and how much is still open for discussion on how it will be used? The city received a total of $259,810,600, and we got that in two installments. We received the first half, and that’s what we’ve been working on. And we have yet to receive the second half. So from the first half, it was $129,905,300, we have spent all of that except for $60,465. That’s where we’re at right now. Editorial note: Cities must obligate their ARP funds by Dec. 31, 2024, and unexpended funds are not subject to recapture or return until Dec. 31, 2026. Of the close to $130 million remaining ARP funds, the Mayor’s Office has announced they will request $80 million ($50 million to address homelessness, $30 million for community budgeting).

Care’s (CoC)* strategic planning process all going on simultaneously, what direction would you like to see the HPC take? That’s a hard question. You’re right, it’s all going on at the same time. We’re also looking for a director at the same time, and you know there is frustration on behalf of the providers not feeling heard, not feeling included, and then there is frustration on behalf of the administration because they believe that they should be leading what direction is taken when it comes to solving homelessness. I think communication is in general what we need to work on. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this hectic, this reactive. It has completely divulged into what it is now, and I don’t think that’s good for anyone. That’s something we need to work on — communication. For the Homelessness Planning Council itself, more diversity is definitely something that needs to happen. And it’s good to train young people and people interested in this work, so the next generation can pick up where people leave off. Hopefully it’s something we don’t need to do and [homelessness] will be solved, but we just have to be realistic and until there is a permanent solution we have to screen new, diverse young people to pick up the mantle and take it from there.

Vice Mayor Jim Shulman also appointed you to the Homelessness Planning Council (HPC). With the creation of an Office of Homelessness in Metro, a Metro report on homelessness, and the Continuum of

*The Continuum of Care (CoC) is a federally designated area in which all stakeholders from a community work together to build a system to prevent and end homelessness. CoC’s receive competitive federal funds for their systems work.

made some of that process run smoother. Where we still need to do a lot of work is to figure out our priorities. I personally pushed from the very first meeting on a survey because it was important to [seek] community input on how this money should be used. Just approving everything that comes before us I think is not the right way to approach things. While we can still approve, we should make sure that we never forget the community input in all of this, no matter who puts a proposal in front of us.

PAGE 8 | July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

V E N D O R S P O T L I G H T : WA LT E R D.

PHOTO BY CLAIRE PORTER

Love, Loss & Maintaining Positivity Through It All BY CLAIRE PORTER If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting Walter you know he is one of the kindest people in Nashville. Walter was a vendor many years ago and has recently returned to The Contributor after some time working in hospitality. He worked as maintenance, groundskeeping and housekeeping at hotels in South Carolina and Murfreesboro. Walter loves people and cares for them deeply, so when he saw that they weren’t being taken care of properly at his hotels he decided it was time to quit. “The owner didn't want to take care of the bed bugs problem and a little baby got bit so I quit,” he says. “They’re all owned by the same family so

it made it hard for me to get a new job and then I don’t have a place to live so I can't apply at Walmart or something like that. So, I came back down to The Contributor and [signed back up]. With y’alls help I’m doing pretty good. I'm still sleeping in my van which is, ya know, no big deal. I go to a truck stop and take a shower every two days.” Walter just recently had a piece published discussing the stereotypes surrounding people experiencing homelessness. “I have people over where I’m selling that talk to me about how I don't look homeless because I'm too clean, I'm always neat and all that,” he says. “So I did write an article explaining that to them and hopefully they’ll

understand that with their help that's why I look the way I do. Some people also ask, ‘Why do you wave so much?’ Well that's the kind of person I am, I try to smile at everybody.” Though his joy is contagious, Walter hasn’t lived a life absent of hardships. Walter got married when he was only 15 years old. He tells stories of spending evenings on the beach with his wife and having two beautiful daughters. In 1995 after 27 years of marriage Walter’s wife and daughters were suddenly killed in a car accident. “I lost all three of them but they’re still with me,” he says. Walter moved to Indiana searching for a fresh start and there he met his second wife,

together they had a little boy. His wife had relapsed and in the process of fighting for custody of their son the two were in a terrible drunk driving accident. “My son wasn't strapped in the car seat and he went through the windshield… He died, she survived. He’s still with me too.” When I asked Walter despite the loss and hardships, how he has maintained such a joyful spirit and continued to push forward he said without hesitation, “My faith.” “Yeah my faith because without him I wouldn't be here. I just turned 66 and he lets me wake up every morning and until he does take me, I can't question him.... I might not wake up tomorrow so I just live day by day.

July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 9

You can’t plan a month down the road, six months, or a year because you don't know what might happen, he might decide tomorrow that it's time I come join him so you know, every day I wake up and give thanks, that’s the first thing I do as soon as I wake up and that's the way it should be.” Walter misses his children dearly, but one thing he loves about The Contributor is when his customers bring their children to say hello. “I always love to talk to the kids where I sell.” Walter’s last piece of advice to you is, “Never give up, keep pushing.” He wants to encourage readers to remember that there's someone who cares for them and is always there for them.

