Sample Letter To Virginia Legislators About Granting Geriatric and Regular Parole To Deserving Prisoners

Its mission is to "grant parole to those whose
release is compatible with public safety."

If you believe parole release should be granted to Virginia prisoners who have worked hard for years to earn it, I suggest you write your own letter or email to your legislators, but here's a sample letter by the Virginia chapter of Ignite Justice:

Dear Senator,

   This letter is in regards to the confirmation of the current parole board. Governor Youngkin vowed to slow parole rates for violent criminals which makes up nearly all of the parole docket. Looking at the current parole board’s body of work, it's clear they're committed to Youngkin's mission. In 2021 163 people were released on parole in Virginia compared to only 53 under this "interim" parole board in 2022. The coalition of prison justice reformers are arguing that prisoners who've waited 2 decades for justice from unfair trials are now being subjected to an unfair parole process.  

First, there's the question of what legal and ethical authority these nominees have, who've yet to be confirmed to grant or deny anyone parole. The law requires parole membership to come from 2 separate processes involving 2 separate branches of government. This so-called "interim" parole board has functioned as members for nearly a year without legislative confirmation and the coalition says that's unfair at best and unlawful at worst. 

Second, the coalition asserts that the parole board is biased because they were chosen specifically to reduce parole rates. 

Third, the coalition asserts that there's a structurally racist component to the make-up of the parole board. The last parole board was 80% African American and Youngkin replaced them with a parole board that's 80% white. The coalition argues that nearly 70% of the people going up for parole are African American and from areas in Virginia many of these people have never been. 

Lastly, the coalition asserts that the interim parole board is made of people who aren't from Virginia. Of the four interim members only Samuel Boone Jr is from Virginia. None of the others who are impacting the fate of citizens of this Commonwealth are from Virginia. 

For these reasons the coalition wants their confirmation hearings to be public and the following questions asked to the interim parole board members: 

1.  Why has the parole rate dropped so drastically under the interim PB from that of the previous PB?  

2.  Why are so many inmates being given more reasons for their parole denials by this interim PB than they were given under the previous PB? 

3.  Would you be okay with establishing objective standards for inmates to make parole? 

4.  How important is a PB members subjective opinion in deciding whether to grant parole? 

5.  Do you believe FISHBACK parole and Juvenile parole inmates who became eligible in 2020 should be reviewed differently considering their paroles are remedies for violations of their rights? 

6.  Are their criminal acts that have been committed that are so violent or gruesome in your mind there's no way you'd vote for the offender of the act to be paroled? 

7.  What biases do you consciously bring to the job and how do you mitigate those biases? 

8.  What are you looking for when reviewing someone's parole request? 

9.  Chairman Dotson has stated at several meetings that the PB is going to try and get a check list of requirements for inmates to make parole, what would be 3 requirements you'd present? 

10. Do you believe there should be more members on the PB? explain. 

 11. Would you like personally to meet the inmates requesting parole or do you prefer the  current system using interviewers not on the PB? explain.

We the people ask that these questions be asked of the parole board nominees during the confirmation hearing. We also ask that based on the previous results from last year that you vote to NOT confirm these nominees. 

Respectfully, a concerned Virginia Citizen

A Christmas Visit With A Long Lost Foster Sister

Alma Jean is recovering from a bad case of flu, but Joanie
and I enjoyed our little annual Christmas gift exchange today.

I was six years old when my parents began providing temporary foster care for children from the Augusta County Social Services Department. Over the next several years more than a dozen foster kids were in and out of our busy farm house, home to my parents and their five daughters and three sons (I being the youngest).

The first of these, Mary Beth, was only four weeks old when she joined us, and our family eventually adopted her to take my place as "the baby in the family." 

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2016/01/in-memory-of-my-sister-mary-beth.html

Our second was a special needs child with cerebral palsy, Janet Hanshaw, who had been abandoned by her mother and had no connections with any of her family or relatives. She was 18 months old when she arrived, unable to walk and having difficulty with verbal communication. She was with us for a full year and half until Social Services moved her to the Central Virginia Training School near Lynchburg. 

I remember visiting with Janet there some years later, feeling badly about conditions in her new home and about the kind of care she and others were receiving in that crowded facility.

Fast forwarding to over three decades later, I was invited to speak at a vesper service one evening at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community, where they just happened to have a number of guests present from nearby Harrison House, a part of a new Pleasant View Homes for the Handicapped location just north of VMRC. 

After the service I chatted with the Harrison House staff and guests, one of whom was introduced as Joanie Hanshaw, a friendly, smiling resident in a wheelchair. The name immediately rang a bell. Could this possibly be the cheerful little foster kid who wheeled around our house in a walker many years before?

The name was slightly different, but I learned she was indeed a former resident at the Lynchburg based Training School, and that she was making amazing progress at Harrison House, learning to take care of herself and to take on many tasks no one had formerly thought she was capable of. The next day I was able to confirm she was indeed one of my more memorable former foster siblings.

Ever since Joanie has insisted on calling me her "brother," and Alma Jean and I have had her for multiple birthday and Christmas celebrations with our family since that time, and I have continued to stay in touch.

Joanie is now 77 and has gone through numerous health crises and hospitalizations in recent years. But she has now been in a nearby Moyer Apartment assisted living unit of Pleasant View for several decades, and is always delighted to welcome us and others as her guests. 

She has truly been a blessing to us and to everyone whose lives she has touched.

What I Found Disturbing In Zelensky's Address

Ukrainian President Zelensky addressing the US Congress.

Much as I grieve the unimaginable suffering of the Ukrainian people and admire their courage in the face of a cruel invasion, I couldn't help but have mixed feelings about President Volodymyr Zelensky's address to Congress last night.

I'm certainly no expert in matters of national policies but speak only as a concerned world citizen and as an imperfect follower of the Prince of Peace.

Here are some parts of the address last night I found disturbing:

1. We have to utterly defeat the Kremlin on the battlefield.

Where will an ongoing, all out effort  to return evil for evil, an "eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" take us, short of everyone being finally being rendered blind and toothless? Can't we even consider other ways of ending conflicts than having our enemies completely destroyed and defeated? 

