Mitsubishi Worker Hailed for Scout Work

Roberto Avina, a United Auto Workers 2488 member and employee of Mitsubishi Motors, exemplified the 2015 Labor Day theme, “For More Than Ourselves.”  Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal celebrate the diversity and contributions of unions and workers during Monday's Bloomington Labor Day Parade.

NIOT:B/N at the Labor Day Parade.

Avina, a Mexican immigrant and now-U.S. citizen, was recently awarded the Boy Scouts of America George Meany Award for the local W.D.Boyce Council, at the McLean County Museum of History on August 15. The Meany Award is annually given to an adult scout leader from union ranks.  

Avina is also the 2015 WJBC-AM "Laborer of the Year."

Avina is a line worker at Mitsubishi with 10 years of scouting service

Camille: Stereotypes Obscure the Person Inside

Camille Taylor

WJBC Forum

A homeless person …a gang member…a terrorist. What images popped into your mind? Did you see a person of a particular race, gender, or age? If so, why did you get that particular image?

A stereotype is an idea about a thing or group that may be untrue or only partly true. It’s a judgment based on one or two pieces of information that don’t tell the whole story. They are often shared by many people such as “Politicians are dishonest” or “Rich people are snobs.” The problem with the stereotype paintbrush is you start to believe these untruths or partial truths without taking the time to get to know the individuals behind them.

Not In Our Town is a movement that has been active for about 20 years in our community. The vision of Not In Our Town is to eliminate hate, address bullying, and to make a safe, inclusive community. In order to do that, we know that there is no room for believing stereotypes which often leads to prejudice, discrimination, and hatred.

Last week, members of Not In Our Town mobilized when a sign that perpetuated a stereotype was displayed outside a local business. I was involved in a demonstration on the street outside the business and tried talking to the owner about why the sign was offensive. Unfortunately, the media headlines published “angry protestors” and “free speech” as the main focus. We were not angry, just full of conviction, and freedom of speech was never the issue. The issue was and always has been to make Bloomington/Normal a community where all people can live without fear of being stereotyped, discriminated against, or feel prejudice.

Last week I also spoke to about 25 young people at the McLean County Diversity Project Scholars’ Retreat at East Bay Camp. I shared the history and vision of Not In Our Town as well as why stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice hurt people. These young people gave me hope, because they wanted to understand and to learn. We had a good exchange of ideas and several hope to get involved with efforts to make their schools more inclusive and safer from bullying next year.

After talking to the scholars of the McLean County Diversity Project, I would say our community’s future is in good hands, because these young people share that vision of hope. I’m Camille Taylor for the WJBC Forum.

Bring It On Bloomington Notes Feeling of Social Divide

Eric Stock

WJBC-AM 

Results of a city-wide survey in Bloomington are now in a hands of stakeholders who will try to see what changes - if any - can be done. 

Executive Director of the McLean County Regional Planning Commission Vasudha Pinnamaraju said while Bloomington's population actually skews younger than the national average, there's worry they'll inevitably get older and how can the city be hospitable?

"By that time, how are we going to accommodate that aging population?," Pinnamaraju asked. "Do we want to lose them to the Sunbelt communities? Do we want to help them age in place? These are all of the questions we are asking." 

Vasudha Pinnamaraju queries residents during a 2014 Bring It On Bloomington meeting at the McLean County YWCA.

Pinnamaraju told WJBC's Scott Laughlin, the survey also shows a clear east-west divide in the city, due largely to socioeconomic factors. There's a much higher concentration of low-income families in west Bloomington. 

"The sentiment exists there is a divide. People feel like we should try to find ways to dissolve that," Pinnamaraju said. 

Residents also said they want to preserve the city's historic neighborhoods. 

"People are happy with the variety we have with older and newer neighborhoods, but are extremely concerned the historic neighborhoods are not being taken into consideration," Pinnamaraju said. 

More than 2,000 residents took part in the Bring It On Bloomington survey that will guide the city's comprehensive plan for the next two decades. The working groups covering areas such as economic vitality, arts and culture and neighborhoods are expected to have a final report for the city council by June. 

Mike: Overcoming Mind Blindness

Mike Matejka

WJBC Forum

This is Mike Matejka. The recent trial revelation of a racist remark by a Bloomington Police officer, shows again how volatile racial issues. Despite a 1960s Civil Rights movement and the election of a mixed race President, Americans still split over racial divides, often over economic and police issues.

 As a person of European descent, I really cannot truly know the experience of my African-American, Latino, or Asian neighbors.  Personally, I have been in Asia and Africa where I was the only white person on the street, but only once was I treated disrespectfully.

Many of my African-American and Latino friends talk about having to assume a public face daily, knowing that their actions and words will not only be perceived as theirs, but somehow will reflect positively or negatively on their ethnic groups. 