COVER STORY

All artwork: Courtesy of the Western Regional Advocacy Project and the San Francisco Poster Syndicate. PAGE 10 | July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

COVER STORY

Raising awareness about camps, sweeps and displacement in the United States ‘Housekeys Not Sweeps’ seeks to raise awareness of anti-homeless legislation BY INSP STAFF In recent months, cities and states across the United States have dramatically increased their efforts to sweep and displace homeless encampments and to criminalize people on the streets. In Tennessee, new legislation has made camping on public lands a felony with a possible jail sentence of up to six years in prison. A series of posters as part of the nation-wide campaign ‘Housekeys Not Sweeps’, led by the Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP), is raising awareness and combating criminalization efforts and anti-homeless legislation occurring across the country. “Houseless people often live in communities or ‘encampments’ for their safety and

well-being. Belongings and community are necessary for survival, but private and public agencies have deemed both these things illegal and are aggressively and violently policing, sweeping, harassing, and attacking our houseless neighbors,” says Paul Boden, WRAP’s executive director. “They are evicted from their encampments and their life preserving belongings are repeatedly stolen.” The campaign notes the effects of the sweeps are many, including mass incarceration, harm to people’s mental and physical health, and additional barriers to receiving housing and economic stability due to convictions and arrest warrants, disqualifying individuals from receiving public housing assistance.

“Cruel and discriminatory police enforcements cause serious harm and are an incredible waste of resources that would be more effectively spent on solutions to houselessness, such as treatment and housing for poor people,” Boden goes on. “Clearly our government is not choosing real solutions to homelessness, like human rights, livable incomes, healthcare, jobs, and a reinstatement of federal affordable housing funding.” “In international human rights law, providing shelter to people who are homeless is the absolute minimum standard for any country, regardless of resources. There’s a cruelty here that I don’t think I’ve seen,” says Leilani Farha, the former United Nations

July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 11

Special Rapporteur on Housing. Tens of millions of people have experienced homelessness in America during the past 40 years due to the lack of federal investments in social housing and corporate welfare, the privatization of affordable housing, skyrocketing rents, and the lack of living wage jobs. Currently, more than one million people experience homelessness in the United States, including a high rate of children and families. Find out more about the campaign by visiting wraphome.org Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers

LOCAL ACTIVISM

Workers’ Dignity and ROC Music City picketed Barista Parlor’s Golden Sound location in support of former employee Xochitl Cruz-Lopez. Cruz-Lopez worked for Barita Parlor for seven years before getting fired after upper management found out that she had been exercising her rights to organize with her coworkers to ask for living wages and dignified working conditions. (According to Xochitl in a post on Workers' Dignity Facebook page, this is no coincidence.) The group says they are demanding Barista Parlor to: 1) Stop the illegal intimidation of employees as they perform concerted activities; 2) Give justice to Xochitl; 3) Stop profiting from Xochitl’s signature drink and take it off the menu; and 4) Pay Barista Parlor employees a living wage. Read more about their next steps at the Workers' Dignity Facebook page. PHOTOS BY ALVINE

PHOTO BY ALVINE Many people gathered downtown with colorful signs, outfits and accessories — including Contributor staff members and vendors (pictured in the group photo above) — to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride during Nashville's annual two-day Pride Festival and parade.

PHOTO BY ALVINE

PAGE 12 | July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

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...

L a N ticia 2022

GRATIS

Julio

Escanee esta imagen para ver La Noticia newspaper edición bilingüe digital

www.hispanicpaper.com

Año 20 - No. 353

“DONDE OCURREN LOS HECHOS QUE IMPORTAN, SIEMPRE PRIMERO... ANTES”

Nashville, Tennessee

Nuestro sistema financiero de atención médica es nuestra principal causa de muerte

Fuente: CDC

Algo me dice que no podrán mantenerlo alejado de las personas con el dinero para pagar los $28,000 al año que cuesta.

La Muerte, con su guadaña literalmente (The Grim Reaper) aquí es un sistema financiero de atención médica perversamente diseñado para limitar el acceso a una atención de calidad. Este régimen financiero niega y raciona rotundamente las intervenciones médicas sobre la base de la pobreza, la raza, el origen étnico y el género; luego cubre sus huellas al no ofrecer información sobre el impacto en la salud de sus reglas y procedimientos. En esencia, nuestro sistema es una máquina dedicada a mitigar el riesgo financiero en lugar del riesgo de enfermedad debilitante y muerte prematura del paciente. Ya es hora de corregir este conjunto de prioridades y sesgos mal concebidos. Cuando una persona aquí en los Estados Unidos visita al médico o a la sala de emergencias, probablemente lo hace con la expectativa de que nuestro sistema de atención médica esté diseñado para ayudarlos a disfrutar de una vida larga y de alta calidad. Pues se equivoca. Gran

Habla hoy con tu médico acerca de las pruebas de detección del cáncer colorrectal y otras enfermedades.