There was no mention of any efforts at calling for at least a temporary truce while bringing opposing parties to the peace table to negotiate an enduring peace. True, this is not a conflict between equals, but what will adding ever more destructive missiles and other weapons of massive destruction accomplish other than causing ever more destruction and suffering? Assuming a nuclear superpower like Russia can simply be backed into a corner with no option but abject surrender seems less likely than having the war expand into a worldwide holocaust.

2. Our fight for independence is like yours in 1776.

It could be argued, of course, that Ukraine's war is far more justified than the colonists' revolt against the English crown. King George certainly wasn't the tyrant Putin has proven to be, and was not illegally invading the colonies. By Zelensky's logic, it would be native Americans who should have fought off European invaders until they were forced to surrender and withdraw. Would that have been the only just outcome?

3. Like Churchill we are asking for your help in saving the world from tyranny.

It was numerous media commentators, not Zelensky himself, who made the point that he was the first head of state since Winston Churchill to address the US Congress while their nation was at war. I found this comparison chilling, as the Second World War II turned into the most brutal, barbaric and catastrophic worldwide disaster ever. Do we really believe the use of megatons of bombs and finally nuclear weapons was the only way the world could be saved? The lives of 50-80 million people were lost in this awful war.

Citizens of one of the most Christianized nations in the world, Germany, could and should have prevented Hitler from coming to power by refusing to believe his lies and by not supporting any of his evil schemes. That kind of vigilant resistance to evil and replacing evil with good is the only lasting way to a peaceful and just world, not by using evil means in an attempt to achieve good ends.

Could we all join in a standing ovation to that kind of proposal?  

Blessed By A Gracious Voice From The Past

In his retirement Whitelow became known as the man who
greeted school buses and passing motorists every morning on
Bridgewater’s Main Street.

Carlyle Whitelow, a lifelong resident of Bridgewater, Va., died just over a year ago at age 89. He and his brother Alfred were the first black students to graduate from Bridgewater College, and Carlyle was the first black athlete in the South to compete in a predominantly white college. He later became a beloved professor and distinguished coach at his alma mater for 28 years.

I never got to personally know Mr. Whitelow but in going through some old papers during our move a year ago I ran across a letter he wrote to me in 2013 as a total stranger. It is one I will always cherish, especially since learning more about this good man in the years since then. 

In his handwritten post he graciously commended me for a letter to the editor I had written in response to a July 30, 2013, edition of the Daily News-Record commemorating the life and legacy of the late Harry F. Byrd, Jr., under the heading DN-R's Coverage Of Byrd Incomplete:

Here is Professor Whitelow's kind response, mistakenly addressing me as "Dr. Yoder":

My prayer is that we all become encouragers like this godly and good hearted man. 

Note: For the record, this is the text of the letter I had written to the DN-R and to which he he took the time to respond:

Editor, Daily News-Record: 

I appreciated your extensive coverage of the many accomplishments of the late Harry F. Byrd Jr. However, it included only the following brief mention of his role in opposing desegregation and civil rights legislation: "Throughout the agonizing times of the 1950's, Harry Jr. said little but stood firmly with his father in Massive Resistance, a policy of opposing school desegregation." 

A newspaper, including this one owned by the Byrd family, is free to publish whatever it chooses. But it also has the responsibility to give us the full story on an issue of this historic importance.

Our Ghastly Top Ten US "Merchants of Death"

 

For every dollar China spends on arms, the US spends $2.77, much of it borrowed money.

Any so-called "Christian" nation should be known for promoting peace and goodwill on earth instead of arming itself with the deadliest stockpile of weapons imaginable. Our Pentagon budget, a record $742.3 billion this year, is so out of control that it has been incapable of a credible audit for the fifth year in a row, and actually includes $58 billion more than the Defense Department even requested.

Were we to join other nations in investing that kind of money in development and food aid, we could eliminate world hunger and help bring about a far safer, healthier and more sustainable world. 
     

Here are top ten US corporations profiting from this grievous misappropriation of resources:

General Dynamics Corp
 L3 Harris Corporation
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Oshkosh Corp
Raytheon Technologies Corporation
Collins Aerospace
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Northrop Grumman Corporation
BAE Systems
Boeing Company

Read the following for more details: https://blog.executivebiz.com/articles/the-top-10-defense-contractors-in-2022/

Kyrie Eleison.

Lord, have mercy.

Coughing, Hiccoughs And Some Stray Earbuds

Hearing aid earbud: the replaceable white
piece shown above.

Not having gotten much relief after a recent medical visit for incessant coughing and hiccups, my good wife persuaded me to go to MedExpress Thursday. They were really backed up with patients, so we went to Valley Urgent Care instead. After a 45 minute wait I had an EKG and a thorough checkup, and was told I had significant wax buildup in my ears, so I agreed to have them remove it, hoping it would help my hearing if nothing else.

Turns out they not only got rid of the wax but found two stray earbuds from my hearing aids in my right ear. Not one, but two! So yes, I can now hear better, even though I've experienced only gradual improvement otherwise. 

Apparently incessant hiccups are sometimes, though rarely, associated with a life threatening condition known as pulmonary embolism (PE)  that may present as dyspnea, chest pain, cough or hemoptysis. Hence the EKG, which fortunately ruled out any heart problem.

The good news is that had I not gone for help, or had been seen by MedExpress, I may still be wondering why I have such poor hearing in my right ear (Side note: This is also a reason married men live longer, in that they are more likely to be persuaded to get medical help when they need it).

Meanwhile, I did wonder, after reading the following in a Mayo Clinic piece I found online, if there might be any connection between my having these foreign objects in my ear and my hiccups:

"A cause of long-term hiccups is damage to or irritation of the vagus nerves or phrenic nerves, which serve the diaphragm muscle. Factors that may cause damage or irritation to these nerves include: 

• A hair or something else in your ear touching your eardrum

• A tumor, cyst or goiter in your neck

• Gastroesophageal reflux

• Sore throat or laryngitis"

Having said that, the earbuds probably weren't touching my eardrum in any case, and the hiccups haven't altogether disappeared since their removal, but God does sometimes seem to work in mysterious and hilarious ways.

