WATCH THE VIDEO "THE LINE" IT EXPOSES POVERTY IN AMERICA, AND IT IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK 2OKT12

WATCH The Line, to find out what poverty in America really is and why we, as a society, as a nation that claims to be guided by Christianity, must address the issue of poverty in America.
After you watch the video check out the analysis of the Obama-romney debate in my earlier post Why Obama Didn't Mention the 47 Percent Video & Who Didn’t Win the Presidential Debate? & THE LINE (VIDEO) 4OKT12

Poverty in America — It's not what you think

The Line documents the stories of people across the country living at or below the poverty line. They have goals. They have children. They work hard. They are people like you and me.

From Chicago's suburbs and west side to the Gulf Coast to North Carolina, millions of Americans are struggling every day to make it above The Line.

Who Didn’t Win the Presidential Debate?

by Jim Wallis

(L-R, top-bottom) John, Sheila, Ronnie, and James from "The Line."

Many people in America are poor, due to no fault of their own—and their numbers are growing.

If you really know any poor people, you know that to be true. If you don’t, the first sentence of this post runs against the grain of many cultural assumptions in America that tend to blame people for being poor.

On the eve of the first Presidential debate, Sojourners premiered The Line — a film about the new faces of poverty in America. In this powerful documentary from award-winning filmmaker Linda Midgett, those popular judgmental assumptions against poor people clearly and convincingly are debunked.

The Line, which I am asking everyone who reads this column to watch, deftly dismantles many stereotypes about poverty and why a growing number of Americans find themselves falling into it. The film does so by telling the personal stories of people who have fallen beneath “the line.”

My 14-year-old son Luke, watched the story of John: a banker from a failed bank who once made a six figure salary, but who now finds himself a substitute teacher making $12,000 a year and trying to raise his three kids. John painfully talked about what it feels like to have to go to a food bank because he has no other viable choice.

His story caused Luke to ask his mom after the film, “John said he got straight A’s in school, so could that happen to me?”

My nine year old, Jack, was most impressed with James, a fellow who lost a blue-collar job after 23 years, and now — in his 50s —  was working hard to be a successful busboy.

My Mississippi-born friend Burns Strider said he identified most with Ronnie — a self-employed fisherman in coastal Louisiana whose family has been in the shrimping business for generations who faces an uncertain future now that the shrimp have disappeared in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the BP Oil spill that have devastated the ecosystem and the economy.

And many in the hundreds-strong crowd that packed the DC theater where The Line premiered earlier this week were drawn to Sheila, a mother of three who, after lifting herself out of poverty and a poor, violent neighborhood in Chicago, tripped and fell down the steps of an “L” train stop and has fought against disabilities and health care costs ever since.

Sheila was attended the DC premiere and was a part of the panel discussion, along with the director, Linda Midgett, Adam Taylor from Bread for the World, and me, that followed the screening.

What also was true of each of the people profiled in the film is that falling into poverty made them feel alone. The line that most struck me was from Ronnie who, when speaking about himself and his wife, said, “We have no confidence in the future…and we worry about our kids.”

After the presidential debate last night, I doubt if the growing numbers of poor people in America feel less alone.

The political discussion today is only about who won the debate. But millions of people who are struggling financially (and otherwise) in America are not likely to feel that they did.

Presidential candidates could make it clear to those who are experiencing very hard times that they will not be left alone. But that didn’t come across last night, in the first presidential debate focused on domestic policy.

The competing narratives between Obama and Romney about tax policies, health care, the role of government, their focus on the middle class, and their differing arguments for economic growth now are being polled and debated as pundits and wonks try to determine to which candidate had the best performance and how it might affect the electoral numbers.

But one thing is certain about last night: there was no clarifying discussion about what the policies Obama and Romney debated will mean for the Americans who are struggling the most.

After watching The Line, what so many of us felt was a desire to reach out to the people who, with great candor and courage, swallowed their pride (and their privacy) and told their stories, revealing how hard their lives have become.

Conservative, liberal, neither or both —I believe many Americans would want to reach out to the people whose stories were told in The Line.

Clearly it is the mission of the church to tell and to show the millions of people who have fallen below the poverty line that they are not alone. Jesus clearly says, in the Matthew 25 that how we treat them is how we treat him.

I think we also want to live in a society that makes sure that people who are struggling with poverty are not left alone. That is the responsibility of all of us, and it is also part of the role of government.

The presidential candidates could make those who are hurting the most feel like they are not alone anymore. But that didn’t happen last night.

Journalists tell us at Sojourners that poverty is not a “sexy” issue in America — especially not at election time. Some told us that again on the day The Line premiered.

We had hoped for perhaps 100 screenings of The Line around the country. By the time the film began rolling Tuesday night, we had more than 1,600 screenings of the film scheduled across the country and around the globe — including nearly every state and continent, even as far away as Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

The tremendous response we are getting to this extraordinary film tells me that while the issue poverty in America may not be a top issue for our journalists and our politicians, it most assuredly is for a growing number of people of all faith traditions and none, across denominational, political, and cultural lines.

The stories in The Line explain why.