parte del sistema está diseñado para elevar el riesgo de morir jóvenes. Considere que para que el Congreso vote sobre un cambio en la ley de salud, la Oficina de Presupuesto del Congreso (CBO, por sus siglas en inglés) debe "anotarlo" por su impacto en el Tesoro federal. CBO es alegremente indiferente a si el cambio podría conducir a vidas más largas y mejores. Pero el CBO no es el villano aquí. Simplemente está haciendo el trabajo que le asignó el Congreso. Tampoco es el único. Numerosas agencias federales evalúan las regulaciones y los programas de atención médica en áreas que van desde la cobertura de medicamentos recetados hasta los pagos hospitalarios basados en el

desempeño. En todos los casos, hacen esencialmente lo mismo: administran el riesgo financiero elevando el riesgo del paciente. Estas políticas de financiación de la sanidad hacen que 14,000 personas mueran de hepatitis C cada año porque no vamos a pagar para curarlas, cosa que podemos y sabemos hacer. La expectativa de vida promedio para un paciente con anemia falciforme es de 42 a 47 años porque no hemos invertido en tratamientos. Estamos a punto de introducir pruebas de detección temprana que pueden detectar cincuenta tipos de cáncer con una extracción de sangre. Sin embargo, se necesitará una ley del Congreso y un laberinto de regulaciones antes de que esté disponible para el público estadounidense.

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 www.juanese.com juanese@usa.com

July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 13

Esta inequidad resume claramente el descarte deliberado de las vidas de las personas negras, morenas y pobres como resultado de nuestro enfoque de la financiación de la atención médica. Este problema ha persistido durante décadas en forma de mortalidad infantil y materna desproporcionada, amputación por diabetes, baja supervivencia al cáncer y la falta de garantía de que los beneficiarios minoritarios de Medicare tengan acceso a las vacunas contra la gripe y el neumococo. Hemos llegado a un punto de inflexión. Estamos dominando la ciencia que nos llevará a los límites de la longevidad humana. Pero no podemos llegar allí sin un sistema financiero de atención médica en el que la alta calidad y la larga vida sean la máxima prioridad. Gary A. Puckrein es presidente y director ejecutivo del Foro Nacional de Calidad de las Minorías (National Minority Quality Forum). Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

VENDOR WRITING

Inquiring Minds Want To Know BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

THEME: CL A SSIC CHILDR EN'S BOOKS ACROSS 1. Kitchen boss 5. Churchill's "so few" 8. Epochs 12. "Watch out!" on a golf course 13. East of Java 14. *Pinocchio's state of being 15. Hard currency 16. Emanation 17. TV and radio 18. *Mr. Popper's birds 20. Newspaper piece 21. *Like "Goosebumps Classic" 22. "What?" 23. *Richard Scarry's Things That Go 26. Oxygenate, as in lawn 29. Skin cyst 30. Middle Eastern meat dish, pl. 33. Antonym of "yup" 35. Dispatch boat 37. Female sheep

38. Throat infection 39. Searching for E.T. org. 40. *"I think I can, I think I can...", e.g. 42. *"____ Spot run!" 43. Accounting journal 45. *The Plaza Hotel resident of kids' book fame 47. Long, long time 48. Caffeine-containing nut trees 50. Off-color 52. *Ludwig Bemelmans' Parisian boarding school resident 55. Middle Eastern porter 56. Movie "____ Brockovich" 57. Karl of politics 59. In a cold manner 60. Obscenity 61. Middle of March 62. Fringe benefit 63. *Side for Green Eggs 64. Put in the outbox

DOWN 1. Chlorofluorocarbon, abbr. 2. Obstacle to jump through 3. Great Lake 4. Tiny fox with large ears 5. Two halves of a diameter 6. Like one in isolation cell 7. Evergreen trees 8. *Babar, e.g. 9. Thumb-up catch 10. Full of enthusiasm 11. *"The Little Mermaid" domain 13. Stock exchange, in Paris 14. Affair, to Emmanuel Macron 19. Michael Douglas' 1987 greedy role 22. "For ____ a jolly ..." 23. *Clement Clark Moore's famous beginning 24. Live it up 25. Join forces 26. Aid in crime 27. Bodies 28. *Athos', Porthos' and Aramis' swords 31. *Corduroy or Paddington 32. Stiff grass bristle 34. *D'Artagnan's sword 36. *It ends, according to Shel Silverstein 38. North American purple berry 40. ____ at Work, band 41. Give in 44. Worshipful 46. Isis' brother and husband 48. Cause and effect cycle? 49. Abhorrence 50. RBG's collar, e.g. 51. Arabic for commander 52. Screen 53. Lymphatic swelling 54. Like certain Steven 55. Senior's fragile body part 58. New York time

When I was 17, I worked at the Vocational Rehabilitation Center in Gallatin, Tenn. I was asked by the Director Paula to explain to her young son Thomas (he was maybe six or seven) why I walk the way I do. So, during the lunch break as we sat together I did my best to explain about cerebral palsy in a way he could understand. After lunch his mom (my boss) returned and said, “Well, did she tell you why she walks different than you and I do?” He smiled and said, “Yes ma’am, she has cepurple palsy!” (Looking back now, I honestly think that was the beginning of my fascination with that color — it is still my favorite!) He went on to tell her it’s a problem in my brain, and how it can affect people different, not just their legs but sometimes their arms, or it can make their hands shake so bad they can’t feed themselves. He told her that some people need help to walk like with braces or a walker, and some people can’t walk at all and use a wheelchair instead. (Back then I didn’t use ANY of those devices. I was VERY independent, but with time and age, conditions like this tend to deteriorate.) I was amazed by how much he had gotten out of our brief conversation! Years later while working at Goodwill I heard another little boy about the same age ask his mom, “Why does she walk that way?” Unlike the first experience, she scolded him. A few minutes later I was in the restroom and they came in and she was still getting on to him, saying how much he’d embarrassed her for asking such a stupid question knowing that I heard him. By now the little boy was crying and confused asking what he’d done wrong. Her embarrassment only increased when I came out of a stall and said, “You know, there’s really no harm in him asking a question, maybe you should just let him ask.” She apologized. I said, “It’s not me you owe an apology to.” I looked at the little boy and smiled and said somebody told me the only stupid questions are the ones you don’t ask, so you just keep right on asking until you get answers, understand? He nodded yes, and with that, we parted ways. Perhaps you’re wondering why I bring this up now. Well, the other day a little girl asked, “Why do you have that?” (She was referring to my cane.) The lady in the front passenger seat