A suggested note for future medical journals: "When seeing patients with coughing or hiccups, be sure to check for any foreign objects in their ears." 

Should We Celebrate A Thriving US Economy?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been one way of measuring the strength of our nation's economy. 

Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. She was proud and committed detestable sins, so I wiped her out, as you have seen. Ezekiel 16:49-50 (NLT)

Contrary to widespread fears, the U.S. economy, by most accounts, appears to be doing better than expected. First the good news:

• The rate of inflation is slowing.

• A greater than expected 263,000 new jobs were created in November, and job growth is exceeding pre-pandemic levels.

• The jobless rate is 3.7%, a historic low level.

• Gas prices are continuing to drop, in spite of predictions they would rise as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• The stock market appears to be relatively stable.

I'm not an economist, but should we be celebrating an economy that at least doesn't appear to be going over a cliff anytime soon? And hope that our 401k's may be able to ensure a comfortable retirement?

Or should we, given the warnings of Jesus and the prophets, be looking at a sobering other side of the picture?

For example, dare we celebrate the success of any economy that has resulted from land and resources having been brutally stolen from native peoples who lived here for millennia before our arrival? Or one which has prospered at the expense of hundreds of thousands of cruelly mistreated African slaves and multitudes of impoverished and abused immigrant workers? Or one in which large profits are still being made through the exploitation of vast amounts of natural resources and cheap labor around the world?

To the extent that any economy fails to deliver good news for the poor and release for the oppressed, a compassionate God--and the verdict of history--will not offer an unqualified blessing.

Nor should we.

Some Names To Add To Your Holiday Card List

John Bennie Williams, 89 and
legally blind, is at near zero risk
for reoffending, but has been
repeatedly denied both geriatric
  and regular parole. 

"Remember those in prison as if you were also in bonds, and those who suffer as though you were suffering with them."  Hebrews 13:3               

This year I'm again encouraging individuals and groups to send cards to people behind bars. Below are the names of some folks with whom I have had some correspondence, and who I know would appreciate some good tidings from the outside.

I only have current addresses for men. There are also two state prisons for women in Virginia, and the number of women behind bars in the commonwealth is growing. Kingsway Outreach Ministry could provide some addresses of incarcerated women if you'd like. 

When you send your card(s) you can include things like an interesting article, a copy of an inspirational piece, or your family's annual newsletter. Regrettably, the Department of Corrections now makes photocopies of the envelope and its contents to be given to the prisoner, but getting any kind of mail is always appreciated. Unless you are sending cards to everyone(!) please select names at random rather than simply choosing from the top of the list. 

Thank you!

Note: What you send may weigh no more than one ounce, and include no more than a total of three items. Do not include cash, checks, postage stamps or prepaid envelopes. 

Mr James Bender, 1010837      
Lunenburg Correctional Center  690 Falls Rd, Victoria, VA. 23974-2213
 
Mr. Brian E. Brubaker 1315055 B-414       
Deerfield Correctional Center 21360 Deerfield Drive, Capron, VA 23829
 
Mr. Brian Cable 1198947    
River North Correctional Center 329 Dell Brook Lane, Independence, VA 24348
 
Mr. Lawrence Davis, 1443841      
Haynesville Correctional Center 421 Barnfield Road. Haynesville, VA 22472
 
Mr. Stephano Colosi 1037581     
Buckingham Correctional Center P. O. Box 430, Dillwyn, VA 23936-0430
 
Mr. Branson Fink, 1011319 3 S. Bunk #51     
Bland Correctional Center    256 Bland Farm Rd, Bland, VA. 24315
 
Mr. Robert Davis Fitchett 1035660       
Buckingham Correctional Center P. O. Box 430, Dillwyn, VA 23936-0430
 
Mr. Henry Goham 1158927     
Wallens Ridge Prison 272 Dogwood Drive, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219
 
Mr. M. Steven W. Goodman 1028377     
Green Rock Correctional Center   475 Green Rock Lane, Chatham, VA 24531
 
Mr. A. Jefferson Grissette 1143033       
St. Brides Correctional Facility P.O. Box 16482, Chesapeake, VA 23328
 
Mr. Robert Vernon Hostetter 1054419       
Augusta Correctional Center 1821 Estaline Valley Road, Craigsville, VA 24430
 
Mr. Keith L. Hill 1059964
Buckingham Correctional Center    P.O. Box 430, Dillwyn, VA 23936

Mr. Pernell Jefferson 1016207      
Buckingham Correctional Center BI-412-B  P. O. Box 430, Dillwyn, VA 23936

Mr. John Lafon 1151231
Green Rock Correctional Center P.O. Box 1000  Chatham, VA 24531
 
Mr. Daniel Leneave 1084415 H4C238   
Greensville Correctional Center  901 Corrections Way, Jarratt, VA 23870-6914
 
Mr. John Livesay 1108120 Greensville Correctional Center 
901 Corrections Way, Jarratt, VA 23870-6914

Mr. Chander Matta 1171204
Buckingham Correctional Center P.O. Box 430, Dillwyn, VA 23936
 
Mr. Thomas Melnyczyn 1007916       
Deerfield Correctional Center 21360 Deerfield Drive, Capron, VA 23829
 
Mr. Ronald Miles 1067348    
Deerfield Correctional Center  21360 Deerfield Drive, Capron, VA 23829
 
Mr. John Nissley 1148222      
Buckingham Correctional Center P.O. Box 430, Dillwyn, VA 23936
 
Mr. Kenneth R. Pack 1063808     
Buckingham Correctional Center   P. O. Box 430, Dillwyn, VA 23936

Mr. Larry Patterson 1116462
Deerfield Correctional Center  21360 Deerfield Drive, Capron, VA 23829
 
Mr. Timothy Rankin 1208262     
Augusta Correctional Center  1821 Estaline Valley Road, Craigsville VA 24430
 
Mr. Khalid A. Shabazz 1157998
Buckingham Correctional Center  P.O. Box 430, Dillwyn, VA 23936

