Why would his religion have anything to do with governing?See also THIS article, from www.cdmucc.org:Isn't Ted Hayes the guy whose daughter was in last year's summer olympics?
...I was also reading about Joanna Hayes, the winner of the Olympic gold medal in the 100 meter hurdles. (She lives in Riverside.) Something was different about her from early on. Her father, Ted Hayes, said Joanna was already running tirelessly at age 2. She kept running from wall to wall within their living room. “I mean for hours. We wondered what was wrong with her.” Evidently nothing was wrong with Joanna; fortunately she found what God has for her to do, for now. She has cultivated her speed, she has been doing her work. She’s still running, and fast.
Even so, the gold medal didn’t just come. Joanna suffered upheaval in her early life, which caused her to observe, “Strength and power come from struggle and pain…Maybe things would have been better if my life had been different. But when you wake up in the morning knowing things are going to be tough that day, it builds character.”
But the real kicker is what caused her upheaval. Her father, Ted Hayes, has lived among the homeless in Los Angeles for the last twenty years. He has become an influential political activist on their behalf. One day in 1984 he was watching a TV documentary about Tent City, where homeless folks gathered in downtown L.A. He was concerned for them, God’s children, out there sleeping on the streets. He was already then a devoted follower of Jesus. “I believe the Lord spoke to me that evening,” he says—and he responded.
Then and there, he decided he must obey. He uprooted away from his family. His wife and four children stayed in their home in Riverside; he moved to Los Angeles to live among, and advocate for, the homeless. (That’s where he still lives today, except for some weekends in Riverside.) Joanna—the one who just won the gold—was 6 when he left. [Aug 28 L.A. Times]
Maybe I didn't read the article clearly, but I think that Steward or the copy editor wrote "Rasta" because he had dreadlocks, not because he was a member of the Rasta religion.
That's good to hear - if he was a real Rasta, you may as well just elect Mullah Omar.
Arab American Protest
I wanted to add one more dimension to your report about the March 27 rally against Israel’s elimination of Sheikh Yassin, held in front of the Israeli Consulate (“Arab Americans Stage Protest at Israeli Consulate,” April 2).
I was there as part of a quickly organized counter-rally. Even though the rally was held on Shabbat, there were Orthodox Jews who joined the group after attending services. There were Christians who felt so strongly that they drove in from Orange County. And there were secular Jews. It was an honor for us to have human rights activist Ted Hayes at our side. About 25 of us stood together in the hot sun, on Shabbat, because we felt it was vital to deliver the countermessage. Our signs read: “Hamas, stop killing children,” “Yassin was Israel’s bin Laden” and “Stop Justifying Suicide Bombing.” Just like their message, our message also got out. Those who organized the rally supporting Yassin found that they could not dominate the streets or the media.
I remain convinced that it is essential to continue countering the disinformation and moral confusion that marks the anti-Israel positions.
Roz Rothstein, Executive Director StandWithUs
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In the article about the Arab protest, I was the one referred to as a “Jewish Activist with Israeli flag.” I was holding the flag with Ted Hayes and had an Israeli flag in my other hand. Ted is black, I am an American of Mexican descent and on the other side of Ted was Paul Nissan, an American of Japanese descent. Israel has supporters from all ethnic groups and we will continue to fight and present a vocal and visible presence in the face of those who would threaten Israel and our Jewish community.
David Hernandez, Valley Village