enough

by Scott Douglas

in eulogy to Steve Orel

8-07-2007 at Temple Emanuel, Birmingham Alabama

WHEN WILL THERE BE ENOUGH?

ENOUGH BREAD!?

ENOUGH LAND!?

ENOUGH JUSTICE!?

ENOUGH PEACE!?

ONCE THERE WAS ENOUGH FOR ALL TO SHARE

BUT ENOUGH FOR ALL TO SHARE

WAS JUST TOO MUCH FOR SOME TO BEAR!

WHEN, AGAIN, WILL THERE BE ENOUGH?

NOW SOME HAVE TOO MUCH AND MORE,

WHILE MOST DON’T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH.

THERE IS MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY,

AND, TODAY, EVEN FEWER HAVE ENOUGH

PEOPLE WITH THREE HOUSES

SAY THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE;

WHILE PEOPLE WITH NO HOUSES DISAPPEAR IN SILENCE

PEOPLE WITH THREE CARS

SAY THERE IS TOO MUCH CONGESTION;

WHILE PEOPLE WITH NO TRANSPORTATION DISAPPEAR IN SILENCE

PEOPLE OF A DUAL JUSTICE

SAY THERE IS TOO MUCH CRIME

WHILE PEOPLE RECEIVING NO JUSTICE DISAPPEAR IN SILENCE

WHEN, AGAIN, WILL THERE BE ENOUGH?

ENOUGH BREAD!?

ENOUGH LAND!?

ENOUGH JUSTICE!?

ENOUGH PEACE!?

THERE WILL BE ENOUGH…

WHEN THE SILENCED REAPPEAR WITH THEIR OWN VOICES.

THEN, THERE WILL BE ENOUGH!

THERE WILL BE ENOUGH WHEN THE REGAINED VOICES

RELOCATE POWER

TO DWELL IN COMMUNITY.

THEN, THERE WILL BE ENOUGH.

THERE WILL BE ENOUGH

WHEN HUMILITY IS WEALTH,

GREED IS POVERTY,

AND CRIME --CRIME-- IS HARM TO THE SPIRIT

OF SHARED COMMUNITY

THEN, THERE WILL BE ENOUGH.

THERE WILL BE ENOUGH

WHEN THE TEMPLE OF

THE GOD OF SCARCITY (THE GOD OF GREED)

IS ABANDONED;

AND THERE EMERGE

RENEWED AND FAITHFUL PEOPLES

FORGED IN THE CRUCIBLE OF STRUGGLE

FOR

ENOUGH BREAD

ENOUGH LAND

ENOUGH JUSTICE

ENOUGH PEACE

AND THEY WILL BE HUMBLE & YET

POWERFUL PEOPLES

BECAUSE THEY WILL REMEMBER;

AND BECAUSE THEY WILL HAVE ENOUGH.

SDIII

Steve Orel

Steve Orel, a teacher, comrade and friend died yesterday. Along with his wife Glenda Jo and son Justin he fought hard for precious life, for himself and humanity. Susan and I are glad his personal suffering has ended, but mourn his passing.


His work as an educator, organizer and agitator, lives.



http://journals.aol.com/gjo2/further-travails-of-the-orels/entries/2007/07/07/723-a.m.-he-is-gone.../1405

Letter to the Editor

Published in the Birmingham News on Sunday, 7-8-2007:


The Bush-Cheney administration has sacrificed the lives and limbs of thousands of young Americans in the Iraq war. It has spent billions of dollars of our tax money for a war it said would benefit the people in that country.
Former Gov. Don Siegelman has gone to prison, supposedly because a wealthy businessman gave money to support a lottery the governor thought would benefit the schoolchildren of Alabama. I have bought an occasional Florida lottery ticket myself, but know a small fraction of the costs of the current war could do a lot more to further education in all 50 states.
Siegelman didn't take taxpayers' money or hurt anyone, but was shackled and jailed. It doesn't seem fair. Moreover, it endangers our precious freedom and democracy. The Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth put it plainly and clearly as our former governor was being taken away: "It's just politics."
Let's join this great American in his call to fight this injustice.

Gary Mansbach
Southside

been a while...rambling resurrection

Another Jewish guy was resurrected on Easter once... Personally kind of a hectic few months. Tough Alabama winter (ha-ha - not real cold but kind of chilly), new job with some overtime, day to day stuff. Just about every Saturday with little Odos - fun but tiring!
Susan has been pretty busy with her business - tax stuff especially.

I got some CDs - Two are new but old (traditional)-

One is Ry Cooder's My Name is Buddy -- Buddy is a 1930's "red cat". Odos and I liked the song titled Three Cords and the Truth about people like Joe Hill, Paul Robeson and Pete Seeger being set up or framed up for "doing the right thing".. He got a kick about the photo of Buddy behind bars. As we ride around on Saturday Odos and I usually fight over who the DJ of the CD player is, but he did enjoy listening to Ry Cooder. Three Cords and the Truth is a real catchy tune too!

I took Odos with me to the JCC yesterday afternoon. I needed a little workout and shower. I figured Odos wouldn't mind shooting some baskets in the meantime.
Gov. Don Seigleman arrived at the same time for a workout with his son and held the door open for us. I told Odos that the former governor was also facing jail for no good reason.
While he probably doesn't yet understand what a politically motivated frame up is, Odos has a little understanding about getting in trouble for things he didn't do, weren't wrong or just not that bad.

The album makes me think of Jim Cannon, a "real life" red and a contemporary of "Buddy"..
(Jim was a founding leader of the communist movement in the US who I lived with and helped take care of for his last year - 1973-74 in Los Angeles). Like the fictional Buddy, a red cat till he died. Not sure if this album would have been a little too "loud" for Jim or not, but know he would have asked me to sing a little bit of it for him. I think Jim was proudest of the work he did heading up the International Labor Defense (ILD) - An injury to one is an injury to all!

Also from 1974 I listed to an album by David Bromberg (with the help of the Grateful Dead and others called Wanted:Dead or Alive - great stuff a lot of which I don't remember hearing before. The one time I got to see Bromberg in the Village on of my trips home from Alabama a couple of guys in the audience mistakenly thought I was him before the show.
This morning I just listened to his latest album, Try Me One More Time. Mostly old traditional stuff, just Bromberg, his still great singing and accomplished acoustic guitar work . Some very pretty stuff. Susan will like it. She had to do some tax work after church this afternoon but maybe she can listen while she works.


Speaking of frame up victims, David G. left word on our answering machine yesterday that he ran into Dana yesterday.... Susan spoke with her and hopefully we'll have time to get together soon. I don't remember how long Dana spent in a Louisiana prison accused of two murders she didn't do. We were glad to able to send Dana some $ on our paydays while she was locked up.
She has had to deal with day to day stuff since like the rest of us..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Odos... He will be 9 years old April 29. All that skateboarding makes me nervous though.

Our thoughts this Passover/Easter are with Steve Orel, Glenda Jo and Justin.
Please see their blog :
http://journals.aol.com/gjo2/further-travails-of-the-orels/