Mr. Minor Junior Smith 1158588 (blind)    
Deerfield Correctional Center  21360 Deerfield Drive, Capron, VA 23829

Mr. Thomas Stover 1437803 5B  9B      
Dillwyn Correctional Center  P.O. Box 670, Dillwyn, VA 23936

Mr. William Thorpe #2261982 
Wainwright Unit, H-1_17  2665 Prison Road #1, Love Lady, Texas 75851
 
Mr. Jerry Treadway 1021558 cell B-617 (deaf)      
Greensville Correctional Center  901 Corrections Way, Jarratt, VA 23870-6914
 
Mr. Jonathan D. Turner 1941213      
Lunenburg Correctional Center   690 Falls Rd, Victoria, VA. 23974-2213
 
Mr. Richard Webb 1174188       
Augusta Correctional Center  1821 Estaline Valley Road, Craigsville VA 24430

Mr. Jonathan D. White 1161021-128952
Augusta Correctional Center  1821 Estaline Valley Road, Craigsville VA 24430

Mr. Greg Widener 1083217
Augusta Correctional Center  1821 Estaline Valley Road, Craigsville VA 24430

Mr. John Bennie Williams 1091323 (blind)     
Deerfield Correctional Center  21360 Deerfield Drive, Capron, VA 23829
 
Mr. Charles E. Zellers, Sr. 1036758      
Buckingham Correctional Center  P.O. Box 430, Dillwyn, VA 23936

NOTE: If you prefer not to include your physical address with your letter, and don't have a post office box, you can have the person respond to you c/o P.O. Box 434, Harrisonburg, VA 22803 and I'll relay their message to you (assuming you give me your contact information). In my many years of corresponding with incarcerated individuals I have never had any problems resulting from disclosing my address, but some do recommend against it.

HARD TIME VIRGINIA Vol. 7, No. 3, Christmas 2022

    An occasional newsletter by and for incarcerated persons in Virginia 

A Hanukkah Miracle                                  - Harvey Yoder

In a Reader’s Digest story years ago the Markovitz’s, a Jewish family who lived in a Pennsylvania suburb, were rudely awakened one night during the Christmas season by the sound of glass shattering. They ran to their living room to find their picture window broken where they had their illuminated menorah, a Jewish candelabra, damaged and lying on the floor. 

     There’s was the only home in their neighborhood that didn’t have traditional Christmas decorations, and some person or group apparently felt a need to express their intolerance by destroying this symbol of their faith used in a celebration of Hanukkah, marking the event when, as tradition has it, Jews returned to their temple in Jerusalem after their exile and went about reconsecrating it by keeping a lamp lit in the temple day and night. There was oil enough only for one night, but according to tradition, the lamp kept burning for eight nights, a miracle Hanukkah commemorates each year. 

     Some of the Markowitz’s neighbors got together to determine how to show their support. The next evening when they returned to their home, they saw an extraordinary sight, like another miracle. House after house had an illuminated menorah in the window, as if to say, “If you want to bring harm to one of us, you will have to attack to us all.” 

Incarceration Numbers in Virginia Are Dropping

According to a November 22, 2022 Richmond Times article, the number of adult offenders incarcerated in Virginia is set to drop 12% this fiscal year, and will likely remain below 27,000 for the next five years, according to the state forecast. That comes after a 19% drop from 2019, before the pandemic hit.

     Here are key factors cited in the article:

• Over 70% due to the release of 2,676 inmates under the Earned Sentence Credit bill 

• Raising the felony threshold for larceny from $500 to $1,000 in 2020

• Changes in sentencing guidelines for technical violations of probation

• Numbers were already in decline by about 5% from a 2014 peak

•While there has been some increase in assault and theft cases, charges for drug use or possession (other than marijuana) are down by 16% so far this year.

Youngkin restores civil rights to over 800 Virginians

Only Virginia and Kentucky bar convicted felons from voting, but individuals in our state can have the governor restore their rights on a case-by-case basis. Gov. Youngkin has said, “Second chances are essential to ensuring Virginians who have made mistakes are able to move forward toward a successful future…. I applaud those who have committed to starting fresh with renewed values and a will to positively contribute to our society.” 

   During his four years in office Gov. Terry McAuliffe restored voting rights to a total of 173,611 citizens with felony convictions, and former Gov. Ralph Northam restored rights to 69,000.

Stamps and commissary products now packaged offsite

Since commissary items are being processed and shipped from the new Keefe warehouse in Glen Allen, price increases have already begun to show up. For example, a box of 100 individual blue sugar twin sweeteners was $1.97 per box, and they are now $0.36 cents for a package of ten individual packs, which is $3.60 per 100, which represents a 83% increase, with other increases sure to be added. Meanwhile, wages and prison work salaries for offender's have not increased at all.  (submitted by Jonathan White at Augusta Correctional Center)

A Conversation with Parole Board Chair Dotson

I had a half hour phone conversation recently with Chadwick Dotson, the chair of the Virginia Parole Board appointed by Governor Youngkin, about some of the longstanding concerns many have had about our present parole system. He had read my column in the February 5, 2022 Richmond Times on parole and said he was in substantial agreement with the  reforms proposed by the Prison Policy Initiative as cited in my Times piece. 

     The Chairman reiterated his desire to give every parole eligible person a fair hearing and a second chance, but admitted that so far the Board's grant rates haven't reflected the change in numbers he hopes to see in the upcoming months. Not all members of his Board agree on how, among other things, the seriousness of an individual's crime should affect a decision about their release versus the seriousness with which they have worked at their rehabilitation. He stated several times that he would like to be able to have more members have actual conversations with the individuals whose cases are being reviewed so they could interact with real persons and not just with data provided by board examiners. Since three of the five board members are only part time, this remains a challenge.  

     He also said that victims and victim families deserve to have a voice but not a veto in deciding a case, and that everything possible should be done to carry out the Parole Board's stated mission, which is to "grant release to those whose release is compatible with public safely." He also said he would seriously consider the suggestion made by many that all favorable votes be reported as well as unfavorable ones. Currently voting stops when three board members vote to deny release (via a remote computer) which means parole eligible persons never know whether the remaining vote or votes would have been a yes or a no.

