Change the Wind

The Texas Primary: There's Still Time! Your Vote IS Your Voice!

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:56:00 +0000

Remembering Our Heroes

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Mon, 28 May 2012 14:17:00 +0000

Kingdom Values

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Sun, 27 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

I John 4:10-12 (New International Version)

For Those Who Would Change the Wind

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Isaac Hayes

1942-2008

Actor, Singer, Musician

"If you enjoy the fragrance of a rose, you must accept the thorns which it bears."

A Penny Wise and Pound Foolish Education Policy

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:50:00 +0000

All expert economic analysts tell us that our country is in the midst of a soft recovery from the worst recession in our country's history.

Texas, however, seems to be weathering the storm better than most states.

At the same time the very thing that would strengthen our future. Yet the commitment to adequately fund public education in preparation for the growing number of children - particularly minority children - the employees and employers of the future, is missing.

My column in the Dallas Morning News, speaks to our state's 'penny wise and pound foolish' attitude toward our Texas' future...

"Short term, our state’s employment figures are good news. Nationally, the unemployment figures reflect a stubborn sluggishness, yet Texas’ outlook is comparatively robust. Our April unemployment figures were 6.9 percent, compared with the nation’s figure of 8.1 percent, about the state’s unemployment average one year ago.""Regionally, those numbers look even rosier: Dallas’ unemployment figure sits at 6.5 percent (down from 7 percent in March); Fort Worth is 6.3 percent (6.9 percent in March). Even more positive are the figures from Austin, 5.5 percent, and Midland, 3.5 percent. By any measure, these are encouraging numbers."
"Impressive job growth was seen in manufacturing, trade, transportation and utilities industries. Construction jobs also showed a slight increase."
"However, economic analyst Ray Perryman offers a word of caution that should temper our enthusiasm: “The bigger concern is the long-term consequences for economic growth if we fail to provide adequate resources to accommodate the education and infrastructure needs of an expanding population.” In other words, refusal to invest in components critical to economic recovery, particularly in the area of education, could result in capping the potential of what appears to be a growing economy."

Because the Facts Can't Get in the Way

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Introducing (To Some) Mayor Cory Booker

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

One of my friends at the Dallas Morning News, editorial writer Bill McKenzie, appears to have discovered Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker.

GOOD!

Corey is a bright star on the political horizon, and, barring anything unforeseen, is limited only by his ambition and his desire to serve. Booker is a charismatic, intelligent, eloquent politician. And as Bill points out here, is quite capable of engaging an audience...

"For those who may not know Booker, he is an African-American who at various points has been a major high school football star, a Stanford football player, a Rhodes Scholar and a Yale Law grad. Oh, yes, and he's run into a burning building to save a neighbor."

"While he did not grow up in poverty, his father did. Booker's journey is thus quintessentially American.

Who he really reminds me of is Bill Clinton. Booker struck me as someone who can put together a narrative like Clinton and hold your attention. President Obama can do this sometimes, but he too often sounds like a college prof delivering a lecture -- a stern one at that."

"Booker, by contrast, used humor, and self-deprecating humor at that, in his speech at the University of Pennsylvania. He made fun of his, er, hefty build compared to Obama's lean figure. As he did, he jokingly said about the skinnier Obama: I hate him. Then, he laughed and said, I can see the headline now: Booker says he hates Obama."

"Of course, he was teasing, but he did it in a way that poked fun at himself and put the audience at ease. I don't recall Clinton using humor at his own expense, but he certainly could make many people comfortable as they listened to him."

For those who have never seen or heard him (and those who have!), here's Cory Booker!

Happy Birthday Malcolm!

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:22:00 +0000

A New Commandment

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Sun, 20 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34, 35 (New International Version)

For Those Who Would Change the Wind

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Sat, 19 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Donna Summer

1948-2012

Singer, Recording Artist

"My life was changed in one breath from God."