started to get on to her as she began to roll the window up. I said hey, it’s ok. I don’t mind, really! The SUV then made a quick turn into the parking lot. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I suddenly found myself thinking maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, maybe I should’ve just let them pass by. Oh well, too late now. The driver said, “Say what you wanna say girl.” I was unsure if he was talking to me or the girl in the back seat, so I said, “It looks like you’ve been swimming.” (She still had her floaties on.) “Would you ever go swimming without your floaties?” She shook her head no, and said, “I don’t swim good. Well, I don’t walk good, and my cane helps me walk so I don’t fall. Without it I’d be stuck in my chair ALL the time! That doesn’t sound like much fun, does it?” Again, she shook her head no. With that the lady in the front seat thanked me for taking the time to talk to her, and away they went. Why are interactions like this SO important? Because they lead to a better understanding. Understanding leads to acceptance, and acceptance leads to inclusion. How important is it to included? Consider this: When I was in the 6th grade there was one boy who was “normal” — very athletic and good at sports— yet he would ALWAYS choose the players no one else wanted. We called ourselves The Misfits. It was the first time I truly enjoyed P.E.! He was convinced we could win and more importantly, he made us believe we could win in spite of our glaring deficiencies, and sometimes we did, and it felt GREAT! The bottom line is EVERYBODY WANTS TO FIT IN, TO BE INCLUDED! But it doesn’t end there. Inclusion often leads to empathy which I once heard defined as, “your pain in my heart.” Empathy, in turn, often leads to innovations that can make the lives of those with disabilities better — and just think, it all begins by simply asking questions! The lesson here is simple: Parents if your child has questions about someone with a disability, LET THEM ASK! I know it may be awkward at first, but believe me when I say, it beats pointing and whispering. That happens if you don’t! Contrary to popular belief, ignorance is NOT bliss! Children if you have questions, just ask. If you don’t get the answers you seek, KEEP ON ASKING and it will be given to you!

If There Is A Problem Then There Is A Solution BY MAURICE B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR As told from those of old, there's no problem too hard for our almighty God. Whatever degree of faith or path of a lifestyle one chooses to follow there is never a problem to hard for the almighty creator of all. God has all power of His creations so it's only logical that paths will cross in His time for His purpose. Note that He does not do any wrong. It's we humans with our limited free will that chooses to not do His will, because we see doing our own will as being comfort and pleasure to our eyes, our own understanding acceptance. By our almighty God being the creator of night and day and everything above and up under to

PAGE 14 | July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

His perfection then all things are created perfect to His will. That means the actions and reactions of all things human and nonhuman. The only difference between the two is that nonhumans only obey totally the will of the creator, we humans have that limited will and opportunity to think that we are better thinkers/planners than our almighty God/ creator. Whereas we humans plan and plot, our almighty God is and has the ultimate best of plans. Therefore problems arrive from our thought processes and our self will, in which at anytime that we pause stay still and reflect towards His will the answers/solutions come forth.

The New Christian Year Selected by Charles Williams

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—but he was arguably the most precocious and well-read of this eminent and intellectually fertile group. He was also known to have influenced Dorothy Sayers, T. S. Eliot and W. H. Auden. Lacking a proper degree unlike his fellow Inklings, this genius Cockney-speaking author, editor, critic, and playwright was eminently well-versed in both philosophical and theological writings of the remote past as of the present day (the mid-20th century) and used this familiarity to good effect in his poetry, supernatural fiction and his lesser-known devotional selections designed for the spiritual benefit of the faithful in the Church of England. 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, beginning with Advent (i.e., December) and ending in November, and reaches far beyond the pale of the philosophical and theological discussions of his day. It was under his hand, for instance, that some of the first translations of Kierkegaard were made available to the wider public. 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

4th Wednesday after Trinity

5th Monday after Trinity

NOR do all these, youth out of infancy, or age out of youth, arise so, as a phoenix out of the ashes of another phoenix formerly dead, but as a wasp, or a serpent out of carrion, or as a snake out of dung; our youth is worse than our infancy, and our age worse than our youths; our youth is hungry and thirsty after those sins which our infancy knew not, and our age is sorry and angry that it cannot pursue those sins which our youth did. Donne: Sermons.

THOUGH he were innocence itself, and knew no sin, yet there was no sin that he knew not, for, all our sins were his. He was not only made man, and by taking (by admitting, though not by committing) our sins, as well as our nature, sinful man; but he was made sin for our sakes. Donne: Sermons.