     Dotson agreed that the element of hope for release is vital to the morale of those incarcerated and to the safety of the prisons housing them, and that detainees deserve to know why they are repeatedly denied release time after time in spite of all of their efforts at remaining infraction-free and in spite of their availing themselves of every rehabilitative program offered.

     The chairman reported that he and other board members have visited numerous other states to see how they are working at granting parole, and says they are working on a new procedural manual that is to be presented to Governor Youngkin by the end of he month for his review and approval for the upcoming year. He hopes the 2023 Virginia Assembly and Senate will support these and other measures to help bring about positive changes in the way Virginia's criminal justice system functions.

As to the work of the Parole board, "Wait and see what happens in the next number of months," he said, "as we engage in 'structured decision making' regarding the future of all cases under review.”   

- Harvey Yoder, Valley Justice Coalition, Box 434, Harrisonburg, VA 22803

"And Bless The Hearts And Hands That Have Prepared It"

Thanksgiving is a good time to reflect on where our food 
comes from, and to whom, besides God, we owe our gratitude.

In thanking and blessing God for the bounty on our Thanksgiving tables, I like a phrase often associated with our prayers of gratitude, the one where we ask God to bless the "hearts and hands" of those who have made the meal possible. 

This is usually noted in reference to the good cooks who roasted the turkey, mashed the potatoes, baked the pies and prepared all of the other delicacies on the table. But Thanksgiving could also be a good time to reflect on even more of the literally thousands of people from near and far who make such feasts possible.

For example, we could thank God for all of the turkey hatchery workers, the farmers who grow the grain for their feed, for all of the poultry feed industry employees, for the growers who raise the birds, the truckers who haul them, the processing plant workers who prepare and package them, the supermarkets who sell them. We could even think of all of the specialized equipment involved, the building materials for turkey houses, the industries that provide paved highways and storage plants and fuel and other forms of energy that are vital to the process.

The same could be said for every item on the table, cranberries from far off places like Wisconsin and Massachusetts, potatoes, originally from Ireland, now grown in places like Maine and Idaho, sweet potatoes, originating in tropical locations in Central and South American and now grown in states like North Carolina and California, fruit products from large plantations all around the world, with labels like Dole, Del Monte and United Fruit Company (now Chiquita). We could likewise remember multitudes of migrant and other hard working farm workers involved in the harvesting of many of our food crops, increasingly replaced wherever possible by fuel guzzling mechanical harvesting equipment used by corporations focused on ever increased profits for their shareholders.

This as only the beginning of what could be some productive food for thought for conversations around Thanksgiving and other meals. Who and where are all of the unimaginable numbers of "hearts and hands" of fellow human beings to whom we will always owe a debt of gratitude?

And if our prayers include some mention of those who are hungry and who are less privileged than we, this would be a good time to add some generosity to our gratitude, as in a gift to organizations like this:

https://donate.mcc.org/cause/relief

Can We Revive Augsburger's Mennonite Dream?

Menno Simons' most quoted text was "Other foundation can
no one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

In the 1970's David Augsburger, as speaker on the Mennonite Hour, wrote a widely acclaimed piece called “The Mennonite Dream,” as follows:

From the beginning in 1525 through the present, Mennonites have pursued a dream,

• That it is reasonable to follow Jesus Christ daily, radically, totally in life.

• That it is practical to obey the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and the whole New Testament, literally, honestly, sacrificially.

• That it is thinkable to practice the way of reconciling love in human conflicts and warfare, nondefensively and nonresistantly.

• That it is possible to confess Jesus as Lord above all nationalism, racism or materialism.

• That it is feasible to build a communal church of brothers and sisters who are voluntarily, disciplined, and mutually committed to each other in Christ.

• That life can be lived simply, following the Jesus way in lifestyle, in possessions, in service.

Sixteenth-century Anabaptists, forebears of today's Mennonite, were not all of exactly the same mind, but generally embodied the above as what it meant to be followers of Jesus. True communities of faith were not simply to affirm certain correct beliefs but were to actually apply the teachings of Jesus to their daily lives. 

Most of today's heirs of that legacy profess the same vision, but I wonder whether our "dream" even remotely resembles those of our spiritual ancestors.

I must ask myself, "Am I moving toward, or ever further away from, the Jesus who is all about good news for the poor, release for the captives, and relief for the oppressed? Or am I/are we becoming ever more a people of wealth and privilege who see ourselves as benefactors who do lots of good but who remain entitled to all the comforts and conveniences of well-to-do North Americans?"

Adam M. L. Tice wrote the lyrics to the following award winning hymn, “The Church of Christ Cannot Be Bound” based on Menno Simons’ well-known quotation: “True evangelical faith cannot lie dormant. It clothes the naked, it feeds the hungry, it comforts the sorrowful, it shelters the destitute and serves those who harm it. It binds up that which is wounded.”

It is hymn #392 in the new Mennonite hymnal Voices Together:

The Church of Christ cannot be bound
by walls of wood or stone.
Where charity and love are found,
there can the church be known.

True faith will open up the door
and step into the street.
True service will seek out the poor
and ask to wash their feet.

True love will not sit idly by
when justice is denied.
True mercy hears the homeless cry
and welcomes them inside.

If what we have, we freely share
to meet our neighbor’s need,
then we extend the Spirit’s care
through ev’ry selfless deed.

The church of Christ cannot be bound
by walls of wood or stone.
Where charity and love are found,
there can the church be known.

“The Church of Christ Cannot Be Bound”

Text by Adam M. L. Tice, © 2005 GIA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduced by permission of GIA Publications, Inc. Any further reproduction requires permission from the publisher. For congregational reprint licensing, contact ONE LICENSE: http://www.onelicense.net

Here's an interesting postscript from Elwood Yoder's recent history of the Trissels Mennonite Church, where Augsburger served as pastor for much of the time he was the speaker on the Mennonite Hour:

"Twenty years after he left Trissels, while in an office at the Claremont School of Theology, from where Dr. David Augsburger earned his Phd, a stranger heard David's voice and asked if he was "David Augsburger." The man remembered Augsburger's voice from a radio broadcast twenty years earlier. While traveling across Oregon by car with his parents, the family had the radio on and happened to be listening to Augsburger's "Mennonite Dream" program. That night, in that car, the man told David Augsburger, "I became a Mennonite."

A Conversation With The Parole Board Chair

Chairman Dotson's interest in the rehabilitation of offenders
became stronger, he says, as he presided over a drug court
in his southwest Virginia community. (TimesNews photo)

I had a half hour phone conversation yesterday with Chadwick Dotson, the chair of the Virginia Parole Board appointed by Governor Youngkin, about some of the  longstanding concerns many have had about our present parole system. He had read my column in the February 5, 2022 Richmond Times on parole and said he was in substantial agreement with the  reforms proposed by the Prison Policy Initiative as cited in my Times piece. 

The Chairman reiterated his desire to give every parole eligible person a fair hearing and a second chance, but admitted that so far the Board's grant rates haven't reflected the change in numbers he hopes to see in the upcoming months. Not all members of his Board agree on how, among other things, the seriousness of an individual's crime should affect a decision about their release versus the seriousness with which they have worked at their rehabilitation. He stated several times that he would like to be able to have more members have actual conversations with the individuals whose cases are being reviewed so they could interact with real persons and not just with data provided by board examiners. Since three of the five board members are only part time, this remains a challenge.

He also said that victims and victim families deserve to have a voice but not a veto in deciding a case, and that everything possible should be done to carry out the Parole Board's stated mission, which is to "grant release to those whose release is compatible with public safely." He also said he would seriously consider the suggestion made by many that all favorable votes be reported as well as unfavorable ones. Currently voting stops when three board members vote to deny release (via a remote computer) which means parole eligible persons never know whether the remaining vote or votes would have been a yes or a no.

Dotson agreed that the element of hope for release is vital to the morale of those incarcerated and to the safety of the prisons housing them, and that detainees deserve to know why they are repeatedly denied release time after time in spite of all of their efforts at remaining infraction free and in spite of their availing themselves of every rehabilitative program offered.

The chairman reported that he and other board members have visited numerous other states to see how they are working at granting parole, and says they are working on a new procedural manual that is to be presented to Governor Youngkin by the end of he month for his review and approval for the upcoming year. He hopes the 2023 Virginia Assembly and Senate will support these and other measures to help bring about positive changes in the way Virginia's criminal justice system functions.

As to the work of the Parole board, "Wait and see what happens in the next number of months," he said, "as we engage in 'structured decision making' regarding the future of all cases under review."

Here's a link to a report on Dotson's visit to Buckingham Correctional Center in May: 

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2022/05/new-parole-chair-meets-with-buckingham.html

We Just Put Our Garden To Bed For The Winter, Tucking It In With A Warm Leafy Blanket

 

The next best thing to actually planting and caring for a
garden is planning and fantasizing about next year's crop.

Not wanting to have our first Park Village garden plot lie naked over winter, I agreed to help some non-VMRC neighbors next door rake their maple leaves recently for a share of their fall leaf harvest to cover our soil. Leaves are wonderful for the fertilizer and humus they provide for plants, earthworms and other living things gardens thrive on.

Now that I've tucked our garden in for the winter I'm already looking forward to waking it back up sometime in mid-March. My plan is to first remove the old tomato and pole bean vines, then gently pull back some of the maple leaves along each side of the pole bean fence and plant two rows of sugar snap peas, hardy plants that are resistant to frost. As recommended by one of my gardening mentors, David Alleman, I will make my furrows with a hoe rather than using a tiller to dig up the soil, which Alleman insists is harmful to our earthworm friends.  

After all danger of frost is passed and the peas have begun their rapid climb up the wire fence, I hope to plant a row of pole green beans just inches away from each of the pea rows. The resulting bean plants will then be making their way up the fence as the peas are being harvested, after which the bean plants will completely dominate the dormant pea vines. 

Meanwhile, I'll be digging individual holes for tomato, squash, cantelope and other plants throughout the rest of the garden, leaving the leaves in place to hold moisture, inhibit weed growth and provide plant food for the garden as they naturally decompose over the summer. 

If all this goes as planned, no fossil fuels will be expended, no chemical fertilizer will be used and no back breaking work will be invested in this life-enhancing project.

Now if I can just keep the rabbits at bay long enough to give all of our plants a head start.

Guest Post: "Thank You, God, For Letting Me Carry On My Granny's Legacy"

Phoebe Brenneman, pictured here with Catherine, one of her seven beloved grandchildren, will long be remembered as a faithful friend and servant much like the Phoebe of whom the apostle Paul once wrote: “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon (diakonos) of the church... she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well." (Romans 16:1-2 NRSV)

Catherine Brenneman, granddaughter of local resident Phoebe Brenneman and daughter of Joy and Tim Brenneman of Tifton, Georgia, wrote this touching tribute to her beloved grandmother, whose memorial service was held a week ago at the Zion Mennonite Church, where I served as pastor to Deward and Phoebe Brenneman and their family for over a decade.

I post this with Catherine's kind permission:

I love you, Lord.

You're so bright in this darkness of death.

Thank you for the 25 years I had with my Granny. She taught me a lot about loving others. She loved me so much.

Thank you for the promise that I will see her again; it may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but I have the assurance that I will see her again.

Thank you for opening my heart and making me happy because only You can make me happy right now.

Thank you for opening my heart in 2003 and becoming my Lord and Savior. This gives me the assurance that I will see Granny and Pop-Pop again. This is the only way I can be happy. Thank you, God, for the happiness in my heart. Thank you, God, for being everywhere and giving me peace.

God, you are my shepherd, my healer, my provider and I thank you for that.

Thank you, Lord, that you know my feelings. Help me control them and use them for your glory.

Help me to live heavenly minded right now, Lord, from this earth.

Lord, help me share the gospel through this sadness because I know that is what you would want me to do. Granny would want me to do that, too.

Help me, Lord, to cast my cares on you like my Granny did.

Help me carry out her legacy and help me understand how many people she touched.

Help me be a vessel for you, a mouthpiece for you like my Granny.

