The Contributor: August 2, 2023

By Jim Patterson

Contributor Board

Kerry Graham, Chair • Amber DuVentre, Chair Elect • Christine Doeg , Secretary • Cathy Jennings • Demetria Kalodimos • Jerome Moore • O. Wade Nelson, Jr. • Waddell Wright • Robin Kimbrough-Hayes

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visto UAP en numerosas ocasiones mientras volaba en el Océano Pacífico. David Grusch, un exfuncionario de la comunidad de inteligencia que afirmó haber sido informado de un programa gubernamental "de varias décadas" para recuperar y descifrar naves espaciales alienígenas estrelladas. David Fravor un excomandante de la Marina que testificó sobre su experiencia al ver un UAP mientras volaba un F/A-18 Hornet en 2004. La audiencia se centró en gran medida en la transparencia del gobierno en torno a los UAP. Grusch acusó al gobierno de ocultar información al Congreso y al público, y pidió una investigación más exhaustiva del fenómeno. Fravor y Graves también expresaron su frustración por la falta de transparencia del gobierno, e instaron a los legisladores presentes a tomar los UAP más en serio. La audiencia fue recibida con reacciones mixtas. Algunos observadores elogiaron al comité por celebrar la audiencia y por tomarse los UAP en serio. Otros criticaron la audiencia por centrarse demasiado en el secreto del gobierno y no lo suficiente en la evidencia real de los UAP. A pesar de las reacciones mixtas, la audiencia marcó un paso significativo en la

discusión pública del gobierno sobre los UAP. Es probable que se lleven a cabo más audiencias en el futuro, y es posible que el gobierno revele más información sobre los UAP (OVNIS). Aquí hay algunos de los puntos clave de la audiencia: El gobierno ha sido consciente de los UAP durante décadas, pero no ha sido transparente sobre su conocimiento. No hay consenso sobre lo que son los UAP, pero hay evidencia de que son reales y que pueden representar una amenaza para la seguridad nacional. El gobierno debe hacer más para investigar los UAP y compartir información con el Congreso y el público. La audiencia fue un paso significativo en la discusión pública del gobierno sobre los UAP, pero está claro que todavía hay mucho que no sabemos sobre estos objetos misteriosos. El comandante Ryan Graves, un expiloto de la Marina que testificó sobre su experiencia al ver un UAP mientras volaba un F/A-18 Hornet en 2014. Formaba parte

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,

de una escuadrilla que realizaba ejercicios de entrenamiento frente a la costa de Virginia Beach cuando se encontraron con el UAP. El testimonio de Graves no es el único de su tipo. Ha habido muchos otros informes de UAP por parte de pilotos militares, y algunos de estos informes han sido corroborados por radar y otros datos. Esto sugiere que hay algo real en el fenómeno UAP, aunque aún no sepamos lo que es. Por su parte David Fravor, un comandante retirado de la Marina, testificó sobre su experiencia al ver un UAP en 2004. Él y sus compañeros pilotos vieron un objeto blanco, en forma de ‘tanque de propano’ (tic-tac), como lo describió durante la audiencia hoy, que se movía a altas velocidades y era capaz de cambiar de dirección instantáneamente. El objeto fue rastreado por radar y visto por múltiples testigos, por lo que es difícil de descartar como una farsa. Sin embargo, la naturaleza del objeto sigue siendo un misterio. Es posible que el objeto fuera un espacial extraterrestre.

El testimonio de David Grusch puede sumarizarse en lo siguiente:

Grusch afirmó que el gobierno ha estado llevando a cabo un programa "de varias décadas" para recuperar y descifrar naves espaciales alienígenas estrelladas.

Grusch dijo que se le negó el acceso a este programa a pesar de su cargo en la investigación de programas clasificados. Grusch alegó que el gobierno ha estado malversando fondos para blindar estas operaciones de la supervisión del Congreso. Grusch dijo que ha entrevistado a funcionarios que tienen conocimiento directo de naves de "origen no humano", y que se recuperaron entidades "biológicas" (como las llamó) de algunas naves. Grusch dijo que teme por su seguridad y ha sido blanco de represalias por salir adelante con sus acusaciones. El testimonio de Grusch es importante porque proporciona nueva información sobre el presunto involucramiento del gobierno en el fenómeno UAP. Sus acusaciones son graves y plantean preguntas sobre la transparencia y la rendición de cuentas del gobierno. Es importante tener en cuenta que el tes-

timonio de Grusch no ha sido verificado de forma independiente y el gobierno ha negado sus acusaciones. Sin embargo, el testimonio de Grusch es consistente con otros informes de participación del gobierno en el fenómeno UAP.

El Comité de Supervisión de la Cámara de Representantes espera que se continúe investigando el fenómeno UAP, y el testimonio de Grusch es probable que sea un foco importante de la investigación. En 2021, el gobierno de los Estados Unidos publicó un informe sobre los UAP que reconocía que hay muchos objetos inexplicables en el cielo. El informe no concluyó que estos objetos sean de origen extraterrestre, pero tampoco lo descartó. El fenómeno UAP sigue siendo un misterio, pero es uno que se está volviendo cada vez más importante. A medida que más personas se presentan con informes de UAP, está claro que este es un fenómeno que debemos tomar en serio. Los representantes Tim Burchett (RTenn.) y Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) fueron dos de los miembros del subcomité de seguridad nacional de la Cámara de Representantes que ayudaron a encabezar la audiencia sobre UAP esta mañana. Burchett y Luna han sido vocales sobre su creencia de que el gobierno no ha sido lo suficientemente transparente sobre los UAP, y han pedido una investigación más exhaustiva del fenómeno. Burchett y Luna hablaron durante la audiencia y ambos expresaron su frustración por la falta de transparencia del gobierno. Burchett dijo que cree que el gobierno está "ocultando algo" sobre los UAP, y Luna dijo que está "profundamente preocupada" por la forma en que el gobierno maneja el fenómeno. Burchett y Luna también introdujeron legislación que obligaría al gobierno a publicar más información sobre los UAP. El proyecto de ley de Burchett, la "Ley de Transparencia de Fenómenos Aéreos No Identificados (UAP)", obligaría al gobierno crear una base de datos pública de todos los avistamientos de UAP. El proyecto de ley de Luna, la "Ley de Identificación, Notificación y Transparencia de UAP", obligaría al gobierno a establecer una nueva oficina para investigar los UAP.

La legislación introducida por Burchett y Luna aún se encuentra en una fase inicial, pero es un signo de que existe un creciente apoyo bipartidista para una mayor transparencia sobre los UAP. Es probable que la legislación se debata en el Congreso en los próximos meses y es posible que se convierta en ley. Además de sus esfuerzos legislativos, Burchett y Luna también han estado trabajando para concienciar sobre el fenómeno UAP. Ambos han dado discursos e entrevistas sobre los UAP y han animado a la gente a que se anime a informar sobre sus propios avistamientos. El trabajo de Burchett y Luna es importante porque está ayudando a que el tema de los UAP entre en la conciencia pública. A medida que más y más personas se enteren del fenómeno, es probable que aumente la presión sobre el gobierno para que sea más transparente sobre los UAP. Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

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Table Nashville’s weekly foot clinic at Trinity Community Commons buillds community compassion.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN WAGNER

Michael Reed will keep on moving

The Nashville skyline is one of countless horizons Michael Reed has glimpsed over his 57 years.

“Me and a friend of mine who died two Octobers ago, she’d tell me, ‘Uh-oh!’ I’d say, ‘What?’ And she’d say ‘I feel a travelin’ comin’ on!’ We’d wind up hoppin’ Greyhounds and goin’ to Florida, Arkansas, Colorado, wherever. Knowin’ when we get there, we don’t know what’s gonna happen when we get there. We just know we’re there!”

Having traveled so much, Reed didn’t stay in town for the sights or the city life. He’s seen how neon signs and glass spires just don’t compare to the Colorado sun, hanging over mountains shaggy with silver snowfall.

“It’s beautiful. When they get a snow, oh God, it’s just beautiful. Solid white snow.”

Despite missing the places he’s been, Reed has lived in Nashville for the last 15 years for a reason: its people.

“[You meet] all sorts! Good people, bad people. All sorts of people you’ll meet. Most of ‘em are good people. That’s how I

BY JUSTIN WAGNER

first got started: I met someone who was sellin’ [about 10 years ago] and he brought me up here to sign up.”

Reed found selling The Contributor an intuitive, natural fit — one which allowed him to secure a little extra income and stay in touch with the community around him.

“People have been good to me over the years,” Reed recalled. “One time over in Bellevue, a woman stopped, she took me to Walmart, got me a shirt, pants, a bag of drawers, a bag of socks, put me up in a hotel for a week!”

It’s the members of that community, whether a stranger in Bellevue or his girlfriend of three months, Tammy, who give him the support he needs to keep going, he said.

You might know Reed by his cowboy hat, the hearty sincerity of his laugh, or even by his wrestling name, “Mad Dog” — but he’s lived on the streets for years, and it’s a continuous fight for survival.

“[The heat] makes it rough. Very hard. It’s hard, but I’m tryin’.”

Life between encampments and shel-

ters is never easy, and Reed has a trove of stories from his time on the streets. Shows of generosity are a brief refuge, but that doesn’t change the systems underpinning Reed’s struggles.

He recalled a time when a dimebag of marijuana was found outside his tent at a homeless encampment, and he was arrested for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“I had nothin’ to do with it, I explained it to [the police officer who took me in] … he teared up and started crying. He didn’t want to arrest me, but he had to. He had done run my name. I told him, ‘it’s all good!’ I had to do a four-day drug class over it,” Reed explained with warm laughter. “Cost me $25 a day. It’s senseless.”

Reed’s positivity is radiant, but no coincidence — he’s been fighting and dreaming since a young age, back when he yearned to play college football for the Tennessee Vols.

“I love football … oh God, ever since I was a kid, I grew up playin’!”