See the film, share it, talk about it, and help make this poverty — a fundamental moral issue that respects the health (and wealth) of the soul of our nation — a priority during this election season and beyond.


Jim Wallis is CEO of Sojourners, and the author of Rediscovering Values: A Guide for Economic and Moral Recovery and the forthcoming On God's Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn't Learned about Serving the Common Good, which will be released in February 2013. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis or join him on Facebook HERE. 

http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/10/04/who-didn%E2%80%99t-win-presidential-debate?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sojourners%2Fgods-politics+%28Sojourners+God%27s+Politics+Blog%29

Why Obama Didn't Mention the 47 Percent Video & Who Didn’t Win the Presidential Debate? & THE LINE (VIDEO) 4OKT12

DEBATE analysis from Mother Jones of the first debate between Pres Obama and mitt robme romney offering an answer to the questions of why didn't the President raise romney's 47% comments and why was romney allowed to dominate the issues? And from God's Politics Blog, commentary of the plight of the poor completely absent from the debate. Other debate commentary available in my earlier post The First Presidential Debate & Five Takeaways From The First Presidential Debate 4OKT12
...

—By David Corn

ZUMAPress

After the first presidential debate in Denver—which an on-the-attack Mitt Romney seemed to exploit better than a noncombative President Barack Obama—at least one question loomed: Why had the president not once referred to the 47 percent video that showed Romney denigrating half of Americans as moochers and victims who don't assume responsibility for their lives? After all, this video seemed to have sent the Romney campaign reeling, and focus groups conducted by both campaigns have found it had a serious impact on voter perceptions of Romney.
The morning after the debate, I contacted several Democratic strategists. They each said they were puzzled by Obama's silence on this topic and by his decision not to say a word about Romney's days at Bain Capital. "This is the stuff that has been working for us," one remarked. "Bain, 47 percent, Romney not empathizing with the middle class. Why not mention it?"
The Obama campaign does have an explanation. When I asked a top campaign official why Obama had made no mention of Romney's 47 percent remark, he said,

Not that we won't talk about it again. We will. But [what's] most compelling [is] hearing it from Romney himself. We've got that on the air at a heavy dollar amount in key states. And it's sunk in. Ultimately the president's goal last night was to speak past the pundits and directly to the undecided voter tuning in for the first time about the economic choice and his plans to restore economic security.

It's clear, one Democratic strategist said, that Obama's inner circle concluded it was best not to turn the debate into a slugfest and hit Romney personally. That might come across as not presidential. It could distract from his aim of persuading those few remaining undecideds that they should see this election as a choice between two starkly different visions for the future and select his. Besides, there are weeks of ads to come, and if the 47 percent theme continues to resonate, the campaign certainly can keep producing ads that use the video as ammo.
Despite the pundit reviews noting that Romney performed better than Obama, is it possible that Obama's low-impact strategy worked—or didn't fail? Priorities USA Action, a pro-Obama super-PAC, has released a memo based on a "dial group session" pollster Geoff Garin held in Aurora, Colorado, during the debate; the participants were "weak Democrats and independents who voted for Obama in 2008 but who remain open to switching in the upcoming election." The results were mixed:

Compared with the beginning of the session, there was a doubling in the number of respondents who said that Obama has good ideas for improving the economy. While Romney also improved on this dimension, 63% of respondents said at the end that Obama expressed good ideas for improving the economy, compared with 27% who said the same about Romney in the debate…
Romney did gain ground on the President on the issue of taxes, and he largely negated the advantage Obama had on the issue when respondents first walked into the room.
In the moment-to-moment dialing, President Obama’s high points were when he talked about outsourcing and tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas, the need for a balanced approach to dealing with the deficit, and clean energy. Romney’s high points were fewer, but he scored best whenever he spoke about making jobs the number-one priority.
Respondents who came into the room open to Romney as an alternative to Obama felt disappointed in Romney’s lack of specifics. But Romney did benefit from low expectations among this group, and several said that Romney did not seem as bad as they thought he might be. For these key swing voters, whom Obama must hold and Romney must win, the first debate did not change much, but it also did not settle much. Obama continues to have the advantage with them, but the deal still is not sealed.

Not settle much. That's often the case with presidential debates. But perhaps the most worrisome of these findings for the Obama camp is that these voters ended up believing Romney's not such a bad guy. That suggests his debate performance has the potential to undo some of the damage he suffered from the Bain blasts and the revelation of his 47 percent tirade. Yet, as the Obama campaign official suggests, there's plenty of time—and plenty of opportunity—for the campaign to resume its Bain-bashing and reprise its 47 percent assault.
UPDATE: On a conference call with reporters, a defensive David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist, noted that the president's supporters would have liked to see Obama slam Romney on Bain, tax returns, and the 47 percent video. But, he added, "a lot of these issues are well known to the public," and Obama's "choice was to talk about the main things people are worried about in their lives." Obama, Axelrod said, had wanted to avoid an insult-fest and instead use the debate to discuss the future. He did note that following the debate the campaign would "make some adjustments."