Help me be still in your Word.

Let my light shine for you, Jesus, even in this dark time help me to always talk about you, Lord, no matter how hurt I am.

Help my weapon to be worship at all times, Lord.

God is greater than my feelings, so Lord, help me to be at peace and to not let the devil steal my joy. He must go away. Help me to always put on the armor of God because it fits me well and that is what will help me get through this.

Help me to read your word and follow me more, Jesus, like my Granny Phoebe did. Thank you for letting me come to you; give me rest, Lord, just like you gave my Granny.

I love you, Jesus, through the hard times and the good times. I will always love you.

If you know the Lord as your Savior you will be able to see Granny again one day. We are all sinners; each one must believe that Jesus died on the cross and confess their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. That is the only way you're going to have that blessed assurance and see Granny one day.

I know she is happy with Jesus and Pop-Pop in heaven. Thank you, Lord.

You can read Phoebe's obituary and some of many other tributes she inspired here.

War Itself Must Be Seen As Our Gravest Enemy

We've come to see so called "conventional" warfare as being morally acceptable whereas the use of nuclear or chemical weapons is not. For its victims, is there any real difference?

I submitted the following letter to the editor of the Daily News-Record this week:

I often disagree with columnist  Rich Lowry, but his 11/1/22 piece on the editorial page of the Daily News-Record on diplomacy in Ukraine deserves our attention. Something must be done to end the holocaust in Ukraine other than adding ever more fuel to that awful fire. Even as we condemn Putin's invasion and support Ukraine's right to sovereignty, when will Christians, Jews, Muslims, pro-lifers, environmentalists and people of compassion and goodwill everywhere simply condemn war itself as an unthinkable evil?

     Whenever we use evil means to resist evildoers we perpetuate ever more evil, whether it’s Maccabees fighting against Greek invaders, medieval Crusaders attacking Muslims occupying Jerusalem, or even the Allies opposing Hitler in WWII.

     In the case of the latter, citizens of one of the most Christianized nations in Europe, Germany, failed to resist the Fascism, racism and extreme nationalism of the Nazi regime with every non-violent means possible, thus becoming complicit in the annihilation of some six million Jews and other targets of their hatred. Then in the war that followed some 50 million lives were lost.

     When we engage in the same massive destruction as Hitler and other evildoers we become ever more like them. Their violent and barbaric tactics actually win, and the world is in ever increasing danger of destroying itself.

     Professional policing within a nation's borders may sometimes involve the legitimate use of force, but engaging in the wholesale destruction of God's children and God’s earth, whether with nuclear, chemical or "conventional" weapons, must be ruled out as an intolerable evil.

     By everyone.

A Radio Spot Deemed Too Controversial To Air

In consultation with the sponsor of my daily radio spots and the local station that produces them we decided not to air the following piece, given how divisive the issue of abortion has become in our society. 

A wise decision? I welcome your comments.

It’s clear that all human life begins, or rather continues, at conception, but there have always been debates over when “ensoulment” happens, as in “When does a human life become a human person?” In ancient Jewish tradition full personhood was believed to happen at birth, when a child drew its first breath, when that intricate organism within the womb became an autonomous, breathing, separate soul. This is in line with our practice of officially naming and documenting someone’s existence only when a birth has taken place. Also, our life stories, biographies and memoirs begin with our birth date rather than the date of our conception or viability. This birthdate, so linked to our identity, is celebrated annually, required for verification at medical appointments, and is memorialized on our tombstones. Likewise, when it comes to census taking or a passenger ticket, someone pregnant is still counted as only one person. It's also true that with massive numbers of natural abortions (miscarriages), we normally publish obituaries and hold memorial or burial services only for stillbirths or for infants already born, and although we have hopefully begun to do better in supporting those grieving these losses, we still have not normally erecting grave markers to memorialize prenatal life. Having said all that, my prayer is that we can all gain a greater appreciation and respect for the gift of human life at all levels and in all forms--but without equating all abortions with murder.

A Really Bright Ruler Shows A Very Dark Side

In a world full of much good and evil, there is also no lack 
of wise and foolish.

If there was ever a time when humanity desperately needed the kind of wisdom that would save it from destroying itself, this is the time. Growing signs of violence, lies, corruption, injustice, pollution, waste and the ever present danger of wars and insurrections are everywhere, threatening the very survival of the planet and the security of its people.

None of these threats are new, of course, but the scale and scope of the world's current crises seem enormous, often resulting in masses of people being drawn to authoritarian leaders they feel will ensure their safety and survival. 

Millennia ago the citizens of the newly formed nation of Israel asked God to give them an autocratic king like those of their surrounding nations, according to I Samuel 8. God reluctantly allowed them to replace their more grass roots and God-led form of government to that of a monarchy, but warned them that a king with the ability to save them would also have the power to exploit them, as in imposing heavy taxes and conscripting them into forced labor, much like they had suffered under the Pharaohs in Egypt.

Sometimes we have to learn the hard way to learn to be careful what we wish for.

The reign of Israel's third king, Solomon, son and successor of David (who had been one of Israel's more beloved and benevolent rulers) got off to a great start, but David's favorite son proved to be a fulfillment of God's warning. Solomon's massive temple building project, which took seven years to complete, required raising huge amounts of revenue and the forced labor of thousands. This was followed by Solomon's even more ambitions construction project, a palace for himself that was far larger and more elaborate than the temple, and required thirteen years, massive funds and even more conscripted labor to complete. 

Which leaves us with needing to gain as much wisdom from reflecting on Solomon's foolishness as we do from the parts of his life in which he did actually honor God, as in, "Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David." We are also blessed with the legacy of his extended and eloquent prayer of dedication for the new temple, and with the collection of wise sayings attributed to him in the book of Proverbs. 

In the dream in which God asked him what he wished for as the newly anointed king, Solomon gets credit for asking for an "understanding mind... able to discern between good and evil," rather than for "riches and honor." God appears to have given him both. But Solomon's weaker side couldn't resist the temptation to use his brilliant mind and his newly acquired power for his own ends. His vast wealth and his many wives become his undoing, "for his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not true to the Lord his God as was the heart of his father David."

