Saint Kermit #43: Frank Talk

It’s been a depressing couple of weeks in Massachusetts politics, but Jim and I wade into the muck anyway. Then we point out that this election will determine if the Green-Rainbow Party and Working Families Party are official parties.

[download the mp3 of “Saint Kermit #43: Frank Talk”]

We rant about:

  • Kerry Healey calling Deval Patrick soft on crime
  • Somebody revealing the skeleton in Patrick’s sister’s closet
  • Rand Wilson, who is polling double-digits as “Working Families” candate for State Auditor
  • Jill Stein, polling double-digits as “Green-Rainbow” candidate for Secretary of State

Interview: Barney Frank.
Music: National Carpet.
Sports: Sport.

Four new saints!

Pope Benedict canonized four new saints today: a French nun on the Indiana frontier who founded St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, a Mexican bishop who risked his life to help the wounded during the Mexican Revolution, an Italian priest who pioneered education for the deaf and founded an order of nuns, and an Italian woman who founded an order of nuns and schools for girls.

Privacy contest for Worcester high schoolers

At last, the opt-out contest is here.

Public high schools send their students’ personal info to military recruiters each fall, unless the students opt out.

This is not good. So we’ve started a contest.

The Worcester junior or senior class with the highest percentage of students opting out will win $250. Students should turn in opt-out forms (pdf) ASAP.

More info at the contest website. If you know any Worcester high schoolers, let them know about the contest. You can contact optout.admin@gmail.com for more info, too.

Another year, another prayer breakfast

This morning was the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast in Worcester.

Like last year’s, it happened to fall during Ramadan. The speaker was Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America, and a convert from Catholicism to Islam. She talked about Islamic ethics and the potential for peaceful coexistence between people of different faiths.

(In this, she seemed to differ from a Muslim-turned-Christian who Mike Schorsch heard speak recently.)

Hermis Yanis taped her talk, and the following discussion, for his TV show. I hope we can post some clips soon.

In the aftermath of the pope’s Regensburg lecture, it would have been nice had there been a Catholic clergyman at the podium at some point, but no such luck. (The bishop was there, of course.)

Tom Lewis, Harry Duchesne, Michael Boover at the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast

Worcester’s Catholic Workers were remarkably well-represented at the breakfast. Above, Tom Lewis, Harry Duchesne, and Mike Boover ruminate. Below, Bruce glows after drinking way too much coffee.

Tom Lewis & Bruce Russell

A day against war in Worcester

There was a day-long protest against the Iraq War in Worcester’s Elm Park yesterday, in association with events nationwide organized by World Can’t Wait.

Folks were at the park from 9AM to 8PM. One guy was there the whole time!

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Harry (left) said that a guy was complaining to him about the boring demonstrations nowadays. “We need more folks like the Chicago Seven and the Catonsville Nine!” Harry told him that Tom Lewis (right), of the Catonsville Nine, would be there shortly, and the guy was thrilled.

Worcester also sent three people to a protest at the corporate offices of Textron that morning. Textron makes cluster bombs. One former Textron employee was at the Elm Park vigil.

More photos

Photographing Tim Murray

Kevin Ksen made another court appearance yesterday.

You’ll remember he was arrested for trespassing (the police say) or photographing the crew of the TV show COPS (he says).

Now some time back, Kevin was taking pictures of a less-controversial Worcester event, and was pleased with how the pix of Tim Murray, our mayor and lieutenant governor candidate, turned out. Kevin passed the pix on to Murray, telling him to use them as he liked.

Looks like one of the pix, suitably trimmed, is the header to Murray’s website!

WalkChandler 028
Perotto, O’Brien, Murray, Chandler, et. al. Photo by Kevin Ksen.

murray
From Chandler Street to the State House: http://www.timmurray.org. Sadly, it runs on Mambo.

All this by way of a shout-out to Kevin. When your photography is playing a role in the Lieutenant Governor’s race, and getting you arrested, you know you’re a real photojournalist.

Demo against cluster bombs at Textron

Rides are available from Worcester to a demonstration at Textron in Wilmington, MA, a manufacturer of cluster bombs.

If you would like a ride to this demonstration, please call the Catholic Worker at 508.753.3588.

We will be leaving Worcester at 10AM, and getting back into town around 2:30pm.

Cluster bombs are deliberately indiscriminate, designed to kill over the widest possible area. Even the newer designs leave behind unexploded bomblets, which can maim and kill for years after a war is over. Protest this horrendous weapon at its source, right here in Massachusetts.