"Coming OUT of Hiding:

A Retrospective Journey Through AIDS..."

A Memoir * Michael W. Connett

Mission Statement

To use the rest of my life the best I can so that the people and places through which my journey leads me will remain a little bit better for me having passed their way...

So we gathered at The Oasis for the most intimate confrontation these eight gentlemen had yet to face.  IMHO, it was also their only opportunity to speak directly to the needs and concerns of the poor and disenfranchised resident citizens of Covington.  They were seated at the front and at eye level of the anxious audience, many of which make their home at Jacob Price...  And they were about to be shocked and awed by the depth and knowledge of the issues they would be directly questioned by the audience on.

 "White Paper on Poverty in Northern Kentucky". p. 29

TOPIC 8:  ...safe, and healthy neighborhoods and communities with supportive social and spiritual networks, mutual respect across group boundaries, where each member is respected and provided opportunities to participate in civic affairs.

"What would our community look like if it were a really healthy place to live?"  The National Civic League (NCL) posed this question to neighbors in hundreds of communities across the country.  This is how people everywhere responded:

• A clean and safe environment

• A diverse and vibrant economy

• A place that has good housing for all

• A place where people respect and support each other

• A place that promotes and celebrates its cultural and historical heritage

• A place where citizens and government share power

• A place that has affordable health care for all

• A place that has good schools

• A place that has and supports strong families

But we are moving away from this ideal...

In the Gannet News "Mood of America" poll, 76 percent of citizens agreed, "there is less concern for others than there once was."

We must be careful not to over generalize, since some Northern Kentucky communities may not fit these trends fully, or even at all.  There will always be crosscurrents and countertrends.  A few communities may have high levels of interconnectedness and public participation, with few glaring social problems and plenty of resources.  But these communities are the exceptions.

By and large, the quality of life and the social fabric of many Northern Kentucky communities are being threatened by these trends.

And there is no denying current social problems mirroring national trends, such as poverty, street violence, domestic abuse, drugs, racial/ethnic divides, urban sprawl and homelessness remain very much with us here in Northern Kentucky

How can Northern Kentucky address the Healthy Communities issues identified by the National Civic League?

Is the solution financial?  Solutions often cost money, so, of course, more public funding to address local problems would be helpful.  Support these efforts, but realize that in the present economic and political climate, success will not come easily and will cost each of us more than money.  We need to understand there are no short-term solutions.  We need CommUNITY Leaders who will engage, listen and translate the words into compelling long-term actions.  Leaders who can then garner the support of government, private sector, faith community, public sector organizations and residents for the action plans...

Residents, along with the people who work, worship or have roots in a community need to be seen as an alternative resource, as someone with something important to share.

The task is to identify these alternative resources, then to coalesce and organize them, to plan, develop, implement, and sustain multiple community wide solutions.  This will not happen all by itself.  The structure for organizing and mobilizing community resources is generally not in place.  A big plus is that people, 63 percent in one poll, believe that people are willing to pitch in and fix what is wrong in their communities, if they knew how.  Mechanisms for involvement are rare, but do exist.  Let us identify these processes and bring them into our communities.

America is the great democratic example, but because we lead there is no blueprint.

Last updated: Friday, June 18, 2010 7:49 PM .

Copyright (c)1999-2010:

The Michael W. Connett Living Trust/South Bank HIVe