4th Thursday after Trinity LORD, before I commit a sin, it seems to me so shallow that I may wade through it dry-shod from any guiltiness; but when I have committed it, it often seems so deep that I cannot escape without drowning. Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times. IF thou knewest thy sins, thou wouldst lose heart. Pascal: Pensées.

4th Friday after Trinity ABBA John used to say, "We relinquish a light burden when we condemn ourselves, but we take upon ourselves a heavy burden when we justify ourselves." The Paradise of the Fathers. I LOVE thee more ardently than thou hast loved thine abominations. Pascal: Pensées.

4th Saturday after Trinity THE ten Commandments, when written by God on the tables of stone and given to man, did not then first begin to belong to man; they had their existence in man, were born with him, they lay as a seed and power of goodness, hidden in the form and make of his soul and altogether inseparable from it, before they were shown to man on tables of stone. And when they were shown to man on tables of stone, they were only outward imitations of that which was inwardly in man, though not legible because of that impurity of flesh and blood in which they were drowned and swallowed up. William Law: The Spirit of Love.

Fourth Sunday after Trinity WHAT is Christ's joy in us, but that He deigns to rejoice on our account? And what is our joy, which He says shall be full, but to have fellowship with Him? He had perfect joy on our account, when He rejoiced in the foreknowing, and predestinating us; but that joy was not in us, because then we did not exist: it began to be in us, when He called us. And this joy we rightly call our own, this joy wherewith we shall be blessed; which is begun in the faith of them who are born again, and shall be fulfilled in the reward of them who rise again. St Augustine, quoted in Aquinas, Catena Aurea.

THY conversion is My affair; fear not, and pray with confidence as for Me. Pascal: Pensées.

5th Tuesday after Trinity CONSIDER that Jesus suffered in His heart with all the knowledge of a God, and that in His heart there was every human heart and every form of suffering from Adam until the consummation of the world. Ah yes, to suffer for others can be a great joy if one has a generous soul, but to suffer in others is to really suffer! Léon Bloy: Letters to his Fiancée. THE Jews, in testing if he were God, have shown that he was man. Pascal: Pensées.

5th Wednesday after Trinity THERE is a moving absurdity about all human categories when they are applied to Christ; for if one could talk absolutely humanly about Christ one would have to say that the words: "my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" are impatient and untrue. They can only be true if God says them, and consequently also when the God-Man days them. And indeed—since it is true, it is the very limit of suffering. Kierkegaard: Journals. NO single teardrop lieth hid from thee, my God, my Maker, my Deliverer, no, nor any part thereof. The Orthodox Liturgy: Prayers of St Simeon.

5th Thursday after Trinity THE greatest exercise at once of the Divine goodness, and wisdom, and power, is to bring good out of evil. St Clement: Stromata. MAN must be lenient with his soul in her weaknesses and imperfections and suffer her failings as he suffers those of others, but he must not become idle, and must encourage himself to better things. St Seraphim of Sarov.

5th Friday after Trinity THE only remedy for having given up a habit of recollection is to recommence it, otherwise the soul will continue to lose it more and more every day, and God grant it may realize its danger. St Teresa: The Interior Castle.

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WE make an idol of truth itself; for truth apart from charity is not God, but his image and idol which we must neither love nor adore, and still less must we love and adore its opposite—namely, falsehood. Pascal: Pensées.

5th Saturday after Trinity THREE kinds of men see God. The first see him in faith; they know no more of him than what they can make out through a partition. The second behold God in the light of grace but only as the answer to their longings, as giving them sweetness, devotion, inwardness and other such-like things which are issuing from his gift. The third kind see him in the divine light. Eckhart: Sermons and Collations.

Fifth Sunday after Trinity YOU must not reckon with sin, from the nativity, but the conception; when you conceived that sin in your purpose, then you sinned that sin, and in every letter, in every discourse, in every present, in every wish, in every dream, that conduces to that sin, or rises from that sin, you sin it over and over again, before you come to the committing of it, and so your sin is an old, an inveterate sin, before it is born, and that which you call the first, is not the hundredth time, that you have sinned that sin. Donne: Sermons.

6th Monday after Trinity LORD, often have I thought with myself, I will sin but this one sin more, and then I will repent of it, and of all the rest of my sins together. So foolish was I and ignorant. As if I should be more able to pay my debts when I owe more: or as if I should say, I will wound my friend once again, and then I will lovingly shake hands with him: but what if my friend will not shake hands with me? Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times.

6th Tuesday after Trinity SCARCELY is there any man that hath delight in worship, but that he is either in great peril of falling, or else fully fallen down into the pit of deadly sin, as we may see by many reasons: first, for also much as he that hath great delight is busy all times in his mind how he may keep his worship and made it more . . . Also he that loveth worship is busy to procure and get him friends that may keep him in his worship, and also further him to greater worship . . . Also commonly he hath indignation of others that be in worship and backbiteth them to make himself more worshipful and more worthy. And so he falleth into hate and envy of his brother. The Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ, trs. by Nicholas Love.

