FUSsa-talk Mailing List: Fw: [anews] Moral Balance, ENDA, Jena 6

[jojane (jojane]

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: UUA Advocacy News <UUA [at] mail.democracyinaction.org>
To: jojane [at] juno.com
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:44:41 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [anews] Moral Balance, ENDA, Jena 6
Message-ID: <415724875.-387278140 [at] org.orgdb.mail.democracyinaction.org>

September 12, 2007
ADVOCACY-NEWS
Action Alert from the UUA Washington Office for Advocacy





In This Issue:


Introductions 
Moral Balance Revisited 
End Workplace Discrimination! 
Jena 6 
Interfaith Fast Day for Peace and Justice 
Upcoming Dates and Deadlines 






(1) Introductions
Dear Friends, 
Weïre recognized! 
A staffer on Capitol Hill had this to say about the UU activist
community: 
[UUïs] are the kind of people that Members of Congress love to work with.
They are organized, cutting-edge and passionate. They are well-educated
on the matters at hand. They give money and vote. 
Give yourselves a big pat on the back. Your work is noticed and
appreciated. 
That work is also needed now - as much as ever. In this issue there are
very important action items on Iraq, ENDA, and the Jena 6. These are
three immediately pressing issues on which we look forward to partnering
with you. 
In faith, 
Adam, Grace, Alex, Lisa, Kat, and Rob 







"But peace does not rest in the charters and covenants alone. It lies in
the hearts and minds of all people. So let us not rest all our hopes on
parchment and on paper, let us strive to build peace, a desire for peace,
a willingness to work for peace in the hearts and minds of all of our
people."
- John F. Kennedy





(2) Moral Balance Revisited
Last week, every fax machine on Capitol Hill delivered a message from
Rev. William Sinkford, President of the UUA, urging an end to the Iraq
war. He said: 
I write to you today with a heavy heart. Our national crisis has become
spiritual crisis, and as a religious leader, I am called to urge to you
once again to consider the true cost of the war in Iraqï 
ïNot far from the collapsed 35W bridge in Minneapolis is a yard sign that
reads, ïBridges Not Bombs.ï The entire transportation budget for the
state of Minnesota is $250 million. For the $78 billion spent in Iraq
since March, the federal government could allocate six times that amount
to every state in the nation to improve their transportation
infrastructure. While we fight a losing war abroad, Americans at home are
at increasing riskï 
ïThis September you will hear a report from the administration about the
progress in Iraq, and you will be asked to appropriate more funding for
this continuing tragedy. As you deliberate, please be mindful of the
chaos and resentment that grows every day in Iraq, as the death tolls
continue to break records. Please consider all the urgent needs in our
own country that go unmet. And, in memory of our fallen soldiers, please
act now to end this hopeless war. 
I pray that you will find the courage and the will to end this tragedy. 
Not another dollar. Not another life. 
Read the complete letter here. 
If you like this message and would like to ensure that your legislators
hear it - LOUDLY and CLEARLY - please contact Adam Gerhardstein at
agerhardstein [at] uua.org to discuss partnering in call-in days, lobby days,
and clergy endorsements of this letter. I want to visit your members of
Congress and tell them to end this war - and I want to do it right when
you are calling them! 






(3) End Workplace Discrimination!
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, ENDA (H.R. 2015) is heading for a
vote at the end of September. It has gained great support in the House
and is likely to pass but we need your help to secure a strong vote! Now
is the time to write, call and visit your Representative. 
Join UUïs and other people of faith from around the country on September
25th for a national call-in day in support of ENDA. Click here for a
flyer about the call-in day to distribute to members of your
congregation. 
For more information on ways you can help visit the ENDA headquarters at
www.uua.org. 






(4) Jena 6
CNN.com recently ran an article with the latest information on the trials
of the ïJena 6ï- six black high school students from Jena, Louisiana who
are being tried as adults for second degree aggravated battery against a
white student. The fight for which the Six are being charged followed a
string of race-charged incidents, including the hanging of three nooses
in the schoolïs colors from a campus tree. Many say that the decision to
charge the boys as adults, excessive bails, and the 22-year conviction
placed upon one of the defendants smack of ïJim Crow justiceï. Read the
CNN article and get involved by signing a petition on Color of Changeïs
website, or ordering a shirt from Color of Change to wear on the
September 20th Day of Action for the Jena 6. 






(5) Interfaith Fast Day for Peace and Justice
The UUA has joined an interfaith coalition of activists performing a
group action on October 8th, 2007. We will be putting our bodies and
wills on the line in the name of peace. Through this action, we will be
creating a deeper and more meaningful way of investigating our own
implicit participation in global violence. 
In cities all over the United States and Canada, we will see activists of
all faiths coming together to reflect on our universal struggle for peace
and justice. In Washington DC, religious leaders will join together in
prayer and fasting as guidance for our goals. 
Religions all over the world, we have stories of prophetic women and men
denying their bodies of earthly pleasures in the name of peace and
justice. They will inspire our own work for good in this world. 
At sunset, we will break bread together and celebrate the beauty that is
life. We will resolve to recognize the gift of this world and our shared
humanity. We will call for a peaceful resolution to the conflicts in the
Middle East. 
For more information on actions near you, please visit
www.interfaithfast.org and stay tuned for more resources on how to safely
fast and prepare for the action. 






(6) Upcoming Dates and Deadlines
Sept 15: Deadline for UU Funding Program 
Sept 15: ANSWER March in Washington, DC 
Oct 1: Deadline for new CSAI submissions to the Comission on Social
Witness 
Oct 8: Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day - Interfaith Fast for Peace 
Oct 11: National Coming Out Day 
Oct 14: Association Sunday 
Nov 11: Armistice/Veteran's Day 






Contact Us:
Rob Keithan
Director
rkeithan [at] uua.org, x15
Kat Liu
Assistant Director
kliu [at] uua.org, x12
Grace Garner
Legislative Assistant for Women's Issues
UU Women's Federation Clara Barton Intern
ggarner [at] uua.org, x13
Adam Gerhardstein
Legislative Assistant for International Issues
agerhardstein [at] uua.org, x21
Lisa Swanson
Legislative Assistant for Economic & Racial Justice
lswanson [at] uua.org, x22
Alex Winnett
Program Associate for Peacemaking
Mary Bonner Memorial Intern
awinnett [at] uua.org, x20