In the end the story of his life ends with God raising up neighboring adversaries against Solomon and with the nation tragically divided in two.

In Carl P. Daw, Jr.'s, hymn "Hear the Turmoil of the Nations," we find these timely words, reminding us to draw on the wisdom of the ultimate "Son of David."

Listen, all who govern nations! Rulers of the earth, take heed,

Trust no human scheme or system to determine how you lead.

("Hear the Turmoil of the Nations" Voices Together #201)

Over A Billion People Live In Slums, Along With Anita, Yosiah And A Few Other Jesus Followers

This newly published book should be required reading for every well-to-do person in the world. Order by November 15 for a 25% discount.

"Beyond Our Walls is a powerful, wrenching, inspiring and compelling book. Powerful because it is a mighty call to follow Jesus. Wrenching because it shows with painful clarity what it means to follow Jesus into the slums. Inspiring because Anita's and her husband's amazing faith shine through every page. Compelling because it draws us to live like Jesus no matter the cost. Beyond our Walls is an amazing book that merits millions of readers. Highly recommended!"

- the late Ronald J. Sider, author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger

The author of Beyond Our Walls, who uses a pen name for security reasons, has for over a decade been living inside a world most of us would find unbelievably difficult, and here shares the story of how she and her husband (and now two children) have experienced living with Jesus in that place. 

Some of us at our house church have been following this story for years, so having it brought together in this book was of special interest. As I read it I found myself repeatedly asking, How do they do this in the face of the stench, the mosquitoes, the oppressive heat, the cramped quarters, the prevalence of diseases and infections, the floods, the fires and smoke, and the ever present threat of evictions?

It becomes clear that they are there because they find Jesus in that place, in his heart of concern for the poor and in the lives of fellow human beings the rest of the world wants to ignore.

It took me less than three days of spare time reading to get through this compelling story. It will take me the rest of my life to fully grasp what it is to teach me about serving and following Jesus no matter the cost.

Putin Threatens To Use Nuclear Weapons On Civilian Targets

Russia has nuclear weapons that are far, far more powerful
than this one that destroyed Hiroshima.

Vladimir Putin clearly deserves worldwide condemnation for his heartless attacks on vulnerable human targets all across Ukraine. His policy of massive destruction of homes, apartment buildings, hospitals, schools and playgrounds is unconscionable and deserving of being punishable as war crimes.

According to an October 14 AP article Putin defended his actions with, “What is happening today is unpleasant, to put it mildly, but we would have had all this a little later, only under worse conditions for us, that’s all. So my actions are correct and timely.”

"Unpleasant" but "correct and timely" sounds so calculating and cruel for something as barbaric as these attacks have been, as are his alarming threats to use nuclear weapons if necessary to achieve his ends. 

But where and when have we witnessed equally unthinkable holocausts? And committed by whom?

The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, killing between 129,000 and 226,000 people, mostly civilians. Nine American prisoners of war in Hiroshima were also victims.The bombings of these two cities represent the only use of nuclear weapons in history.  Wikipedia

A Home-going Celebration For Nephew Pablo Yoder, Author And Missionary To Nicaragua

 

"Where, O death, is your victory, Where, O grave, is your sting?" 

Eunice, to the left of Pablo's casket, with their children and grandchildren.

Oh Paul, our beloved Pablo

    called to be an apósto 

a missionary bearing Good News

to those God loves in an untamed 

and breathtakingly beautiful land--

God's servant and lover of God's creation in far off Nicaragua

Oh Paul, our beloved Pablo

autor... of over two dozen widely read books

     pastor... to all in need of God's love and care

     padre... to two sons and four daughters 

     abuelo... to nine beloved grandchildren

     marido... to his one and only Eunice

     

Adiós, amado y fiel servidor...

Farewell, beloved and faithful servant!

Here is Pablo's obituary as read at his memorial service (translated from Spanish by his brother-in-law Duane Nisly):

Today we gather to celebrate the life of a Christian warrior, Pablo Yoder. He was born on the 23rd of May, 1958, and died on the 14th of October, 2022, having lived 64 years, 4 months, and 22 days. May he rest in peace.

Pablo was converted at age 15 and served his Lord fervently until the Lord called him home to rest at 64 years of age. He served as pastor in the Pital Mennonite Church in Pital de San Carlos for 11 years. He was sent to Nicaragua as a missionary in 1995 where he died, having served as pastor for 27 years in the church in Waslala. In gratitude to God, Pablo has asked that his vigil and funeral service be a celebration to God and that it would also serve as an invitation to sinners who would desire to make their life right with God.

Pablo was preceded in death by his father, Sanford Yoder, his son-in-law, Jonathan Miller, and a nephew, Nathan Nisly. His surviving family grieves his death. First is his wife Eunice

(Swartzentruber) who served faithfully at his side for 39 years of married life. Jacinto, the oldest son, married to Kendra (Stoltzfus) who live in Zapote Kum, Nicaragua. Jessica, married to Abner Esh live in Quebradón, Costa Rica. Janie lives at home in Waslala. Luana, married to Eddy Montenegro live in Zapote Kum, Nicaragua. Cynthia, married to Josías Villalobos live in Quebradón, Costa Rica. Kenneth lives at home in Waslala. His 9 grandchildren will miss their grandfather greatly.

The family has endeavored to make the most of the last 60 days of his life after it was discovered he suffered from an advanced stage of kidney cancer. They proclaim with confidence that Pablo has triumphed in his Christian profession and that he is enjoying a place far better that his earthly one. It is in that place that the family waits to join with Jesus and with Pablo someday and live there forever.

A procession of vehicles and people on foot stretched for a half mile as it wound its way through Waslala to the cemetery.

An estimated one thousand people attended Pablo's viewing, funeral and burial services, with hundreds being fed after the viewing with a steer Pablo requested be butchered for the occasion.

Pablo 64, soon after he learned he had stage 4 cancer, with Martha his mother, beloved wife of my brother Sanford. Sanford, a lifelong missionary in Costa Rica, passed away at his home in February of this year. His son Pablo died at his home in Nicaragua October 14.