Studying his favorite players on the Colts and the 49ers, Reed learned the value

of fundamental-based play and developed a lifelong love for the sport.

“[Peyton Manning] didn’t make them long yard passes. Little 5, 10-yard zips. That’s all it takes! A 5, 10-yard pass, keep things movin’. It don’t take a big pass,” Reed laughed. “I never did get to play any college ball. I had mental problems, I never would have been able to make the grades … I’d done good to keep my grades up in high school.”

Those ambitions lay dormant for decades. Now, Reed dreams of a stable home. He’s found temporary havens over the years, but he’s yet to find a permanent roof overhead.

“I would have somewhere to live, somethin’ would happen, and I’d come back … I’ve got to have somethin’. I can’t do another winter and summer like this. I just can’t.”

For now, Reed takes it a day at a time — short passes, 10-yard zips, keeping things moving.

“Long as things are movin’, you’re doing good. You’re gettin’ the job done.”

A Few Questions with Councilmember Robert Swope, District 4

Councilmember Robert Swope does not view himself as a politician, but says identifies as a public servant. He has represented District 4 for the past eight years.

The Contributor talked with Swope as part of a series called A Few Questions With where we interview councilmembers about their district’s most pressing issues.

How would you describe District 4 and the people who live there?

I would say [District 4 is] on the wealthier side of the range. Half of it is Brentwood, the other half is Nippers Corner. Predominantly single family homes, large lots, well-maintained. I don’t even have a beautification commissioner because everybody [takes care of their property].

What are the main concerns you hear from your constituents?

Traffic. That’s it. Traffic.

Do you hear concerns about public transit?

There is no public transit in my district. There is one route on Nolensville Road. It goes down to Lennox Village. But Lennox Village is not in my district. It’s across the street. So, I have zero public transportation. Again, everybody in my district drives, which creates traffic.

This is your last term. When you reflect over the past eight years, what would you describe as some of the most significant changes the city went through?

Overdevelopment. That’s the single answer. Overdevelopment. There has been way too much building in this city. Not in my district. I think my district has the least amount of new development out of the 35 [districts].

What direction would you hope the city would move forward when it comes to development?

Much more responsible development. Learn how to say no. I say no to nine out of 10 developers. Period.

We don’t need more housing. We need more affordable housing. And when you keep building more million-dollar homes, that doesn’t make things affordable. Now in my district, they’re appropriate because half of my district’s lot sizes are one acre or bigger. So, yes, that’s appropriate. But when you [build] a multi-million home on an eighth of an acre, alongside three others on a half-acre, it just doesn’t make a whole lot of responsible sense to me.

Would you call for a restructuring of the zoning code?

Not necessarily. I would call for a restructuring of the Planning Department. They need to give councilmembers more authority to say yes or no because councilmembers know their districts, or at least they should.

BY JUDITH TACKETT

METRO COUNCIL COMMITTEES:

• Government Operations and Regulations

• Public Health and Safety

• Transportation and Infrastructure

Starting in your first term, you made trans portation a priority. What are some next steps you would like to see Nashville take to improve its transit system?

Autonomic vehicles. Go to intelligenttransit. org. That’s my plan. It spells out everything from road infrastructure to what kind of vehicles we should be buying and using. It’s quite extensive.

What triggered you to develop that site?

Stupid planning. Building trains that are 150 years outdated, costing hundreds of billions of dollars, doesn’t make any bloody sense at all. Technology has improved so much in the past 20 years alone that … in the time it takes you to build one mile of train track, the world will be different. So why would we spend $2.5 billion on trains when they’re outdated the moment you pass the legislation? It’s a waste of taxpayer money.

Your background is in communication and entertainment. Is Nashville still the Music City you’d like to see, and are there any policy changes you’d like to highlight or still see to support and improve Nashville’s status as Music City USA?

No. Having spent an entire lifetime in music, film, and television, specifically TV live, I fought very hard for a permanent Film and Television Commission — not in the Mayor’s Office — but as part of Metro City Council. I lost that fight, and now we have an Entertainment Commission.

I’ve sat on the last three Entertainment Commissions over the last 30 years. When you try to mix a multi-billion-dollar industry like the music industry with a [burgeoning]

for disaster. I know because I watched three of them fail. So, we’re doing the same thing again. Lucky us!

They are separate industries. I’ve owned a record label for 30 years; I’ve owned a film and television production company for 30 years. I promise you, they are two completely different businesses. They operate differently, they produce differently, they distribute differently. We’re mixing apples and mangos and trying to call it entertainment. Well, to the lay person out there, that’s fine. That’s exactly how they view it. But from a business standpoint, which is the way we need to be approaching this from, it makes no sense whatsoever.

You said the right place would be in the Metro Council versus the Mayor’s Office, why?

Correct. As a matter of fact, I would love to see it housed — not necessarily actually housed, but physically housed — in the CVC (Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation) because it’s all about film and television incentives. We don’t have to incentivize music. Everybody comes here for music already. But film and TV is always a ballgame. We’re fighting this state by state on a national basis, and we don’t have an income tax so there is no dedicated funding for film and television incentives. And there never will be.

So, we have to offer different things, and we have to get creative with it. And that’s exactly what the CVC does, [which] is market and promote this city. So, why wouldn’t you house it there?

What are some of the measures you’d like a next mayor to tackle when it comes to serving

highly vulnerable populations such as people experiencing homelessness, seniors with a fixed income, people with disabilities, etc.?

Having been partially disabled myself for years during these last two terms because of operations on my knees, I can tell you right now this city is the most un-ADA-compliant city I have ever been in in my life (ADA stands for Americans with Disabilities Act), and I have worked in 68 countries on five continents.

I would make a sincere effort in the urban environments — not in my district. In my district people don’t walk. We don’t ride bikes. We drive cars. I don’t need sidewalks in District 4. But what we need is ADA-compliant sidewalks and crosswalks in the urban core, which don’t exist right now. That should be a bloody priority for the next Mayor’s Office.

As far as homelessness goes, quit giving money to crazy institutions like the Barnes Fund, which do absolutely nothing but take money and waste it. When you spend a million dollars on “affordable” housing units, that is not affordable. Think modular. If you want to do affordable housing, then build it. There are techniques in construction around the world that save hundreds of millions of dollars over what we’re spending right now. So, if you want to keep blowing money with the same old people, fine, go ahead and do it. But you’re not solving the problem.

Again, look at technology. Housing has changed drastically in the last 15 years. Look at Holland, look at Sweden. They know how to do modular construction. Go to Australia. Australia is brilliant at it. That’s where we need to focus our attentions and start building some real affordable housing units, not splitting up an eighth-acre lot putting up $3-million condos on it.

Learn More about the Push to End Veteran Homelessness

Veteran homelessness is getting renewed attention from the federal government, which seems to be trickling down to the local level. In March, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced the goal of permanently housing 38,000 Veterans in 2023. On June 29, the White House released a fact sheet with specific action steps to help address Veteran homelessness. And in a recent local Request for Proposal (RFP) for support services, Metro stressed the focus on serving Veterans.

Let’s start with some facts.

Veterans are the population that has seen the most reduction in homelessness since 2010. The reason is that it’s been a priority for the federal government and resources were available to implement a Housing First strategy. As a result, Veteran homelessness has been cut by 55 percent since 2010.

Between 2020 and 2022 alone, Veterans homelessness was reduced by 11 percent at the national level from 37,252 to 33,129. This compares to a reduction of 23 percent in Nashville-Davidson County, from 249 in 2020 to 191 in 2022. This data is from the annual Point In Time Count (PIT), which requires all local jurisdictions to count individuals and families (including subpopulations like Veterans) experiencing literal homelessness. This count is a one-time snapshot where over one hundred volunteers scan Nashville and all shelter providers submit information on one night. The PIT count is conducted within the last 10 days of January across the country. It provides overall trends for a narrowly defined population of people who sleep in shelters, transitional housing, outdoors, in cars, or other places not meant for human habitation.

Trends provide valuable long-term measures. But the federal government through the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) recommends that Continuums of Care* (CoCs) look at additional local data sources to capture in more detail what Veteran homelessness looks like. Specifically, USICH recommends that communities establish what they term a master list or By Name List, which I have discussed in previous columns.

Nashville’s By Name List is updated monthly, which allows for intense discussion among local Veteran providers to see what works, what doesn’t, and identify gaps and opportunities.

The local Veteran By Name List showed the following:

• 175 Veterans were identified as experiencing homelessness in June 2022;

• 203 Veterans in December 2022; and

• 174 Veterans as of the time of this writing (July 2023).

So, what is the White House doing that they say will make a difference in addressing Veteran homelessness? Their fact sheet highlights the following four actions:

1. Making the single largest investment in communities’ homelessness response systems in history.

The Biden Administration combined

BY JUDITH TACKETT

Funtional zero for veteran homelessness

this fact sheet with the announcement of the annual Continuum of Care (CoC) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) competition. Basically, every year, the federal government allocated homelessness funding for local CoCs. This year, the federal government makes a total of $3.1 billion available, and HUD strongly encourages CoCs to coordinate with local Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers to ensure these funds also support veterans and their families.

The $3.1 billion is an overall increase in CoC funding.

2. Providing first-of-its-kind funding for legal services for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The White House fact sheet says, “The VA is awarding $11.5 million to public and nonprofit organizations through its new Legal Services for Veterans Grant Program. Funds will support veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including providing legal representation to help prevent eviction and helping veterans obtain public benefits for which they are eligible.”

This is the only new funding that I can discern from the fact sheet.

3. Connecting veterans experiencing homelessness with jobs. “The Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) is awarding more than $58 million in grant funding to help veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness reintegrate into the labor force, including homeless women veterans, homeless veterans with children, and justice-involved veterans.”

4. Launching a new effort to quickly rehouse veterans. To do so, HUD and the VA will launch a series of “Boot Camps” that aim to improve process-

es to transition veterans from homelessness to permanent housing more efficiently.

