Re: Mr. Bush,s agenda on homelessness pro or con?
William Tinker (wtinker@fcgnetworks.net)
Fri, 5 Nov 1999 12:44:27 -0500
Hey Tony,
Just want to say keep sending the pages on about your vigils .......I have
to say I had to forward them on to some good people, and perhaps they will
be kind enough to forward them so that it shows that no one should ever
become so blase'as to not want to do anything at all to better their and
other persons lots in life.
I would say you are a humanitarian Tony,as well as a pretty crafty advocate
in your own right!Myself I have a lot of passion but at times think with my
head and hands sort of a reflex action to danger or a threat...This has got
me in a rash of court problems in the past,but Tom Cagle of NH ADAPT took me
under his wing and has been slowly retraining me to learn a better way to
fight,you have to realize I was a radical with out a cause until the Viet
Nam issues came about,tell you more about that some day!!!
Keep up the stuff you are doing and keep smiling that confuses the hell out
of the persons in diamonds and furs....and three piece suits, limo
riders,who only have been cold or hungry when their swimming pool heater
broke down,or when the caterer cancelled....
Bill Tinker
----- Original Message -----
From: Tony Hearn <thearn@thewestgategazette.com>
To: William Tinker <wtinker@fcgnetworks.net>
Sent: Friday, November 05, 1999 11:44 AM
Subject: Re: Mr. Bush,s agenda on homelessness pro or con?
> FYI (and thanks for email):
>
> Here is the diary entry for last night (you can follow this on the
> following link if you like: http://home.sprintmail.com/~thearn/pg2.htm
>
>
> Diary of a Protest
>
> Emails & Other Opinion Pieces
>
> by Tony Hearn
>
> +
>
> To All Compassionate Persons:
> Come Keep a Vigil With Me (from 11:15 p.m.-4:40 a.m. weekdays
> only)
>
> Even-numbered weeknights only at the Governor's Gate
> Colorado (front gate) or Lavaca (back gate) between 10th & 11th
> Streets;
>
> Odd-numbered weeknights only at Austin City Hall
> Colorado & 8th Streets
>
> +
>
> Dairy of a Protest
> Thursday, Nov. 4:
>
> After issuing the announcement of the vigil at the gates of the
> Governor's Mansion early in the day, around 6 p.m. I prepared to leave
> my comfortable efficiency apartment on Western Trails Boulevard in
> Southwest Austin to show up during the last few minutes of the City
> Council meeting. I hit it just right! I had stopped at the downtown
> Kinko's to run off several copies of the announcement and a few small
> "slogan" posters. What is a protest without slogan posters? When I
> entered the council chambers, members were just coming out of an
> executive session. Gus Garcia was the first to step out onto the dais.
> "Hi!
> Tony!" Gus said in a characteristic warm and friendly voice. I must
> confess that I was surprised because I had been rather stern to him in
> previous emails. I went up to shake his hand and to make my plug for
> creation of an emergency overflow shelter for homeless mothers and
> their children and single women. He listened politely, then made the
> comment: "It's the men's fault!" I couldn't make the jump. "The men have
> caused it all," he continued. Obviously, Gus has been through
> gender-consciousness training. I wasn't ready to agree with his
> assessment. "What about the mothers of those men; the ones who like
> their sons to be macho?" I asked, feeling that we were getting off the
> issue at hand. I quickly directed the exchange back on course. "Gus,
> regardless, the reality is homeless mothers and their children are being
> turned away from Austin shelters because there is insufficient space. We
> need to create an emergency overflow shelter!" I said. While I was
> making this case, Jackie Goodman came onto the dais. Looking like a
> demur goddess, she smiled gently, just as she had been leading the
> council meeting all day (I had been watching on Channel 6). As
> mayor-pro-tempore, (Mayor Kirk Watson was away), she did a beautiful
> job in more ways than one. Daryl Slusher then stepped up next to Gus.
> We exchanged a firm handshake. I always delight in talking with Daryl.
> Maybe it's our common background as journalists. Maybe it's that I
> know he is an honest number cruncher who is not in anyone's pocket. At
> that moment, Jackie called the council back into session. I retreated to
> the seats. Within 15 minutes the council adjourned and I was back to the
> dais, inviting these three to join me at the Governor's gate. Willie
> Lewis
> happened past. I congratulated him on several points of order he had
> made earlier in the day. He is nobody's chump. He pays close attention
> to
> backup material, and let's staff no when it is insufficient. Then it was
> time to leave, to head over to the Governor's gate. It was uphill from
> there, psychologically and topographically. Now only a little over one
> month from my 65th birthday, I was feeling the strain of the bus ride,
> the
> walk to the annex from Congress, and the prospects of spending the
> chilly night at the Governor's gate. As I arrived, a flock of ladies was
> emerging from the Mansion, having attended some sort of meeting. I
> used the opportunity to explain my presence . . . "I'm here to hold a
> vigil
> because there are scores of homeless mothers and their children on the
> waiting list for the family dorm at The Salvation Army!" I said as
> gently
> yet forcefully as I dared. I spied a security detail member standing
> inside
> the gate. "I've just sent The Salvation Army my check!" a gray-haired
> matron asserted boldy, letting me know she didn't need my message.
