Shaping Carrollton Politics

Shaping Carrollton Politics tonight in Candidates Forum

Sponsored by: Barbeque Tonite, Carrollton
Video & Photo: Bombay Photography

PROGRAM OUTLINE

 
The program was videotaped and will be on YouTube with a title “Shaping Carrollton Politics”  and other sites including www.CarroltonDiary.com


It is not a run of the mill candidate forum and it is not about the typical budget issue. It is about building a cohesive Carrollton where no resident has to live in apprehension of the other and more importantly, they need to feel welcome.  We hope you will find this meeting meaningful in building our future.

1.      NATIONAL ANTHEM – Played out Audio

         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJI_rlar68M

2.     PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Led by former Mayor Ron Branson

3.     PLURALISM GREETINGS – Greetings from A-Z Religions

4.     PURPOSE:  Carrollton is enriched with every race, religion and ethnicity and as residents of this city, we want that to continue. 

It’s my dream to make our city an exemplary city in social cohesion, where we learn to respect and appreciate the uniqueness of each one of us.  Peace is a product of opening our hearts and minds and learning about each other instead of believing in dished out versions of the other. If I need to feel safe, secure and peaceful, I need to work to make sure everyone around me is safe.  If I live in fears, it is likely the others do the same.

The program will be taped and sent as a model event in series of events to take place throughout the United States of America to build cohesive societies

5.     ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

a.     Salim Odhwani, Barbeque Tonite Restaurant

b.     Dignitaries, Former Mayors Becky Miller and Ron Branson

6.     CANDIDATES INTRODUCTION

As a society, it is our responsibility to keep law and order and faithfully guard the safety of every citizen. Hate is one of the many sources of disrupting the peace in a society and it is our duty to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it.  America together, Americans Together is an educational and pragmatic initiative to wean out myths from reality that is hurting the social cohesiveness of America. The myths are vigorously pumped in by a few insecure souls to disrupt delicate balance in the society by pitching one American against the other for their perceived gains.

The purpose of this “America Together” is to remove such myths in an open discussion forum and restore the cohesiveness of our society and work towards building a safe and secure America.

CANDIDATES INTRODUCTION

            Cathy Henesey, place 4
            Bob Garza, place 4|

                        Bonnie Kaplan, place 2

                        Anthony Wilder, Place 2 – declined to attend

http://carrolltondiary.blogspot.com/2011/06/candidates-forum-reshaping-carrollton.html

7.     ONE MINUTE RESPONSE

Since our independence in 1776, we have been tested time and again by various political, economic and religious forces to divide us, however, at the end we have come out strong as one nation. The Civil War, the Great Depression, the World War, Pearl Harbor, Women’s rights, Abortion, the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Budget Deficits, Unemployment, 9/11, the Iraq and Afghanistan War have all been difficult, but we will make it through and sanity will prevail.

To the naysayers, we say, if we don’t do a thing about it, nothing good can be expected to happen.

Please pass the microphones… after response.

a.     Civil Unions,

b.     Racial profiling,

c.      Islamophobia,

d.     Anti-Semitism

e.      Immigration reforms in Farmers Branch

f.       Anti-Circumcision issues in San Francisco http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/circumcision-satire_b_872270.html  

8.     What plans do they have to keep the social cohesion in Carrollton? We have come a long way to embrace and accept the otherness of other and we have a whole lot more to go; in the coming months we will be holding meetings to understand the complexity of issues such as Gay & Lesbian acceptance, Anti-Semitism, Stereotyping, Racial profiling and hope to find answers that will lead to accepting the otherness of other to co-exists in harmony despite our differences.

9.     Q & A

Please ask the question without commentary, we need to get a few questions answered and I request you to just ask the question… take a minute. Thank you.

10. PLURALISM PRAYERS 

Carrollton is enriched with every race, religion and ethnicity.    

The following is an inclusive prayer called the prayer of Pluralism. We pray for the well being of every resident of Carrollton. 

Let’s reflect, wish and pray:

Dear Creator of the universe,

Please accept our gratitude in every name we call upon you; Manito,  Yahweh, Elahi, Ishwar, Allah, Mahavira, Buddha, Wahe Guru, Ahura Mazda, mother earth and Jesus Christ.  

Dear Causer of the universes,

In your name we want to create a cohesive and peaceful Carrollton with care kindness and dignity to every one of the 130,000 residents of this beautiful City. 

Dear God,

Help us appreciate the prosperity and progress brought to us by our former Mayors, Gravely, Stokes, Miller, Branson and guide our current Mayor Matthew to build a cohesive Carrolton.

Guide us in selecting two candidates from the four, who can serve our city and work on strengthening our unity. 

Guide our council members to treat,

Respect and honor every resident with their heart and soul.

Let goodwill prevail towards fellow Americans.

Guide our Mayor and the council to serve us with integrity and honesty;
Guide us to serve our communities with the spirit of volunteerism;
Guide us to do the right thing every moment of our life;
Guide us to open our hearts and minds toward our fellow beings;
Guide us to shed the arrogance in us, and enrich us with humility
Guide us to become conflict mitigaters and goodwill nurturers.

