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View Full Version : Do all community organizers have the same ideology?




SelfTaught
08-22-2009, 07:21 AM
I just want to say, I've been lurking these forums for a while before I registered.

Now to the red meat.

I have worked for a community organization in Chicago (I know, I know...but it's not ACORN) as a temporary employee for 3 years in the human resources department. Every couple of months we have meetings called "lunch and learn", where employees in the office are given a free lunch -- sometimes very tasty, prepared by chefs employed in our organization -- and in turn we listen to an "educator" lecture about topics pertaining to community issues/problems/solutions.

The last "lunch and learn" I attended, we were given 12 pictures by a Brazilian artist. The pictures depicted a young boy stealing while other people tried to steal from the boy. After about 10 mins of figuring out the order the pictures, the lecturer arranged the pictures in the the correct order and told us it was depicting the "cycle of poverty". I feel that this exercise was to soften our minds for what was to come after.

The director, or CEO, or our organization then lectured us about the best way to solve poverty (he shall remain nameless). His solution was to set an amount of money people were allowed to accumulate, and if you had more than the set amount, "we would take it away from you" -- quoting his exact words. Does this sound like communism? Nothing more than a complete lack of regard for private property. He said, "I know that if it were to come to a vote, most of you wouldn't be on my side." Damn right. Although I think more than a few of my coworkers took his words to heart.

Then he praised Obama for his health care plan. He said, "If we could all make a small sacrifice, everyone in the country would have access to free healthcare." Are you kidding me?

Considering the fact that our community organization is not a small one -- it has several summer camps around Chicago as well as preschool/kindergarten care and education -- I am disgusted that this type of ideology would be implemented from the top down. I've heard from my coworkers that the previous director was equally liberal and like-minded.

Is community organization some sort of liberal disease?

Anyone else have similar experiences?

PaulaGem
08-22-2009, 08:27 AM
I just want to say, I've been lurking these forums for a while before I registered.

Now to the red meat.

I have worked for a community organization in Chicago (I know, I know...but it's not ACORN) as a temporary employee for 3 years in the human resources department. Every couple of months we have meetings called "lunch and learn", where employees in the office are given a free lunch -- sometimes very tasty, prepared by chefs employed in our organization -- and in turn we listen to an "educator" lecture about topics pertaining to community issues/problems/solutions.

The last "lunch and learn" I attended, we were given 12 pictures by a Brazilian artist. The pictures depicted a young boy stealing while other people tried to steal from the boy. After about 10 mins of figuring out the order the pictures, the lecturer arranged the pictures in the the correct order and told us it was depicting the "cycle of poverty". I feel that this exercise was to soften our minds for what was to come after.

The director, or CEO, or our organization then lectured us about the best way to solve poverty (he shall remain nameless). His solution was to set an amount of money people were allowed to accumulate, and if you had more than the set amount, "we would take it away from you" -- quoting his exact words. Does this sound like communism? Nothing more than a complete lack of regard for private property. He said, "I know that if it were to come to a vote, most of you wouldn't be on my side." Damn right. Although I think more than a few of my coworkers took his words to heart.

Then he praised Obama for his health care plan. He said, "If we could all make a small sacrifice, everyone in the country would have access to free healthcare." Are you kidding me?

Considering the fact that our community organization is not a small one -- it has several summer camps around Chicago as well as preschool/kindergarten care and education -- I am disgusted that this type of ideology would be implemented from the top down. I've heard from my coworkers that the previous director was equally liberal and like-minded.

Is community organization some sort of liberal disease?

Anyone else have similar experiences?


I get into a lot of trouble around here - I guess you'd call me "liberal" because I believe this country, if properly run, should afford a minimum standard of health care (note - this is different from "free" universal health care). That said - I wouldn't trust the current governmental system to do it, and I don't believe it should come from individual sacrifice.

I think the best argument I can come up with against the Obama health care plan is:

"Look at the health care we give our veterans and the native Americans. Before I will back a government plan for health care, let them start treating those two groups right. Then let's make it clear that all of our state and federal government workers (including legislators) will be in the same plan. If the government can do those two things, then it can start talking about the rest of us, until then the subject should be off the table."

I believe going into the typical "don't rob me" rant that I hear on this board will turn people off. This argument is simple, totally apolitical, and there's a snowball's chance in hell of the government meeting the standard without a major political revolution of some sort.

SelfTaught
08-22-2009, 08:45 AM
We do have a standard minimum for health care: nobody gets refused from the emergency room.

By the way, my post wasn't about health care or "getting robbed." I was simply making a point that my organization was indoctrinating its own employees. Sure, if it's a privately run business/non-profit, I guess employees just have to sit through that nonsense. I'm just pointing to a trend because I think Obama and my organization's CEO have similar beliefs and bedrock assumptions about our economy.

amy31416
08-22-2009, 08:54 AM
From what I understand of it community organizing is not inherently bad, but it does seem to be mostly a "liberal" thing these days that is meant to indoctrinate and solidify public opinion with a very one-sided view of how things should work--and unfortunately, it's usually socialism.

However, there's no reason that we couldn't have community organizers who espoused Constitutional limited government, freedom, charity over force and self-reliance. In fact, I don't think that's too bad of an idea.

Oh, and welcome to the forums. :)

BenIsForRon
08-22-2009, 08:59 AM
So you've been working for a community organization, and you think it is a disease? Of course there will be some ignorant ideologues, like your CEO.

But you guys have done good work, right? We talk a lot about voluntary associations on this forum, and I think community organizing is the epitome of that.

pcosmar
08-22-2009, 09:00 AM
From what I understand of it community organizing is not inherently bad, but it does seem to be mostly a "liberal" thing these days that is meant to indoctrinate and solidify public opinion with a very one-sided view of how things should work--and unfortunately, it's usually socialism.

However, there's no reason that we couldn't have community organizers who espoused Constitutional limited government, freedom, charity over force and self-reliance. In fact, I don't think that's too bad of an idea.

Oh, and welcome to the forums. :)

Actually, that is what Freedom Force International is about.
Taking the known and proven techniques and turning them to Freedom and liberty goals.
http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/
http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/freedomcontent.cfm?fuseaction=project_outreach&refpage=activities

amy31416
08-22-2009, 09:03 AM
Actually, that is what Freedom Force International is about.
Taking the known and proven techniques and turning them to Freedom and liberty goals.
http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/
http://www.freedomforceinternational.org/freedomcontent.cfm?fuseaction=project_outreach&refpage=activities

Thanks for the links!

PaulaGem
08-22-2009, 09:55 AM
We do have a standard minimum for health care: nobody gets refused from the emergency room.

By the way, my post wasn't about health care or "getting robbed." I was simply making a point that my organization was indoctrinating its own employees. Sure, if it's a privately run business/non-profit, I guess employees just have to sit through that nonsense. I'm just pointing to a trend because I think Obama and my organization's CEO have similar beliefs and bedrock assumptions about our economy.

That is a wasteful, stupid standard. I mean one that would actually contribute to the well being of individuals and society.

The "getting robbed" comment was not person-specifc.

Why shouldn't employees point out a rational counter-argument? Since when do well run businesses expect people to quit thinking when they are at work? Why not book a counter- presentation of make one of your own?