why is dellums so defensive? i've heard him speak a few times now, and usually, whether or not i'm totally down with everything he's saying, he talks to my heart. i leave inspired. shit, one time i even got tears in my eyes. but last night he just didn't cut it. he spent way too much time focused on how everything that's wrong with the city isn't his fault, and while he did talk about some strategies for the future (and of course some of the positive stuff the city has already started 'on his watch'), his vision sounded narrow, uninspired. i think dellums is tired.
and i understand that. in my 70's, i'm not trying to be mayor of anywhere. that's a hard job. me, i'll be making chocolates and kites (oh yes, come find me with your little ones!).
i want to hear dellums put the onus back on the people. i want to feel inspired to get involved. i want a leader with a vision for real change. when he talks about violence and crime as a public health issue - i want to hear him talk about the root causes of these things - i want to hear him talk about hope, and livable communities, and access to good food and to playspace and to transportation. real health. i want him to talk about democracy and civic participation the way he did a year ago, and i want him to inspire folks to reclaim their communities. i want him to speak to those of us that are still willing to step up to the challenge - not to the critics. not in defense but with hope and with pride. i still got faith in you dellums - so next time.
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ditto except that it was the first time i've really listened to an entire dellums speech. my boy who grew up in Berkeley as family friends to the dellums, had an entirely different take. he was adamant that defensive is a label used to "take a brotha down", that dellums was not defensive, and that dellums has everything under control. i hope the latter is correct, though I am going to reserve judgment for at least another year. incidentally, my boy was really defensive about dellums not being defensive ;)
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