Dear God, Protect our men and women in uniforms committed to our safety and well being.

Help us learn to respect the uniqueness you have blessed to each one of the 130,000 of us in Carrollton,

And help us learn to respect everywhich way one adores you and worships you.

May God drench and soak us with peaceful thoughts and goodwill.

In your name, we bow to you.

Amen.

More about the Candidates at www.CarrolltonDiary.com

http://carrolltondiary.blogspot.com/2011/06/candidates-forum-reshaping-carrollton.html

Video will be posted at the following sites: www.AmericaTogetherFoundation.com, http://www.mikeghouse.net/, www.FoundationforPluralims.com and  www.WorldMuslimCongress.com

Carrollton Vote, cast your ballot today

Its not too late to exercise your responsibility to share about your city candidates with your friends. I am doing it for my City and hope you can do it for your City. Voting a candidate is a personal decision and no matter who your choice is, please cast your ballot on Saturday, May 14th.  

We care deeply about our City and want to elect candidates who can attend to the most critical needs of our times; we are blessed to have so many good candidates to serve our city. 

One of the important aspects of a city is how well it functions in bringing the people together, where all of us with our differences contribute to the well being, safety and security of our city. 

Please check your City website and participate in your Municipal, School and county elections.

Carrollton is my City and based on the criteria of building a safe and cohesive Carrollton,  I am pleased to present the following candidates, who have the experience and a track record for you to consider.  

Carrollton is my City and here is the

Matthew Marchant for Mayor

Bonnie Kaplan for City council place 2

Bob Garza for City council place 4

For locations and other details click - http://www.cityofcarrollton.com/index.aspx?page=27&recordid=661&returnURL=%2Findex.aspx

Please check the comments in the following link, we asked all the candidates to write about their work and plan to bring social cohesion to Carrollton. : http://carrolltondiary.blogspot.com/2011/05/question-for-candidates_02.html

Bonnie Kaplan said...

I am running for City Council, Place 2. I know about budgets and economic development from having served before on the Carrollton City Council. This time, if I am fortunate enough to be elected, my emphasis will be on building community, real community.

Let me tell you two stories to illustrate. Back in the year 2000, I was serving on city council and was running for mayor. In the middle of the campaign, on Easter Sunday which was also Passover, my very large double white front doors were spray painted with a huge black swastika. My husband is a Jew, and in a Jewish household there is not a symbol that is more disgusting. We were shocked and horrified, as were many in our community. This cruel event hurt us for a very long time, for it caused us to wonder who would do something so terrible to us. Through this event, I learned what it felt like to be an outsider, ostrasized for no reason except religion and heritage.

I always had a heart and a soul for community and diversity. This event only strengthened it.

In 2009, the A.W. Perry Museum Society decided to make a quilt to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the rebuilt A.W. Perry home. I was named project leader for a fundraising event. We decided to sell squares and strips that people would purchase and sign. The signed squares and strips would be incorporated into the design of the quilt. I realized that Carrollton today looked very different than the Carrollton of 1909. One of the most obvious differences was in the demographics. Today Carrollton is a very diverse city, ethnically, religiously and socially.

I decided to seek out those who would represent the many kinds of diversity. Therefore, we reached out to everyone. No one was excluded. People who participated in the project ranged from in ages from eight to ninety-one. Many different races were included in the quilt. Some people signed because of their occupations, such as firefighters and boy scouts, others signed because of their countries of origin, such as Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Mexico, China, Vietnam and Egypt. There were patches for various churches, including Christians, Baptists, Hindu, Orthodox Armenians, Jewish and Muslims. Descendants of the original settlers of Carrollton also signed the quilt.

The signed squares and strips were sent to a quilter with no instructions on how to place them. She did not know the participants and so randomly placed the patches throughout the design. The finished quilt became of tapestry of Carrollton’s diversity and community. It represents an ideal to which we can all aspire, with all the differences stitched into one beautiful whole

Bob Garza said...

My name is Bob Garza candidate for Carrollton City Council Place 4. My wife Emily and I have lived in Carrollton for 22 years. We have 2 grown children and 4 grandchildren.

I served in the US Air Force and I am a Viet Nam Veteran, graduated from The University of North Texas with a BBA degree using the G. I. Bill.

I was appointed by City Council to the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) Committee and have served for about 3 years. This past year I was also appointed to the city Charter Review Committee.

I am Chairman of the Senior Adult Services board an organization that serves seniors ages 60 and over with meals, transportation, home repairs and Medicare and Medicaid filing assistance. I also serve on the Dallas Telco Federal Credit Union Board.

I have been involved in the community for over 10 years having served on numerous boards of chambers and non-profit organizations. These include Bea's Kids, which provides after school tutoring for minority kids and served on both the Metrocrest and Farmers Branch chambers. Several years ago I help sponsor a trip to Austin for a group of CFB-ISD high school students and coordinated a meeting with several legislators.

