What a week! When contemplating driving to downtown LA on Wednesday to hear what I was sure would be a fantastic discussion between Wolf Prix and Sylvia Lavin regarding the brand new tower of a school on Grand Avenue, I told my friend Whitney: This week I have chosen the election over architecture. That, I believe, is a shift of consciousness. Or, at the very least, an overt awareness of a shift long in the making.

To vastly oversimplify, I used to see the world through architecture, but now I see architecture through the world. There will be more on that in the weeks to come.

But now, to bask for one more moment in the glory that is this just-passed election.... wow. wow. wow. And the big wow is that we all did it together, we all focused our energy, gave of our time, joined in the cause. What it represents to me is not only the ground breaking idea of who Obama is as a person - black, mixed race, underdog, young, vital, vibrant, liberal, kind, considerate, prioritizing equity, education and rights; or that we all feel we are part of his family, part of his inner circle; or that the rest of the world is once again on our team. What it represents to me is that one person really can change the world. One person really can make a difference. Whatever he does from here on out may be scrutinized, may be more or less what we hope for in terms of our own political objectives, but there is no question that he has mobilized, energized, and unified - locally to globally - in a way I have not seen in my lifetime. It is that engagement, that excitement, that sense of purpose and generosity that we must absorb, expand, export.

In light of that, I ran across an article on the NPR website that Obamaizes the famous JFK aphorism, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." (click here for a link to the article) Though I find his example of journalism a bit weak, his sentiment is strong. In this week, and the weeks to come, what is it we can each do to bring that sense of generosity, equity, and optimism to our own smaller sphere? And not necessarily where it is easiest - to family and friends - but to your community and to your profession. What is a more equitable and optimistic law firm, architecture practice, university, insurance company, film studio, lower school, retail store? What part can it play, can they play, can you play? What can we learn as individuals, as practitioners of our own art, as citizens and humans from this past campaign and its successes? 'Yes we can' is so resolutely different from 'country first' because it is all inclusive, undeniably optimistic, personal, confident and yet egoless.

Many of us got a bit teary on Tuesday, and again when the newspaper covers appeared on Wednesday. I thought it was over until I got a link to this flikr site. Who but Obama would make us feel like we were in the room with him when it happened? Sitting there, watching the TV returns just like we all were doing across the country, across the world, just another member of this family, our family, all of us.

TOMORROW

As you may have heard, it's election week. Tomorrow we have a historic opportunity to turn what started out as a long shot grassroots movement into a real opportunity for nation wide change. To me, this election is not only about a vast divide in policy, but a vast difference in ideology. We have the chance to move our country toward equity, opportunity, creativity, and education. What more important ideals are there if not those? If you need one last push, or if you need to know where to vote, take a look at the latest (and last?) video of this election season.

We are all generally less informed about the 15 propositions on the California ballot. Though my research was not exhaustive, I have scoured the for and against positions, the rebuttals, and the press on most of them, and offer the following for anyone who cares to read my conclusions:

1A (Safe, Reliable, High-speed passenger train bond) and R (Traffic Relief, Rail extensions, Reduce Foreign Oil Dependence): These two transit measures are highly controversial as light rail and subway take a much higher up front cost to produce than buses, yet are much less flexible, carry fewer total passengers, and tend to cater to a more affluent ridership. The bus system in LA is a system of necessity for LA's working poor and is often short-changed in the allocation of funds. R in particular is a regressive tax, burdening all who live in LA county an additional 1/2 cent sales tax for the next 30 years. The Bus Riders Union and the Strategy Center are OPPOSED to R. However, I fear we will not be able to get a better option on the table for comprehensive transit planning that includes transit variety and forward-thinking strategies for mobility, so I'm supporting both 1A and R. If you want to read their position, though, here is a link.

