Af Am Dallas forum/Brussels/Doherty/Journalists - 12/03

Thu Dec 11 15:00:47 EST 2003

subject: Af Am Dallas forum/Brussels/Doherty/Journalists - 12/03

from: Smart Marriages [R]

- 20/20 
- AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTHY MARRIAGE INITIATIVE FORUM II
- TRISTA & RYAN
- CLASP AUDIO CONFERENCE SERIES KICKS OFF W/ WADE HORN
- BRUSSELS "FUTURE OF THE FAMILY" CONFERENCE
- THE VERY AIR OUR LOVED ONES BREATHE
- JOURNALISTS 

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- 20/20 

Terry Real won't be on 20/20 this Friday night after all.

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- AFRICAN AMERICAN HEALTHY MARRIAGE INITIATIVE FORUM II
DALLAS JAN 23 & 24  - SAVE THE DATES!!

I'll get the registration info, speakers, details to you by Monday.
- diane 

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- TRISTA & RYAN

I've heard from several of you that were disappointed in the wedding
ceremony.  I missed it. I'm told it was all glitz, $$ and no substance.
That's a shame, if true, because millions watched and it will have an effect
on the next marrying generations.  I suppose the silver lining was that they
were actually getting married.  What else was positive?  - diane

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- CLASP AUDIO CONFERENCE SERIES KICKS OFF W/ WADE HORN

> The 2004 CLASP Audio Conferences Series ‹ The Squeeze: Helping Low-Income
> Families in an Era of Dwindling Resources, Fridays, 12:30-1:30 pm (Eastern
> Time) 
> 
> This year¹s Series kicks off on Friday, Feb 6, with an interview with
> Wade Horn, Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families, U.S.
> Department of Health and Human Services. Great discounts for the whole 6-call
> series and for on-line credit card orders!
> 
> For information and to order, visit: http://www.claspstore.org/
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- BRUSSELS "FUTURE OF THE FAMILY" CONFERENCE

 "The Future of Family: Decomposition or Recomposition?" Conference in
Brussels, May 12 & 13, 2004 will ask questions about the future of marriage
and family.  Bill Doherty is among the presenters at this international,
cross-cultural event.
For info: 
www.socialcapital-foundation.org/conferences/Contact%20registration3.htm

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- THE VERY AIR OUR LOVED ONES BREATHE

In March, I shared an invitation to hear Bill Doherty address the Center of
the American Experiment in Minneapolis.  That talk, "Family Life and Civic
Bonds: Renewing the ŒVery Air Our Loved Ones Breathe,¹²  is now available on
the American Experiment website at:

http://www.amexp.org/aeqpdf/AEQv6/aeqv6n3/AEQv6n3Doherty.pdf

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- JOURNALISTS 

Diane, 
On the heels of our Univ of Kentucky-sponsored conference last month, our
Lexington initiative seems to be gathering public momentum as we gear up for
2004 -- hopefully with federal and private funding. This week a committee at
Toyota is considering a request for $150,000 for the Bluegrass Healthy
Marriages Partnership submitted last month, and of course, we continue to
await developments in Washington.

I'm sending you a letter I wrote to the reporter of an article you sent to
the list last month (CONFERENCE TOUTS MARRIAGE AS ALTERNATIVE TO POVERTY
http://archives.his.com/smartmarriages/smartmarriages.0311/msg00003.html)
and I'm sending you her reply.

Greg Thompson

Greg, 
You're right, it's helpful to share letters to journalists/editors/elected
officials with the list.  And, it's encouraging to get a reply. Maybe you
can invite her to attend Smart Marriages as our guest.  Journalists are our
most powerful agents of change.  And, I really like the fire department
analogy you came up with - diane

>> I'm not sure why anyone would argue that the "fire departments" would not be
>> well-served by more equipment, more human resources, and more funding. But
>> equivalently, I'm not sure why anyone would argue that the fire departments
>> would not be well-served by education that can help prevent the fires in the
>> first place.

> On 12/9/03 8:13 AM, "Greg" <greg_thompson at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
> To: Mary Meehan 
> 
> Just wanted to offer my appreciation for your interest in the issue of
> marriage education, and the way that you illuminated the discussion. Also, I
> was impressed that you gained the time and comments from David Popenoe, who is
> highly esteemed in family studies circles.
> 
> As the H-L radio spots would suggest, half of a reporter's job is done when
> they elicit a reaction; with that in mind, I hope you won't mind if I offer
> you these thoughts that occurred to me as I read the article:
> 
> While there may be some, I don't think most people would call sending kids to
> public schools every day "social engineering." The federal, state, and county
> governments are entirely involved in that, for both those who can afford to
> pay for it and for those who cannot afford to pay for it. In fact, for those
> who cannot afford it, the government sees its special responsibility to
> eliminate barriers by bearing every conceivable cost including food.
> 
> We offer the idea that marriage education is equivalently valid, and not only
> for the middle and upper classes, but for people who can't normally afford it,
> too ( -- similar to what Popenoe appears to advocate in the quotes you used
> near the end of your column).
> 
> So, while I would agree it is "unprecedented," I would not "agree," as your
> opening sentence suggests, that we are attempting "social engineering" unless
> one considers sending kids to public school everyday "social engineering."
> 
> What I continue to try to get across to anyone who will listen: it is
> backwards thinking to believe one can completely and simplisticly solve
> poverty by getting people married.
> 
> That, instead, is what proponents and opponents agree on.
> 
> Oddly enough to some, that's also the thinking of the federal government ( --
> I have it on videotape from Wade Horn, who is the HHS person over the
> Administration for Children and Families, so I know that to be their
> position).
> 
> Mary, we also all agree that there are many factors that contribute to
> poverty.
> 
> We are attempting to begin giving some attention (and at that, by comparison
> in terms of dollars, a pittance) to a factor that has been ignored until now
> -- i.e., how that stronger, long-term relationships at home can contribute to
> better conditions for children. And that extends from the lowest SES to the
> highest.
> 
> We've done many things in this country to combat poverty and raise the level
> of child well-being through interventionist means. But if it never occurs to
> us to expend some resources in educating people about how to prevent fires, it
> shouldn't surprise us when our fire departments are spending all of their
> energy fighting fires. And that appears to be highly analogous to where we are
> in terms of our children's welfare.
> 
> I'm not sure why anyone would argue that the "fire departments" would not be
> well-served by more equipment, more human resources, and more funding. But
> equivalently, I'm not sure why anyone would argue that the fire departments
> would not be well-served by education that can help prevent the fires in the
> first place.
> 
> Thanks for your great kindness in considering my thoughts. Again, if I can
> ever be of any help to you in your work, in this area or in some other, don't
> hesitate to ask. (FYI, I also have research interests in adolescent
> development and wilderness education programming, for what it's worth.)
> 
> Hope you're enjoying the holiday season. Take care.
> 
> Greg Thompson
> - - - - - -  - -
> Dear Greg, 
> Thanks for writing. You raise some interesting points. I think it will be
> interesting to see how it moves forward and, I imagine, you will have lots of
> people who are interested in your education efforts as it moves forward.
> Please keep me on your mailing list as things start to fall into place. Also,
> I would be interested in hearing about your research on adolescent development
> or if you see anything in that area that you think might be of interest to
> readers. 
> 
> Thanks,
> Mary Meehan

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