FUN

HOBOSCOPES CANCER

I got a new sprinkler for my garden, Cancer! It’s got four different modes so it will keep the water super-localized to the plants that need it most. This will make things so much easier than having to stand out there with that old sprayhead. Now if I can just…get…this sprayhead to unscrew from the…hose. Ugh. It’s stuck. Sometimes we put off changes for so long that things start to feel immovable. Change may not be as easy as you hoped, Cancer, but grab some pliers and gloves and maybe a hammer and I think we can get this thing to turn.

There used to be a guy on TV late at night who said he could talk to dead people. He would have a whole room full of guests and they’d stand up and cry and he’d give them a message from their relative or friend who had passed away. I don’t know if he really heard from the beyond, but his audience sure seemed relieved when they would hear a reassuring word from somebody they’d loved. What I do know, Scorpio, is that if you want to tell your people that you love them and that you’re on their side, do it now. We could all use more of that from the living.

SAGITTA R IUS

LEO

I don’t think it was supposed to be this way, Leo. The systems are too complex. The numbers are too big. The information spreads too fast. Was it this hard when people lived in villages and never saw a stranger? Now there are so many faces on so many screens. So much money. So many opinions. Information never stops. It’s impossible to hold it all. Give yourself a break today, Leo. You’re not meant to carry this much. Set it down for a while.

VIRGO

Clearly, some of the documents that our society is built on are becoming old and out of date. I propose, Virgo, that our laws and morals should be based instead on the 1984 sci-fi adventure film The Last Starfighter. As a text from the imagination of the early information age, The Last Starfighter is a perfect guide on how to form and defend a government, live a courageous and ethical life and bring peace to the galaxy. This is a great time for you to question some of your foundational texts, Virgo. Now, please rise for our new pledge of allegiance “Greetings Starfighter! You have been recruited by The Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan armada.”

LIBRA

SCORPIO

My first job was at an ice cream shop. I got good at digging that metal scoop deep into the vanilla, strawberry, or caramel-ribbon and stacking them on a cone. I got good at excavating the peanut butter fudge that was hard as a rock and took a full minute per scoop and gave me tennis-elbow. I got good at making a little whipped-cream tower to top with a cherry and nuts. Nobody knows that I’m good at those things anymore, Sagittarius. You’ve got some skills you haven’t had a chance to use for a while. Make a list of all those things you can do that nobody gets to see you do anymore. Are there any of those you could use today? Maybe with hot fudge?

CAPRICORN

My car started making a noise like “krkrkrooooooowlk” every time I make a left turn. Do you know what that might be, Capricorn? I don’t know anything about cars, but I’m assuming it’s either the engine or the wheels. It’s hard to diagnose problems if you don’t understand the systems in which they exist. A noise like “krkrkrooooooowlk” might be a real issue or it might just be a side effect of something seemingly-unrelated. Take a step back and look at the whole picture. You may need a new transmission. Or maybe you just left your work shirt hanging out the passenger door and it got tangled up with an old empty milk jug.

AQUA RIUS

How do you feel most days, Libra? Lately I’m angry in the mornings and anxious by lunch, just kinda sad through the afternoon and then ready to distract and space-out until bedtime. There’s lots of reasons we feel the ways we feel. The first thing to do with our feelings is to notice them and call them what they are. Is that anger or is it fear? Is it sadness or is it grief? Once we notice them, it’s easier to talk about them, Libra. Even if you just say it outloud to yourself. What are your feelings telling you today? What do they want to change?

When I went to summer camp as a kid, I found most of the outdoor activities embarrassing. My canoe sank, the string on my bow snapped, and I got hit in the face with the kickball. But I loved tug o'war. Just get to the end of the line, grab the rope, and lean hard. My team usually won. But it’s not such a great strategy later in life, Aquarius. Pick your team, grab on and pull. It just means somebody ends up in the mud. Let’s put down the rope and see if we can move the line without pulling somebody else down. It’s not just about your team anymore, Aquarius. Everybody needs to get there together.

PISCES

Your mom called, Pisces. She wanted me to remind you that it’s going to be very hot today. And she said that when you get in your car you shouldn’t lock the doors because you might pass out from the heat and emergency crews might have to break the window to help you and you might get cut from the glass. I told her I’d give you the message, but, I’ve got to say that this seems like a very specific scenario to be worried about. I guess most of the things we worry about never actually happen, Pisces, so maybe today you can put aside your usual concerns and meditate on this improbability instead.

ARIES

When we set up this picnic we expected the ants. (We can tolerate the ants.) When the rain started, we thought we could wait it out. When the crows descended, we covered the chips. When the picnic basket caught fire, we were concerned, but focused. But now it’s hail and bears and militant forest gnomes, and I’m starting to think we should fold up this blanket and go. But what if, Aries, our picnic was too limited from the start? Next time we’ll bring shelter from the storm, and more sandwiches for bears, and music for the gnomes, and sparklies for the crows, and tiny hats for the ants. Maybe if everyone is invited, there'll be no one left to fight.

TAURUS

Sorry, the astrological sign you’re attempting to view has been suspended for violating the Zodiac terms of service. All previous astrological wisdom offered to this sign is currently under review. If you wish to appeal this suspension, you may plead with the night sky, arms outstretched, eyes upward, kneeling penitently until dawn. Alternatively, Taurus, seek your answer within.