Another Reason to Invest in CitySquare: City Square Legal Action Works

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

One of the programs that makes CitySquare unique is it's public interest law firm. CitySquare L.A.W. (Legal Action Works), takes the cases that other firms usually won't take - because the clients can't afford to pay.

That's another aspect of poverty that you generally don't hear about, at least as it to relates to our law practice. We know our poor and low income neighbors usually don't have the money to defend themselves in criminal trials. But that's also true when it comes to divorce, domestic violence and custody cases as well. CitySquare LAW fills that gap.

This month's "'D' Magazine" profiles our law firms fine work.

Suffice it to say we're all proud!

"CitySquare’s LAW (Legal Action Works) Center helps low-income Dallas families and has become an integral part of CitySquare’s mission to strike at the root causes of poverty in Dallas. The LAW Center office can be best described by what it lacks: no fine wood crown molding, no library full of thick books, and no leather couches. Efficiency is key, and no dollar is wasted on extravagances. On days when the attorneys aren’t in trial, the dress code is a polo shirt and jeans."

"At the moment, LAW Center has three attorneys and two support staff. The offices are on the third floor of CityWalk@Akard, where they are close to some of their clients. The decor is plain and serviceable. Each office is no larger than a confessional. Boxes of file folders tower next to the desks. College degrees and children’s art adorn the walls. The doors are always open, and staff meetings are held only when the stars align with their schedules. It’s the energy of type-A personalities, passionate and in close quarters..."

"People often misunderstand the needs of the poor. Charitable organizations can waste resources treating symptoms without fixing the unjust system that created the poverty. They feed the hungry without fixing the famine. Moved by the plight of poor families, businessman Jim Sowell and Preston Road Church of Christ launched the Central Dallas Food Pantry in 1988, but they soon realized that the needs of the poor were far more complex than just hunger. A food pantry wasn’t enough."

"In 1994, Larry James stepped in as president and CEO of the nonprofit. They changed the name to Central Dallas Ministries and expanded in other areas, adding a workforce component to the organization. More recently, they changed their name to CitySquare and added low-income housing. Their building, CityWalk@Akard, is the first affordable housing development in downtown Dallas in living memory. But housing wasn’t enough."

"“We’re trying to go way beyond charity,” James says. The organization uses a learn-by-listening approach. James trusts that the poor know their situations better than anyone. “From the early going, we were hearing people ask about legal representation.” With criminal cases, CitySquare can refer people to the public defender’s office, but many wanted to know about civil court. So the organization created the LAW Center, and CitySquare found where it could make its greatest impact in fighting poverty..."

Legal issues can be devastating and are compounded when people attempt to represent themselves or ignore the problem, which is often the case with the impoverished. “Poor people, low-income people, do not show up in civil and family law courts in Dallas County with much of a chance,” James says. “When they show up with our lawyers, we almost never lose. We settle a lot of stuff out of court. But when we go to court, since ’99 I can count on two hands the number of times it got handed back to us. We kick butt, because these lawyers are
good.”

"Ken Koonce joined the LAW Center as a calling of faith. He had worked in business litigation, handling collections, business torts, and insurance disputes. It was good work, but none of it satisfied his need to help others. As James explains it, “Ken was tired and disillusioned. He came to me. He said, ‘I want to move into nonprofit work and I want to work with you guys doing something.’ ” James eventually convinced Koonce to return to where his talents were. “I finally told him, ‘Ken, you’re going to remain frustrated because your talent and your gift is the law.’ ” Koonce decided to give his law career a second chance as the director of CitySquare’s program in 2005. He describes his calling this way: “It’s an opportunity I never saw coming but didn’t want to refuse.”

Still another reason to invest in our work!

Everything Old is New Again

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Are you letting the JP Morgan $2 billion 'mistake' become background noise while you're busy doing something more important? You might want to pay attention. This is essentially the same unregulated financial sleight of hand that nearly imploded the U.S. economy, sent Iceland into bankruptcy (that's right an entire country!), and planted the seeds of the European financial crisis.

