"a compassion that can stand in awe at what the poor have to carry rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it"

Last night Iowa City wowed me again by hosting a reading by the man who started Homeboy Industries, an incredibly inspiring (and cool) gang intervention program in Los Angeles. Father Greg, a Jesuit priest, came to IC along with two of his homies to read their poetry and talk about his book, "Tattoos on the Heart."  He didn't read from it but rather shared stories of what Homeboy Industries is and what it is doing to challenge the demonizing of gang members and the belief that some lives are worth less than others. Faced with all of the overwhelming problems destroying lives in inner city Los Angeles, Father Greg and Homeboy Industries are providing real solutions that transform the people and communities that need them most. They offer jobs at their 4 businesses and around town, free tattoo removal, and a bevy of classes and rehab services. "Nothing stops a bullet like a job" is their motto. Check them out, G.