David Corn

Washington Bureau Chief

David Corn is Mother Jones' Washington bureau chief. For more of his stories, click here. He's also on Twitter and Facebook. RSS | Twitter

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• The Emotional Power of the "47 Percent" Comments Explained

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  http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2012/10/why-obama-didnt-mention-47-percent-denver-debate?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Motherjones%2Fmojoblog+%28MotherJones.com+|+MoJoBlog%29 

  Who Didn’t Win the Presidential Debate?

  
  

  (L-R, top-bottom) John, Sheila, Ronnie, and James from "The Line."

  Many people in America are poor, due to no fault of their own—and their numbers are growing.
  
  If you really know any poor people, you know that to be true. If you don’t, the first sentence of this post runs against the grain of many cultural assumptions in America that tend to blame people for being poor.
  
  On the eve of the first Presidential debate, Sojourners premiered The Line — a film about the new faces of poverty in America. In this powerful documentary from award-winning filmmaker Linda Midgett, those popular judgmental assumptions against poor people clearly and convincingly are debunked.
  
  The Line, which I am asking everyone who reads this column to watch, deftly dismantles many stereotypes about poverty and why a growing number of Americans find themselves falling into it. The film does so by telling the personal stories of people who have fallen beneath “the line.”
  
  My 14-year-old son Luke, watched the story of John: a banker from a failed bank who once made a six figure salary, but who now finds himself a substitute teacher making $12,000 a year and trying to raise his three kids. John painfully talked about what it feels like to have to go to a food bank because he has no other viable choice.
  
  His story caused Luke to ask his mom after the film, “John said he got straight A’s in school, so could that happen to me?”
  
  My nine year old, Jack, was most impressed with James, a fellow who lost a blue-collar job after 23 years, and now — in his 50s —  was working hard to be a successful busboy.
  
  My Mississippi-born friend Burns Strider said he identified most with Ronnie — a self-employed fisherman in coastal Louisiana whose family has been in the shrimping business for generations who faces an uncertain future now that the shrimp have disappeared in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the BP Oil spill that have devastated the ecosystem and the economy.
  
  And many in the hundreds-strong crowd that packed the DC theater where The Line premiered earlier this week were drawn to Sheila, a mother of three who, after lifting herself out of poverty and a poor, violent neighborhood in Chicago, tripped and fell down the steps of an “L” train stop and has fought against disabilities and health care costs ever since.
  
  Sheila was attended the DC premiere and was a part of the panel discussion, along with the director, Linda Midgett, Adam Taylor from Bread for the World, and me, that followed the screening.
  
  What also was true of each of the people profiled in the film is that falling into poverty made them feel alone. The line that most struck me was from Ronnie who, when speaking about himself and his wife, said, “We have no confidence in the future…and we worry about our kids.”
  
  After the presidential debate last night, I doubt if the growing numbers of poor people in America feel less alone.
  
  The political discussion today is only about who won the debate. But millions of people who are struggling financially (and otherwise) in America are not likely to feel that they did.
  
  Presidential candidates could make it clear to those who are experiencing very hard times that they will not be left alone. But that didn’t come across last night, in the first presidential debate focused on domestic policy.
  
  The competing narratives between Obama and Romney about tax policies, health care, the role of government, their focus on the middle class, and their differing arguments for economic growth now are being polled and debated as pundits and wonks try to determine to which candidate had the best performance and how it might affect the electoral numbers.
  
  But one thing is certain about last night: there was no clarifying discussion about what the policies Obama and Romney debated will mean for the Americans who are struggling the most.
  
  After watching The Line, what so many of us felt was a desire to reach out to the people who, with great candor and courage, swallowed their pride (and their privacy) and told their stories, revealing how hard their lives have become.
  
  Conservative, liberal, neither or both —I believe many Americans would want to reach out to the people whose stories were told in The Line.
  
  Clearly it is the mission of the church to tell and to show the millions of people who have fallen below the poverty line that they are not alone. Jesus clearly says, in the Matthew 25 that how we treat them is how we treat him.
  
  I think we also want to live in a society that makes sure that people who are struggling with poverty are not left alone. That is the responsibility of all of us, and it is also part of the role of government.
  
  The presidential candidates could make those who are hurting the most feel like they are not alone anymore. But that didn’t happen last night.
  
  Journalists tell us at Sojourners that poverty is not a “sexy” issue in America — especially not at election time. Some told us that again on the day The Line premiered.
  
  We had hoped for perhaps 100 screenings of The Line around the country. By the time the film began rolling Tuesday night, we had more than 1,600 screenings of the film scheduled across the country and around the globe — including nearly every state and continent, even as far away as Japan, New Zealand and Australia.
  
  The tremendous response we are getting to this extraordinary film tells me that while the issue poverty in America may not be a top issue for our journalists and our politicians, it most assuredly is for a growing number of people of all faith traditions and none, across denominational, political, and cultural lines.
  
  The stories in The Line explain why.
  
  See the film, share it, talk about it, and help make this poverty — a fundamental moral issue that respects the health (and wealth) of the soul of our nation — a priority during this election season and beyond.