> "That's fine! but . . . " I answered politely. "The problem is that is
> not
> going to help the homeless mothers who are on their waiting list and . .
> .
> " She was already across Colorado Street. Then came out a lovely lady, a
> name tag on her jacket read "Marta Mattox." "What were you just
> saying?" she asked. I was taken aback. Someone was actually asking me
> the question I needed to hear. I explained that the Austin City Council
> needs to open an emergency overflow shelter for women. "Oh, I know
> Mayor Watson's wife. I'll tell her this tomorrow!" Hmmmm! What is
> this, some immediate miracle being pulled off, and I wasn't even chilled
> yet! She explained to me that she is Jim Mattox's wife (maybe that's a
> plus, maybe not) and knows how things operate. (Jim is lucky to be her
> husband.) I gave her one of the vigil announcements. I was hoping my
> hard words about Kirk Watson didn't turn her off. People have to realize
> that I don't make these harsh statements that personally. That is just
> the
> typical rhetoric of a classic prophet. Even God (Love Itself, Himself,
> Herself) make(s) threatening statements. Next came forth a lovely lady
> of African-American culture. Her name tag read Myrtle Bell. May her
> tribe increase! "Knowing a socially-conscious person when I see one, I
> commenced. She ate it up. "Ladies!" she raised her voice to catch the
> attention of a number of other ladies descended the steps to the street
> where we were standing. "Let me introduce this man to you. He has
> something important to tell you!" Another miracle was taking place. I
> was being introduced as an important messager. I took full advantage of
> the opportunity. "I've already sent my check to The Salvation Army," was
> another woman's automatic response, while the others used that as a cue
> to continue onto the parking lot across the street. I had at least been
> able
> to get out what my vigil was about. "God bless you, Ms. Bell," I
> entolled
> as she left. Then it fell silent at the gate. I paid for those early
> successed
> during the next nine hours. My only other auditors were two guards and
> two Texas Department of Public Safety officers in a cruiser which
> stopped by to check me out. All were exceedingly polite and unctuous. I
> was prepared for arrest and abuse! The only abuser was myself: "Are you
> crazy, Tony?" an inner voice became to torment me as the minutes
> dragged into hours. "What do you do these rash things like publicly
> commit yourself to all-night vigils in the cold?" "You are
> over-the-hill.
> You're too old for this stuff. You could be home watching Sherlock
> Holmes or turning over in your bed for the second time." Paranoia was
> asserting itself. "Away from me, Satan!" I uttered. Then I settled down
> on
> the brick steps for the long night, trusting that in some mysterious
> way,
> the vigil had meaning despite the meanness of the physical
> circumstances. Perhaps, an angel came along shortly and sprinkled magic
> dust on me about midnight. I do recall clutching my red and blue striped
> Indian blanket closely about my ankles once or twice, but the next thing
> I
> came to realize that it was 4 a.m. The first bus back to Southwest
> Austin
> would be coming by at 4:40. I rationalized. I'll just fold up my stuff
> and
> walk over to Katz' all night deli for a cup of coffee and then I'll
> catch the
> #38 to a warm shower and my bed. "Oh, thank God, I have a shower and
> a bed to go to!" I prayed aloud. "May God, the governor, and/or the
> Mayor of Austin and its City Council be expeditous in granting the same
> for homeless mothers and children. The angel may not do magic again! I
> made it to a hot shower by 5:30 and to bed in another 10. By 8:30
> though, the muse led me to put this on the Internet. Check back in 24
> hours of so for the next entry in this Diary of a Protest. God bless!
>
>
> Have a nice daze! {©¿©}
> =
> and better nights!
>
> Tony Hearn
> Whirl Headquarters
> (512) 447-6964
> 2422 Western Trails Blvd. #107
> Austin, Texas 78745
> Publisher of
> The Westgate Gazette: http://thewestgategazette.com/
> thearn's occasional journal: http://home.sprintmail.com/~thearn
> The Sarita Society: http://home.sprintmail.com/~thearn/pg2.htm
> Tony's Pager Within Texas: (800) 577-7468 Enter PIN 36-43-49-0
>