Let’s focus on Nashville’s approach to effectively end Veteran homelessness, which means to build a system that makes homelessness among Veterans rare, brief, and non-recurring.

Nashville’s CoC has revived its Veteran Committee, which is chaired by staff of the local VA. In their July meeting, the group started evaluating with community partners what works well and where improved efforts can drive down the Veteran By Name List further.

In 2018, Nashville became part of the Built for Zero initiative, which is a national effort to ensure that Veterans experiencing homelessness are identified quickly and linked with housing within 30 days. Nashville has been able to reduce Veteran homelessness, but we are not quite at the point where we can claim we have effectively ended it or reached the functional zero milestone (see box). But Nashville has been able to significantly improve its data collection effort since 2018 and is now taking a data-driven approach to address Veteran homelessness, which can serve as model to address homelessness for other populations.

We all know that prevention is a key to ending homelessness. In October 2021, a Metro Council Special Committee chaired by Eden Murray, the CEO of Operation Stand Down Tennessee, released several recommendations that are focused on assisting Veterans as they leave active duty. That report is available online at nashville. gov (google: Metro Council Special Committee on Veterans Assessment).

The most obvious needed resources in Nashville are landlords who accept VASH vouchers. VASH stands for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, and they are housing vouchers administered by the local Public

Housing Authority, which is the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) in Nashville. Under the VASH program, an eligible Veteran pays only about 30 percent of his/her income in rent. The landlord signs a Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) contract with MDHA. Thus, it works very similarly to a Housing Choice Voucher program (also known as Section 8). MDHA provided me with the following information at the end of July:

• Currently 570 VASH vouchers have been allocated (538 tenant-based VASH vouchers and 32 project-based VASH vouchers);

• 467 of the 570 VASH vouchers are leased as of July 1, 2023;

• The 6-month average utilization rate of the VASH vouchers is 79.5%;

• No new Veteran-housing units (designated specifically to house Veterans with/without VASH) came on board in 2023 or are in planning or construction.

The biggest need is for landlords to accept VASH vouchers and help end Veteran homelessness in Nashville. Looking at the data above, we see that about 82 percent of the VASH vouchers are leased up. That means 18 percent or 103 rental units are needed to reduce Veteran homelessness significantly, considering that at the beginning of July our city identified about 174 Veterans in need of housing assistance. Landlords interested in learning more about accepting VASH vouchers can call MDHA at (615) 252-6603.

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 eligible programs that further their systems goals.

Funtional zero for veteran homelessness means that fewer veterans are experiencing homelessness than can be routinely housed in a month, with a minimum threshold of three veterans.

THE CONTRIBUTOR CALENDAR

Nashville’s Best Free Events Downtown

Whether you’ve lived in Nashville for years or you’re just in town for a few days, there’s always a way to get out and about without spending a ton. The Contributor rounds up some of the best local fun to help you navigate all the city has to offer as well as volunteer opportunities and the occasional quick hot tips for the tourists from a vendor.

LUNCH AND LEARN: YOUNG WOMEN’S EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE

Aug. 17 | Tennessee State Museum, 1000 Rosa L Parks Blvd.

At this Tennessee State Museum Lunch and Learn event, attendees will get an education in how young women were educated throughout Tennessee history. This noon event requires advance registration, but it is free. Julia Doyle, Tennessee State Museum curator of textiles, will explore the educational facilities and opportunities of young women in 19th century Tennessee through a survey of samplers, which were used both as memory and teaching aids as well as a way to develop a girl’s needlework skills, according to the event description. “Historians have been able to make connections between certain teachers, students and schools in a region by identifying similar stitching styles and motifs within the samplers,” for example, the event description says. Visit https://tnmuseum.org/ for more information.

NISSAN FREE WEDNESDAYS

Wednesdays at National Museum of African American Music, 510 Broadway

Each Wednesday, the National Museum of African American Music offers free entry. The initiative is paid for through a sponsorship with Nissan, and it’s a great chance to check out the downtown museum.

JAZZ ON THE CUMBERLAND 2023

Aug. 20 | Nashville Cumberland Park, 592 S. First Street

Jazz On The Cumberland Concert Series is hosting their monthly event on Aug. 20. This event is free and includes a beautiful view of the skyline. Some of the best local, regional, and national jazz artists will be performing live. Bring your best blanket or lawn chair to enjoy.

BIG BAND DANCES

Weekly at Centennial Park, 2500 West End Avenue

Metro Parks Music has three Big Band Dance series events in August. The events are free, at Centennial Park, and they include dance lessons for everyone who attends. Folks can watch the sidelines as well as bands Big Band Ballroom, Paul Ross Orchestra and the Moonlighters Big Band provide the tunes.

Elvis and Cascade Whisky

BY CLAY SHWAB

On a recent trip to England, when told we were from Tennessee, our Uber driver beamed, “Elvis and Jack Daniels!” Worldwide, those two names are synonymous with our state. But before the rise of Jack Daniels, there was a much more well-known and predominant Tennessee Sour Mash label — Cascade Whisky, “Mellow as Moonlight.” By 1909, the Cascade Whisky Distillery had become so prominent that, when seized by the Federal Government, it was the largest seizure of any kind in history. Newspapers around the country, covering the seizure, declared the distillery as “the most valuable property of the kind in the state.” From ‘05-‘09, the distillery’s tax burden was $34 million in today’s dollars — 25 percent of all taxes paid by distilleries in Middle and West Tennessee combined. But how and why did Cascade become so prominent, and what happened to it?

The story of Cascade Whisky, distilled near the tiny hamlet of Normandy a few miles from Tullahoma in Coffee County, is a rich one. During the war, Confederate General Bragg, stationed in the area, issued Order No. 146, outlawing consumption of grain by distillation. There were so many distilleries near Tullahoma that grain for the troops had become scarce.

It is assumed that during the war there was an active distillery at the site of Cascade Hollow — future sales of the property included a distillery. The site switched hands several times until in 1883, McLin (Kie) Davis partnered with Matthew Simms and F.E. Cunningham to purchase the 300 acre parcel for $4,400. Davis was the distiller from 1883 until his death in 1898, a master whose product, due to its exceptional quality, almost immediately became known as “the famous Cascade whisky.” In 1888, George A. Dickel Co. became officially involved when its future owner, V. E. “Manny” Shwab, purchased adjacent property, increasing the acreage to 600 and securing 2/3 of the distillery in his own name. The Dickel company became the whisky’s sole distributor. It is assumed that Shwab’s initial interest in Cascade Hollow came from his family’s significant civil war smuggling activities and their identification of the product as superior.

Distiller Davis is credited with several in-

novations, but the most marketed was his insistence that cooling the mash by moonlight gave the whisky its distinctive mellowness. “Mellow as Moonlight” became the catchphrase printed on every label. The Cascade name originated from an 80 foot waterfall; its water filtered through limestone which, it was said, cleared out the iron resulting in a pure water perfect for whiskey distillation. In addition to the pellucid water and cooling the mash in moonlight, to achieve the desired results, Davis only used maple wood charcoal produced in the open air. Most distillers were using kiln-made charcoal, containing creosote and wood extract contaminates. Cascade’s reputation as the most mellow of the Tennessee whiskies lead Shwab to insist it be labeled “whisky”, without the “e”’ as did the Scots whose whisky had a superior reputation to Irish and other whiskies. An 1889 Nashville Banner article declared, “Whisky made by this distillery is unsurpassed in quality by any made anywhere else.”

To achieve a worldwide audience, around 1906 Shwab engaged the newly founded D’Arcy ad agency. Cascade and Coca Cola became two of the agency's earliest and largest clients. The whisky’s acclaim grew further as a result of WWI soldiers passing through Nashville on their way to San Francisco, prior to deployment to the Philippines. Cascade became the city’s most popular whisky.

Prohibition loomed. Cascade moved to Louisville — Kentucky being one of the last states to shut down distilling. Shwab’s two sons oversaw production until the end. The famous Kentucky distiller Pappy Van Winkle (Van Winkle bourbon being sold today for over $1,000), declared of Cascade, “it’s like hasn’t been seen since prohibition.” Cascade and the Dickel company had enriched the Shwab family to the point that, post prohibition, in a 1937 meeting in Buist Shwab’s Jackson Boulevard home, it was decided that the liquor business was just not “socially acceptable” enough to re-start. They sold the company and name to Schenley Industries who, unfortunately, produced an inferior product, opening the door for Jack Daniels. Who knows, if the Shwab’s had maintained control, perhaps British Uber drivers would be declaring, “Elvis and Cascade Whisky!”

Open Table Nashville’s foot clinic a way to build community compassion

BY GABRIELLE BECK

What would happen if we all came together to channel our collective energy, love and compassion? Beginning in May, Open Table Nashville has hosted a weekly Foot Clinic at Trinity Community Commons, which is a resurrected historic United Methodist Church facility. OTN’s foot clinic used to be on Monday nights at War Memorial Plaza, however the location has shifted to this East Nashville space.

Led by Open Table Nashville’s resource specialist, Will Compton, the foot clinic takes place on Tuesday evenings from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Compton coordinates with weekly volunteers to provide foot care and basic first aid, along with incandescent laughs. This looks like washing feet, clipping toenails, cleaning wounds, sanitizing supplies and engaging in conversation with those receiving foot care.

“Everybody wants to feel clean. Everybody wants to feel good about themselves,” Compton said.

After observing Compton tenderly wash a woman’s feet, I’ve never seen her smile so big. Those feelings don’t wash off. Homelessness is something we see all over Nashville, but actually seeing people for who they are, their humanity and their story, is something we often miss.

“These kinds of efforts that allow people to

connect at a very individual level and be seen are vital for self-esteem and social change,” explained India Pungarcher, an advocate and street outreach worker at Open Table Nashville.