  

  
  

  Jim Wallis is CEO of Sojourners, and the author of Rediscovering Values: A Guide for Economic and Moral Recovery and the forthcoming On God's Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn't Learned about Serving the Common Good, which will be released in February 2013. Follow J

  im on Twitter @JimWallis or join him on Facebook HERE.

  http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/10/04/who-didn%E2%80%99t-win-presidential-debate?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sojourners%2Fgods-politics+%28Sojourners+God%27s+Politics+Blog%29 

What About Hungry and Poor People? Barack Obama's and Mitt Romney's Views 12SEP12

PRESIDENT Obama and mitt romney have responded to our calls for them to address the issue of American poverty in their presidential election campaigns. Below are their video responses and the transcripts of their statements. We need to keep up the pressure, so after listening to each candidate check out my earlier post THE LINE (THIS IS WHAT POVERTY LOOKS LIKE IN AMERICA) & HAVING OUR SAY (AMERICAN POVERTY AND THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES) 8&7SEP12 http://bucknacktssordidtawdryblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-line-this-is-what-poverty-looks.html
and tweet both candidates and the presidential and vp debate moderators to make sure American poverty is an issue they must address on the campaign trail, during the debates and in their policy platforms. From Sojourners and The Circle of Protection....
Today Sojourners released 2 amazing videos, and we wanted you to be the first to see them.
As part of our ongoing work against poverty, Sojourners and our coalition partners with the Circle of Protection asked the presidential candidates what they were going to do about poverty – the most important issue of our time.
The presidential candidates just responded to us. We still have a long road ahead of us this election season to make poverty a top issue, but for today, let’s celebrate this huge moment together.

FROM THE CIRCLE OF PROTECTION 

What About Hungry and Poor People?
Barack Obama's and Mitt Romney's Views

Our Letter to Governor Romney
Our Letter to President Obama
What is the Circle of Protection?
Contact Us

Why We Sought Their Views
On July 6, 2012, Circle of Protection leaders invited the presidential candidates — President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney — to submit short video statements.
"We believe that this presidential campaign should include a clear focus on what each candidate proposes to do to provide help and opportunity for hungry and poor people in the United States and around the world," they wrote.
The leaders emphasized that God holds nations accountable for how those Jesus called "the least of these" (Matthew 25:45) are treated.
The Circle of Protection is composed of more than 65 heads of denominations, relief and development agencies, and other Christian organizations representing a wide array of churches in the U.S.A.
The Circle of Protection does not support, oppose or in any way endorse either of these presidential candidates.
Learn more about the Circle of Protection »

Watch the videos below:

President Barack Obama:
Last year, I had the privilege of meeting with the Circle of Protection at the White House. There I
reflected on my own Christian faith and how it’s shaped my walk in life, how I believe it’s made me a
better husband, a better father, and I hope, a better president. My faith teaches me that poverty is a
moral issue. The Bible calls on us to be our brother’s keeper and our sister’s keeper, and I believe that as
a public servant, I must do my part to answer that call. When I hear the story of a single mom struggling
to put food on the table, or a child born into poverty, or a dad who’s gone months without a paycheck, I
cannot sit idly by, not as a person and certainly not as a president.
That’s why I’ve fought to keep this a country where everyone who works hard has a basic sense of
dignity and a chance to get ahead. That means things like good jobs and good wages, healthcare that’s
there for you when you get sick, a secure retirement even if you’re not rich, a chance to buy a home to
call your own, and an education that gives our young people every chance in life. I believe that even as
we work hard to get ahead, we also have the obligation to reach back and help others get ahead, too.
That’s why my Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships has expanded its work with groups
around the country to help those in need. And it’s why last year, in the midst a heated budget debate in
Washington, I promised to protect vital assistance for the least of these. I’ve kept that promise. We can
pay down our debt in a balanced and responsible way, but we cannot balance the budget on the backs
of the most vulnerable. And certainly can’t ask the poor, the sick, or those with disabilities to sacrifice
even more, or ask the middle-class to pay more, just so we can offer massive new tax cuts to those
who’ve been blessed with the most. It’s not just bad economics, it’s morally wrong. It’s not in line with
our values, and it’s not who we are as a people.
I know you share my belief that government can’t solve every problem and it shouldn’t try. I learned
from my mother that no education policy can take the place of a parent’s love and attention. As a young
man I worked with a group of Catholic churches who taught me that no government program can take
the place of a caring neighbor. Not every tax dollar is spent wisely. Not everyone can be helped who
refuses to help themselves. But that’s not an excuse to tell our fellow Americans that they’re on their
own. We are all in this together as one people, one American family, one nation under God. That’s how we’ll create a true circle of protection. And if we each do our part, we can build an economy that works for all of us, and leaves something better for our children.
There have been many times over the past for four years when I have fallen on my knees asking God for guidance, not just in my personal life and my Christian walk, but in the life of this nation. I want you to know I have been so grateful for your prayers. And I pray His richest blessings on each of you. Thank
you. God bless you and may God bless the United States of America.