GEMINI

A little metal ball rolls down a track and drops into a glass of water balanced on a point. The glass tips into a bowl that sits on one side of an apothecary scale. As the opposite side of the scale rises, it strikes a wooden match that lights a fuse that goes into a black box. Sometimes, Gemini, the world feels like an unstoppable Rube Goldberg machine. We’re all just waiting for the final ball to drop. But the big finish is not so inevitable as it seems. Together we might stop the ball, or catch the glass, or keep a finger on the scale, or blow out the fuse. You don’t have to sit back and watch, Gemini, you can jump in at any point.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a certified picnic developer, or a trained Star League recruit. 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 | July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

VENDOR WRITING

2-B CHRISTIAN

THE SECOND HALF

You’re pretty convincing, As a pretty good Christian, In that Sunday morning mask, That’s all a part of your act. It’s just a disguise, Like a little white lie, To hide the selfish side of, Me, Myself and I. You can talk the talk, But can you walk the walk? Is your Life a Sacrifice? Do you Carry Your Cross? Jesus said: “Put others before yourself” but, It’s easier to leave it for someone else.

Six months in front of us. Six months have passed. Welcome to the Second Half.

Written by Chris Scott Fieselman

What does it mean to be Christian? And why even bother to try? There are those who Trust God with all their Heart, And those who can’t imagine why? Why oh why - Oh why should I? Why oh why - Oh why should I? Now, nobody’s perfect, We all make mistakes, And fall short of The Glory of God. The Lust of the Flesh, The Pride of Life, And the Desires of the Heart. Commitment, Isn’t something you turn on and off. Here today and gone tomorrow. It’s relationship, And it’s your faith in it, And how far are you willing to go? Oh… What does it mean to be Christian? And why even bother to try? There are those who Trust God with all their Heart, And those who can’t imagine why? Why oh why - Oh why should I? Why oh why - Oh why should I? Truly I say to you, “Ye Must Be Born Again.” You’re either part of the problem, Or a part of God’s Plan. Believing in something that you cannot see, And knowing what you’re hoping for is going to be. If Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins, And all you have to do is just Trust in Him. Why do so many, refuse to Believe? Is there really such a thing as Eternity? What does it mean to be Christian? And why even bother to try? There are those who Trust God with all their Heart, And those who can’t imagine why? Why oh why - Oh why should I? Why oh why - Oh why should I?

Written by Chris Scott Fieselman

What has been done? And what’s yet to do? With what we have left of 2022. I reckon, no forgetting all the tragedies. The needless, senseless death, And catastrophes. So, what can we expect come 2023? A chance to change the course of history. To be the example the nation needs. Where others have failed, We shall succeed. Here in Nashville, Tennessee. Six months in front of us. Six months have passed. Welcome to the Second Half. So many, Homeless men and women, On the street. We can find a solution, Or admit defeat. Winter’s going to come, And it’s not far away. But, it’s not something, We think about, On warm sunny days. No American, Should be without a bed, Or a warm, safe, dry place, To lay their head. So many folk, Live below, The poverty line, And we wonder, Why we’re seeing, Such a rise in crime. Six months in front of us. Six months have passed. Welcome to the Second Half. A beginning and an end, And a beginning again, And we’re still no better off, Then we were back then. Let’s put our heads together, And put first things first. Make an effort, Make it better, Or let things get worse… Six months in front of us. Six months have passed. Welcome to the Second Half.

July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 17

VENDOR WRITING

I want to go home BY VICK Y B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR It’s not clicking your heels three times like Dorothy did in the Wizard of Oz. It’s not wishing so bad that you were home you tear up and can’t speak. I want to go home. I want to be away from this city called Nashville where knives stick out around every corner.

Not knowing who’s who or what they really want. It’s being in a room full of people you don’t know and trying to fit into their political little world just to help out those less fortunate. You finally realize it’s not going to make a difference; no one really cares. Those

you thought cared simply stole your words and then hid behind closed doors to make dirty deals. It’s the only way to get things done in this adult world called politics. I just don’t belong but, that’s how things get done. I won’t be apart of the solution but, I

won’t be apart of the problem either. I won't divert attention away from all the complex reasons people struggle with homelessness. I won’t put a mask of the same issue and call it something more pleasing. I call it like I see it. I’ll sit by the side, watching and waiting. I’ve met to many liars and players as they’re called to ever trust again. I want to go home where my people are, where we understand each other from a simple nod and a smile. They say you can’t go home again. I hope I still can one day when afford-

able housing reaches there. For now, it’s a distant glimmer of hope to one be living in quiet with nature as the back drop once again. Everyone is celebrating this new office of homelessness being built in Nashville that will have 90 units with wrap around services right there in the building, that will be permanent supportive housing. In reality it did nothing to help the homeless today, nothing. Kind of like that cold wash cloth hitting you in the face huh? Reality really bites the big one.