Foot clinic has spiritual roots, but it is ultimately a way to care for our neighbors and friends, cultivating relief, connection and res-

toration. Lindsey Krinks, the co-founder of Open Table Nashville, is a street chaplain and advocate who has worked for over a decade on the front lines of social justice movements. To grasp the connection between spirituality and activism, she seeks opportunities for collective healing. “There is something deeply sacred about

washing someone’s feet, providing confidence and compassionate care,” notes Compton.

There is also a community dinner at 4:30 p.m. at the Commons in partnership with the Nashville Food Project. Zach Lykins, the executive director of TCC, greets everyone with a smile and a slice of his homemade sourdough bread. Lykins is compelled to create paths of access for all members of the local community to gather and grow. His delicious sourdough serves as a source of warmth and as an invitation to break bread with our neighbors, transforming strangers into lifelong friends. He adorns the brick walls of the church with polaroid photos of cherished community members in hopes of weaving a strong social fabric.

In the midst of encampment closures and rising housing prices, Open Table Nashville’s foot clinic represents a glowing ember of a maybe — that perhaps the Nashville community can meaningfully come together and deviate from a history steeped in racial inequality and systemic injustices. With the upcoming mayoral election, the hint of change flutters in the air, blazing with possibilities.

The foot clinic is located at 204 E. Trinity Lane, Nashville, TN 37207 on Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OPEN TABLE NASHVILLE

Election

Day, August 3 Election Day, August 3 ||

> H e h a s t h e e x p e r i e n c e n e c e s s a r y t o n e c e s s a r y t o s t a r t o n d a y o n e b u i l d i n g a N a s h v i l l e f o r s t a r t o n d a y o n e b u i l d i n g a N a s h v i l l e f o r N a s h v i l l i a n s t h a t g i v e s e v e r y o n e a s a f e , N a s h v i l l i a n s t h a t g i v e s e v e r y o n e a s a f e , a f f o r d a b l e n e i g h b o r h o o d t o c a l l h o m e a f f o r d a b l e n e i g h b o r h o o d t o c a l l h o m e

> H e w i l l i n s t i t u t e a h o u s i n g - f i r s t m o d e l > H e w i l l i n s t i t u t e a h o u s i n g - f i r s t m o d e l t o c r e a t e a n e t w o r k o f h i g h l y a c c e s s i b l e t o c r e a t e a n e t w o r k o f h i g h l y a c c e s s i b l e t r a n s i t i o n a l h o u s i n g i n l o c a t i o n s t h a t a l s o t r a n s i t i o n a l h o u s i n g i n l o c a t i o n s t h a t a l s o o f f e r s u p p o r t i v e s e r v i c e s f o r p h y s i c a l , o f f e r s u p p o r t i v e s e r v i c e s f o r p h y s i c a l , m e n t a l a n d e c o n o m i c h e a l t h . m e n t a l a n d e c o n o m i c h e a l t h .

> H e ' s f o c u s e d o n b a s i c s e r v i c e s l i k e r e l i a b l e l i k e r e l i a b l e t r a s h a n d r e c y c l i n g p i c k u p , i m p r o v i n g

> H e ' s f o c u s e d o n b a s i c s e r v i c e s

t r a s h a n d r e c y c l i n g p i c k u p , i m p r o v i n g t r a f f i c f l o w , f i l l i n g p o t h o l e s , a n d

t r a f f i c f l o w , f i l l i n g p o t h o l e s , a n d p r e v e n t i n g s t o r m w a t e r f l o o d i n g p r e v e n t i n g s t o r m w a t e r f l o o d i n g .

> H e l e d t h e c r e a t i o n o f t h e

> H e l e d t h e c r e a t i o n o f t h e

O f f i c e o f H o m e l e s s S e r v i c e s O f f i c e o f H o m e l e s s S e r v i c e s

w h i c h w i l l c o o r d i n a t e w h i c h w i l l c o o r d i n a t e r e s o u r c e s t o a s s i s t r e s o u r c e s t o a s s i s t

N a s h v i l l e ’ s u n h o u s e d .

ReadyForFreddie.com

Paid for by the Ready for Freddie Committee | Isaac Addae, Treasurer

Paid for the Ready for Freddie | Isaac

Hugging it out with cows and sows Gentle Barn gives space to heal among farm friends

Ever wondered what it would be like to hug a cow?

Me neither, until the earnest folks at The Gentle Barn kind of insisted.

“You can’t come all the way out here and not hug a cow,” said Jay Weiner, who along with wife and Gentle Barn founder Ellie Laks runs Gentle Barn locations in three states. The Tennessee location is about an hour south of Nashville, in the Christiana community in Rutherford County.

If you can empty your mind of the fear of clasping a large animal to your bosom,

By Jim Patterson

not to mention feeling silly, the effect is, well, kind of pleasant.

Weiner thinks of cow-hugging as meditation.

“You’re with the animal with eyes closed and breathing deeply,” said Weiner, who radiates gentleness himself. “That animal is sitting there in a similar way.

“The word I use to describe it is meditation.”

On a visit to the 40-acre Tennessee location of The Gentle Barn on June 10, it was abundantly clear that Weiner and his

staff relate to all animals with the affection most people reserve for their pet dogs or cats. The cows, pigs, peacocks, emus, parrots, donkeys and alpacas at the Gentle Barn are all treated as individuals with feelings and rights, the most important being not being served as breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Although most of the staff and volunteers are vegan — meaning they don’t eat animals or animal derived products — they are not in-your-face about it to the people who book private tours or visit

on Sundays, when most visitors are welcomed.

“I personally have been vegetarian (abstaining from meat) since seventh grade,” said Terry Barkley, program specialist at The Gentle Barn in Tennessee. “I learned that baby cows have to be taken away from their moms to make milk, which I didn't know, and all these things about the egg industry that are horrible. … I decided the summer after my freshman year of college I was going to transition from vegetarian to veganism.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JIM PATTERSON

Instead of the hard sell, The Gentle Barn employees and volunteers just want people to experience animals with a new perspective, figuring the rest will follow.

Animal therapy has gained acceptance. Many hospitals now allow dogs to visit to comfort patients, and some colleges do the same during final exams.

“You can shed off depression, loneliness, feelings of anxiety,” Weiner said. “We already know how amazing animals are to humans as far as a healing capacity.”

Cows can’t visit people in hospitals. But visitors can encounter them at The Gentle Barn, and Weiner says he’s seen people’s lives changed by cow therapy. Pigs too, although it’s better to settle for belly rubs with them rather than full hugs.

A 2011 study in Norway, “Animal-assisted Therapy with Farm Animals for Persons with Psychiatric Disorders,” found that “animal-assisted therapy with farm animals for humans with psychiatric disorders may reduce depression … and increase self-efficacy in many participants.”

Grady Lunenschloss, 3, didn’t appear

depressed, but he is obsessed with farm animals, said his mom, Lucy Lunenschloss, who runs an eating disorder clinic in Nashville. So for Grady’s birthday, they booked a family tour at The Gentle Barn in Tennessee. Their party had three children 4-years-old and under.

“I was trying to find something to give him experience with animals,” Crystal Lunenschloss said. “I looked on (The Gentle Barn) website and we booked the family tour immediately.

“The day has been perfect,” she said. “It's not crowded and we got up close with the animals and just didn't feel rushed or anything, but just really connecting with animals.”

The Gentle Barn was founded in 1999 by Laks on a half-acre of land in the San Fernando Valley of California. She was inspired by a visit to a petting zoo that didn’t treat its animals correctly, in her opinion.

“She was bee-lining for the door, and a goat got in her way and basically told her, ‘Help me,’” Weiner said. “She took the goat home, healed the goat and brought

pictures back to the petting zoo and said, ‘Look, if you have other animals that need help, no questions asked, please give them to me.’”

Eventually, Laks had 45 animals in her backyard, leading to the founding of the California Gentle Barn.

Weiner joined up as a volunteer in 2002. He and Laks fell in love and married.

“My first interaction with Ellie was in the barnyard, and she had been facing the other way,” Weiner recalled. “When she turned around, she had a big steaming pile of poop in her hands.”

The poop anecdote reminds Weiner of something that bothers him.

“They don't want to live in their filth,” he said of animals. “For example, this misconception that pigs are dirty is just so far from the truth. They don't ever, ever poop in their stalls. As a matter of fact, you can cause trouble for them if you don't let them out because they won't go to the bathroom in their stalls.”

The rule at The Gentle Barn is, “The way that you would want to live is the

way that they want to live.”

As already stated, The Gentle Barn doesn’t lecture on the merits of veganism or vegetarianism. They do, however, have an agenda.

“We find ourselves to be advocates of a way of thinking and a proven lifestyle that promotes more health, more life and also support for our planet,” Weiner said. “It’s just kindness.

“There's nothing kind about killing an animal, no matter how anyone decides they're going to do it.”

About 500 people visit the three locations of The Gentle Barn (Tennessee, St. Louis and Santa Clarita in California) each week. Family tours of up to 10 people cost $400. One-hour cow-hugging therapy or building confidence with horses’ sessions cost $200. There are a variety of other programs and experiences available.

Jim Patterson is a freelance writer in Nashville. See more of his work at https://muckrack.com/jim-patterson

“You can shed off depression, loneliness, feelings of anxiety.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GENTLE BARN.

Red Flag Shortcut

Sweeter than strawberry shortbread, and slightly more satisfying

BY LISA A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Even though I belong to the class of people who are not supposed to have opinions, I am beginning to have an opinion. I think the problems of street people are problems that scads of people of all classes and backgrounds have. We just don’t have the resources to mask these problems as well as others. But enough about that. Here’s the fun part:

One of those problems is, many of us were not taught what to look out for in a person we would like to date. So people have developed this term called a “red flag.” If someone you are dating does a particular thing, it should set up an alarm in you. Women in particular have had a hard time with this. Probably most of the women you see on the street, doubly so.

So here’s a shortcut to finding red flags.

First, after you have spiffed up your car, put The Contributor on your passenger seat. Or in your jacket or purse, if you are the one being picked up or if you are meeting someone at a public place.

Place the paper either on your passenger seat or on the seat that you expect your date to take. Then use this checklist.