Governor Mitt Romney:
Hello, I’m Mitt Romney. And I appreciate the opportunity to share my plan to protect the poor and
vulnerable among us. And I want to start by thanking all who’ve already answered the call to care for
those in need. Both here at home and around the world, good people of faith have dedicated
themselves to improving the lives of the less fortunate, providing aid and comfort in places that were
once without hope. These kind acts reveal the good heart of America. Coming to the aid of those in need
is a critical mission. And it’s more important now than at any other time in recent memory.
As I speak with you today, there are 23 million Americans struggling to find work. A record 46.7 million
people are on food stamps. Nearly one in every six people in America is in poverty. When our economy
is weak, lives are shattered, hearts ache, parents wonder how they’ll make ends meet, and how they’ll
provide better lives for their children.
I’m running for president because I believe we can and must do better. If we’re going to help lift our
brothers and sisters out of poverty we must restore our economy and reduce the debt. When our
economy is healthy and growing, we have the resources to take care of those who still find themselves
in need. That’s why we must deliver the recovery we have all been waiting for, and the jobs too many
Americans are still looking for.
My vision for recovery starts with jobs, a lot of jobs, and I have a five-part economic plan that will help
create 12 million new jobs by the end of my first term in office. More jobs will mean more opportunities.
It’ll mean good wages that pay the bills and put food on the table. It will mean fewer people on the
welfare rolls and more people on the payroll. A strong economy will reduce our budget deficits, and it
will reduce poverty as well. But at this point, budget cuts are also going to be necessary and I intend to
make them. Here you have my word: I’ll proceed carefully. I understand this is a delicate task. Our
government rightfully provides a safety net for the hungry and the homeless, the sick and the elderly,
and we have a responsibility to keep it intact for future generations. I’ve laid out a sensible plan to save
and strengthen our nations’ entitlement programs, which now account for more than half of federal
spending. Here again, I’m committed to protecting those in or near poverty. For example, I support
means testing, where more money goes to those in need, and a little less goes to those who are able to support themselves. And I recognize that the assistance provided by your organizations can mean the difference between life and death for someone who’s sick or starving. That’s why my administration will stand with faith-based organizations, instead of standing in their way. If I’m elected president, I will seek the counsel of faith-based community leaders on matters large and small. And I’ll support your work.
Together we’ll ensure that those who need our help remain within the circle of protection.
http://www.circleofprotection.us/index.html

 

THE LINE (THIS IS WHAT POVERTY LOOKS LIKE IN AMERICA) & HAVING OUR SAY (AMERICAN POVERTY AND THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES) 8&7SEP12

THIS is the trailer for The Line, a nonpartisan film about what happens to ordinary American families when they cross the poverty line. Click the link to watch the trailer and you will also have the opportunity to tweet Pres Obama and mitt romney and ask them what they are going to do about poverty in America. The film opens 2OCT12.

I want to make sure you got a chance to see this.
We just launched the trailer for Sojourners' new upcoming film The Line, and it’s already taking off across the web and across the country! It’s written and directed by Emmy Award-winning producer Linda Midgett, and chronicles the very real stories of four real people struggling with real poverty in America today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RGkqh5x6scw 
You’ll meet a banker in the suburban Midwest who used to earn six-figures a year and now, after the economic collapse, must go to a food bank to feed his three kids; a fisherman on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana who has watched his livelihood and his culture wash away in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and a devastating off-shore oil spill; a blue collar guy in North Carolina who worked hard his whole life but lost his job, became homeless, and started over as a restaurant busboy; and a single mom in Chicago who battles daily to ensure that her son is safe, healthy, and has the opportunity to go to college.
You can watch — and share — the official trailer for The Line, which debuts next month, right HERE.
Thanks,
Jim Wallis
http://thelinemovie.com/