2 (Standards for Confining Farm Animals): This seems to be an 'animal rights' bill, but in actuality it also has several implications for health and disease, as well as balancing the opportunities for small farms with the monopolies of their large bossy brothers. I'm voting yes on 2 because of those latter reasons.

4 Waiting period and parental notification before termination of minor's pregnancy, initiative CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT) NO NO NO on 4. By requiring any woman under 18 to seek parental approval and abide by a 48 hour waiting period prior to receiving an abortion, countless teenagers will seek dangerous, possibly life threatening alternatives. In addition, the right to confidential counseling and reproductive choices should be extended to all women, regardless of age. What we really need is accessible and accurate sex education and birth control options so every woman is knowledgeable and prepared - if at all possible - prior to the time of unwanted pregnancy.

5 (nonviolent drug offenses, sentencing, parole, and rehab) I'm voting yes on 5, which invests in treatment programs that help keep those at risk from enacting crimes in the first place.

6 (police and law enforcement funding, criminal penalties and laws) The Strategy Center says it better than I can: Proposition 6 exploits the fear of crime in urban areas in order to position the prison and police system as the one and only solution to the symptoms of urban neglect and structural racism—drugs, crime and violence—and in doing so, further criminalize the youth and communities of the inner city and further take from social welfare programs. No on the 6.

7 (renewable energy generation): This is a hidden agenda initiative which actually does not support the best and most productive environmental policy. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, this and the 10 (alternative fuel vehicles and renewable energy) are misleading and misguided. No on both 7 and 10.

8 (eliminates rights of same-sex couples to marry. initiative CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT) NO NO NO NO on 8. No matter how you feel about gay marriage - which I aggressively support - our constitution (state or federal) is not intended to TAKE AWAY the rights of any individual in our country. Support equal rights for everyone - no no no on 8.

9 (criminal justice system, victim's rights, parole, initiative constitutional amendment and statute) Again, The Strategy Center: Nicholas' Initiative - Weakens the limited rights of parolees. Prop 9 masks its intentions in the concept of “victims rights.” While no one deserves to be the victim of violence and its pain and trauma are not easily reconcilable, it is necessary that we challenge the reactionary nature of the victim’s rights movement that in fact increases the intensity of state violence against Black and Latino communities. In 2007, of the approximately 173,000 California prisoners, 50% are in for technical parole violations (meaning no new “crime” has occurred), and less than 1% of 5,520 scheduled hearings resulted in someone being released from prison. No on 9.

12 ( veteran's bond act of 2008) - Yes on 12, which is a no cost initiative that extends a program of loans for VA home buying.

The three I have not covered I simply don't know enough about. They sound good on paper - more children's hospitals, more school support, safe healthy neighborhoods - but the first especially seems to already have money in the bank unspent. My inclination from my own reading is No on 3 (hospitals), and Yes on J and Q (community colleges and schools).

Whatever side you take, I encourage you to VOTE, and at the end of the day, fingers crossed, to CELEBRATE.

(thanks to Alvaro, my own personal science advisor, for working through these with me in the car to Nevada this weekend! Photo credits from the Henderson rally go to him, with my touch of design. GObama!)

two weeks two days and four years

As my millions of readers may have noticed, last week came and went with no 'cause of the week'. There's just so much election on my mind I'm having a hard time letting anything else in (Larry David's weigh in about waiting is spot on). I'm holding my breath as swing states do their swinging thing, talking up the talking points, and sticking stickers on anything not already stuck. I tried to vote early, but found out that the reason my LA County option is an hour away from my house is that by law each county can only have one early voting site. Considering LA County could swallow whole many of the states in this country, I'll have to wait until the 4th. That said, as these final days to the election approach, vote early if you can. Also, take a listen to this week's This American Life if you missed it. The story looks at Pennsylvania, a tricky and important swing state. Part one follows student volunteers who registered 16,000 new voters and part two follows voter activists talking to union members about race, what they've learned about racism and their neighbors, and why bigotry has no place in policy. Click on Ground Game.