Thank you to all supporters and providers for serving our friends in the community who are experiencing temporary homelessness. Open Table Nashville, People Loving Nashville, ShowerUp, Project Return, Park Center, The Contributor, Mental Health Cooperative, Room in the Inn, West End United Methodist, Councilman Sean Parker, Clencliff Village *Paid for by Friends to ReElect Lynda Jones, Cathy Werthan, treasurer

Dear Nashville Neighbors, I, Captain Philip Canning, and my wife, Captain Elaine Canning, are the new Area Commanders at The Salvation Army in Nashville. We are very happy and excited to be here. Coming here is certainly an exciting opportunity for us. Nashville is undergoing such tremendous growth. And as we know, so often, growth in a major metropolitan area like Nashville leaves its most vulnerable residents playing catch up. We know that reasonably priced housing and welcoming neighborhoods can be disrupted and displaced to make way for new ventures. But the Salvation Army is and always has been ready to address the concerns of residents experiencing homelessness, those seeking safe and available first step housing, as well as other basic needs with compassion and dignity, guided by God’s plan. Our LIFNAV app is a perfect example of this, making it easy for neighbors to connect with the services they need. These mission essential ministries will allow The Salvation Army to grow and be best positioned to help our neighbors and to do so with dignity and without discrimination. To be part of that growth is such a blessing to us. We are as committed as our predecessors were to the expansion and the incredible potential it presents for helping more people in more ways. The comfort of knowing you have a safe place to lay your head at night and the extra security of knowing someone cares about you and has your best interests at heart is so important to a person’s wellbeing and sense of self-worth. And to do it in the light of Christ’s love is just such a wonderful goal that The Salvation Army has had from the start. We look forward to being part of that here in Nashville. We look forward to all we can accomplish, together, with God’s guidance to help our neighbors in need of help and hope. We have always depended on God to guide us to be exactly where we belong, where we can do the most good. That’s how we feel about coming to Nashville. If you have any questions or would like to connect, feel free to give me a call at 615-242-0411 Ext 121. In Community,

Captain Philip Canning

Captain Elaine Canning

PAGE 18 | July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

MOVING PICTURES

Goofing & Gritty BOUNDARY-BREAKING COMEDY: THE KIDS IN THE HALL AREN’T KIDS ANYMORE BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC When The Kids in the Hall debuted in 1989 they were sort of like Saturday Night Live’s Canadian kid brothers. The show was produced by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and it aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Company and HBO. The show ran through 1995 and was followed-up by a feature film (Brain Candy, 1996) and the Death Comes to Town miniseries which aired on Amazon Prime in 2010. Now the Kids are back on Amazon Prime with a new season of sketch comedy as well as a documentary about their journey from a plucky improv comedy troupe in Toronto to international comic legends. The new The Kids in the Hall season picks up where the series left off in 1995, reviving some classic characters and skits, but, thankfully, also bringing lots of unique, original, daring and hilarious new ideas to Amazon Prime. Saturday Night Live lost it’s “not ready for prime time” edge a long time ago and my joy at a new The Kids in the Hall season was definitely tempered by a sense that a return to the show almost three decades after their original series ended might be a disaster. Thankfully, it’s a triumph. The new season looks a lot like the show’s original run: episodes still cold-open with a skit before the needle drops on the show’s classic surf punk theme song by Shadowy Men from a Shadowy Planet. The opening credits and experimental bits between skits still feature random candid goofing

and gritty street footage shot in grainy black and white. The new material still finds the Kids mixing surreal silliness with dark themes as well as lots of wigs and dresses, but their new sketches feel fresh as well as familiar. The first sketch of the first episode ends in a display of full frontal nudity that’s as ridiculous as it is hilarious, and it sets the tone for this new season which is just as weird, smart, daring and laugh out loud funny as their best shows from way back in the grunge era. Saturday Night Live was originally energized by the punk rock music and ethics that emerged in New York City in the 1970s, but The Kids in the Hall always seemed emblematic of the Generation X sensibilities that shaped so much of American culture in the 1990s. The Kids themselves are technically late Baby Boomers, but their weird comedy broke the ice for off-kilter sketch shows like Mr. Show, The State and Exit 57 which are now considered classics of the era, and it doesn’t take a genius to draw the very obvious connection between the Kids’ wearing dresses and making queer-friendly comedy and Kurt Cobain wearing dresses and advocating for women and the gay community. The original The Kids in the Hall series, the Death Comes to Town miniseries, the Brain Candy film, and the new series reboot are all currently streaming on Amazon Prime along with a new two episode documentary,

The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks. Even if you’re a super fan from way back in the day, this new doc will surprise you with lots of early footage of the Kids before their television stardom and on the road touring the various live shows they’ve performed over the years since their breakthrough success. The movie reveals lots of insider stories about the Kids’ friendships and struggles during more than 30 years as a comedy troupe, and it even reveals that The Kids in the Hall name is a reference to

a line comic legend Sid Caesar would deliver, blaming jokes that f lopped on, “the kids in the hall” — the newbie comedy writers who hung around the television studio looking for a big break. All of The Kids in the Hall projects are now streaming on Amazon Prime Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.

July 6 - 20, 2022 | The Contributor | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE | PAGE 19

The Contributor: July 6, 2022

Articles inside

Moving Pictures

Hoboscopes

Vendor Writing: Norma B.

Vendor Spotlight: Walter D.

A Few Questions With

Vendor Writing - Jen A.

Vendor Writing - Norma B.

Nashville History Corner

How Metro intends to spend $50 million in federal funds on Homelessness

Raising Awareness about camps, sweeps and displacement