Watch 'The Line': The Most Important Film You'll See This Year
Last week, millions tuned in to watch the Republican National Convention. It was a party for a political party funded by wealthy interests seeking to appeal to middle-class voters in an election year.
This week, millions are tuning  in to watch the Democratic National Convention. It is a party for a political party funded by wealthy interests seeking to appeal to middle-class voters in an election year.
Today, I want to introduce you to a film that just might be the most important thing you watch this week — or this year, for that matter.
Significant things, no doubt, have and will be said about our country during the political conventions. Competing visions for our future will be presented at both events. And there will be a lot of grandstanding, empty promises, half-truths, and deceptions (as their always seem to be in politics).
The media already is obsessing about how many times the word “God” is used in each party’s platform as a measure of faith or religiosity, as if crying “Lord, Lord” and vain repetition has replaced obedience to God’s command to love our neighbors. And yet, it's the actions of each party during the last four years that gives us true insight into who and what is important to them, much more than what gets written down on a party platform or said in speeches during these three-day self-congratulatory celebrations.
Yes, a strong middle class is important for a nation. But I also believe many more people need to be lifted up into economic security.
Matthew 25 doesn’t say, “As you have done to the middle class, you have done to me."
What it records Jesus saying is, “As you have done to the least of these, you have done to me.” Chances are that will never be the central message of political conventions during election years.
But every four years for the last 40 years (even before we were called Sojourners!), our community has done what we can to lift up the issue of poverty during presidential elections. While political party platforms have changed, our commitment to the least of these has not.
So it is with that spirit, this election year, that I am proud to present a new short film called The Line.
Written and directed by Emmy award-winning producer Linda Midgett, it chronicles the very real stories of four real people struggling with real poverty in America today.
You’ll meet a former banker in the suburban Midwest who used to earn six figures a year and now, after the economic collapse, must go to a food bank to feed his three kids; a fisherman on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana who has watched his livelihood and his culture wash away in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the devastating  BP oil spill; a blue collar guy in North Carolina who worked hard his whole life but lost his job, became homeless, and started over as a restaurant bus boy; and a single mom in Chicago who battles daily to ensure that her son is safe, healthy, and has the opportunity to go to college.
You can watch — and share — the official trailer for The Line, which debuts next month, right HERE.
The idea of the film is simple: People living in and struggling with poverty telling their own stories. They are beautiful, inspiring, challenging, and full of grace.
In a word, their stories are powerful. The kind you never forget. The kind that make you not only feel something, but compel you to do something.
My Sojourners colleagues and I want to share The Line's stories and message with as many people as we can. That's where you come in. We need your help.
The first thing you can do is watch the trailer. As soon as you've seen it, I'm sure you’re going to want to share it with everyone you know.
Next, I invite you to join us. The Line premieres at 8 p.m. (EST) Oct. 2 — the night before the first presidential debate. With your help, I believe we can make sure both candidates understand that they will need to address the issue of poverty during that debate.
But, before we can get there, I need you to help us spread the word. So please, take just a couple of minutes today to watch the trailer and share with everyone you think needs to hear these stories.
And it’s with a lot of gratitude that I get to thank our partner — World Vision —  as well as the generous support from Oxfam America, Bread for the World, and the Christian Community Development Association that made The Line possible.
If you'd like to host a screening of The Line in your town (at your house of worship, a local theater, school, or anywhere else) or find a screening near you, click HERE.
Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values: A Guide for Economic and Moral Recovery, and CEO of Sojourners. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis.

HAVING OUR SAY (AMERICAN POVERTY AND THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES) 7SEP12

"The great enemy of freedom is the alignment of political power with wealth. This alignment destroys the commonwealth - that is, the natural wealth of localities and the local economies of household, neighborhood, and community - and so destroys democracy, of which the commonwealth is the foundation and practical means.”
- Wendell Berry
from The Art of the Commonplace

 
TAVIS Smiley has long been an advocate for social justice and a moral budget and moral economy. Here he offers a way to make sure our concerns about the number of Americans living in poverty or facing the prospect of falling into poverty are brought up and addressed at the presidential and vice presidential debates. Twitter, if you tweet, the debate moderators and insist they include the plight of America's poor in the debates. From HuffPost....
Now that the conventions are over, time to prepare for the presidential debates. The candidates have homework to do, but so do we.
There are roughly 300 million American citizens. Each one with an equal right to be heard. But four Americans have been given special status. Jim Lehrer, Bob Schieffer, Candy Crowley and Martha Raddatz: the four journalists selected by the Commission on Presidential Debates to moderate the upcoming presidential and vice-presidential debates.
I have the utmost respect for my distinguished broadcast colleagues; they have each earned their way onto the debate stage. That said, I reiterate my deep disappointment with the obvious lack of diversity in this group; a group that could have been and should have been more representative of the most multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-ethnic America ever. But I have an even greater concern at the moment.
As we move closer to the first debate, October 3, in Denver, Colorado, how do issues that should matter actually get raised in the debate? Case in point: four years ago in the three debates between Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain, the word "poor" or "poverty" did not come up one time. Obama didn't raise it, McCain didn't raise it, the moderators never asked about it. By the way, two of those moderators are back on stage this year.
This year, both Governor Romney and President Obama at least mentioned the "P" word in their convention speeches, but neither pledged to make the alleviation of poverty in America a priority. Both continued to address the "middle class" when everybody knows that the new poor are the former middle class. Candidates for high office love sharing personal narratives of overcoming poverty, but can't seem to fully commit themselves to lead in creating a bi-partisan plan that could significantly reduce and eventually eradicate poverty in the richest nation in the world.
So, how do we get the impolite topic of poverty on the agenda for the debates? It's hard to ignore that 1 in 2 Americans is either living in or near poverty. Hard to ignore the 16 million children now living in poverty. Hard to ignore that more Americans are experiencing long-term unemployment than at any time in recorded history. Hard to ignore the growing lines at food pantries. Hard to ignore all the FORECLOSURE yard signs. Hard to ignore all the recent -- and not so recent -- college graduates who can't find work. Hard to ignore the millions of Americans falling through the cracks as government inexplicably draws up the social safety net, diminishing Medicaid, food stamps and other vital social service programs. Hard to ignore the direct link between poverty and joblessness. Hard to ignore.
Yet, I fear that's exactly what may happen if we don't remind the candidates and the moderators that poverty in America ought to be abnormal, not the new normal. So, what to do? I say let the moderators hear from you. I don't know too many of my colleagues who outright refuse to review their mail. It matters to most. And since they're representing US, why not hear from US?
Greg Kaufmann of The Nation magazine has been doing his homework, chronicling potential questions about poverty in America for President Obama and Governor Romney. Sample questions: What is the appropriate role of government in improving the likelihood that an honest day's work earns a living wage? What do you think is most important in securing economic mobility for all children, regardless of the incomes or educational attainment of their parents, and how will you accomplish this? As president, what would you do about America's growing hunger crisis?
So here's your assignment: I'm sure you have a question for Obama and Romney about how to tackle poverty, and you ought to share that with the debate moderators. Here's how:
JIM LEHRER - PBS
twitter.com/NewsHour
newshour@pbs.org
BOB SCHIEFFER - CBS
twitter.com/bobSchieffer
facethenation@cbsnews.com
CANDY CROWLEY - CNN
twitter.com/crowleyCNN
MARTHA RADDATZ - ABC
twitter.com/martharaddatz
Poor people cannot be rendered invisible in this campaign. This time around, let's do our homework and make sure that ALL voices are heard.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tavis-smiley/debate-questions_b_1864091.html?utm_hp_ref=daily-brief?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=090712&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntry&utm_term=Daily%20Brief