In California, there is tremendous controversy over the 15 state, county, and school propositions on the ballot. For example, though Measure R claims to be a comprehensive plan for LA transit, many residents are arguing that it prioritizes high ticket items (light rail, airport links, subway extensions) that serve the affluent to the detriment of investments in new buses, bus routes, and bus lanes (which already have unfilled commitments on the table). Measure R would impose a half cent sales tax across the board for 30 years. Those who need it most, those represented by the Bus Riders Union and its Strategy Center, are against Measure R. There is also prop 10, which seems to support alternative fuel use and pro-eco measures like renewable energy resources, but is also apparently funded by the man who monopolizes the local distribution of same alternative fuel resources and is expected to line his pockets with some prop 10 gold. I'm still in the process of doing the research on these.

There are, however, two I am sure of:

No on Prop 8, and No on Prop 4.

Prop 8 is the discriminatory proposal that initiates a constitutional amendment to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. There are so many arguments against this -- the first being that it is flat out discrimination based on sexual preference and the last being that heteros certainly don't have such great role model marriages yet we still get to do it -- that to even consider not voting against prop 8 should be criminal.

Prop 4 institutes a waiting period and parental notification requirement "before termination of a minor's pregnancy." Not only could this result in the dangerous seeking of illegal options - most detrimental to unprotected minors - but it could also result in notification procedures to parents who might not prioritize the interest of their children's rights and safety foremost. Prop 4 is a dangerous step backwards in the rights of all women to make personal, safe, and confidential decisions about their own family planning options. However, it further emphasizes the need for accurate, thorough, and available sex education to everyone along with prevention and protection measures. See the Planned Parenthood site for further new initiatives to fight the latest administrative plan to allow health care providers to impose their personal morality on the options provided to patients who expect and deserve factually accurate and inclusive medical advice.

Next Sunday will be two days before the election, and I can only imagine that the one cause on my mind will be helping to elect the candidate who looks out for all the causes I believe in - education, equity, rights, opportunity. After that, we'll branch out again and find other things we can do each week to change the world. This week get educated on your options, stand up for the little guy, and VOTE vote vote vote vote.

street soccer usa - just do it.

This blog was started as a way to turn the desire to help into real action. Few programs do that as well as Homeless Street Soccer. Yes, HOMELESS street soccer. This program, initiated in the US in my former home town of Charlotte, North Carolina, has expanded to more than a dozen cities throughout the country. The Homeless World Cup is similar to the non-homeless version in that it operates as a competitive global sports event with team representation from around the world. The difference, of course, is that these team members have struggled through a range of difficult circumstances including living on the streets, joblessness, hunger, and in some cases abuse and addiction. Soccer gives them the opportunity to find new meaning in their lives, to develop an identity beyond their disadvantages, to learn new physical, emotional, and social skills, and to bond with team members and competitors from weekly practice to the global stage of international competition.

This year's competition will be held in Australia, and the US Team needs your help to fund their trip. You might think this seems extravagant; that spending $2000 on travel, training, lodging, and other expenses couldn't possibly be as useful as spending it on a down-payment for an apartment or a couple months worth of food (of course, if you've seen the documentary on the Homeless World Cup - Kicking It! - you know the magnitude and power of the event). But in the 'teach a man to fish' philosophy, being one of the select few given the honor to represent your country, to hone and show your skills, to be cheered on by strangers, to work as a team, to succeed at this one thing, might very well be the event that turns a life around. And that new life might go on to inspire the lives of others, the optimism of others, the giving of others.

When financial times are hard, you can imagine they are even harder for those on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder. Already there is buzz about the difficult holiday season to come. Imagine what it can teach your children, who might also be interested in sports, or your relative who played soccer as a child himself or herself, to give a gift in their name. It might cost you less than a new sweater, and mean a whole lot more.

