I have been quiet on posting on this Diary of the Worm for a few days for a variety of reasons. Today I received one more reason for not posting or for posting, depending how you take the experience.

Today I was on a conference call with four Vincentians from around the country. It was an appeal of my suspension from Society of St. Vincent de Paul by the US President of the Society. I had asked if I could know who my accusers were and see what the accusations were. I was told it would not matter.

Someone from the US Central office was on the phone with members from New Jersey, Chicago and Cincinnati. The charges from the national president, very vague, were presented and I denied them. The ‘Cease and Desist’ email from the National CEO, who I did not know was charging me, were brought up and I said I did not do what he falsely accuse me of doing. However, than one of the national members brought to my attention a file of 81 pages he had received. He asked me what was www.nonviolentcow.org and the Diary of the Worm, this posting. I told him and asked what this had to do with the hearing. He then gave me a statement taken out of context how I was calling St. Vincent de Paul Society racist. I explained to him that after 15 years I have come to conclusion that the Society in Milwaukee in its actions, like spending millions of dollars on a Thrift store in an all white area where the poor in minority neighborhoods were not being served by the Society was wrong and a sign of an action, what some would call “institutional or structural” racism. It may be unconscious to small group of white suburban people running the Society in Milwaukee, but it is very harmful to the poor.

But like the lady said from the National Office and like the small group of elite whites who run the local Society practice, facts and poor people do not matter. As one friend told me today “Truth hurts” and people do not want to hear it. If my suspension is upheld, which it seems likely, I will continue to cry out for the poor and marginalized. If I am suspended I do not need to worry about being kicked out of the Society for being a voice of voiceless and go as public as I can. My suspension will be a victory for the powers of ‘exceptionalism’ and ‘racism’ but only a very small one. If my message is true it will still rise up. The truth will prevail.

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