 

Having Our Say (AMERICAN POVERTY AND THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES) & THE LINE (THIS IS WHAT POVERTY LOOKS LIKE IN AMERICA) 7&8SEP12

"The great enemy of freedom is the alignment of political power with wealth. This alignment destroys the commonwealth - that is, the natural wealth of localities and the local economies of household, neighborhood, and community - and so destroys democracy, of which the commonwealth is the foundation and practical means.”
- Wendell Berry
from The Art of the Commonplace

 
TAVIS Smiley has long been an advocate for social justice and a moral budget and moral economy. Here he offers a way to make sure our concerns about the number of Americans living in poverty or facing the prospect of falling into poverty are brought up and addressed at the presidential and vice presidential debates. Twitter, if you tweet, the debate moderators and insist they include the plight of America's poor in the debates. From HuffPost....
Now that the conventions are over, time to prepare for the presidential debates. The candidates have homework to do, but so do we.
There are roughly 300 million American citizens. Each one with an equal right to be heard. But four Americans have been given special status. Jim Lehrer, Bob Schieffer, Candy Crowley and Martha Raddatz: the four journalists selected by the Commission on Presidential Debates to moderate the upcoming presidential and vice-presidential debates.
I have the utmost respect for my distinguished broadcast colleagues; they have each earned their way onto the debate stage. That said, I reiterate my deep disappointment with the obvious lack of diversity in this group; a group that could have been and should have been more representative of the most multi-cultural, multi-racial and multi-ethnic America ever. But I have an even greater concern at the moment.
As we move closer to the first debate, October 3, in Denver, Colorado, how do issues that should matter actually get raised in the debate? Case in point: four years ago in the three debates between Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain, the word "poor" or "poverty" did not come up one time. Obama didn't raise it, McCain didn't raise it, the moderators never asked about it. By the way, two of those moderators are back on stage this year.
This year, both Governor Romney and President Obama at least mentioned the "P" word in their convention speeches, but neither pledged to make the alleviation of poverty in America a priority. Both continued to address the "middle class" when everybody knows that the new poor are the former middle class. Candidates for high office love sharing personal narratives of overcoming poverty, but can't seem to fully commit themselves to lead in creating a bi-partisan plan that could significantly reduce and eventually eradicate poverty in the richest nation in the world.
So, how do we get the impolite topic of poverty on the agenda for the debates? It's hard to ignore that 1 in 2 Americans is either living in or near poverty. Hard to ignore the 16 million children now living in poverty. Hard to ignore that more Americans are experiencing long-term unemployment than at any time in recorded history. Hard to ignore the growing lines at food pantries. Hard to ignore all the FORECLOSURE yard signs. Hard to ignore all the recent -- and not so recent -- college graduates who can't find work. Hard to ignore the millions of Americans falling through the cracks as government inexplicably draws up the social safety net, diminishing Medicaid, food stamps and other vital social service programs. Hard to ignore the direct link between poverty and joblessness. Hard to ignore.
Yet, I fear that's exactly what may happen if we don't remind the candidates and the moderators that poverty in America ought to be abnormal, not the new normal. So, what to do? I say let the moderators hear from you. I don't know too many of my colleagues who outright refuse to review their mail. It matters to most. And since they're representing US, why not hear from US?
Greg Kaufmann of The Nation magazine has been doing his homework, chronicling potential questions about poverty in America for President Obama and Governor Romney. Sample questions: What is the appropriate role of government in improving the likelihood that an honest day's work earns a living wage? What do you think is most important in securing economic mobility for all children, regardless of the incomes or educational attainment of their parents, and how will you accomplish this? As president, what would you do about America's growing hunger crisis?
So here's your assignment: I'm sure you have a question for Obama and Romney about how to tackle poverty, and you ought to share that with the debate moderators. Here's how:
JIM LEHRER - PBS
twitter.com/NewsHour
newshour@pbs.org
BOB SCHIEFFER - CBS
twitter.com/bobSchieffer
facethenation@cbsnews.com
CANDY CROWLEY - CNN
twitter.com/crowleyCNN
MARTHA RADDATZ - ABC
twitter.com/martharaddatz
Poor people cannot be rendered invisible in this campaign. This time around, let's do our homework and make sure that ALL voices are heard.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tavis-smiley/debate-questions_b_1864091.html?utm_hp_ref=daily-brief?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=090712&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntry&utm_term=Daily%20Brief

THE LINE (THIS IS WHAT POVERTY LOOKS LIKE IN AMERICA) 8SEP12

THIS is the trailer for The Line, a nonpartisan film about what happens to ordinary American families when they cross the poverty line. Click the link to watch the trailer and you will also have the opportunity to tweet Pres Obama and mitt romney and ask them what they are going to do about poverty in America. The film opens 2OCT12.

