The Struggles Of Advocacy |
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These pages are compiled of a series of articles that I have written in an attempt to promote understanding and solicit empathy for the plight of those that are less fortunate than we are.
In my attempts of changing my community for the better, I have had to learn the hard way - that it is true - some of the "old guard" that comprise what is loosely called the "leadership" of our local community maintain a strong hold on the prevention of positive growth and the nourishment of positive change. The old guard continues, as those that have gone before have set an example that this is the path to success in local politics and social action. I disagree.
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Pleased To Meet You. Hope You Guess My Name
by
Robert Stanford
As I struggle to write this piece, I think of all those that will ever read what I am writing right now.
The motivations for reading this are multi-faceted. From search engines to titles, or my personal favorite, those that read it because I wrote it. Whether for good or bad.
For whatever the reasons for reading this, I know that statistically, there is a very good chance that if the reader knows about me at all, they only know select slices of what makes up who and what I am, professionally as a community advocate.
Often, I feel as though I am wrapped up in words and phrases that pigeon hole me, so that people can readily praise, defend or harangue.
Words such as politician. Suddenly the next election becomes the target of feverish slander, “Well, if that’s the way your going to ______ then you can forget about winning the next election.”
Words such as activist, “Well, if your going to call yourself an activist, then you had better ___________.”
Words such as crackpot, “Your such a joke. Our city would be better off without you. Mr. Stanford, go away.”
I could go on for hundreds of pages and each one said or written over and over again, month after month and year after year. However, I believe that all of these things have something in common. These people that say or write these things only know little bits and pieces about me – slices of a whole picture, but not enough slices to know what that picture really is.
Of course, that’s not always a bad thing in so many ways.
“Mr. Stanford, we need someone like you in Government. Someone that will get all these criminals off the street.”
And of course, these same people don’t know that I do not consider undocumented immigrants to be criminals. Nor do I believe that this war on drugs has been anything but a very, very tragic mistake. And for all the same reasons. I have more pieces of the whole picture about these things than others do. But I have personally sought them out. I was “hungry” for them. Hungry to complete a picture.
“Mr. Stanford, your going to lock up all the gang bangers and dope pushers.”
Once again, that’s only partially true.
When I got the Mono Park illegal hypodermic needle giveaway operation which was run by home grown terrorists shut down, many people thought and still think that I am against legitimately regulated and legalized needle exchange. The people that think this do not know that this assumption is invalid. Simply because they missed my articles, blogs, radio and TV appearances.
I have been aware of this miss-assumption all along, since I first discovered the illegal needle giveaways. Yet even now, I find myself forever explaining the harm increase. Explaining the mathematical and precise reality of the situation to counter the misguided myth that the constant disbursement of approximately 800 to 1,000 hypodermic needles to junkies in a park ends up being approximately 80 to 85 percent shared needles. Still reducing any possibility of harm reduction as so many assume. Actually causing the opposite affect.
Not that this article is concerning the issues of this incident, but it’s a good example of assumption that even I had made concerning my effectiveness of communication this from my platform as – (hold onto your hat) –A Modesto Airport District Activist.
And as so much that I assume this title to fit, I must possess two separate capes of two separate colors – red and blue. That’s when the American flag and the Mexicana flag compliment my eyes very well when they are braided together and wrapped around me in the style of Villas artillery belt.
The second cape comes into vibrant view when it is necessary to kick up the dust for sidewalks, sewers, water, lights and gutters as well as other positive, yet difficult to achieve neighborhood goals. For then my title changes to blend within the second cape – I suddenly become a Modesto Airport Neighborhood Activist. On another turf.
So, let’s review, just for good measure:
Flag – American
Cape – Red
Cause – Crime
Title – Modesto Airport District Activist
Dumbed Down – Neighborhood Watch In The Ghetto
Super Hero – The Shadow
Flag – Mexicana
Cape – Blue
Cause – Neighborhood Vitalization
Title – Modesto Airport Neighborhood Activist
Dumbed Down – Happy face/Dockers Time
Super Hero – Spider Man
If it’s not in the Airport District, it simply becomes community advocate or activist. And I find comfort in what my spidey sense tells me.
