Strategic Planning Meeting notes from 6-16
Mark R Shulman
Bethlehem Homeless Emergency Housing Coordinator
Congregation Beth El Gibor
1555 Linwood Street
Bethlehem, Pa 18017
www.bethelgibor.org
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William Kuntze
Greetings:
I think that everyone should read the new policies of the Bethlehem Public Library. They are available as a pdf file on their web site. These policies will impact our work with this population, and I there is no question that this is the intent. I have a long relationship with the Library and have responded to them in a letter to the Executive Director. Part of that letter follows:
Hi Janet:
I think that you will recall that I had agreed to serve on a committee to discuss and recommend ideas concerning these new policies adopted last month. I even showed up for a meeting that you had scheduled that never happened. I am disappointed that I was disinvited from discussion of these issues before this new policy statement was adopted. I want an opportunity to address these issues and, hopefully, have these oppressive and discriminatory policies changed.
As you know I am a supporter of the Library. I have spoken many times to members of our legislature about public library funding. I have featured volunteers of the Bethlehem Library on my television show. I know many of your volunteers and patrons. I also always visit, and often buy books at your fund raising book sales. I am the Senior Pastor of a church only a few blocks from the library.
I find two of the new policies discriminatory and oppressive. First, it is absurd to suggest that a patron who doses off into sleep thereby interferes with the activities of other patrons. As I have gotten older, I often find that when I first start reading a book, I often fall asleep for about a half hour. It seems to be the way my mind clears itself of the previous thoughts of the day. You and I know that this policy is intended to be a way to eject from the library homeless people who need a little time in a warm place, or a cool place in the summer. Would you have the police haul me out and get in the newspaper doing so? I think that an unlikely scenario. If you claim to apply that policy to me, they I will come there and challenge it. I would love to see the newspaper coverage of the library having the Senior Pastor of a historic and major congregation in historic Bethlehem arrested for dozing off in a book. And I would love to talk about that on my television show.
Second, forbidding the bags that homeless people must carry with their possessions is discriminatory (unless you provide some storage or check in place). This is an obvious effort to keep the poorest people in our community out of the free public library. Will you forbid my entrance if my bag is bigger than a backpack? Many times I have been traveling in other cities and entered libraries with my suitcase during the day while I was waiting an evening flight. Either there was a place for storage, or there were no questions asked. So if I enter the library, say next Tuesday, for example carrying my suitcase wanting to read until it is time for me to be transported to the airport, will you try to eject me, and arrest me if I will not leave? I would love to be interviewed in the newspaper about that also. And I would love to talk about that on my television show also.
In addition, the rule about personal odor is another way to target the homeless for discrimination. Personally, I am highly allergic to many things, including scents and perfumes. If I complain about a rich woman who has perfume on that is not only offensive to me, but literally makes me sick, will you eject her. What is offensive to your nose, is not exactly what is offensive to mine. Are you willing to go to court about such a matter?
I have been arrested many times for civil disobedience. I am ready to personally challenge these rules if you are not ready to modify them. I hope that we will instead discuss these matters and find a way to modify these oppressive rules. Please contact me soon so we avoid publicity that will do nothing but damage to the library.
Rev. Bill Kuntze, Senior Pastor
Christ Church United Church of Christ,
Bethlehem, PA
Pat Dugan
Hurray for you, Bill -- how delightful, and unfortunately too rare, to see/hear a religious community leader with a real backbone, willing to stand up for your principles and especially for the less fortunate in our community (or in the larger world). I was also delighted when you left New Bethany rather than compromise your principles and accept tainted money from the Sands Casino. Keep it up! You're in the fine tradition of Desmond Tutu, Ghandi, Martin Luther King and, of course, Jesus, who indeed was a radical, responsible troublemaker. "Comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable." If you decide to personally challenge the library rulings, I'd be pleased to go along on those ventures or assist in any way.
Dixie Dugan White (patd...@hotmail.com)
William Kuntze
Good evening:
Thanks for your words of encouragement.
The community relations person of the library (a friend of ours and of the homeless) contacted me and asked for a meeting, which we arranged. When I arrive there I discovered that I was actually meeting with her, the Executive Director, the President of the Board, and the Board Consultant. It was a debate session to which the big guns were brought, perhaps thinking that I would be intimidated, or satisfied that the important people had heard my concerns. The only concessions I achieved were that they would allow the homeless patrons to put their belongings on the back porch (with no security at all), thereby appearing that they were not really preventing them from entering the library, and that they would think about re-phrasing the absolute no sleeping rule, which they really intend to selectively apply.
I understand that they have problems that are beyond their mission or abilities with this population. Still discrimination is discrimination and we must stand in solidarity with the poor.
Rev. Bill Kuntze, Senior Pastor
Christ Church United Church of Christ,
Bethlehem, PA
Craig J Updegrove
Thanks Reverend Kuntze for your dedication and advocacy for the homeless. I hope that your salvo is the first of many towards the Library. We all need to fight for those that cannot fight for themselves.If we stand united with you, possibly we can all force them to change their policies.
-Craig Updegrove
Marcie Lightwood
From: wjku...@gmail.com
To: bethlehem-long-term-homeles...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: Strategic Planning Meeting notes from 6-16
Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2011 23:43:58 -0400