My daughter uses an interesting term when she misses a cue or does not perceive something. She says she was “mind blind” to that situation. As a white person in America, I often wonder how mind blind I am to challenges and perceptions that others face. I assume certain responses from store clerks, job interviewers, or law enforcement, but would those responses be different if my skin color was? And do I have my own “mind blindness” toward racial or ethnic prejudices that are buried within me?

People who attend Alcoholics Anonymous start the meeting with self-disclosure. “Hi, my name is Mike and I am an alcoholic.” I sometimes wonder if I should start each day with a look in the mirror and say, “Hi, my name is Mike and I was raised in a racist society,” doing this not to feel guilty, but to remind myself that I need to be conscious of my society and its presumptions.

We all have our own perspectives and our own “mind-blindness” to others. Listening carefully to others is key, but also understanding past histories of discrimination and how those negative attitudes still linger is also important. Only in reaching out to others and reflecting on our own presumptions can we hope to bridge these divisions. 

Camille: Not So Different

Camille Taylor

for WJBC-AM Forum

December 17, 2014

Do you remember the Seinfeld T.V. show when they celebrated “Festivus?” The main characters celebrated around an aluminum pole and had the traditional “airing of grievances” and “feats of strength.” The expression, “Festivus with the rest of us!” became very popular. I started thinking about how many different ways people all over the world celebrate holidays, particularly in late November through December. So of course, I “Googled” it, and here’s what I found. Of course most of this listening audience is familiar with the Christian celebration of Christmas which commemorates the birth of Jesus. Some who prefer a total secular celebration recognize the Winter Solstice which is the day when nighttime is longest and daytime is shortest. Buddhists celebrate Bohdi Day or Rohatsu around December 8th. It recalls when Buddha sat beneath a Bohdi tree, a type of fig tree, and was believed to achieve enlightenment thus escaping repeated incarnation. Jewish people celebrate Hanukah which is the Feast of Dedication and Festival of Lights. It recalls a time when a war was being fought for religious freedom. There was only enough oil in the candles for one day in a Jerusalem temple. However, the candles burned for eight days. Muslim holy days are fixed to the lunar calendar. The Feast of Sacrifice or Day of Sacrifice occurs during the 12th lunar month of the Islamic year, and it recalls when Abraham intended to follow God’s instructions to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Wiccans and some Neopagans celebrate Yule at Winter Solstice time. Yule was a pagan religious festival observed by historical Germanic peoples that was later absorbed into and equated with Christmas. From this small sample, you can see that no matter where in the world you live or whether you practice religion or not, people are celebrating and recalling some type of observance during this time of year. My proposal is that instead of debating over secular versus religious observances, we recognize that our world is a huge tent. We have plenty of room under that tent for people to observe and celebrate their individual customs without it being a threat or a problem to anyone else. So, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Bohdi Day, or whatever, but most importantly, enjoy the time you have with the people you love the most. I’m Camille Taylor for the WJBC Forum.

Mike: Respect a Two-Way Street on the Streets

By Mike Matejka

for WJBC-AM Forum

The incident in Ferguson, Missouri and the shooting of Michael Brown is one of those cultural divide moments where white and black America look across a chasm at each other from totally different perspectives.

What happened in August in Ferguson will be debated for years.  Was officer Darren Wilson truly justified in shooting Michael Brown?  Did Michael Brown act inappropriately and threaten Darren Wilson?   None of us were there that afternoon and none of us were in the middle of the adrenaline rush that both these young men felt. 

Rather than picking Ferguson apart, I would rather consider our reactions to it.   The friction between young Latino and African-Americans, especially males, and police, creates a pervasive tension.   Parents have to counsel their children on how to respond to police.  The African-American community claims they are being disproportionately targeted, profiled and subject to random attack.   From that perspective, Ferguson and Michael Brown is just another incident in a long line of police confrontations.

Earlier this fall, there was much comparison to the “Pumpkin Riot” in Keene, New Hampshire, where young whites vandalized cars, started fires and attacked police.   The police responded with force and there were arrests, but did those young white people fear that their out of control party would result in deaths?  Probably not, but if there were young African-Americans whose party got out of control, would they fear being shot?  Very possibly.

Respect is the word that I think a lot about after Ferguson. And respect is a two-way street.   Law enforcement deserves respect.  Citizens also deserve respect from law enforcement.   This is more than police being colorblind; police should also appreciate the strong feelings that African-Americans and Latinos have about feeling targeted.

When we have more young African-Americans in jail than in college, that impacts all of us.  Those individuals may never get a decent opportunity in life, branded with a record.    As long as we are spending more on prisons than we are on pre-schools and job training, this social tension will haunt us.   Yes, individuals have to take responsibility for themselves.   But young people growing up in poverty often do not see opportunities that others might think obvious.  Or even if they see the choice, they may not know how to get there.

We can argue who was right or wrong last August in Ferguson.  The conversation I hope we start having is how do we bring our society together and help create opportunity and openings for all.

Mike Matejka is the Governmental Affairs director for the Great Plains Laborers District Council, covering 11,000 union Laborers in northern Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. He lives in Bloomington with his wife and daughter and their two dogs. He served on the Bloomington City Council for 18 years, is a past president of the McLean County Historical Society and Vice-President of the Illinois Labor History Society.

