For 20 some years, I’ve supported the work of Bread for the World, and when its president, David Beckmann, is in town, it’s always great to catch up with the organization’s work.
This year I decided to share him with the public. I promoted a public “hunger-awareness” event with David Wednesday evening at our Travel Center in Edmonds. I was disappointed that only a handful of people could drop by. But, as it is with people who care about their mission, David presented his news on the fighting-hunger front with energy and passion. His delivery was no less caring than when I saw him at the state capitol in Des Moines, where he addressed a crowd of 500. That’s when he was awarded the “World Food Prize,” celebrating him (and co-laureate Jo Luck of Heifer International) as the most effective people in our country in the fight against hunger during 2010.
One of the eight people in our gathering happened to be David Horsey, Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Just today, David shared with me the cartoon and editorial he wrote that describes the passion, compassion, and hard work of David Beckmann and his team at Bread for the World.
At first, the promoter in me was disappointed in the turnout. But this event was a great reminder that we need to do what we believe is right ‘ even if you’re discouraged, have faith that your effort is worth the trouble. Thanks to both Davids. And let’s hope that we can, as a society of caring people, create a protective circle around the poorest of our citizens as we find the smartest way to be a fiscally responsible nation.
The event left me with a wonderful new quote. Thirty-one years ago this week Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated in El Salvador. Why? Because he was going around saying this: “Es una caricatura del amor cuando se quiere apañar con limosna lo que se debe por justicia.”(It is only a caricature of love, when one seeks to fix through charity what is owed to justice.)
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Rick – I could not agree with you more. To attempt to balance a huge budget by cutting funds for the poorest among us is shameful. It is always easy to target those who have no voice. So sad!
I think what we may all be missing is a sense of balance and objectivity and fairness. Government is NOT business and it does not have to “balance the budget.” On the other hand, WE the people – spend too much money. Health care is a major issue exacerbated by middle men like insurance companies. Wars are a major issue aggravated by oil and vehicles with low low mileage. Corporate tax breaks are huge. Mortgage interest rate tax breaks for aspiring home owners also help break the bank. Tax breaks for the really affluent (two million PLUS in annual income) need means testing to justify their own so-called entitlements. Always we will hear – don`t tax me, don`t tax me, tax that man behind the tree. As for the vitriol spewed by both sides, pro and con PBS, COMMERCE has many redeeming values (taxes on it and those who work within it pay for all social programs) but 48 per cent of the taxpayers don`t like any money spent on it. Three hundred and nine million people in our country – and each faction vilifies the other factions. Some of the most knowledgeable and some of the most ignorant people write to Rick Steves. They are victims of their perceptions and many of those perceptions are created by media and politicians plus hucksters with an agenda. Is it possible to ignore those who vilify: liberals; conservatives; unemployed; bankers; homeless; immigrants; shills trying to protect their jobs; xenophobes; groupies? Maybe Rick Steves should just display a cartoon without people. How about a picture of Rick, a handsome guy, with a balloon which says ” Everybody has to pay to balance the budget” Just a thought.
Sad farewell, I understand Rick is passionate about is political views and it`s his right to express them as he see`s fit, but I personally miss the old travel blogs and travel shows when political posturing was left out of them. I don`t have the opportunity to travel just yet, but in the mean time Rick was my window and guide to the travel sites of Europe. Politics is part of any travel experience, but it is not the focus. I find when politics are brought up it becomes a touchy subject, the blogs are a perfect example of how easily people can turn on each other. I want to meet people experience their customs and lifestyle, I honestly could care less about their political views. That`s why it`s a vacation to set stress aside and breath before you return home and are bombarded. Rick I really enjoyed your shows, books, and blogs, but I wish you would return to just travel. I don`t think you realized that you were showing people, in a subtle but effective manner, the culture of Europe. It wasn`t necessary to repetitively push the subject. You`ve pushed people away. Those people were the ones you wanted to reach the most and now you can`t. Sadly I understand their frustrations. These are hard times and when things are as tough as their are they need a release and for a while you offered that. Be their release Rick, subliminally pass on your message. With this rift widening between people of this world you can be that bridge of understanding showing us how we are all still the same and how politics is dividing our communities. We like art, we like meeting new people, we like visiting awe inspiring sites. We aren`t different we all want the same thing so do what you do best travel and bring it to the masses. Best wishes, God bless, and a sad farewell.
Great quote! That one is going in my favorites.
