Clemente

Well, unfortunately I missed all but the last few minutes of the Clemente American Experience program. I plan to watch it on the PBS website later. Did anyone see it?

As our Heroes theme winds down, I've been thinking about the heroism of Roberto Clemente. I think it was Charles Barkley, the basketball player, who proclaimed a few years ago, "I am not a role model". And frequently our talented athletes are not very heroic off the field. Clemente was different. He showed courage and persistence in making it to the big leagues at a time when there were very few Spanish speakers in the majors. He perservered through some lonely times to become one of the greatest players of all time. But his most heroic acts took place off the field. He was intensely proud of his Puerto Rican heritage and very concerned about the poor of his native land. His mantra in public speaking engagements was "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth."

Heads up, Clemente fans! I just heard that WILL Channel 12 will be showing a program in the American Experience series about Roberto Clemente. It will be on next Monday evening. These shows are usually very well-done so let's watch it and compare with the book.

Ordinary Man-Are we learning?

Rusesabagina quotes his father "Whoever does not talk to his father never knows what his grandfather said". The importance of not only knowing history, but ensuring that destructive behavior will not repeat is vital. Genocides seem to take place efficiently and are not recognized as genocide by the int. community until the blood has been shed. As we cringe from the brutal realities of the Holocaust, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, the Bosnian Genocide, Rwanda, and now Darfur can we really admit that we are learning from the mistakes of non-involvement and avoidance?

Jordan

Pay It Forward

Trevor and Mr. St. Clair had a very special relationship. Trevor was able to look past his teacher's facial scars and see a knowledgeable and wise person. Please tell me about a great teacher who has touched your life.

Clemente

David Maraniss, the author of Clemente, employs a technique that I think has become more popular with authors of biography--that is, he frequently digresses to discuss what else is going on in the world (of baseball in this case) besides just the events of his subject's life. One of Maraniss' eye-opening digressions is his coverage of the discrimination suffered by the Latino and African-American players during spring training in Florida in the fifties and sixties. Spring training sounds like such an idyllic scene--warm sun, the players gradually returning to play, the hopeful feeling of a new season. But at that time period, players of color were forced to stay in separate and inferior accomodations, away from the rest of the team. They were banned from many of the spring events, such as dinners or golf tournaments, that local towns hosted for the players. I was interested to find that one of my favorite players of my youth, Bill White of the Cardinals, was one of the outspoken opponents of this system.

What digressions have you enjoyed in this book? Or do you prefer for the author to stick to the main subject?

Pay It Forward

Hi, I'm Kathie and I would like to invite you to take part in one of the April book discussions about the heroes in Catherine Ryan Hyde's novel, Pay It Forward. Twelve-year-old Trevor McKinney reminds me of my own teen age daughter, who like Trevor wants to make the world a better place. He works hard in school and tries to respect the adults in his life. When his social studies teacher, Mr. St. Clair, assigned an extra-credit assignment: come up with a plan to change the world for the better and then implement the plan, Trevor took the challenge seriously. Math and good deeds were at the heart of his plan. He calculated that if he used his assets and skills to help three people in need and then each one of them in turn did a good deed for three more people, the world would soon be a better place. His plan sounded simple, but he soon realized people are not always easy to predict.

It would be great to hear about real life moments when someone took the time to pay it forward.

An Ordinary Man-history? prevention?

Rusesabagina deems the actions, of lack thereof, of the United Nations and the church Rwanda reproachable. He however also credits the people of Rwanda's knowledge of their history. Hutus and Tutsis were both aware of Belgian divide that took place in their nation (divide and rule!) and the flip flopping of power ever since. Was there a chance the 1994 genocide could have been avoided if they simply put their differences to rest?
Jordan

An Ordinary Man-Introduction

Hi my name is Jordan and I will be leading a discussion on An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina. Rusesabagina's heroic actions saved almost 1300 Rwandan's from execution during the 1994 "civil war." I love reading books like this, especially from ordinary people forced to do the extraordinary. This hit close to come as my parents were refugees within their own nation. They experienced and witnessed nearly the same events and circumstances as Rusesabagina, simply because they were of a certain heritage.

No need to say Rusesabagina was able to use very effective communication to save nearly 1300 from being massacred by machetes. How do you think one can be diplomatic and calm amidst such danger, facing the uncertain and unstable atmosphere that was his nation? His own background, from the hills of his village Nkomero to the hotel industry of Kigali, made him a somewhat well rounded, culture-rich individual in his nation. Do you think this helped him?