My friend Lawrence Cann started this program (and, yes, this is the same Urban Ministry Center I mentioned in the Artworks auction blog). Below is his letter to you, contact information, and ways you can contribute. The Homeless World Cup is our cause of the week.

US Homeless World Cup Participation

Several years ago we started a soccer team because we thought our homeless clients would benefit from team sports. They literally took the ball and ran with it. Then a bunch of other cities got their own balls and they all started running. Check out our blog to see news of the 11 cities which now run street soccer programs. In the US, it all started here at the Urban Ministry Center.

The prospects for the future are looking fantastic. However, after hosting a great qualifying event this summer, we currently have a gap in our funding for our participation in the Homeless World Cup coming up in December. We must meet our funding goal soon to insure that we can proceed with plans to participate in the competition. Unfortunately we are still $15,000 short. Therefore we are making this grassroots funding plea. Thanks to great support from Corporations and a few individuals, we haven't had to do this in the past. Now we need those of you who value what this program achieves, and are able, to make substantial contributions.

Participation per player in the Homeless World Cup costs $2000. Our USA National team includes 13 people.

The coaches, as well as other staff, and even some of the players have all donated so far. Please join us with a donation of whatever you can - $100 or more would be greatly appreciated. Without exception, the players have taken full advantage of the opportunity and have all made impressive turnarounds. Please let us know if you can join us as a donor. Pay when you can, any time between now and the end of December. But please, please let us know as soon as possible if you do want to make a pledge.

I am available all the time on my cell phone (704 975 5755) to talk about the project and the impact it is having on the players, or email me at the address below. Seventy five percent of team members move off the street within 18 months of sticking with the team!

Donations can be taken online at www.urbanministrycenter.org under the donate tab. Or checks can be mailed to:

Urban Ministry Center
945 N. College Street
Charlotte, NC 28206

Please earmark them "world cup" and add "cause of the week" if you want us to know you read it here!

Thank you so much. All donors will be recognized as Club Members on our site and be sent updates on the team's performance at the Homeless World Cup.


Best,

Lawrence Cann
lawrence@streetsoccerusa.org
www.streetsoccerusa.org

complete this cause, and it boosts all the others... 30 more days

My personal cause of the week today is the 200 plus pages of reading for Sylvia Lavin's theory class, but that's just me. School has started, and it is a large rolling stone speeding up ever faster for the months to come. I'm doing my best to be on the sunny side, or the mossy side, or even on the shiny cover, but not under the rock itself.

Regardless. Michelle Obama tells me (in a personal email, of course) that tomorrow is the deadline to register to vote in Ohio. Ohio voters can also choose to vote early by tomorrow, which means the very first actual votes will go on record in the next few days! After all the chatter (and some patronizing winks and smirks in the last two weeks) I know we're all ready to get this voting going. The Obama website has a simple way to get involved in encouraging your neighbors - or your emotional neighbors in far away swing states - to register and to vote. By signing up on their website, you can get names, phone numbers, and/or addresses of folks with which you can share your personal Obamalove. For those who aren't into one-on-one political encouragement, head down to your local hq and help sell stickers, assemble yard signs, or fill out paperwork. And for the least physically active and most financially active option, you can always fund a commerical, sponsor a registration trip, pay for someone else to join the team on your behalf. Or, do something creative - make a film, write a song, paint a painting to support voter registreation - and post it here. (I'm going to write a blog entry!) So, let's get Ohio on our team, and North Carolina, and Colorado, and Nevada, and let's win this thing, so we can get back to all the other causes that need us, too.

Let's be huge, together.

This day in political history: James Meredith became the first black student admitted to the University of Mississippi, accompanied by 16,000 federal troops sent to Oxford (Oct. 1, 1962). (from Ken Rudin's 'political junkie')

There's simply something phenomenal about the smallness of one person and the hugeness it takes to overcome such ingrained discrimination. There have been many steps between those of Meredith and those to the stage of the most recent presidential debate.