Want a 'simple' explanation? Sorry there isn't one! BUT, Khan Academy to the rescue!

Watch this, because while we're hearing that we need less regulation and poor people are continually blamed for the slow recovery of our nation, Wall Street is at it again...

A 'Homeless Bill of Rights' - Really!

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Talk about a commitment to do something big! While other states are cutting funding for the most vulnerable American citizens, politicians are trying to pass legislation that recognizes and protects the dignity and well being of it's homeless population. The state senate recently passed a 'Homeless Bill of Rights'!

"The Rhode Island Senate passed legislation Wednesday backed by Senator John J. Tassoni Jr., that aims to establish a “Homeless Bill of Rights” in Rhode Island."
"According to the General Assembly, the legislation will "guarantee that no person’s rights, privileges or access to public services will be denied or abridged solely because he or she is homeless"."
"Rhode Island will be the first state in the nation to adopt such a law if passed by the General Assembly."

How does a 'homeless bill of rights' look?

"The bill guarantees rights to homeless individuals including:
•The right to be free from searches or detention
•The right not to face discrimination while seeking or maintaining employment due to lack of a permanent mailing address
•The right not to be criminally sanctioned for unobtrusively sleeping in a public place

•The right to emergency medical care

•The right to vote, register to vote and receive documentation needed to prove identity for voting

•The right to protection from disclosure to law enforcement agencies

•The right to confidentiality of personal records and information

•The right to a reasonable expectation of privacy of personal property"

Senator Tassoni goes on to say, “We can’t just shrug and say ‘too bad’, we need to do more...We must keep working, and work harder, to move Rhode Islanders off the street and into more permanent, safe housing.”

Imagine, legislation that actually preserves the rights of the most poor among us - amazing!

Destination 2020: Ambitious and Refreshing

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

New DISD Superintendent Dr. Mike Miles

I'm pretty sure someone will pick this apart, but at first blush newly appointed Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Mike Miles plan to reform the school district looks ambitious and promising.

And most refreshing - virtually no mention of standardized test scores...

Suggesting a context conflating objections to excessive reliance on standardized test scores is with arguments against all standardized testing is a straw argument; it is clear that the new superintendent is aiming for real world positive outcomes.

'Destination 2020' deserves a serious look - and broad support...
Dallas ISD Superintendent Mike Miles' "Destination 2020" action plan

The Verdict is In: Standardized Testing Isn't Working

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Increasingly, it is being shown that 'high stakes testing' does not achieve the results originally touted. It's not only the negative physiological issues related to the stress of a school system over reliance on test results. It's the fact that it simply isn't an effective measurement of whether or not children are learning. Demanding more or 'better' tests, only line the pockets of those designing the tests themselves and become self serving arguments of politicians who want to brag about school rankings. In the meantime, our children are suffering. And the cynical truth is, school districts know it, educators within the districts know it, politicians know it and empirical data is bearing it out.

"A new study by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Rice University reveals that Texas' public school accountability system, the model for the national No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), directly contributes to lower graduation rates, a new study by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Rice University shows."
"Each year Texas public high schools lose at least 135,000 youth prior to graduation, and a disproportionately large number of those students are African American, Latino and English Language Learners (ELL)."
"By analyzing data from more than 271,000 students, the study found that 60 percent of African American students, 75 percent of Latino students and 80 percent of ELL students did not graduate within five years. The researchers found an overall graduation rate of only 33 percent."
""High-stakes, test-based accountability doesn't lead to school improvement or equitable educational possibilities," said Linda McSpadden McNeil, director of the Center for Education at Rice University. "It leads to avoidable losses of students. Inherently the system creates a dilemma for principals: comply or educate. Unfortunately, we found that compliance means losing students.""
"The study shows that as schools came under the accountability system, which uses student test scores to rate schools and reward or discipline principals, massive numbers of students left the school system. The exit of low-achieving students created the appearance of rising test scores and a narrowing of the achievement gap between white and minority students, thus increasing a school's ratings."
"According to researchers, this study has serious implications for the nation's schools under the NCLB law. It finds that the higher the stakes and the longer such an accountability system governs schools, the more likely it is that school personnel see students not as children to educate but as potential liabilities or assets for their school's performance indicators, their own careers or their school's funding."
"The study shows a strong relationship between an increase in number of dropouts and schools' rising accountability ratings, finding that:

•loss of low-achieving students helps raise school ratings under the accountability system;

•the accountability system allows principals to hold back students who are deemed at risk of reducing the school's scores; many students retained this way end up dropping out;

•the test scores grouped by race single out the low-achieving students in these subgroups as potential liabilities to the school ratings, increasing incentives for school administrators to allow those students to quietly exit the system;

•the accountability system's zero-tolerance rules for attendance and behavior, which put youth into the court system for minor offenses and absences, alienate students and increase the likelihood they will drop out."

"The discrepancy between the official dropout rates, which are in the two to three percent range, and the actual rates is attributable to the state's method of counting. The method does not include students who drop out of school for reasons such as pregnancy or incarceration or declare intent to take the GED."

Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), lists 433 school districts across Texas who have adopted a resolution concerning our state's overemphasis on 'high stakes, standardized testing in Texas public schools'. Nationally, parent groups, education and faith based organizations are adopting similar resolution.

The awareness is growing that we somewhere along the line, we have begun testing for the sake of testing and our children are paying the price.

If your school district's board of trustees hasn't adopted this resolution, let them know its time to sign it. It's time to start truly educating our children instead of training them! Our future...indeed our present, depends on it.

Happy Mother's Day 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

"Motherhood: All love begins and ends there."

Robert Browning

For Those Who Would Change the Wind

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Nicholas Katzenbach

1922-2012

65th United States Attorney General

1965-1966

"I think you need both legal and social change... You can't just [address bias] with legislation but it can help."

The New Civics Lesson

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:19:00 +0000

Patriots of the Testocracy

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Aren't There Alternatives to Standardized Tests?

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

There's still time to register to see CitySquare's free screening of 'Race to Nowhere'.

One of the most common reactions to pointing out the problems with our education system's over dependence on standardized testing is 'How do you hold students and teachers accountable? How do you measure student performance, without testing?'

These questions, expressed in various forms, show how entrenched we have become in the status quo and are in themselves evidence of the problem over reliance on the tests promote.

First, no one says 'do away with all testing'. Second, the idea is measuring student achievement and teacher accountability, neither of which can be determined with a test alone.

The Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE), provides on it's website a white paper which provides an guidelines for assessing student performance that includes all stakeholders, including students and teachers. Standardized tests are not eliminated, but other assessment measuring practices are called for which help to truly indicate whether or not students are learning. The emphasis is placed on superior curriculum development, rather than making the test the summum bonum end game, which leads to the 'drill and kill' class time that some teachers feel or are in some cases actually forced to employ.

Called 'Performance Counts: Assessment Systems that Support High Quality Learning', the paper written by Linda Darling-Hammond on behalf of the Council of Chief State School Officers, calls for school assessments that...

address the depth and breadth of standards as well as all areas of the curriculum, not just those that are easy to measure
consider and include all students as an integral part of the design process,
anticipating their particular needs and encouraging all students to demonstrate what they know and can do
honor the research indicating that students learn best when given challenging content and provided with assistance, guidance, and feedback on a regular basis
employ a variety of appropriate measures, instruments, and processes at the classroom, school, and district levels, as well as the state level. These include multiple forms of assessment and incorporate formative as well as summative measures
engage teachers in scoring student work based on shared targets

The report calls for a system in which..

All students have a clear idea of how learning progresses and what theycan do to improve. Next generation learners are encouraged to demonstrate their learning as a continuous process.

Parents understand the expectations for their children’s learning as well as the information they receive from school, district, and state assessments.They can work with educators to support their children’s growth and progress.

Teachers are skilled at developing and using a range of assessments based on standards, learners’ needs, and their professional judgment. Scoring student work based on shared learning targets is common classroom practice for teachers. Teachers are well educated and supported in these new expectations.

Supportive educators, including school principals, administrative staff, and leaders at the school and district levels, understand the standards and assessment elements and create conditions for successful learning.

Student achievement information generated at all levels of the assessment system becomes part of the longitudinal state data system and contributes to a rich profile of accomplishment for every student.

Read the rest of the report here...

Envisioning America's Tomorrow - and Today

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Tue, 08 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

There are two narratives regarding America's present; two narratives call on voters in this year's presidential election to make a decision on the direction for the future.

One narrative says that we are in the midst of a disaster: high gas prices; sputtering employment; jerky improvement in the housing market are among the signs that if we don't make a change in the White House and adopt an ideology that shrinks government and taxes, America will no longer be the most powerful nation on earth.

The other narrative posits that while we are struggling to pull out of the greatest economic decline this generation has ever seen, there are nascent signs of growth that are encouraging...

Unemployment is lower than it has been in three years; a rebounding stock market; public sector growth; the recovery of the auto industry and an actual national health plan (if the Supreme Court doesn't kill it) are all signs that America's economy is healing - even if the patient is still ill.

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius suggest that the latter narrative is the more accurate. Indeed, if we are taking a long term view instead of one governed by a presidential election cycle, America is actually poised to be more powerful than we've ever imagined. That, according to Ignatius, is especially true in the area of energy and manufacturing.

Of energy he says...

"America is entering a new era of energy security: "...Robin West, chairman of PFC Energy, a Washington-based advisory group. He argues in a series of recent reports to clients that, because of the rapid expansion of oil and gas production from shale, America is likely to become by 2020 the world’s No. 1 producer of oil, gas and biofuels — eclipsing even the energy superpowers, Russia and Saudi Arabia."

"West explains that the natural-gas boom will mean a dramatic change in energy imports and, thus, the security of U.S. energy supplies. He forecasts that combined imports of oil and natural gas will fall from about 52 percent of total demand in 2010 to 22 percent by 2020. The totals are even more impressive if supplies from Canada are included."

"“This is the energy equivalent of the Berlin Wall coming down,” contends West. “Just as the trauma of the Cold War ended in Berlin, so the trauma of the 1973 oil embargo is ending now.” The geopolitical implications of this change are striking: “We will no longer rely on the Middle East, or compete with such nations as China or India for resources.”"

"Energy security would be one building block of a new prosperity."

Of manufacturing Ignatius suggests...

"...according to BCG [Boston Consulting Group], [there] is a “reshoring” back to America of manufacturing that previously migrated offshore, especially to China. The analysts estimate that by 2015, China’s cost advantage will have shrunk to the point that many manufacturers will prefer to open plants in the United States. In the vast manufacturing region surrounding Shanghai, total compensation packages will be about 25 percent of those for comparable workers in low-cost U.S. manufacturing states. But given higher American productivity, effective labor costs will be about 60 percent of those in America — not low enough to compensate U.S. manufacturers for the risks and volatility of operating in China."

"In about five years, argue the BCG economists, the cost-risk balance will reach an inflection point in seven key industries where manufacturers had been moving to China: computers and electronics, appliances and electrical equipment, machinery, furniture, fabricated metals, plastics and rubber, and transportation goods. The industries together amounted to a nearly $2 trillion market in the United States in 2010, with China producing about $200 billion of that total."