I want to make sure you got a chance to see this.
We just launched the trailer for Sojourners' new upcoming film The Line, and it’s already taking off across the web and across the country! It’s written and directed by Emmy Award-winning producer Linda Midgett, and chronicles the very real stories of four real people struggling with real poverty in America today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RGkqh5x6scw 
You’ll meet a banker in the suburban Midwest who used to earn six-figures a year and now, after the economic collapse, must go to a food bank to feed his three kids; a fisherman on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana who has watched his livelihood and his culture wash away in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and a devastating off-shore oil spill; a blue collar guy in North Carolina who worked hard his whole life but lost his job, became homeless, and started over as a restaurant busboy; and a single mom in Chicago who battles daily to ensure that her son is safe, healthy, and has the opportunity to go to college.
You can watch — and share — the official trailer for The Line, which debuts next month, right HERE.
Thanks,
Jim Wallis
http://thelinemovie.com/

Watch 'The Line': The Most Important Film You'll See This Year
Last week, millions tuned in to watch the Republican National Convention. It was a party for a political party funded by wealthy interests seeking to appeal to middle-class voters in an election year.
This week, millions are tuning  in to watch the Democratic National Convention. It is a party for a political party funded by wealthy interests seeking to appeal to middle-class voters in an election year.
Today, I want to introduce you to a film that just might be the most important thing you watch this week — or this year, for that matter.
Significant things, no doubt, have and will be said about our country during the political conventions. Competing visions for our future will be presented at both events. And there will be a lot of grandstanding, empty promises, half-truths, and deceptions (as their always seem to be in politics).
The media already is obsessing about how many times the word “God” is used in each party’s platform as a measure of faith or religiosity, as if crying “Lord, Lord” and vain repetition has replaced obedience to God’s command to love our neighbors. And yet, it's the actions of each party during the last four years that gives us true insight into who and what is important to them, much more than what gets written down on a party platform or said in speeches during these three-day self-congratulatory celebrations.
Yes, a strong middle class is important for a nation. But I also believe many more people need to be lifted up into economic security.
Matthew 25 doesn’t say, “As you have done to the middle class, you have done to me."
What it records Jesus saying is, “As you have done to the least of these, you have done to me.” Chances are that will never be the central message of political conventions during election years.
But every four years for the last 40 years (even before we were called Sojourners!), our community has done what we can to lift up the issue of poverty during presidential elections. While political party platforms have changed, our commitment to the least of these has not.
So it is with that spirit, this election year, that I am proud to present a new short film called The Line.
Written and directed by Emmy award-winning producer Linda Midgett, it chronicles the very real stories of four real people struggling with real poverty in America today.
You’ll meet a former banker in the suburban Midwest who used to earn six figures a year and now, after the economic collapse, must go to a food bank to feed his three kids; a fisherman on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana who has watched his livelihood and his culture wash away in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the devastating  BP oil spill; a blue collar guy in North Carolina who worked hard his whole life but lost his job, became homeless, and started over as a restaurant bus boy; and a single mom in Chicago who battles daily to ensure that her son is safe, healthy, and has the opportunity to go to college.
You can watch — and share — the official trailer for The Line, which debuts next month, right HERE.
The idea of the film is simple: People living in and struggling with poverty telling their own stories. They are beautiful, inspiring, challenging, and full of grace.
In a word, their stories are powerful. The kind you never forget. The kind that make you not only feel something, but compel you to do something.
My Sojourners colleagues and I want to share The Line's stories and message with as many people as we can. That's where you come in. We need your help.
The first thing you can do is watch the trailer. As soon as you've seen it, I'm sure you’re going to want to share it with everyone you know.
Next, I invite you to join us. The Line premieres at 8 p.m. (EST) Oct. 2 — the night before the first presidential debate. With your help, I believe we can make sure both candidates understand that they will need to address the issue of poverty during that debate.
But, before we can get there, I need you to help us spread the word. So please, take just a couple of minutes today to watch the trailer and share with everyone you think needs to hear these stories.
And it’s with a lot of gratitude that I get to thank our partner — World Vision —  as well as the generous support from Oxfam America, Bread for the World, and the Christian Community Development Association that made The Line possible.
If you'd like to host a screening of The Line in your town (at your house of worship, a local theater, school, or anywhere else) or find a screening near you, click HERE.
Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values: A Guide for Economic and Moral Recovery, and CEO of Sojourners. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis.