Dear Friend,

There is a sort of blindness that we humans suffer from that is very

difficult to treat. The difficulty lies in the fact that people who suffer this malady often have good eyesight, and don't realize that something might be wrong. The disease is currently epidemic in society, but it is not new. It had been discovered long ago by ancient sages from a number of different traditions. Nevertheless, even medical doctors fail to recognize the symptoms, and if you point out to a person that he has this condition, he will invariably reject your diagnosis.

"We are all responsible for all." Dostoyevsky

The webmaster of this site was a grass roots activist in the Washington, D.C. area for ten years. The book reports on community outreach in the Camp Springs area of Prince George's County, Maryland. Prince George's is a large suburban jurisdiction of about 850,000; Camp Springs is an unincorporated residential region in the southern part of the county with a population of 15,000 or so, and Westchester Estates, where the events in the book took place, is a 1960s vintage, suburban neighborhood of 550 homes. The book combines streetwise, anecdotal material with a technical treatise on crime and related social phenomena. It provides a snapshot of life in urban/suburban America from a grass roots perspective.

When I say "grass roots perspective", it means that the author was connected in a direct, personal way with real people, on actual streets in an actual neighborhood. Have you ever watched one of those "America's Most Wanted" shows ... the John Walsh, crime TV genre? I was living the America's Most Wanted reality in a suburban D.C. environment. But it was not in a crumbling ghetto or a trashy trailer park that I lived, but a middle-class subdivision in an area where the median household income was $69,000 per year. Nevertheless, the America's Most Wanted mentality was predominant – especially within the local government. Prince George's experienced a soaring crime rate through the mid-90s and into the 2000s. Juvenile crime went through the roof. In my locale of Camp Springs, we averaged 7 robberies and 60 thefts per month (see crime report). A mile or two closer towards the District the rate was ten times higher. How did the county leadership react to this plague of criminal behavior? In typical John Walsh fashion: write more laws, hire more cops, crack down.

I too set out to work on the crime problem. What came out of it is this book, and the solution that it outlines. The mixture of logic and street-cred in this work is unusual. There's not much on the bookshelves that compares to it. The only thing I've seen that remotely fits the same category is Altars in the Street, by Melody Ermachild Chavis, who was a Berkeley area activist. But this work goes quite a bit deeper into a philosophical development. It's not an exaggeration to say that this is a revolutionary piece. It calls for a complete overhaul in our thinking about social issues, particularly issues related to delinquency and crime.

World society has evolved to a precarious state. We're passing through a truly unique period in history and matters of unprecedented urgency are demanding our attention. Few people grasp the full import of what is taking place, or if they do, they're not showing much interest. Though one might be tempted to take to the streets with a bullhorn, it doesn't actually do a lot of good to rant about the problems. Nor does it help much to slug it out with lawyers and politicians. Most people are simply not getting it. But one has to do something. One has to take some sort of action.

"Bernards! There are thousands of them." Dostoyevsky

A friend of mine suffers from paranoid schizophrenia with multiple personality disorder. Her mind creates realities that don't agree with your own, and she simply can't imagine that there's any other view. My friend's name might as well be John Walsh, except that whereas she is gentle, courteous and forgiving, Walsh is vengeful, childish and brimming with phony righteousness. There's not an ounce of responsibility in the John Walsh mind-set. It's simplistic, black-and-white, good-guy/bad-guy thinking. And name any social commentator you've read or heard recently. With few exceptions their names may as well be John Walsh. We're living in a John Walsh age. John Walsh sits in the mayor's office. He's in the governor's mansion. He occupies public office from clerk to congressman to chief justice. And most critically, he is giving lectures in political science at every law, government and public policy school in the country.

Good defense lawyers tell you not to get emotional. Don't get caught up in the circumstances of the person you're defending. Slice up your opposition, cut his heart out, but do it with neither joy nor pity, rather with detached precision. That's what this book does. It cuts the logical heart out of the John Walshes, and carves up the intelligentsia who coach them from the sidelines. On the other hand, good spiritual teachers instruct that criticism by itself is wrong. An enlightened approach requires that you offer an alternative; something that can move people forward from where they are.

A word about spirituality (see Spiritual Connection): You might categorize my efforts as "applied spirituality". Many people are uncomfortable with the term, and for good reason. Though the word "spiritual" is widely used, it's rare that you find commentators – including clergymen – who can convey the true sense of it. No one succeeds in defining it, because spirituality is impossible to handle with reasoning and logic. But handle it we must if we are to get past square one in addressing the problems of our age. It's not about religion, but something broader, something that transcends all religions. As with the blindness that the ancients diagnosed, and the schizophrenia of my friend, and the John Walsh mind-set that our political leaders display, getting a person to see the spiritual side of life requires something out of the ordinary. To treat the spiritual deficiency we must shift our frame of reference; nudge ourselves from the rigid boundaries of our customary thought process. Truthfully, you can't do it with a book alone, but this book does at least suggest a way to get beyond the verbiage. It proposes a plan. It suggests a path. And on that path, there may be a glimpse of light.

Despite its local focus (or perhaps because of it), this work is probably best categorized as an essay in political science. The basic premise is that refined awareness (consciousness) improves the quality of life in communities. It might seem that the hypothesis is more philosophical than political, but this is not a bland exercise in theoretical abstraction. The substance of the book is far from bland. It delivers a sharp blow to the abdomen of the body politic; a powerful strike on the foundations of conventional wisdom. At the same time it rewards the patient reader with flights of thought that the average person doesn't often experience. It transports you from the chaos of urban America to the "abyss", as Thomas Merton called it; the place "whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere."

Sincerely,
Alexander Gabis Jr.

Comments from Readers

Thank you for sharing with me your fine report ... it is very clearly written and at times even moving ... More power to you and your efforts ..... Amitai Etzioni, George Washington University, Dept. of Sociology

I can't tell you how much I admire what you have done. ... Lynda C., Boone, North Carolina

No doubt your hard wok will provide important ideas that will be helpful to many other people. ... Gloria Lawlah, Maryland State Senator

Your depiction of children-students was excellent ... I would encourage you to publish this ... congratulations on being an astute observer and having the courage to be an idealist ... James Youniss, Dept. of Psychology, Catholic University of America

No act of kindness no matter how small is ever wasted. ... Maureen W., Camp Springs, Maryland

I consider it a MUST READ if you are concerned about your neighborhood or community. I am more aware of my community and its surroundings since reading your book. ... Elgin R., Camp Springs

Please know that I have been learning much good from your book, changing my views ... Jim W., St. Johnsbury, Vermont

Alex Gabis offers a highly original, insightful and practical view of the shaping forces of social interaction .. Dennis M., Greenbelt, Maryland

In his book Managing the Spiritual Neighborhood, Alex Gabis details a methodology for tapping the hidden resources in our residential communities. He combines grass-roots activism with the knowledge of a modern science of consciousness to provide nothing less than a blueprint for solving the myriad problems afflicting many American neighborhoods. Managing the Spiritual Neighborhood is a fascinating and important book. ... Howard Levine, Author, "Leaving this Life Behind"

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Preface

This book reports on the progress of a continuing social research project. The project is ongoing in the sense that the author of the research is still actively involved in the community where the project was conducted. This same community is also the place where the researcher, your commentator, has resided for fourteen years: the Camp Springs/Westchester neighborhood of southern Prince George's County, Maryland. The project had no sponsoring agent, is affiliated with no particular institution, and has yet to identify a qualified body to review its results. It was a personal endeavor that began without predetermined parameters, or even a definite goal, but instead unfolded gradually, in phases, over a period of about five years. The full extent of the research, and the various reasons for conducting it will become clear as you read through the report.

Broadly speaking the project has taken on four distinct aspects: (i) an exercise in crime prevention through grass roots community outreach, (ii) an instrument with which to engage and challenge the established political leadership, (iii) an attempt to develop a logical underpinning for responsible civic action, and (iv) a proposal to create a new profession and a new kind of government. The underlying rationale for this research is to determine what might happen if a moderately clear-thinking individual applied his intellect towards the solution of a modern social problem, proceeding as if he were solving a problem in mathematics or the objective sciences. It should be noted that in this case the individual in question, though compassionate, and possessing a reasonably sound comprehension of the basic elements of life, nevertheless exhibits an unspectacular intellectual ability. This point is important because the conclusions that are reached might be viewed as quite out of the ordinary, or even revolutionary, from a social science standpoint. Yet they formed in the ordinary mind of an ordinary person. The implication is that a different thought process is at work; something that most folks, however intelligent, don't commonly experience. We will come back to this point in the discussion that follows. Note also that the development of our solution includes both a theoretical aspect and an empirical aspect, just as there would be in the hard sciences. Though this undertaking may not quite qualify as applied mathematics, it does perhaps deserve consideration as applied mathematical thinking.

The logic that we will present, though arguably mathematical in flavor, will not approach the complexity of even the most basic of proofs that you find in pure mathematics. We are not revising the laws of gravity here. On the surface at least, the social issues addressed in these pages seem quite straightforward. The question then becomes, why do such problems still exist? Many great thinkers and scientists have come and gone over the centuries, and there is no shortage of creative minds among us today. What we will argue is that the problems identified in this book – fear, apathy, isolation – are far more important to the health of humanity than any scientific discovery or artistic creation. Thus we are challenging not just the political leadership, but also the scientific, educational and cultural leaders. We would like folks who demonstrate genius in other areas to sit up and take notice of issues that so directly affect the quality of life for all of us.

The new government that we speak of is not meant to replace our constitutional government. Nor is it an extension of that government. Rather, it will function in parallel, as a sort of complimentary alternative. The domain of the government will be very local – neighborhood level. It will operate on, and originate within grass roots communities. It has none of the laws or edicts that you normally associate with government. Nor is there any law enforcement. Yet there is a governing force at work. Call it the force of conscience. It's the force that enables folks to live together harmoniously; that keeps a person from spreading rumors, or stealing property, or throwing a punch at someone, even in a situation where such a punch was warranted. It has its source in the gregarious nature of human beings; the tendency for individuals to come together willingly and live cooperatively with one another. The governing body of the community is thus the community itself, rather than a collection of legislators working from afar. This government of conscience, or moral government if you will, is not really new of course. It has been functioning in every community, in every place that man has settled since the dawn of civilization. I say functioning, but not necessarily functioning well. We will see some strong evidence that in the urban landscape of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the government of conscience is languishing in a rather anemic state. This is the main finding of the project: that society is suffering from an acute poverty of conscience. So acute, and so deeply rooted that many folks would declare that the situation is uncorrectable; that we must adjust to the burden and carry on, because nothing can be done about it. Our argument will contradict this view. This is the second result of the project: a logical demonstration, backed by empirical evidence, that there are workable, practical strategies for strengthening a community's force of conscience, or, as we shall term it in Chapter 5, the "shared spirit" factor of a community (see Section 5.6). Though it might appear otherwise, the strengthening of shared spirit will not involve impressing morality on people. There is no preaching involved, no recitation of "values". The social problems we address are manifested as moral issues, but what we will try to show is that the solution to the problems lies outside the moral realm. The main point is that we are not merely philosophizing about these questions, we are actually applying our philosophy. However abstract the discussion becomes, we don't lose touch with the real-world application, for without that application our conclusions have little value.

We are characterizing the new government as "alternative" in order to highlight the distinction between prevention and reaction in social systems. The constitutional government – or at least, the current implementation of it – is primarily reactive in how it operates. Our alternative government on the other hand, is designed around the principle of prevention. It will be argued that that the exercise of true prevention requires a different state of mind, a new mind-set. This mind-set, though perhaps out of the ordinary, is not at all unnatural. On the contrary, it is more unnatural not to have the preventive mind-set. Nevertheless, most people today don't comprehend true prevention. We will discuss this in detail in Section 1.2 and again in Section 5.4. Note that it is possible that what we are calling alternative today may one day become predominant. While it's important to keep that vision in mind, one must also realize that it could be years, decades, or longer before it comes to pass. In the most pessimistic view it may never happen at all. The establishment of a preventive government is truly a long-term project; one in which you would fully expect to be involved for a lifetime. Given the current state of society, it's an undertaking that may very well be passed on to future generations. We will talk about the level of commitment required by this project in Chapter 5 when we describe the new profession of "Garden Zone Manager".

Regarding this new profession: We use the term "garden zone" to refer to the intermediate zone of the environment between the remote wilderness and the interiors of our homes. It's the fertile region that man has shaped from the planetary whole in order to sustain himself. In modern suburbia the garden zone has lost its agricultural character and been transformed into a commercial, recreation and transportation zone. When we speak of a Garden Zone Manager, we're talking about a community manager who uses this region as a platform for addressing such problems as crime, homelessness and environmental protection. The garden zone will be the venue in which he or she initiates contact with individuals of the community. All of his work will take place very locally; within residential neighborhoods, and at nearby parks, markets and public gathering spots. The idea is to direct the community's attention towards the green that surrounds us; to reestablish our connection to the land and the outdoors. Gardening is perhaps the most natural activity for making this connection. By growing flowers, herbs or vegetable crops, the community not only connects to the land, but also becomes more self-sufficient. We will talk about self-sufficiency in Chapter 7, when we cover some of the specifics of a manager's job.

A Garden Zone Manager follows no written rules in his profession; no "code of conduct". Rather, he or she will rely on common sense and his innate sense of fairness and decency. He will also need the cooperation and support of his fellow community members. However, gaining that support will require work. The manager must make a deliberate effort to interact with people. The main device for connecting to the community will be plain, straight talk. No one is ever forced into compliance; no threats are necessary, not even legal threats. The manager simply makes suggestions. His role is that of a concerned advisor. The idea is that there is a common ground on which the community stands, and there are benefits to be had from cooperating with one another. We will argue that it's possible to broach almost any topic with one's neighbors, including problems of conflict resolution, if your approach is right. The success of this approach will depend on our ability to overcome the barrier of anonymity that dominates our culture. Modern society has imposed what amounts to a survivalist mode of existence on us. We live on private estates and conduct our affairs individually, striving to succeed on our own, and there are no clear avenues for sharing our success with the people around us. In order to open such avenues the manager must employ friendliness and courtesy. He will in fact be required to set the example for courteous relations. Setting the example translates to volunteering, organizing, reaching out, and participating in activities that benefit the community as a whole: church groups, civic associations, school programs, Neighborhood Watch, road, park and stream clean-up, homeless outreach, food pantries and so forth. We will show that the manager's role is actually a spiritual one, where spirituality does not necessarily imply religious practice, but refers instead to a broader, more abstract experience having to do with one's personal growth. Spirituality is a term that is generally misunderstood, often misused, and never defined. We will offer a definition of sorts in Chapter 4 when we discuss the inner realm and growth of character (see Section 4.5). Courtesy is also a term that draws a wide breadth of interpretation. We will discuss courtesy in Chapter 1, where we will link it to awareness (see Section 1.3), and again in Chapter 5, where we connect courtesy and spiritual growth (see Section 5.9). Though I won't promote any particular religious practice, I will argue that generally speaking religion is a good thing, beneficial to both the person and the community. Moreover, I will suggest that clerics would make good candidates to become Garden Zone Managers, provided we can overcome some of the political obstacles that exist (see Section 5.10).

The job of making neighborly suggestions may sound helpful, but it's not obvious that there would be a profession contained here. The intent of this book is to show how important this advisory role actually is. When you see how much is involved in such a seemingly simple practice, you will better appreciate the potential of this new position. Chapters 2 and 3 present a number of examples that illustrate the lack of leadership at the neighborhood level. There is clear evidence of a fundamental shortcoming in our communities, and a need for someone who can point folks in the right direction. We will demonstrate that juveniles in particular are greatly in need of attention. Truthfully, our children are way out of control, and no one seems concerned about it. Even the school system is failing in this regard, as we will see in Chapter 6.

Though the project was confined to one small community, the discussion will show that we are dealing with problems – crime, delinquency, etc. – that are widespread in today's society, and that have furthermore persisted for a long time. There are some powerful forces at work in the world, and some well established institutions – religious, economic, political – but despite their longevity, and despite the good intentions of those who participate in them, none of our institutions have solved these problems, and some of the problems are actually getting worse. The state of the environment has certainly declined, and continues to decline. Homelessness and poverty should not exist period, given the wealth of our country. Crime has improved somewhat, according to statistics, nevertheless the prison population is higher than ever, and on the world scene crime has increased dramatically in recent years. (Locally, in Prince George's County crime has remained high for the past decade.) What's needed is a new vision, a new paradigm. This report will suggest such a paradigm. The approach will come from the angle of grass roots crime prevention, but the real goal is to restructure society, starting with our communities. More precisely, the goal is to create a structure where none exists, for those entities that we call communities now, hardly qualify as such. They are several key elements missing in them. We will discuss those elements, and try to come up with a definition for community in Section 5.6.

You will notice as you read these chapters that the arguments sound quite personal; that rather than a sum of information collected from other sources, they instead seem to emerge from the author's own psyche. The author makes no apology for this mode of expression. Truthfully, I am pleased about having thoughts that are clear enough to allow me to put into writing some notions that took a bit of time to develop, and to express them in a fashion that sounds halfway meaningful. But I must tell you that these ideas, though they feel original and might sound original, are not necessarily unique to me. Others have had similar thoughts, and it appears that their thoughts were equally original to them. What this seems to imply is that there is single source from which such ideas emanate; a single source of thought. We will talk about this source, and the importance of finding it, in Section 5.5.

What you will find in this report is a frank discussion of issues that most people don't care to deal with. Unpleasant issues, like crime. No doubt some folks will say that I have become morbidly obsessed with crime. That one person can only do so much, and that by focusing too intently on the gross and limited aspects of reality, we lose sight of the boundless beauty of existence; that we are letting the negative side of life dominate the positive side. My response is that there is much important work to be done out here in the field, as it were. Someone has to be working in the real world, with real communities. Someone has to address these issues straight on; to take them as his or her duty. Perhaps it's my dharma to work in this area. Perhaps it's yours too. If you haven't thought about becoming involved in community service, this book might give you the incentive to do so. You may thus consider this an invitation. You are cordially invited to participate in something meaningful and to perhaps contribute to the positive evolution of man.

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