FUSsa-talk Mailing List: Fw: [anews] Stand on the Side of Love with Knoxville, BGLT Soldiers and Immigrants

[Carol Koepp (carolkoepp]

Advocacy and Witness
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Unitarian Universalist Justice Action Network 
To: carolkoepp [at] comcast.net 
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 12:13 PM
Subject: [anews] Stand on the Side of Love with Knoxville, BGLT Soldiers and 
Immigrants


            Featured Content
              a.. Legislative Objectives 
              b.. Calendar 
            UUA Advocacy and Witness


            Dear Friends of Justice, 

            July 27th marks the one-year anniversary of the shooting that took 
place in our UU congregation in Knoxville. Please read more about it below.

            In faith and for justice, 
            Orelia, Lisa, Susan, Audra, Kat, Rob, and Meg 

            One Year after the Shooting at UU congregation in Knoxville 
TN...UUA Launches Standing on the Side of Love Campaign 

            July 27th marks the one-year anniversary of the tragic shooting at 
a Knoxville, Tennessee Unitarian Universalist (UU) church that killed Greg 
McKendry, an usher at Tennessee Valley UU Church, and Linda Kraeger, a member 
of Westside UU Church. Six others were injured. The entire community was 
affected. 

            The Knoxville congregation's commitment to love in the face of 
violence inspired the UUA to launch Standing on the Side of Love--a grassroots, 
community-based public advocacy campaign to engage faithful responses when 
people face exclusion, oppression or violence on the basis of their immigrant 
status, race, religion, political orientation, gender or sexual orientation, or 
any identity. 

            Read an Open Letter from Rev. Chris Buice, minister of Tenessee 
Valley UU Church, Knoxville TN and learn how you and your congregation can get 
involved with Standing on the Side of Love. Sign and Circulate the Pledge to 
Stand on the Side of Love now! 

            It is a time of great hope in our country, but also a time of fear, 
and sadly, hate crimes are on the rise. We need a movement like Standing on the 
Side of Love in all of our communities.

            Advocacy


              a.. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - Join the Servicemembers Legal 
Defense Network 60/60 initiative (http://www.sldn.org/page/s/6060) to help 
Representative Patrick Murphy get 60 new co-sponsors for the Military Readiness 
Enhancement Act (HR 1283) in the next 60 days. HR 1283 would replace "Don't 
Ask, Don't Tell" with a policy of non-discrimination based on sexual 
orientation. Read more in this week's Washington Post Editorial. 
              And watch for the "Voices of Honor Tour," sponsored by 
Servicemembers United and HRC, which will bring veterans discharged under 
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to town hall style discussions around the country. 
Click here to see if the tour is coming to your town. Bring a group of people 
from your congregation to express your views! For more information, contact 
la_bglt @ uua.org. 


              b.. Climate Change/Energy - One of the lessons that we learned 
from the climate change/energy bill in the House is that Representatives were 
not hearing from enough people who wanted to see a stronger version of the 
bill. As the debate now moves to the Senate, it is more crucial than ever that 
our elected officials hear from us. Use 1Sky's Action Center to fax your 
senator. 

              c.. Immigration - Recently, Senator Schumer (D-NY), chairperson 
of the Judiciary immigration subcommittee, expressed his intent to get a 
comprehensive immigration bill submitted to his committee by Labor Day. The 
response of Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), a habitual champion of immigrant justice, 
was cautious. "I could put in a bill tomorrow, but the question is can we get 
consensus," she observed, saying that she plans to collaborate with Schumer "as 
much as possible," but would not commit to introducing a House version of the 
bill in tandem with him. So it looks like things may soon be heating up! Are 
you linked in to receive action alerts to urge your elected officials to 
support immigrant justice at crucial junctures this fall? If not, or if you're 
not sure, then try one or both of these: follow UUA_Immigration on Twitter 
and/or sign up for UUA Immigrant Justice Updates. 
           

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