"As manufacturers in these “tipping point” industries move back to America, BCG estimates, the U.S. economy will add $80 billion to $120 billion in annual output, and 2 million to 3 million new jobs, in direct manufacturing and spin-off employment. To complete this rosy picture, the analysts forecast that in about five years, U.S. exports will increase by at least $65 billion annually."

There's a huge difference between viewing our present as the end of all things versus seeing where we are as the beginning of something challenging but knew. I tend to think vision doesn't have quite as much to do with how you see where you'll be tomorrow, but how you see where you are today.

Recovering Better Than We Think?

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

With the news that the nation's economy only generated 115,000 new jobs in the month of April and that unemployment only declined .1% to 8.1% is the economy stalled, stalling or headed for disaster?

Daniel Gross, columnist for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, says that if you see the glass half-empty, you're probably buying into the wrong narrative. There is, according to Gross, an innovation taking place that is causing a recovery that is different, leaner, but a recovery nonetheless...

"Given the magnitude of the economic fall, it’s no surprise that declinism quickly emerged as the time’s chic intellectual pose. Left and right, highbrow and lowbrow, ideological and pragmatic, historians and futurists—all came to an agreement: the U.S. had a very slim hope of recovering from its self-inflicted blows. The lion was now a lamb, shorn of aggression and vitality, unable to compete with rivals like China. Much like Japan, which has endured two decades of stagnation and misery since its real-estate bubble popped in the late 1980s, the U.S. had fallen and couldn’t get up."

"As is frequently the case, however, the conventional wisdom is wrong. The U.S. economy suffered a wipeout in the Great Recession of 2008–09, much like 1970s icon Steve Austin. Austin, played by Lee Majors, was an astronaut who crashed to Earth and then was rebuilt with typical American optimism. “We can rebuild him,” the voice-over for the opening of The Six Million Dollar Manintoned. “Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.” Like the world’s first bionic man, the U.S. economy has come back—better, stronger, and faster than most analysts expected, and than most of its peers."

"In fact, the lows of March 2009 marked the beginning of an unexpected recovery—not the beginning of an era of irreversible stagnation. The U.S. economy went from shrinking at a 6.7 percent annual rate in the first quarter of 2009 to expanding at a 3.8 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter of that year—a turnaround unprecedented in modern history. The stock market has doubled since March 2009, while corporate profits and exports have surged to records. The U.S. economy has regained its 2007 peak, and is now growing at a 3 percent annual clip—a more rapid pace than any other developed economy. The crucible of the recession forged an economic structure that is more resistant to shocks than the brittle vessel that shattered in 2008. Meanwhile, Europe continues to grapple with insoluble banking and sovereign debt crises, and developing-economy juggernauts like China and Brazil are showing signs of cracking."

It's been clear to many, that economic recovery - true economic recovery - calls for playing longball and not the quick fixes of the old ideology that got us into trouble in the first place. The real question is do we have the patience - and the imagination - for a different kind of economy.

Time, and this year's election, will tell...

Read the rest of the article here...

Kingdom Values

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Sun, 06 May 2012 10:30:00 +0000

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
1906-1945

"Christianity preaches the infinite worth of that which is seemingly worthless and the infinite worthlessness of that which is seemingly so valued."

Dr. Condoleeza Rice's Reflections on Race in America

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Sun, 06 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Former Secretary of State
Dr. Condoleeza Rice

"[Race] is a birth defect with which this country was born out of slavery; we're never really going to be race blind. I think it goes back to whether or not race and class -- that is, race and poverty -- is not becoming even more of a constraint.

"Because with the failing public schools, I worry that the way that my grandparents got out of poverty, the way that my parents became educated, is just not going to be there for a whole bunch of kids. And I do think that race and poverty is still a terrible witch's brew."

For Those Who Would Change the Wind

noreply@blogger.com (Gerald Britt) — Sun, 06 May 2012 01:34:00 +0000

Wilt Chamberlain

1936-1999

Legendary, Hall of Fame Professional Basketball Player

"I believe that good things come to those who work."