Do they toss it on the floor and step on it — or pick it up and toss it in the nearest trash can/ available seat? That is what they

will do to you when they are stressed. They might be a narcissist. They put themselves above others.

Do they pick it up, look at it, and exclaim, “Who left this here? Our waiter must be very sloppy.” They will criticize you as soon as they feel safe with you.

Do they refer derisively to those “panhandlers?” You can bet that if you are ever in need, especially financially, this person will leave you high and dry. Not the marriage material you were hoping came with their good looks.

Do they pick up the paper, look at it, and ask you a question? This person will be open hearted enough to be curious. They will be slow to judge you.

Do they exclaim, “Oh, do you read the paper too?“ This person is worth about three months of investment in your time to find out if they are for real.

Do they pick up the paper and say, “This work is so important! I am so glad we have a local paper here. I donate a few extra sheets of paper when I can so we can include even more important voices and stories. What have you found in the paper that is interesting?” This person is royalty. Bow down and get ready to be treated like the queen/ king you are.

Poet @Dixie_annawrites | BY CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR WENDELL J. #5314 #1 Bama Fan | BY CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR WENDELL J. #5314

Pieces of Poetry Four Sauce on Sunday

WRITTEN BY CHRIS SCOTT FIESELMAN

Meticulous at being Articulate, And more than fully capable, To communicate.

Choosing through music, To get through to you, But choosing to patiently wait. Till the time comes for something, To look forward to, Becomes the time to create, And placed upon your plate. Like trying to find, The right way to say, Hey-hey, Hey-hey, I think you’ll like, My “Sauce on Sunday.”

From the Guiney in me to Nashville, Music City, Tennessee. Where do I start?

It comes from my heart, And eventually, Gets written down poetically. You begin with some cheap, Inexpensive cans, That make up the basic ingredients. Two cans of sauce, One small can of paste, And a can of petite diced tomatoes. A good place to start, But you haven’t gone far, And you still have a long ways to go.

Thank God for the pot, That’s been through a lot, And the lid that fits firmly on top. When I’m writing, I’m just hanging on for the Ride, And I don’t see any reason to stop. Open the four cans and pour them all in, And this is where the real fun begins. Now it comes down to ingredients.

“Damn The Torpedoes” & “Spare No Expense.”

Balsamic Vinnegar and Olive Oil. Now there’s a combination,

When it comes to a boil. And let’s not forget the sugar and salt. A teaspoon of each, To reach one and all. And pepper’s never a bad thing to use. But just be careful about, The amount that you choose. Too much of a good thing has its affect, And may over-power, The things that come next. They call it Italian Seasoning.

Therein lies my Rhyme, And my Reasoning. But this part, I’m going to leave up to you. How much Italian, You want to come through.

Now... Garlic Powder has the power, To say loud and clear, There’s no doubt about it. You know that I’m here. And there’s never enough, Fresh Parmesan Cheese. Any Italian will tell you, “All Italian Sauce needs.” Grilled Onion and Green Pepper, And Hamburger meat, Would definitely make, This recipe complete. Something done wonderful, For someone to eat.

But make no mistake, This will take time to heat.

You may have to add, Some water to it, After hours of simmering, It tends to get thick, And constantly needing, To be thoroughly mixed. Nothing worth having, Comes easy and quick. But at least I can say, That I truly have tried, To create better sauce, On a Sunday Night.

I hope and I pray, That I said it all right. I’m leaving that, Up to you to decide.

But me... I’m just, Hanging On, For The Ride.

Love Them Anyway

BY JOHN H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

One of God’s greatest commandments was love. That’s actually a command that we can’t get away with, one we must do. We must love him and our neighbor. For many, America has taught different, simply because it wasn’t found on love, it was found by mistake and it turn into hate to gain control.

Many times we see the homeless or the poor and we actually think we’re so much better than them. There is so many unanswered questions as to why the person is thinking the way they’re thinking, but maybe you should try asking, “Why are you homeless?” or “Why you’re in the shape you’re in?” Maybe try to help. That’s where the rich man failed. Instead of trying to come to a conclusion, he formed a source of hate against Lazarus. Reason why he went to hell. He despised

Lazarus.

Sometimes we may get into a position where we have to love in a form which we call “tuff love” whereas we very much love, but we have to stay our distance. Ya see, we can’t let this person affect our relationship with God. We have to be careful of guarding our heart and not sinning. I’m going through the worst situation at home I’ve ever practically had in my life right now. I find myself having to wait on the Lord. If I don't, I’ll find myself not loving and turn around and do something stupid out of anger. That's why we have to keep loving and guard our hearts.

Last, but not least, Racism. People such as those, be very hard to enter God’s kingdom. More than likely with Satan. So if you need God to cleanse you, start asking. Nothing better than love.

When You Stop

BY MAURICE B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

As you are striving to do the next best right thing within your life, there are many individuals out there that are against the actions that you are taking. On the other hand, there are many in your corner that play as a silent partner to cheer your positive action(s) on.

That's the time(s) that individuals must tie a knot at the end of their rope of life and hold on because the silence allows an individual to be dragged into modes of doubt. Doubt that circumstances and or situations just won't get better.

Sparky at the South Inglewood Bike Fest.

BY CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR LISA A.

Through the diaphragm within the essence of time, all things such as differences in communication through the various lingos and languages have their periods of change. Life's growth expansion brings about a varying depth of training on the many types of experiences that individuals receive as long as we continue to strive in going toward the multiple depths of understanding.

If we realize that we are similar to an onion, where at a time that onion can have a sweet smell to it, but after a time it begins to carry a foul odor. Be honest. That's where we all can say that's us. When peel-

ing layers of the onion, it continues to have different odors in which it smells and seems like actions just like our past. Those are issues that we all seem to drive ourselves to work on because within being honest about ourselves in society not many individuals want to be looked at and be around other individuals with a foul smell. See smelling is a sense that belongs to the part of the curious mind.

For instance, if there is something or someone that stinks and smells like defecation then most likely that individual has stepped in it and has done it on themselves or is involved in it in some form or fashion. That's when a person that had been striving has stopped. That's the area and time that the onion had become rotten, but before it rots to the core there is the chance of rejuvenation. When peeling layers of the onion, if water (known as a chemical of rain, therefore known as life) is applied then that onion can be refreshioned. At the same time it could be replanted to be brought back to living again. Yes, we humans have times that we give up and completely stop, but our Almighty Creator never stops.

This photo was originally submitted with Lisa A.'s article, "What a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood," which appeared in our previous edition of the paper. You can read it online at www. thecontributor.org.

Extra, Extra Read All About It

I recently saw a news report that stated over 70 million or 25 percent of people in the U.S. now live in a what is referred to as a news desert, meaning they no longer have a newspaper or any credible news coverage of their community.

According to a recent study conducted by Northwestern University, we are losing approximately two newspapers a week!

To give some perspective on this issue, since 2019, 360 newspapers have shut down. All but 24 of them were weeklies serving small communities.

Newspapers serve a vital role especially in small communities. Without them people in remote areas might not know what is going on in the world around them, and that can also lead to the spread of disinformation or "fake news."

BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

In contrast, your local newspaper offers things you can’t find anywhere else — including impactful journalism and real reporting on stories that effect YOU personally.

They also contain content that empowers, enlightens, and uncovers stories of interest to the local communities they serve.

Much like your hometown newspaper The Contributor covers a wide range of topics often bringing to light issues of interest to ALL from a vantage point rarely explored and often ignored in our society.

So what’s behind the continuing decline of newspapers today? A couple of key factors have made matters worse.

First, television. Why put forth the effort to actually read a paper when you can just watch the news as it develops in real time. Secondly, we live in the internet/digital era

where you can get your news on the device of your choice at the time and place you choose, which can be far more convenient than a traditional newspaper.

Many newspapers (including The Contributor) now offer both print and digital editions.

There are advantages to this format, most notably it is cost effective. (Newsflash: it is EXPENSIVE to produce a newspaper!)

Also, access to the internet is readily available in most areas, but NOT in many of the rural places most affected by these fast growing news deserts.

For me personally, there is a more tactile tangible quality to a print newspaper. Seeing it in print somehow makes it more real to me.

I eagerly flip through its pages to see what’s up next, or to find "the rest of the story."

(Ok so I could do without the ink getting all

over my hands from handling them so much, but it’s worth it.)

Here’s the bottom line: if you enjoy the newspaper and want to see it continue here’s what you need to do:

1.) Buy the Paper

2.)Take the Paper

3.) Read the Paper

4.) Share the Paper

Now I know many of you encourage vendors to keep the paper and resell it, and while that may help a vendor financially in the moment, keep in mind, that doesn’t boost their sales or help them meet/increase sales goals and without sales The Contributor could be like SO many newspapers in our modern age SOLD OUT as in OUT OF PRINT and that would be sad because it does SO much to help SO many in our community.

Compassion, Not Prisons, Key To Building Strong Community!

"We have real evidence to support that housing first as a strategy will get the great majority of [homeless] people access to the support they need to then access follow up resources."

- Mike Johnson, Denver Mayor, July 18, 2023

The first full day of the administration of Denver Mayor, Mike Johnson, he announced that he was proclaiming a state of emergency to address homelessness in the greater-Denver area. With supportive, newly-elected city council members standing with him during the announcement, Johnson said that he has plans to house 1,000 homeless Denverites by the end of this year. He said that he will use all city, state and federal funds available to get Denver citizens off the street and into housing and that he will not be deterred from this mission until his goal is achieved.

Here in Tennessee, state legislators have taken

BY JEN A., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

a different tact to "help" homeless individuals to get off of the street. They passed legislation that would make sleeping on any public property a felony punishable by a $5,000 fine and six years in prison. Basically this law criminalizes poverty and, while it serves the purpose of getting homeless citizens off Tennessee streets and enriching and filling up privately-held state prisons, these laws thrust our homeless population further into a capitalist-society black hole from which they will never be able to escape. Why is it that the Republican answer to everything is to, "lock them up!," while they go out of their way to pardon the worst criminals in their circle?

