We had our final session discussing Robert Lupton's book, Toxic Charity, in Forum today.
At one point Jim, our presenter, talked about how we, as rich and poor and everything in between don't understand where each of us is coming from.
He told us about a program where different segments of people were being trained in how to communicate with each other. And that's a good thing.
But it reminded me of a poem I wrote in 1970, forty-four years ago.
AM I GETTING THROUGH TO YOU?
If I were running things,
I would see that every,
Poor/Black/White/Chicano/Ghetto Dweller/
Oppressed Person,
Read Pygmalion, (or at least see My Fair
Lady.)
And then require every,
Senator/Mayor/School Board Member/Teacher/
Commissioner,
To go the other way, (maybe see it backwards?)
Because this is the truth,
The man cannot deal with what you say,
When he cannot understand what it is you
are saying.
No kidding, he really doesn't understand!
He lives in another world,
And speaks another language.
Cecily Crossman 1970
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