Ethical Culture Society of Silicon Valley

A virtual discussion on an issue related to ethics.

We decide the topic together, if we can, so bring ideas from your life, the news, or history, something that relates to ethical choices.

Please be prepared to have your camera on, a requirement of attending this virtual meeting.

Passcode is ethics.

In his first book, award-winning investigative journalist Brian Barth takes us on an immersive journey deep into Silicon Valley’s homeless encampments, challenging everything we thought we knew about our unhoused neighbors.
In this wide-reaching portrait of the constellation of people living in tents, shacks, and cars in the shadow of tech campuses and skyscrapers, award-winning journalist Brian Barth introduces us to the misfits, activists, and iconoclasts of Silicon Valley’s homeless encampments. Blending memoir, investigative reporting, history, and cultural criticism to paint a portrait of a community searching for dignity and connection in the midst of a national crisis, Front Street is a conversation-changing story about the struggle for housing.
This immersive work follows residents of three distinct camps—Crash Zone in San Jose, Wood Street in Oakland, and Wolfe Camp in Cupertino. Regularly harassed by police and local government, and frequently at risk of often violent and always destabilizing sweeps, these camps may seem chaotic to some but more often than not, to their residents they are sites of refuge and rebirth. In research on 19th- and 20th-century homelessness and philosophical contemplations of communal anarchy, and through honest conversations with residents, Barth shows how the solution to homelessness isn’t as straightforward as one might think.
Front Street considers the root causes and possible solutions to chronic homelessness, contemplating political, economic, social and spiritual approaches alike. With empathy and poise, Barth follows this cast of characters, describing their personal stories, quotidian experiences, private philosophies and political activism. In doing so, Front Street explains why the country’s current approach to homelessness has become at once cruel and ineffective and makes the radical argument that encampments, when treated generously and fairly, have something important to teach the rest of us about autonomy, dignity, connection and care.

Suggest a book!! Not too long a read. Choose something available in print, audio, and electronic versions. Please put the title in the comments section or message Ben through Meetup with your suggestion.

All are welcome, whether you have read the book or not. There is much for everyone to discuss and learn.

A virtual meeting. The link shows when you RSVP. If you need a passcode, it is ethics.

Our Coffee & Conversation sessions are informal, inclusive, supportive gatherings. We just talk about things that are on our minds and in our hearts, things that make for, or detract from, a fulfilling human life in the real world for ourselves and for other people. We listen to each other, share our thoughts, and enjoy the time together. Coffee, tea and goodies provided.

Join the conversation!

To promote a respectful space where everyone's voice can be heard, we encourage participants to:
-Wait to speak until others are finished rather than interrupting
-Avoid giving advice unless requested
-Be mindful of how long you talk and try to keep it to 1-2 minutes at a time so everyone has a chance to talk