I remember seeing a video clip of a meeting John Cooper had with a group of Davidson County residents when he was running for Mayor. One rather angry man complained that, "There's a bum on every corner!" When residents say things like that it always makes me wonder

Kid's Corner

why we as a community aren't doing more to help those who find themselves down and out on our streets. How can this man expect a Mayor to solve a problem he himself isn't willing to get involved in? As a community we've strayed too far from our responsibilities to one another. We've allowed politicians to poison us against our neighbors.

Homelessness in our communities is growing year after year. Older neighborhoods that were once affordable for low-wage workers and the elderly, have been "gentrified" for higher-wage workers. The elderly are being scammed out of their homes by unscrupulous lenders and shady developers looking to make a killing off the older home of someone's financially naive grandma. It is expected that homelessness among the elderly will grow exponentially throughout the coming decade.

Judith Tackett writes in every issue of The

Illustration By Jen A.

Contributor about how our community can best and most effectively help those who find themselves without a warm, dry place to rest their heads. She is a staunch advocate of "Housing First," which has shown great promise in Houston, Texas. I know she'll be watching closely as Mayor Johnson, embarks on his quest to move Denver's homeless neighbors into adequate housing and other supportive services that will actually HELP the homeless citizens of his community.

Summing up, Mayor Johnson said, "Those of us on this stage took an oath today, but for us to succeed, every Denverites must take their own oath, an oath to dream, to serve, and to deliver. To dream of a Denver bold enough to include all of us, to serve our city above ourselves, to march on shoulder to shoulder, undeterred by failure, until we deliver results."

Can I have an Amen!

HOBOSCOPES

LEO

It’s hot, Leo, and you need a pool! That’s all you need. Just a pool and maybe a towel. And a lemonade. But that’s it Leo. Just those three things. The pool, the lemonade, the towel. And of course some sunglasses. But that’s all. That’s the last thing. Except an inner-tube with speakers and a retractable umbrella and a little propellor that makes it go around the pool. But that’s it, Leo. That’s the last thing. And this sunscreen. Sometimes, Leo, you want to simplify your life. And sometimes it’s harder than you expected. Take the sunscreen (just the sunscreen) and go sit by the pool and think about what you really need.

VIRGO

It gets complicated, Virgo. We want to forgive. We need to, for our own heart’s sake. But we also want to feel safe and protected and valued and understood. And there’s a popular kind of rushed and sloppy forgiveness that’s the opposite of those things. On this particular journey, Virgo, you’re allowed to take it slower than that. In fact, there’s not even a destination. Try this one. Just say “Today, I’m not going to punish myself for what others have done to me.” And, later, when you feel the resentment and anger start to build up, just say it again. That’s a kind of forgiveness that’s safe and self-respecting and can be a big relief.

LIBRA

We are officially denying your request to be left to your own devices, Libra. Honestly, we didn’t realize just how many devices you have. There’s the phone and the tablet and the laptop and the watch. That’s already enough devices to keep you so distracted you won’t ever even get to your gadgets, much less your gizmos. And so we’ve decided that for every hour you give to your devices, you need to give an equal hour back to yourself. Take a walk, cook a time-consuming meal, watch the vultures in the yard, sit down with a friend over milk shakes. Your request for a richer life has been approved.

SCORPIO

In this swimming pool, we believe: No running or glass bottles. No roughhousing. No yelling. No diving or bellyflopping into the pool. No splashing or spitting out of the pool. No breath-holding. No wishing you were somebody else who was not at this pool. No cynically pretending not to care about the things you care about. No spiraling with regret in this pool. No cannonballs, Scorpio. No SCUBA gear. No forgetting your gratitude for life at this pool. No horseplay.

SAGITTARIUS

How does Darwin’s theory of natural-selection account for that muscle in my body that pulls me toward my phone screen whenever I get even a little bit uncomfortable? I suspect that there was a moment when our prehistoric ancestors were watching the tremendous blazing fire that they’d only invented 45 minutes before. And there was one in the circle, let’s call her “Murgg,” who picked up a small rectangular rock, stared at, it and said, “Is there anything else on?” We are all Murgg’s descendants, Sagittarius. But next time you feel that pull toward distraction, try giving it just a 10-count (Murgg could have tried this, but “10” hadn’t been invented yet.) See how long you can let that muscle tense without moving. I think you’re getting stronger.

CAPRICORN

All my life, Capricorn, I’ve never wanted to tell anybody what I’m doing, but I’ve desperately wanted them to know. So I sit alone where they can see me and I just hope they come over and ask. “Really!” they’ll say, “you’re interpreting the astrological wisdom inherent in the universe and turning it into digestible life-advice for the public? You must be so interesting!” But honestly, Capricorn, nobody ever asks. So I sit over here composing horoscopes in the drizzle while they all finish another round of Uno under the awning and eat Chex Mix that I wish somebody would offer me. I’m doomed, Capricorn, but you can do better. Tell the world what you’re about today. Anything less is silly.

AQUARIUS

It seems possible to me, Aquarius, that all you need are some floaties. You know those little inflatable doughnut-sleeves that kids wear on their arms when they want to get in the pool but they don’t know how to swim yet? Yeah, get yourself a set of those. Wear them every day. Not literally, of course (unless you already did before you got to this sentence, in which case, rock-on.). I’m talking about floaties of the soul. We all need a little support to stay buoyant. For you, I’d recommend a couple of friends. One for each arm. Maybe ones you haven’t talked to in a while. Reach out. See if they might help to hold you up.

PISCES

How long before the next stop, Pisces? The exit we just passed said it had food, gas and clean restrooms. Should we try to turn around? I mean, it’s not an emergency yet, but I could definitely use the break. I know, I should have said something sooner. Everybody in this van is ready for you to stop for a breather. And I know you’re just trying to get us all to where we need to be. But you might find out that you need a recess just as much as the rest of us. Pull off at this next one, Pisces. I’ll buy you a pecan log.

ARIES

Greetings from the sunny future, Aries! Wish you were here. You’ll notice there’s no picture on the front of this postcard. There’s not really much of a postcard either. I know it’s unconventional, but you actually have to make it yourself. Go ahead. All you need is a 4x6 piece of paper and the willingness to move forward through time. Imagine the kind of future you’d be glad to be in and make that picture. When you’re done imagining and creating, start walking that direction.

TAURUS

When I was a kid, I used to go swimming every chance I got. I loved it. I could stay in the pool for hours. We’d play games, we’d race, we’d splash and spin and float. But sometimes I’d get that creepy feeling in the base of my brain that there was something down there in the water. Maybe a shark. Maybe a giant squid. Maybe the long neck of a extinct sea-serpent bending around to take a bite of me. I knew there couldn’t possibly be anything in the pool except me and my pals, but it’s hard to trust what you know over what you feel. If your fear of the improbable is keeping you from enjoying the reality of this moment, Taurus, maybe step out of the pool for a second, remember where you are and who you’re with. Remember that you’re safe.

GEMINI

What’s gonna be the next big thing in technology, Gemini? Like, first we had radio and then TV came along. Then there were computers then the internet then cell phones. Now we’ve got social media and AI. What could be better? Given this progression, I’m pretty sure the next big thing will be rebuilding society from the ashes of global catastrophe using only our wits and compassion. Come to think of it, Gemini, we can just start now.

CANCER

I think I just passed you on the highway, Cancer. You had the roof of the car piled with bags and a canoe and two bikes and some skis. You were towing an ATV and what looked like an un-inflated bouncy castle. I waved and honked but you were drumming intensely on the steering wheel and shout-singing what appeared to be the words “come sail away!” repeatedly. It looks to me like you’re finally getting some time off, and I’ve got to say you deserve it. While you’re out there, though, do me a favor. Take a break from the activities for a few minutes every day. Sit, breathe and think about who you’ve been since the last time you were here.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a certified pool installer or a trained jet ski instructor. Listen to the Mr. Mysterio podcast at mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1

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

9th Wednesday after Trinity

PRAYER in itself properly is nought else, but a devout intent directing unto God, for the getting of good and removing of evil. And therefore, since it so is that all evil is comprehended in sin (either by cause or by being), let us therefore, when we will intently pray for the removing of evil, either say, or think, or mean, nought else and no more words, but this little word SIN. And if we will intently pray for the getting of good, let us cry, either with word or with thought or with desire, nought else and no more words but this word GOD. For in God all is good, both by cause and by being.

The Cloud of Unknowing.

9th Thursday after Trinity

IT is no base and beggarly shift (arguing a narrow and necessitous heart), but a piece of holy and heavenly thrift, often to use the same prayer again. Christ's practice is my directory herein, who the third time said the same words . . . a good prayer, though often used, is still fresh and fair in the ears and eyes of heaven.

Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Worse Times

9th Friday after Trinity

GOD usually answers our prayers so much more according to the measure of his own magnificence than of our asking that we do not know his boons to be those for which we besought him.

Patmore: The Rod, the Root and the Flower

A MARTYRDOM is not the design of man; for the true martyr is he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost his will in the will of God, not lost but found it, for he has found freedom in submission to God.

T. S. Eliot: Murder in The Cathedral.

9th Saturday after Trinity

IF it be the earnest desire and longing of your heart to be merciful as He is merciful; to be full of His unwearied patience, to dwell in His unalterable meekness; if you long to be like Him in universal impartial love; if you desire to communicate every good to every creature that you are able; if you love and practise everything that is good, righteous, and lovely for its own sake, because it is good, righteous, and lovely; and resist no evil but with goodness; then you have the utmost certainty that the Spirit of God lives, dwells, and governs in you.

William Law: The Spirit of Prayer

GOD is all centre as that he looks to all, and so all circumference as that he embraces all.

