Welcome!
As President & CEO of BRIDGES, I've been given the privilege of inaugurating our BRIDGES Blog. I am honored by this invitation. But, as the 25-year CEO of BRIDGES, clearly I'm not generationally predisposed to this form of communication. In fact, I was forced to resort to Wikipedia for guidance (learning that "blog" is the contraction of "web log" and often refers to regular entries of commentary, running conversations, on-line diaries, notice of events, etc.). The varieties of blogs appear to be endless and clearly some blogs are antithetical in their tone and narrative to the values of BRIDGES and to the principles of civil discourse. We believe, though, that people can disagree, agreeably, and that readers can read, reflect, and learn in addition to posting their opinion.
The BRIDGES Blog is an experiment. Can we invite open commentary on controversial social issues without contracting the "hate viruses" that have contaminated some of the blogs of local, major media? Can we solicit community sentiment and deeply held personal opinions on contentious topics while discouraging personal attacks and encouraging discretion and civility? Yes, will it be possible for us to successfully maintain a level of blogging that approaches an authentic, mutually respectful "dialogue?" We don't know and are eager to find out.
To help frame the purview of this particular blog, let me state the mission of BRIDGES... "Bringing people together to achieve inclusion, equity, and justice for all." All matters related to intergroup prejudices (including any and all of the so-called "isms"- including racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, ageism, religious intolerance), discrimination, social injustice, bigotry, hate crimes, are appropriate. The work of BRIDGES reaches into all sectors of society-government, education, religion, arts, business, health & human services, and, historically, has focused on police-community relations, interfaith relations, and multi-cultural education and equal educational opportunities for all students.
In the realm of public policy, BRIDGES has a present interest in immigration reform, disparities in access to and quality of healthcare, economic inclusion & justice (e.g., the hiring of ex-felons), and church-state relations. Topics and commentary related to these sectors, program areas, and policy concerns are invited. In short, if you have a topic or concern related to human relations, we would like to hear from you.
Now, let me start the ball rolling. I recently read a very unsettling yet eye-opening book by Chicago journalist Richard C. Longworth, titled Caught in the Middle: America's Heartland in the Age of Globalism (2007). Longworth does a comprehensive analysis of the Midwest's steady decline in the global marketplace over the past half-century and the uniform failure of the ten Midwestern states he surveyed, including Ohio, to regain competitiveness. One answer to the decades of exodus of so many Midwesterners to the sunbelt and coastal states, Longworth opines, is for the key economic engines, the bigger cities, to put out a welcome mat for new immigrants. I agree with Longworth -that the economic future of the Cincinnati region will be dependent upon our success in recruiting and retaining immigrants (in addition to retaining our best and brightest young talent through job creation and enhanced cultural and social diversity.)
The question I pose- are we a welcoming place for new immigrants? If not, what's it going to take to get there, to have a hospitable environment of acceptance and opportunity for the growing numbers of Hispanics, Asians, and Africans who've been arriving this past decade?
Robert C. "Chip" Harrod
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When I arrived in Cincinnati over twenty years ago, people would stare at me if I spoke Spanish with a friend. Even inside the company I worked, you could see people discreetly checking to see if I had a badge, i.e. was I "legally" in the building? Today you can hear many languages spoken in Cincinnati out in public. So the complexion of the community is changing. Nonetheless, there are many quarters where the "welcome mat" is not out. One example. A recent law was enacted in Ohio that one cannot register a car if one doesn't have a U.S. drivers license. Beyond the obvious rejection of the foreigner, it actually encourages making the situation worse...the state is forcing people to drive with unregistered cars. Think of all the risks that creates...for the immigrant...for the person who has a run in with that car,etc.etc. Bottomline, I agree with Chip. Any economist will tell you that to grow an economy you have to grow the population. The tristate area population is not growing without immigration. We need to welcome immigrants and help them integrate and succeed in order for all us to continue to succeed.
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