Whenever I introduce myself at public gatherings to groups of people, I always say, “My name is Robert Stanford. I am a Civil Rights activist. I advocate primarily for the Modesto Airport District.”
It’s efficient for me, as much as I would like it to be more understood by my introduction of what I do, I feel that it’s the clearest definition that I can provide. Leaving them to fill in. So many blank spots of the picture all based on what they perceive of civil rights, activism and advocacy. Further, the perceptions are immediately forged merely by their very association with each other in a statement.
Since approximately two thirds of the meeting that I attend are done so wearing the red cape, I say the statement as though I were the Shadow.
For the remaining third, I am Spider Man wearing the blue cape.
No need for a phone booth. I can change in mid sentence when need be to focus and home in on particular items for my own agendas. All of them structured from the foundations of positive applications of method to achieve the goals that will ultimately affect an entire population of present and future resident of Stanislaus County. With a sharp eye dead set on those suffering the most. The Lord’s common sense triage like approach to improving a community on a scale that will set in motion all of the elements necessary to propel the entire county of Stanislaus into a utopia.
And from this act, like a true super hero, I shall affect this utopia throughout America and then throughout the world -. My ultimate true aim – Global domination*.
But after making the initial statement, “My name is Robert Stanford. I am a Civil Rights activist. I advocate primarily for the Modesto Airport District.”**
Many people will be saying to themselves, “But he’s white…”
And once again, like a chameleon, I blend in with the apple pie faced redneck draped in the good ole’ red White and Blue. The don’t even know that I speak Spanish more often then English. A virtual myriad of so many things – they have no idea of – no “AWARENESS”.
Unless they read about me somewhere, saw me on TV, or maybe heard about me from some friends or “others”.
I have come to be aware of the fact that generally, for most people, they will know of one or two issues associated with me. Like a roulette wheel coming to a stop, I can begin to recognize things that they may have been exposed to regarding me, whether entirely true or not.
- They heard from Queen La Raza that I took unfair advantage of farm workers, promising them citizenship in exchange for their life savings.
- They saw me when I was alone. Out of a quarter million resident, I was the only one to beg the Modesto City Council to not gut the Modesto Police Department.
- They read an editorial some years ago in an out of town paper, in which I was portrayed as a profiteer, praying on the Andy Raya and Officer Stevens tragedy by glorifying a cop killer.
- They saw me on a blog site empathically telling another user to go screw themselves, getting myself literally banned from the Modesto Bee blogs.
Where would I want the memory to come to rest?
Right Here – They saw me at my best speaking eloquently and passionately for any cause.
I feel if they had witnessed that, I would have reached them on a spiritual level and made a connection. Not for them to vote for me, assist me or even agree with anything I say or do. But to be moved enough by my passion so that at least they would be inspired to pursue goals for our community, whether I agreed with them or not.
If someone votes because they don’t want some kind of _______ like me in that position, I have still affected positive change. I have done the job that I originally many, many years ago, set out to accomplish.
Since my entry into local Government politics, for the most part, one on one, things go well. However, as I meet people they are given select pieces of the entire picture in the hopes of inspiring interest in these individuals that they may want to see what the overall picture would look like if they had more pieces.
So one on one has been a city council campaign for nearly two years now.
“Hi! How ya’ doin!? Hey! My name is Robert Stanford! Annnd I am running for Modesto City Council! Yea! We need to apply positive and effective solutions to eradicate gangs and drugs in our community. And this is why you need to vote for me, Robert Stanford for Modesto City Council District Four!”
This is much more effective. They don’t really need to know anything about me or what I do. All they need to do is trust me. Because more than likely they will not recognize my name again until they see it on the November 2009 ballot.
Pleased to meet you. Hope you can guess my name.
The Shadow knows because his spidey sense tells him so.
Maybe the next time you see my name, you will stop and ask yourself what it is that I am trying to tell you. Or better yet – ask me!
*In a good way!
**I know, but just think of how many times I have to endure it!
Copyright 2009 by Robert Stanford, All Rights Reserved.
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