Donne: Sermons

Ninth Sunday after Trinity

LORD Jesus Christ! A whole life long didst thou suffer that I too might be saved; and yet thy suffering is not yet at an end; but this too wilt thou endure, saving and redeeming me, this patient suffering of having to do with me, I who so often go astray from the right path, or even when I remained on the straight path stumbled along it or crept so slowly along the right path. Infinite patience, suffering of infinite patience. How many times have I not been impatient, wished to give up and forsake everything; wished to take the terribly easy way out, despair: but thou didst not lose patience. Oh, I cannot say what thy chosen servant says: that he filled up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in his flesh; no, I can only say that I increased thy sufferings, added new ones to those which thou didst once suffer in order to save me.

Kierkegaard: Journals.

10th Monday after Trinity

OTHERS again, perhaps truly awakened by the Spirit of God to devote themselves wholly to piety and the service of God, yet making too much haste to have the glory of saints, the elements of fallen nature—selfishness, envy, pride, and wrath—could secretly go along with them. For to seek for eminence and significancy in grace is but like seeking for eminence and significancy in nature. And the old man can relish glory and distinction in religion as well as in common life, and will be content to undergo as many labours, pains, and self-denials for the sake of religious, as for the sake of secular glory. There is nothing safe in religion, but in such a course of behaviour as leaves nothing for corrupt nature to feed or live upon; which can only then be done when every degree of perfection we aim at is a degree of death to the passions of the natural man.

William Law: Christian Regeneration

10th Tuesday after Trinity

THOUGH the devil be transformed into an angel of light and suggest thoughts of a good appearance, the heart will still feel an ambiguity, some agitation in the thoughts and disturbance of feelings.

St Seraphim of Sarov.

MEN never do evil so fully and so happily as when they do it for conscience' sake.

Pascal: Pensées.

10th Wednesday after Trinity

THE impurity of ignorance is in none so manifest as in the devout; for they act on their ignorance and fill themselves and others with miserable scruples and hard thoughts of God, and are as apt to call good evil as other men are to call evil good.

Patmore: The Rod, the Root and the Flower

HOLY indignation is a proof that we should do the same thing ourselves, and easy tears are a certain sign of a hard heart.

Patmore: The Rod, the Root and the Flower

10th Thursday after Trinity

EVIL locutions are occasionally hard to distinguish, for, though they dry up the love of God in the will, and incline men to vanity, self-esteem, false humility and fervent affection of the will founded on self-love, which requires for its detection great spirituality of mind.

St John of the Cross: Ascent of Mount Carmel

BEWARE of the mid-day fiend that feigneth light as if it came from Jerusalem but does not so . . . I believe that if true darkness has gone before, the false light never comes.

Walter Hylton: Scale of Perfection

10th Friday after Trinity

GOD needs no image and has no image: without image, likeness or means does God work in the soul, aye, in her ground whereinto no image did ever get but only himself with his own essence.

Eckhart: Sermons and Collations

A DEVOUT man grounds his devotion chiefly on the invisible; he requires but few images, and uses but few.

St John of the Cross: Ascent of Mount Carmel

10th Saturday after Trinity

WE run carelessly to the precipice, after we have put something before us to prevent us seeing it.

Pascal: Pensées.

BLESSED is the man who beareth temptation with thanksgiving. The Paradise of the Fathers.

MANY men have attained to a great height of piety to be very abundant and rich therein. But all their's is but a cistern, not a fountain of grace: only God's goodness hath a spring of itself in itself.

Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times

Tenth Sunday after Trinity

TOO late came I to love thee, O thou Beauty both so ancient and so fresh, yea too late came I to love thee. And behold, thou wert within me, and I out of myself, where I made search for thee: I ugly rushed headlong upon those beautiful wings thou hast made. Thou indeed wert with me; but I was not with thee: these beauties kept me far enough from thee: even those, which unless they were in thee, should not be at all. Thou calledst and criedst unto me, yea thou even breakedst open my deafness: thou discoveredst thy beams and shinedst unto me, and didst cast away my blindness: thou didst most fragrantly blow upon me, and I drew in my breath and I panted after thee; I tasted thee, and now do hunger and thirst after thee; thou didst touch me, and I ever burn again to enjoy thy peace.

St Augustine: Confessions

11th

Monday after Trinity

WHOSO goes seeking God and seeking aught with God does not find God; but he who seeks God by himself in truth does not find God alone: all God affords he finds as well as God. Art thou looking for God, seeking God with a view to personal good, thy personal profit? Then in truth thou art not seeking God.

Eckhart: Sermons and Collations

THIS one thing I know, that woe is me except in thee; not only without myself, but within myself: yea, all other plenty besides my God, is mere beggary unto me.

St Augustine: Confessions

I BELIEVE what the Church believes; I intend what the Church intends; I desire what the Church desires.

Unknown.

11th

Tuesday after Trinity

BY the fall of our first father we have lost our first glorious bodies, that eternal, celestial flesh and blood which had as truly the nature of paradise and Heaven in it as our present bodies have the nature, mortality and corruption of this world in them: if, therefore, we are to be redeemed there is an absolute necessity that our souls be clothed again with this first paradisaical or heavenly flesh and blood, or we can never enter into the kingdom of God. Now this is the reason why the scriptures speak so particularly, so frequently, and so emphatically of the powerful blood of Christ, of the great benefit it is to us, of its redeeming, quickening, life-giving virtue; it is because our first life or heavenly flesh and blood is born again in us, or derived again into us from this blood of Christ.

William Law: An Appeal

THEME: FRUITS &

ACROSS

1. Itsy Bitsy Spider's tunnel

6. Operations, as in military

9. Carpenter's joint

13. Book, in Paris

14. Coach's talk

15. Long-necked wader

16. Did not go out to eat (2 words)

17. Chi preceder

18. Top scout

19. *'90s children's series "____ in Pyjamas"

21. *Alternative to stick

23. T-cell killer, acr.

24. Show worry

25. Knee-related acronym

28. Sushi restaurant's boozy offering

30. *Grilled cheese and ____ soup

35. Mouse to a snake

37. In ____, or together

39. Convicted one

40. *Pear or quince, botanically speaking

41. California and Nevada lake

43. Raja's daughter

44. Uncouth ones

46. Of two minds

47. RenÈ Descartes' "therefore"

48. Make wealthy

50. Use a surgical beam

52. Gingerbread creation

53. *When fruit is ready

55. Red-white-and-blue inits.

57. *"Hot" vegetable-shaped toy

60. *L in BLT

64. 3-D picture in a book

65. U.N. workers' grp.

67. Owned house or car, e.g.

68. Item on a cell phone bill

69. What's old is new again, prefix

Popular

UNDEFEATED

BY JEN A.

It's hot — so hot!

Humidity?

Through the roof

I'm cute as all get-out

In my flowers and bows

Yet after two hours

Of hawking my papers

On the heat-radiating roadway

Back and forth, back and forth

I've not made a single dollar

I pack it in

Thinking of dear Scarlett

Defiant — Undefeated

I whisper to the Sun

Tomorrow is another day!

STIGMATA

BY JEN A.

You awaken in the darkness

And set out to break your fast before work

The floppy toe of your worn-out shoe

Catches on an uneven sidewalk seam

You stumble and tumble down

Unable to catch yourself

The knees of your pants rip open first

Then the skin on your knees and palms

Gives way

73. British peers

DOWN

1. Block of concrete, e.g.

2. Pocket bread

3. Baker's baker

4. Dickens's Heep

5. Serena's sport

6. Prefers

7. *Fairytale princess test

8. Virgo's brightest star

9. Letter opener 10. Ship to Colchis

11. Airhead

12. The loneliest number?

15. Concerning this

20. Nautical "Stop!"

22. College assessment test, acr.

24. Camera's tiny aperture

25. *Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter

26. Sing like Tony Bennett

27. Madagascar primate

29. Myanmar currency

31. BÈbÈ's mother

32. Rooster, in the olden days

33. Polynesian kingdom

34. *Layered bulb

36. Giant Himalayan?

38. Lady Grantham of "Downton Abbey"

42. Follow as a consequence

45. Claw mark

49. "Battleship" exclamation

51. Heir's concern

54. *At the end of a hot pepper or many a sweet potato

56. Cruising

57. Prepare to be shot

58. October birthstone

To the rough craggy slab of ancient concrete

You do your best to staunch the blood

With the cuffs of your shirt

Then limp on to the fast food place

You grab some napkins at the beverage bar

And continue to dab at the blood

You take a place in line and notice

The girls at the counter

Are looking in your direction

Like there must be someone

With two heads in your proximity

You look behind you with excited anticipation

When a young man wearing a name tag

That just reads "manager"

Approaches and asks you to leave

Saying they don't serve your kind there

PEACE

BY LISA A.

Warm summer evening beckons

the children to the baseball diamond

The public swings creak, people calls across the park

Touching each other with their voices

The last birds flit and swoop

The moon like a wonton

Plump and near Music thumps, Melodies linger in the voices of women friends

A breeze reminds us

Of what we share

Spit, Beer, Blood and Baked Beans

Love kills in Alex Cox’s Sid and Nancy at the Belcourt

BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC

Sid and Nancy was a controversial film that told a controversial story about controversial people when it debuted in 1986.

Nancy Spungen was found dead from a knife wound in the Chelsea Hotel room she shared with Sid Vicious in New York City, in October of 1978. The infamous English punk rocker was the newly christened lead singer of The Sex Pistols. Spungen was a 20-year-old American from Philadelphia with a history of schizophrenia. She met Vicious when she moved to London after being expelled from the University of Colorado Boulder for buying drugs and stealing.

Sid and Nancy were the king and queen of punk rock, but instead of making music they spent most of their time at the Chelsea doing heroin.

There are three main theories about what happened to Nancy: Sid killed her in a drug-addled rage; a drug dealer killed Nancy; Sid and Nancy made a suicide pact gone bust. The couple’s co-dependent life together was rife with domestic abuse, and buying and selling and using hard narcotics are inherently dangerous. Sid and Nancy were both violent and physically self-destructive. Director Alex Cox wrote Sid and Nancy with Abbe Woole, and the pair mostly embrace the suicide theory in their screenplay. But 37 years after the film’s release, and 45 years after Spungen’s death, the movie has outlasted its infamous origins.