And please don`t ever stop connecting the political dots! Sure, keep your PBS shows and guide books politics-free, but I love hearing your take on politics and power in the world in your personal blog. I`m sure you`ve rattled some of these old curmudgeons to see some other points of view at times. Keep it up!
So if hunger is such an issue in America, why as a nation are we so damn fat?! As I recall from an earlier post, Rick himself implies we are a fat & lazy nation. Maybe there`s plenty of food to go around, but we just need to share more of it! And as with education, throwing money at a problem seldom solves it. Hell, my wife (who is a teacher) watches the `poor` kids throw their free lunch in the trash on a daily basis.
I wish the world was this play ground that we could all travel with “Abandonment”, but we are now so globally connected that we will be aware of the problems of the world like it or not. You can go any where on vacation and have an escape there are many places in the US too. It is up to each individual to find happiness. But the worlds problems, politics and tragedy will always be there.It is incredible to me after over a decade of world travel how unforeign we have all become.
The problems of the world have been there for eternity, and as much as people like Rick think that governments can solve them….. their track record (especially in THIS country) shows otherwise.
Believe me I know we are globally connected, it seems as if we are reminded of it every second of every day. I don`t see whats wrong with wanting to take 2 day or a month away from it all. And when you come to a travel site you aren`t necessarily looking for the political side. While you may find no issue with his new path of political travel others have. Why is it so wrong for people to say political travel isn`t what we are looking for, we miss the old Rick Steve`s. I`m not demanding that he stop I`m just voicing my opinion, which I thought was an important right to have.
Fellow travelers, this is a pivotal moment for the Rick Steves website. Finally, FINALLY, we have DEFINITIVE, IRREFUTABLE proof of which direction Rick leans when it comes to politics: FAR LEFT. See, Liberals, and the Left in general, never, NEVER, stray from their political playbook. What are you supposed to take from the cartoon above? That once again, the evil Republicans want homeless people, and children especially, to starve on the streets of America. Because according to the Left`s playbook, Republicans are evil, greedy, fat, and want to hoard all of the nation`s wealth. So the Left continuously offers to come to the rescue with entitlement programs and “redistribution of wealth,” because after all, America is an evil place that was made evil because of evil Republicans. Luckily, 70% of Americans don`t believe that. But the remaining 30% (the minority, of which Rick is a member of) still reads from the playbook and keeps up their drumbeat of attacks. After following this website for years, purchasing many Rick Steves products, and advising friends to take Rick Steves tours, I FINALLY understand Rick: He is a Socialist/Communist. Now, he can`t come right out and say this, so what does he do? He says, “All of my EXPERIENCE and YEARS of travel in Europe has taught me blah blah blah…”. And he subtly promotes Socialism/Communism by coloring it with all of his travel adventures. So what is the bottom line? Rick hates America. Rick believes that America is an evil place. And Rick believes that America must become like Europe in order for America to pay for its past transgressions against the rest of the world. You know, David Horsey, the cartoonist who drew the cartoon above, actually made a mistake. The “House GOP” character should have been drawn to look like Rush Limbaugh…Or Sarah Palin…Or Glenn Beck. But the Left can`t be THAT blatant now, can they? ;-)
Hey Thomas, here`s a quote I`d like to bring to your attention: “I`m sharing my travel experiences, candid opinions and what`s on my mind. If you think it`s inappropriate for a travel writer to stir up discussion on his blog with political observations and insights gained from traveling abroad, you may not want to read any further. Rick” And if you don`t believe me you can see for yourself on the main blog page…right up top, can`t miss it. As far as his bent, we`re all grown, we`ve known Rick political stance from Jumpstreet, including yourself; it`s not exactly a revelation.
Rick, have you ever discussed Father Romero with Jimmy Carter? Might be interesting…
“Fellow travelers, this is a pivotal moment for the Rick Steves website. Finally, FINALLY, we have DEFINITIVE, IRREFUTABLE proof of which direction Rick leans when it comes to politics: FAR LEFT. ” Huh? We`ve known that for years. I don`t agree with a lot of Mr. Steves` politics (and because he speaks no foreign languages, I think his views of European politics are too heavily skewed by like-minded English language sources), but he`s been pretty open about his political views for a long time. Yes, he`s been a little more vocal lately, but he`s never hidden his opinions.