I served on the Trinity Medical Center hospital board and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors at Brookhaven Country Club.

I recently retired with 35 years of business experience in Finance, Auditing, Technology, International and Governmental Relations.

My Governmental Relations job allowed me the opportunity to work with all levels of government elected officials and staff. I am familiar with issues cities are facing today and feel I can be an effective contributor.

One of several campaign goals is to represent all Carrollton residents fairly and equally. I would like to help resurrect the Diversity Committee once in place a few years ago. Carrollton is a great place to live and raise a family and includes a variety of different cultures I think we can embrace and celebrate together.


Mike Ghouse
www.MikeGhouse.net
www.Carrolltondiary.com

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Mike Ghouse is a frequent guest at the TV, radio and print media offering pluralistic solutions to issues of the day. He is a thinker, writer, speaker, optimist and an activist of Pluralism, Interfaith, Co-existence, Peace, Islam and India. He His work is reflected at three websites and 22 Blogs at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

Ghouse Diary for weekending April 10, 2011

This last week in pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeghouse/sets/72157626466582152/

Appreciated our soldiers at DFW Airport; I have gone to the Airport a few times to welcome our soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Even if we don’t agree with the wars, we have to honor our soldiers, they serve their duty faithfully.

Led the Pluralism prayers at the Carrollton City Council, a Carrollton Tradition where we invoke the prayers prior to the city council meetings. I have been a part of this program for over three years now. Mayor Tom Leppert of Dallas wanted me to do that the Dallas city council but never got around to do that. I hope to do it at the State Capital and Capitol house in DC.  Here is the short version of the prayers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Git_8Grd3A or text format

http://carrolltondiary.blogspot.com/2011/04/prayers-at-carrollton-city-council.html

Interfaith Dialogue on the bus was carried on with visiting Muslim leaders and Imams from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Chad and Egypt, about ten of them in all. Went back to their hotel and carried the conversation further till 1:00 AM. It was such a delight to know about the Pluralism work being done there, its amazing that a few Muslims in America are not familiar with Pluralism deeply entrenched in Islam and Prophet Muhammad was the first interfaith religious leader in the world, however, a claim was made that Zoroastrians prior to Islam have done that as well.  Three of them are doing some extraordinary research on co-existence and it was a joy for me to hear them and share what we are doing.  http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2011/04/prayers-at-carrollton-city-council.html 

International Women’s cultural dances, where they showcased national dances from four different countries.  It was a great time on my table organized by Graciela, ten of us were all from different ethnicities; Spain, Ukraine, Turkey, Iran, Mexico, Taiwan, China, Belgium and of course India (me). We have to appreciate living in the United States where such openness exists, each one of us had our own unique blend of accents and it was funny to hear every one say the word Kalee-four-Niyya, even the darn Governor of California cannot pronounce the word. It is a model for the world to learn and not to be judgmental about others.

I was delighted to find Nishi Bhatia to be the president of the Association while her husband Jyoti has been a pioneer in Dallas Indian community being the first president of the India Association and one of the Presidents of the Hindu Temple

India: Bharatnatyam & Punjabi folk songs,
Mexico: Jarabe Tapatio & Mexican hat dance,

Argentina: Zamba & Huayra Muyog

Venzeuala: Joropo

Argentina: Milonga & Tango

India/Pakistan TV show ”USA Desi TV” is being shown on Jadoo and Jalwa TV, they will be introducing a few members of the Dallas/ Fort Worth community and I was featured on it, and they are planning to do a few items on me about Pluralism, Islam, Community Service, Unity Day and little bit about my personal life. It is in Urdu/ Hindi language.

I completely missed out on the luncheon meeting today by the Islamic Speakers Bureau in Richardson. Here is my Muslim Speaker profile; my other profiles are home builder, generic and Pluralism speaker.

http://www.mikeghouse.net/MikeGhouse_MuslimSpeaker_Dallas_Texas_USA.asp

I will be visiting my friend Gary and Linda Evans for a reception on Sunday; Gary is a cancer survivor and has taken him three years to come out of it.

That reminds me of another friend Naved Syed, who has successfully come out of Cancer as well.

My highlight of the week was spending time with my daughter Jazzie, she is amazing to me. Mina, Tamanna, Dilshad and my mother are my favorite women; My Maternal Grandfather visited my mother every Wednesday mornings, he would come straight from the Mosque and sit with my mother for hours while making fruit salads for us kids; My Dad had a special voice for my sister Dilshad, the way he called my sister was filled with tons of affection, although I have not spent much time with Tamanna, I feel she is my 2nd daughter. I have a special boding with Mina,  I like calling her with her name. She joys me up every time I spend time with her… she is an amazing intellect… a self proclaimed Darwinian moving away from being a Baptist and a Lutheran. Two of my thoughts in pluralism came from her viz;’ i) Gee Dad, God can be worshipped in so many ways and ii) The minister has to say his religion is the best, otherwise why would any one want to go to his congregation, greater money is collected with greater number of congregants.

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Mike Ghouse is committed to build a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. http://www.mikeghouse.net/