From her grave, Dorothy Day reproaches Libby, the Delanys, and the Board of Directors of Loaves & Fishes
"When a community is always building and enlarging and embellishing, which is good in itself, there is nothing left over for the poor. We have no right to do so as long as there are slums and breadlines anywhere."
Dorothy Day from her book Loaves and Fishes, page 87
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For the benefit of those unfamiliar with all things L&F, allow me to explicate. The Delanys, from afore the time the Sacramento soup kitchen was founded in '83 there'bouts, were all hot to trot about Dorothy Day, and they adore her, still. They have a shrine and a room at L&F dedicated to Day's memory. Day is all creamy saintly and all that to the point -- frankly -- of being woefully ridiculous. But, then, the politics of Sacramento Loaves & Fishes is all about being dysfunctional, ungainly and woefully ridiculous. Yep, the Sacramento crowd are Communists with a hard-on. Truly, they worship not only Day but what is very likely the most mutton-brained bunch of Pinkos this side of Hooterville, North Korea: The League of Revolutionaries for a New America -- publishers of People's Tribune and Rally, Comrades.
Nelson Peery, the quite-old leader of LRNA is or was the last hold-out for the virtuousness of Joseph Stalin. We know now -- that is, those of us who aren't brain injured know now -- that Stalin has a pretty solid claim to being the very worst son of a bitch that ever drew breath. Stalin killed 20 million of his own people. And by that I don't mean Nazis or other enemies, but citizens of his own country, the Soviet Union. And 20 million is the LOW estimate. Another estimate is that he killed 100 million. THAT, friends, is A LOT of people. And they weren't killed for doing anything; they were just up and killed. [The OFFICIAL Russian/Soviet tally of countrymen killed by Stalin is 61+ million, by the way.]
Dorothy Day was a complete and absolute pacifist. She opposed the United States' entry into World War II to fight the Nazis. If Day had her way, the result would be that we would all be speaking German today and homeless people would simply be put in concentration camps that would be even more horrible than the Loaves & Fishes compound.
Interesting, too, about Dorothy Day: She was quoted by Republican congressman Paul Ryan, the Tea Partier, recently, who is especially keen on shoveling money in the direction of the rich. His budget plan was praised by Romney who said of it that it is "marvelous." Ryan quoted Day's objection to Social Security: “We believe that Social Security legislation, now billed as a great victory for the poor and for the worker, is a great defeat for Christianity. It is an acceptance of the idea of force and compulsion.”
Day was ridiculous. Ryan is too. But one thing Day did get right is seeing dishonor in charity executives who raise money [ostensibly for the benefit of the poor] and then spend it on luxuries for themselves [eg, L&F's new $1.7 million warehouse, welcoming center and luxury admin suites with high-tech monitoring and devices and other security to keep the homeless out]. It is especially disgusting for it all to happen during these, the darkest days of the Great Recession.
The 'homeless' charity Loaves & Fishes is an abomination. You got THAT right, Dorothy, honey.
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btw, the Day quote that tops this post was at first this: "When a community is always building, enlarging, and embellishing, there is nothing left over for the poor. We have no right to do so as long as there are slums and breadlines somewhere." THESE words are very similar to the words in Day's book "Loaves and Fishes," but not wholly the same. This other quote comes from a compilation of what Day wrote, called "By Little and By Little." Likely, Day used the same basic idea in different writings of hers and thus ends up making statements very similar to ones she used previously.
 | |
| Dorothy Day looking daggers at Libby, the Delanys and the Board. | |
Nelson Peery, the quite-old leader of LRNA is or was the last hold-out for the virtuousness of Joseph Stalin. We know now -- that is, those of us who aren't brain injured know now -- that Stalin has a pretty solid claim to being the very worst son of a bitch that ever drew breath. Stalin killed 20 million of his own people. And by that I don't mean Nazis or other enemies, but citizens of his own country, the Soviet Union. And 20 million is the LOW estimate. Another estimate is that he killed 100 million. THAT, friends, is A LOT of people. And they weren't killed for doing anything; they were just up and killed. [The OFFICIAL Russian/Soviet tally of countrymen killed by Stalin is 61+ million, by the way.]
 | |
| Homeless folk were rounded up and forced to wear inverted black triangles as badges in Nazi concentration camps. | |
Interesting, too, about Dorothy Day: She was quoted by Republican congressman Paul Ryan, the Tea Partier, recently, who is especially keen on shoveling money in the direction of the rich. His budget plan was praised by Romney who said of it that it is "marvelous." Ryan quoted Day's objection to Social Security: “We believe that Social Security legislation, now billed as a great victory for the poor and for the worker, is a great defeat for Christianity. It is an acceptance of the idea of force and compulsion.”
Day was ridiculous. Ryan is too. But one thing Day did get right is seeing dishonor in charity executives who raise money [ostensibly for the benefit of the poor] and then spend it on luxuries for themselves [eg, L&F's new $1.7 million warehouse, welcoming center and luxury admin suites with high-tech monitoring and devices and other security to keep the homeless out]. It is especially disgusting for it all to happen during these, the darkest days of the Great Recession.
The 'homeless' charity Loaves & Fishes is an abomination. You got THAT right, Dorothy, honey.
---
btw, the Day quote that tops this post was at first this: "When a community is always building, enlarging, and embellishing, there is nothing left over for the poor. We have no right to do so as long as there are slums and breadlines somewhere." THESE words are very similar to the words in Day's book "Loaves and Fishes," but not wholly the same. This other quote comes from a compilation of what Day wrote, called "By Little and By Little." Likely, Day used the same basic idea in different writings of hers and thus ends up making statements very similar to ones she used previously.
posted by Thomas Armstrong at
June 09, 2012
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