Audiences can now watch Sid and Nancy as an incendiary love letter of a music movie, delivered by two blazing performances from Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb in the title roles.

This is Gary Oldman’s first feature film. And Sid and Nancy, Prick Up Your Ears (1987) and Rosencrantz & Gildenstern Are Dead (1990) comprise a cinematic trilogy that announced Oldman as the greatest actor of his era. Cox portrays the couple inhabiting a micro-verse: two outsiders, alone together in a world of their own making. Oldman’s Vicious spends most of the film covered in spit, beer, blood and baked beans. Oldman is physically unhinged onstage and in the streets — a bone-thin tornado of leather and spikes, flipping tables, smashing bottles, and bashing his own head into brick walls for the pure, nihilistic joy of breaking things — including himself. Oldman and the script always manage to stop just short of parody, and the result is a movie punctuated with moments of both dumb joy and revolting misery.

Chloe Webb’s Nancy matches Oldman’s intensity. The American actress’s New York accent is one of the film’s most unforgettable elements, and Webb steals whole scenes with classic line readings like, “Never trust a junkie” and “I’ve got my own stuff to do.” Every time I think of this film I can hear Webb’s Nancy haranguing

“Sidney!” in a voice like an ice pick down a chalkboard, but it’s her ability to go for broke alongside Oldman that makes their quieter moments so touching and so tragic.

Nancy’s mental health issues, suicide attempts and run-ins with the law estranged her from her family. Sid was kicked out of his home by his drug-addicted mother, and he started squatting in

abandoned houses when he was just 16. Drug addiction, domestic abuse, emotional disorders and homelessness are exhaustively portrayed in the film, but not exploited. The great cinematographer Roger Deakins captures all the bleakness with just enough style to remind viewers they’re watching a rock ‘n’ roll film, and Cox’s penchant for balancing the absurd with the romantic is a per-

fect match for this modern and murderous love story.

If you missed Sid and Nancy’s recent Music City Monday screening at the Belcourt you can stream it for free at watch.plex.tv

Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www. joenolan.com.

“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.

LOCALES

G R AT I S

Agosto 2023

“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.

Y

L L a a N N ticia ticia

Audiencia UAP: Se Habrían Recuperado "Entidades Biológicas"

El 26 de julio de 2023, el subcomité de seguridad nacional del Comité de Supervisión de la Cámara de Representantes celebró una audiencia sobre fenómenos aéreos no identificados (UAP), también conocidos como OVNI. La audiencia fue dirigida por el representante Glenn Grothman (R-WI) e incluyó el testimonio de tres testigos:

Editor in Chief @LaNoticiaNews

Ryan Graves, un expiloto de la Marina que dijo haber visto UAP en numerosas ocasiones mientras volaba en el Océano Pacífico.

David Grusch, un exfuncionario de la comunidad de inteligencia que afirmó haber sido informado de un programa gubernamental "de varias décadas" para recuperar y descifrar naves espaciales alienígenas estrelladas.

David Fravor, un excomandante de la Marina que testificó sobre su experiencia al ver un UAP mientras volaba un F/A-18 Hornet en 2004.

La audiencia se centró en gran medida en la transparencia del gobierno en torno a los UAP. Grusch acusó al gobierno de ocultar información al Congreso y al público, y pidió una investigación más exhaustiva del fenómeno. Fravor y Graves también expresaron su frustración por la falta de transparencia del gobierno, e instaron a los legisladores presentes a tomar los UAP más en serio.

La audiencia fue recibida con reacciones mixtas. Algunos observadores elogiaron al comité por celebrar la audiencia y por tomarse los UAP en serio. Otros criticaron la audiencia por centrarse demasiado en el secreto del gobierno y no lo suficiente en la evidencia real de los UAP.

A pesar de las reacciones mixtas, la audiencia marcó un paso significativo en la

discusión pública del gobierno sobre los UAP. Es probable que se lleven a cabo más audiencias en el futuro, y es posible que el gobierno revele más información sobre los UAP (OVNIS).

Aquí hay algunos de los puntos clave de la audiencia:

El gobierno ha sido consciente de los UAP durante décadas, pero no ha sido transparente sobre su conocimiento.

No hay consenso sobre lo que son los UAP, pero hay evidencia de que son reales y que pueden representar una amenaza para la seguridad nacional.

El gobierno debe hacer más para investigar los UAP y compartir información con el Congreso y el público.

La audiencia fue un paso significativo en la discusión pública del gobierno sobre los UAP, pero está claro que todavía hay mucho que no sabemos sobre estos objetos misteriosos.

El comandante Ryan Graves, un expiloto de la Marina que testificó sobre su experiencia al ver un UAP mientras volaba un F/A-18 Hornet en 2014. Formaba parte

Conoce tus derechos:

¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

de una escuadrilla que realizaba ejercicios de entrenamiento frente a la costa de Virginia Beach cuando se encontraron con el UAP.

El testimonio de Graves no es el único de su tipo. Ha habido muchos otros informes de UAP por parte de pilotos militares, y algunos de estos informes han sido corroborados por radar y otros datos. Esto sugiere que hay algo real en el fenómeno UAP, aunque aún no sepamos lo que es. Por su parte David Fravor, un comandante retirado de la Marina, testificó sobre su experiencia al ver un UAP en 2004. Él y sus compañeros pilotos vieron un objeto blanco, en forma de ‘tanque de propano’ (tic-tac), como lo describió durante la audiencia hoy, que se movía a altas velocidades y era capaz de cambiar de dirección instantáneamente. El objeto fue rastreado por radar y visto por múltiples testigos, por lo que es difícil de descartar como una farsa. Sin embargo, la naturaleza del objeto sigue siendo un misterio. Es posible que el objeto fuera un avión militar secreto o incluso una nave espacial extraterrestre.

El testimonio de David Grusch puede sumarizarse en lo siguiente:

Grusch afirmó que el gobierno ha estado llevando a cabo un programa "de varias décadas" para recuperar y descifrar naves espaciales alienígenas estrelladas.

Grusch dijo que se le negó el acceso a este programa a pesar de su cargo en la investigación de programas clasificados.

Grusch alegó que el gobierno ha estado malversando fondos para blindar estas operaciones de la supervisión del Congreso.

Grusch dijo que ha entrevistado a funcionarios que tienen conocimiento directo de naves de "origen no humano", y que se recuperaron entidades "biológicas" (como las llamó) de algunas naves.

Grusch dijo que teme por su seguridad y ha sido blanco de represalias por salir adelante con sus acusaciones.

El testimonio de Grusch es importante porque proporciona nueva información sobre el presunto involucramiento del gobierno en el fenómeno UAP. Sus acusaciones son graves y plantean preguntas sobre la transparencia y la rendición de cuentas del gobierno.

Es importante tener en cuenta que el tes-

timonio de Grusch no ha sido verificado de forma independiente y el gobierno ha negado sus acusaciones. Sin embargo, el testimonio de Grusch es consistente con otros informes de participación del gobierno en el fenómeno UAP.

El Comité de Supervisión de la Cámara de Representantes espera que se continúe investigando el fenómeno UAP, y el testimonio de Grusch es probable que sea un foco importante de la investigación.

En 2021, el gobierno de los Estados Unidos publicó un informe sobre los UAP que reconocía que hay muchos objetos inexplicables en el cielo. El informe no concluyó que estos objetos sean de origen extraterrestre, pero tampoco lo descartó. El fenómeno UAP sigue siendo un misterio, pero es uno que se está volviendo cada vez más importante. A medida que más personas se presentan con informes de UAP, está claro que este es un fenómeno que debemos tomar en serio.

Los representantes Tim Burchett (RTenn.) y Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) fueron dos de los miembros del subcomité de seguridad nacional de la Cámara de Representantes que ayudaron a encabezar la audiencia sobre UAP esta mañana. Burchett y Luna han sido vocales sobre su creencia de que el gobierno no ha sido lo suficientemente transparente sobre los UAP, y han pedido una investigación más exhaustiva del fenómeno.

Burchett y Luna hablaron durante la audiencia y ambos expresaron su frustración por la falta de transparencia del gobierno. Burchett dijo que cree que el gobierno está "ocultando algo" sobre los UAP, y Luna dijo que está "profundamente preocupada" por la forma en que el gobierno maneja el fenómeno.

Burchett y Luna también introdujeron legislación que obligaría al gobierno a publicar más información sobre los UAP. El proyecto de ley de Burchett, la "Ley de Transparencia de Fenómenos Aéreos No Identificados (UAP)", obligaría al gobierno a crear una base de datos pública de todos los avistamientos de UAP. El proyecto de ley de Luna, la "Ley de Identificación, Notificación y Transparencia de UAP", obligaría al gobierno a establecer una nueva oficina para investigar los UAP.

La legislación introducida por Burchett y Luna aún se encuentra en una fase inicial, pero es un signo de que existe un creciente apoyo bipartidista para una mayor transparencia sobre los UAP. Es probable que la legislación se debata en el Congreso en los próximos meses y es posible que se convierta en ley.

Además de sus esfuerzos legislativos, Burchett y Luna también han estado trabajando para concienciar sobre el fenómeno UAP. Ambos han dado discursos e entrevistas sobre los UAP y han animado a la gente a que se anime a informar sobre sus propios avistamientos.

El trabajo de Burchett y Luna es importante porque está ayudando a que el tema de los UAP entre en la conciencia pública. A medida que más y más personas se enteren del fenómeno, es probable que aumente la presión sobre el gobierno para que sea más transparente sobre los UAP.

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

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)

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.

Izq. a der.: Ryan Graves, David Grusch and David Fravor en audiencia ante el congreso.

Foto: Yuri Cunza / GOP Oversight

Por Yuri Cunza

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