Nancy: The Complex View Over Ferguson

By Nancy Cruse

for WJBC-AM Forum

The situation in Ferguson, Missouri, really bothers me.  I’m trying to wrap my head around it from many angles:

1. As a mother who will never, ever see her son again.  I know this pain personally and I feel very badly for Michael Brown’s mother.  On a certain level, it really doesn’t matter how he died.  The point is that Lesley McSpadden will never share another birthday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas with her son.  When something major like that happens to you, you have to decide how you will move forward with your own life.  My personal feeling is that you should try to figure out a way to bring something positive out of the situation so that you can help the next person who finds themselves in a similar circumstance. 
2. As a former small business owner.  My late husband and I owned our own businesses for 27 years here in Bloomington/Normal.  We experienced being broken into and robbed twice, having an employee steal company checks and try to cash them, having a plate glass window broken by vandals and having our business burn due to an electrical fire.  After my husband died I experienced having an employee murdered while trying to stop a robbery.  It’s not the same as having your business looted and burned due to racial tensions obviously.  I can however speak to feeling violated by the actions of other human beings and the pain it causes, as well as to how it feels to watch your livelihood go up in flames.  There is no way any one can convince me that looting and destroying other people’s property or causing someone physical harm helps to solve racial tensions.
3. As a human being.  Not all police officers are bad.  I cannot understand how when we are trying to overcome stereotypical thinking it suddenly becomes ok to classify anyone who is part of a particular profession as a horrible human being.  Isn’t this what we are supposed to be overcoming?

I am very sad that a young man lost his life and I empathize with his mother.  I have great respect for those who have given their lives to protect and serve their communities.  I would like to think if there are those in their ranks who hold biased beliefs and treat people unfairly that it will be addressed and dealt with constructively.  I applaud those who express their concerns and beliefs peacefully.

I am very grateful that I was raised by a man who taught me more through actions than words that all people are created equal and deserve respect.  By looking through my father’s eyes I saw that every person has worth, value, and something to contribute.  I believe the greatest change begins at an individual level.  Examine your thoughts and your actions.  What changes can you make – in yourself, in your parenting, and in your community?

Nancy Cruse has been part of the Bloomington/Normal community for the past almost 30 years. A widow, with five children, along with her late husband was a small business owner in downtown Bloomington. Now employed by State Farm, Nancy is active in the community, writing the Clare House newsletter and maintaining their Facebook page, hosting an annual Fourth of July Food Drive, a team leader and fundraiser for the Pat Nohl Lupus Walk, and a member of Toastmasters International, as well as volunteering in various capacities at Holy Trinity Church and schools. In her spare time, Nancy likes to run, bike, hike, read, sew, and be a vegetarian who occasionally indulges in a Schooners Tenderloin.

Camille: Recongregate, Communicate, and Inoculate

By Camille Taylor

Educator/Not In Our Town Steering Committee

WJBC-AM Forum/Monday, November 17

Nineteen years ago a grassroots group of citizens in Bloomington-Normal began a movement called “Not In Our Town.” The movement began with goals to establish a community standard that rejects discriminatory words and deeds, to inoculate our community through education and dialogue against the social evils that follow complacency, and to be proactive against hate and intolerance by addressing injustice and inequity in our community. The inspiration for Not In Our Town came from Billings, Montana, where a rock was thrown into a little boy’s window that displayed a menorah. A PBS film about the incident was viewed in our community followed by adult/youth discussion panels. It was also used as a training tool by the Bloomington Police Department. Over the last 19 years, Not In Our Town has held marches, rallies, pledge card drives in local schools, stood against East Peoria’s white supremacist Matt Hale, who came to Bloomington to spread his messages of hate, and the Rev. Fred Phelps from the Westboro Baptist Church, who came to our town with hate filled anti-gay demonstrations. After a few years of less activity, Not In Our Town is relaunching new efforts. On December 9, the Not In Our Town campaign will be launched with a media event at the YWCA, community leaders, electronic billboards, signage on Connect Transit busses, pledge cards, and a fundraising campaign. The theme, “The Season4Reason,” sends the message that it’s time to fight bigotry and bullying and that there’s no room for this in our community. The vision is to have a safe and inclusive community. Our work will be ongoing. Most movements take at least 50 years to accomplish goals. When will this vision be achieved? When every person in our community, no matter their gender, race, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, address, or whatever, feels safe and included.  We know our community is not a Ferguson, Missouri, but we don’t want to become one either. Sometimes it’s easy to wear blinders and not notice that some members of our community are less safe/ included than others. So, here’s my personal challenge. As we approach the holidays, observe how open we are as a community to all perspectives, different observances, those who are able, and those who are not in the mainstream. Let’s make it a Season4Reason and do our part to wipe out hate, bullying, and bigotry on every level. I’m Camille Taylor for the WJBC Forum.