For the most part, I separate my political beliefs from why I like Rick best: He is the premier travel evangelist who has provided priceless information on European travel for 3 decades. I`ve bought his books, and heeded much of his advice through my travels to “the old world”. However, when I see a cartoon such as this, I feel compelled to respond. First of all, there`s a badge missing from the automaton`s suit: a “House Ass” should be affixed to the other side. Both sides of the aisle has hampered real progress that should be better left to state and local authorities and agencies to deal with, especially with regards to matters of social aid. I`m a libertarian. I think Federal Big Brother – especially our version of the Dems and Republicans – have basically pissed on the Constitution since about the days of Andrew Jackson, and absolutely since the Civil War forward. A true reading of the Constitution, or more accurately, and abiding by it, states implicitly that states rights supercede those of the federal government, but the exact opposite has occurred for most of our history. I`m not going into a history or political science lesson here, but government intervention, beyond protecting our borders and protecting us from harming one another (vis-a-vis our justice system), is a bad idea. Both ruling parties are very self-righteous, uttering platitudes about why their party is so outstanding. But truly helping the ignorant, the hungry, and the poor huddled masses is best administered at the state and local levels. This cartoon is gross misinterpretation – as are most cartoons foisted by the Left and Right, especially at the Federal Level – of what the Constitution spells out for the vision of our country. I say the states should take back the rights that have been stolen from them from the power-hungry, corrupt politicians residing in Washington D.C. They don`t represent me.
Another sad farewell: Rick, I used to be your biggest fan. I saw you in person on 3 occasions and was blown away by your passion for travel. I own many of your books and DVDs and was frequently compelled to donate to public television when you were in Chicago on pledge drives. Sadly, this will be my last time reading your blog. Surely you`re familiar with the expression, “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” Bread for the World may be an excellent cause, but you are turning people off with your partisan politics and hypocrisy. It`s so easy to blast Fox News, for example, for being one-sided, partisan, etc., but you`re doing the same thing on the other side of the spectrum. It`s so easy to point fingers at Repulbicans or Democrats or whatever politic group ticks you off, isn`t it? I expected better from you than your current “Let`s blame the GOP for everything” attitude. What`s next? A blog about how George Bush is the devil? I`m glad we live in a country where you can express any opinion you want. I`m also glad that I don`t have to take part in it. Best wishes for a happy future.
Speaking of “Federal Poverty Programs”, isn`t the city of Detroit a `fine` example of what years of rule by the far left can do? High unemployment, high poverty, property values worth next to nothing….. what a great model to emulate! And to think folks like Rick want to take us there! (but of course, he`s already got his piece of the pie).
Rick, you post on the front page of your blog that these are your personal views, and you give the clearest possible warning that they include your political views. Despite that warning, you get a bunch of people who appear to think that being a travel writer should somehow disqualify you from expressing those views.
It seems to me that the more of those people you get to stop commenting on your blog, the better. We all know there are alternative viewpoints, and I just don`t understand why the right-wingers come here. I wouldn`t dream of going to read Sarah Palin`s blog (if she runs one) because I know I`d disagree with almost every word she says.
As for the people who think that left-wingers should always be referred to as “socialist/communist”, there is an *enormous* difference between the two, and I honestly despair of anyone who can`t understand that.
I`m not stopping reading your blog. Last I checked, there was something in this country called the First Amendment. Yes, anyone with the slightest intelligence realizes you`re a left-wing commentator. They know (or should know) what they`re going to read here. Keep up the good work!
I think food is not an major issue these days in America with its over production of food, low food prices, and high obesity rates. It is education, health care, and housing where resources need to be increased. The best solution for poverty and crime: birth control, vasectomies, abortion.
Sounds like Margaret Sanger has arrived! Is Woodrow and the upport of eugenics next?
Meant to write support
Mr. Steves, may I suggest that if your goal is to raise awareness of your favorite charity, your message might be more effective if you didn`t belittle and demonize your perceived political opponents at the same time?
The truth is that the left has kept far more people in poverty than the right ever has. Just look at Detroit! They prefer having people beholden to them than actually helping them rise above their circumstances. A hand out vs. a hand up!
It`s extremely difficult to rise above your circumstances if a) there are simply no jobs; b) you`re uninsurable b/c of health problems; c) the price of food, heating and clothing have skyrocketed; and d) if the cost of tuition has skyrocketed, there`s reduced financial aid for students, and there have been massive cuts to education (reducing the number of classes and programs available at colleges).
Actually conservatives donate more to charity than liberals. Liberals tend to confuse government coercion with compassion; they`re most generous with other people`s money. I look forward to the Democrats abolishing farm price supports, which raises the price of food. Perhaps they`ll cut ethanol subsidies used to fight globa warmings. Thanks to the subsidies corn is now diverted to fuel rather than feeding people or livestock. The best solution is for the poor to improve their lives by moving up. Better education would help. In Washington, DC the Demcrats ended a scholarship program that enabled poor students to opt out of bad public schools. The next cartoon should be President Obama standing in the school house door. http://philanthropy.com/blogs/prospecting/conservative-voters-are-more-liberal-with-charity/19091
I don`t understand the obsession with Oscar Romero`s assassination. Rick Steves doesn`t mind if 100s or 1000s of American civilians are killed by terrorists. Our lives are as important as Romero`s. Rick Steves said we should dignify the September 11 attacks. I don`t know of anyone who thinks tbe assassination should have been dignified. Dignify and honor are synonyms. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Steves#Views_on_Terrorism
What a shame. I come to this site for an “escape” – what most of us look for on European vacations. Instead I get the same-old cliche, small-minded, leftist propaganda of “Republicans want to starve the poor” that I can find on thousands of other self-serving sponsored sites on the Web. You left out $500k of state-run college administrator salaries, government union pensions where recipients become millionaires several times over in retirement, and all of the other public treasury cash flow that ends up in the hands (and the pockets) of so-called compassionate liberals, usually promoting propaganda such as this to keep their financial inhibitors out of power. This is what is truly is bankrupting the future, and will prevent today`s children from having the means to travel to Europe like we have all enjoyed. Rick, what percentage of your net worth (not income!) did you pay in taxes this year? How much free advertising do you get on PBS (government-funded I might add you)? In my experience, people vote for (and shill for) the system they believe they will be a net winner in, and obviously you are no different.
According to NPR its average listener makes $86K annually. We could cut public broadcasting subsidies and use the money to feed the poor.
Excellent thought provoking post Rick. It seems to have brought out some trolls. I do find it amusing the number of people who think Socialism and Communism are the same thing. I wonder i f they think Capitalism and Fascism are the same thing? Also amusing are people who do not realize dignify has more than one meaning. One meaning of dignify is, “Bearing, conduct, or speech indicative of appreciation of the formality or gravity of the situation.” Observing the posturing of various politicians, radio personalities, etc. it would seem your comment regarding the Sept. 11 attacks was correct. Disconcerting is the mistatement of your position by your critics, but maybe I should not be surprised since it seems many on the right specialize in drawing strawmen to refute in addition to resorting to libel and slander. On another note, one responder to your post stated conservatives donate more to charity than liberals, but left unstated is what is the percentage of income each donates and what orgs are included among the charities. Also, I would like to see an example of where a person getting a government union pension has become a millionaire several times over in retirement, but I think I will see the sun rise in the west first.
I realize RS has the disclaimer at the top of the blog but I think he and all the people who say “You were warned, if you don`t like Rick`s politics, just don`t read the blog” have completely missed the point; people of all political persuasions follow RS and do so because he has a lot to offer as a travel writer. We get tips from him, we enjoy hearing his travel stories and most of the other stuff that he writes about here. Should only people who agree with his politics be able to benefit from his experience and other travel related stuff that he puts on his blog? After all, the vast majority of what he writes about on here is travel related and A-political. My suggestion would be to do a completely separate blog for anything political so that those of us who want to read about his travels and benefit from his extensive experience may do so without having to be subjected to a random peppering of insults aimed at us, like the cartoon above.
great, emotionally charged comic. it`s just slightly inaccurate. the difference between the comic and reality, is that the money in a basket that a beggar has is freely given by the donor of his own volition. the money that the government hands out, however, is not. it doesn`t belong to the government, and it doesn`t belong to the recipient. it belongs to the individual who earned it with his labor and/or intellect. it`s disingenuous to paint those (the GOP is the best of a bad bunch) who would try to introduce a more prudent use of my, and your funds as stealing from the poor. the truth is, it`s not their money, it`s the tax payer`s. last time i checked, 45% of people pay no taxes at all. regardless, the truth is that the government spends way too much money on EVERYTHING. everything should receive spending cuts, entitlement programs, military spending, and everything inbetween. it`s unfortunate that some have to result to such obvious ideological rhetoric rather than taking a real stab at the problems with our country.
“I should not be surprised since it seems many on the right specialize in drawing strawmen to refute in addition to resorting to libel and slander.” Maybe you should ask Sarah Palin or Scott Walker about that!
To RPT: Rick did run a separate blog[INVALID]Travel as a Political Act I think it was called, for non-travel-related comments. After awhile he merged it back into the first blog. I like to see all the comments in one place. The occasional rant is fun if people don`t take themselves and their political views too seriously.