Another Summer of War

This spring held much promise for all who call themselves lovers of peace. That promise has now been broken. The new Congress, largely elected to change the course of the Iraq war, failed to stand up to the Administration’s surge in troops, failed to build a majority large enough to override a presidential veto, and now they have chosen to relinquish their power of the purse and fully fund the war through the entirety of the summer. This funding comes without any timeline requiring a withdrawal of troops.

When this spring began, Rev. Bill Sinkford, President of the UUA, sent a Moral Balance Sheet to Congress asking them to weigh the moral implications of continuing to fund the Iraq war. He said:

Because citizens of all faiths and political persuasions are being asked to pay to prolong the violence, it is our moral obligation to reckon the true cost of the war before we agree to continue it. To give a true reckoning, we must honestly confront what we have done in Iraq, and we also must acknowledge the many vital needs we have left unfunded because we chose to put our money toward war.

With our schools still needing support, our environment crumbling before our eyes, and our brothers and sisters from the Gulf Coast still scattered across the nation pulling together the pieces of broken lives, it is evident that a true reckoning of our moral obligations has been sacrificed at the alter of war.

This summer, my prayers will be with the Americans and Iraqis who can not escape the violence anymore than the hot desert sun. And in the Fall, when the promise of change returns, I will pray for a true reckoning and for a fulfillment of that promise.

40th Anniversary of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion

May 21, 2007, marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion, a network initially formed by 21 ministers and rabbis to assist women seeking safe, secure, and low-cost abortions and to provide advice on such alternatives as adoption and parenting. The service eventually grew to include about 1,400 clergy across the nation, who referred thousands of women to doctors in the U.S. and abroad, and became the forerunner of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

These ministers and rabbis risked public censure and criminal prosecution to provide compassionate counseling and spiritual support to women. These clergy became a nucleus of support for legal reform and a symbol of the power of religion to effect positive social change. Some of the UU clergy involved in this ministry were the Reverends Farley Wheelright, Richard Gilbert, John Nichols, (the late) Peter Raible, (the late) Nick Cardell, Ralph Mero, and David Johnson.

In the Pacific Northwest area, Ralph Mero recalls working with a registered nurse in Tacoma, Washington and a nurse who would provide abortions upon referral in Vancouver, British Columbia. Ministers in the Pacific Northwest would help women acquire the funds to pay for the abortion (some of which came out of the minister's discretionary account) and transport the women across the border. Many Unitarian Universalist clergy and lay leaders were involved in the CCAS and have continued to be instrumental in the reproductive justice movement.

The New Sanctuary Movement

As most of you know, the Bush administration has somehow tied the attacks on 9/11 to illegal immigration coming from Central and South America. Citing "security risks" they are building a wall along the Texas/Mexico border and cracking down on illegal immigrants in cities across this country in the most unnecessarily harsh and inhumane ways. Of particular concern is the administration's propensity to break-up families, arresting and deporting parents while their American-born (ie- citizen) children are in school. These hypocritical measures fail to recognize that these immigrants of questionable legal status are the backbone of our economy, doing jobs that the rest of us do not want to do for wages that we would not deem acceptable. In times of uncertainty, let us scapegoat those who least have the power to defend themselves.

In response to this brutality, several cities across the country have declared themselves "sanctuaries" - openly defying the administration's demands that local law enforcement help to identify illegals. And now, several houses of worship - congregations of faith - have stepped up beyond even that, offering physical sanctuary and legal aid to those threatened with deportation. In reference to the Sanctuary movement of the 1980s, they are calling this the New Sanctuary Movement. Last Wednesday, May 9th, they officially launched with announcements in Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, and New York City. Several UU congregations - First Unitarian Church of LA, First UU Church of San Diego, UU Church of Long Beach, and First Unitarian Church of Chicago - are on the front lines of this movement. And more than that, although congregations from 14 different faith traditions are involved (God bless them!), the UUA is the first religious organization as a whole to officially endorse the movement.

At our best, Unitarian Universalists stand up for those who are most marginalized, who least have the ability to protect themselves. At our best, Unitarian Universalists see the connections between us, instead of dividing between "us" and "them," and how working for the benefit of one group benefits us all. I am always proud to be a UU, but even more so now.

Divestment from Sudan

The Unitarian Universalist Assocation and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee have been witnessing and advocating against the genocide in Darfur since it began. Along with many other organizations we have begun pursuing a divestment strategy to hold companies accountable that have major investments in Sudan, propping up a murderous regime. The following article from Joan Vennochi in the Boston Globe speaks to the tensions between making money and making justice in the world.

Fidelity Investments is staring down an advertising campaign that urges its money managers to "stop investing in companies that fund genocide in Darfur." Major media outlets are also on the spot.

The mutual funds giant said it recently convinced CNN and Newsweek to change their minds about running ads sponsored by The Save Darfur Coalition. The group endorses divestment from certain foreign companies doing business in Sudan, to push the Sudanese government into ending the brutal conflict and humanitarian
crisis in Darfur... MORE

Federal Abortion Ban

On November 5th 2003 President Bush sight the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act into law with these words "Thank you very much. Good afternoon. I'm pleased that all of you have joined us as the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 becomes the law of the land. (Applause.) For years, a terrible form of violence has been directed against children who are inches from birth, while the law looked the other way. Today, at last, the American people and our government have confronted the violence and come to the defense of the innocent child. (Applause)

...America stands for liberty, for the pursuit of happiness and for the unalienable right of life. And the most basic duty of government is to defend the life of the innocent. Every person, however frail or vulnerable, has a place and a purpose in this world. Every person has a special dignity. This right to life cannot be granted or denied by government, because it does not come from government, it comes from the Creator of life. (Applause.)

In the debate about the rights of the unborn, we are asked to broaden the circle of our moral concern. We're asked to live out our calling as Americans. We're asked to honor our own standards, announced on the day of our founding in the Declaration of Independence. We're asked by our convictions and tradition and compassion to build a culture of life, and make this a more just and welcoming society. And today, we welcome vulnerable children into the care and protection of Americans. (Applause.)

This signing was attended by these men:

Now on April 18th 2007, President Bush again gathered with these white men to celebrate the Supreme Court decision upholding the Ban and endangering women's health, lives and our right to access abortion in the United States.

The Federal Abortion Ban:

• Bans safe and effective abortions as early as 12-15 weeks, which impermissibly burdens the right to obtain an abortion before viability.
• Fails to make any exception to the ban when a woman's health is at stake, which violates established constitutional protections that have been in place for 30 years.
• Uses broad language subject to wildly different interpretations that cover steps doctors routinely take in performing abortions in the second trimester, thus making it impossible for doctors to understand exactly what is prohibited.

Decisions involving pregnancy and medical care should be left to women and their doctors, not politicians. The Supreme Court decision has a chilling effect on me as a young woman especially when I reflect on who is in power making these decisions about my body. Decisions that affect women, young women, women of color, poor women, all women, families, marriages and relationships.

The Supreme Court Decision is disempowering and sends a poweful message to this country and women reasserting dominance over our personal decisions and choices. Unplanned and planned pregnancies take on a whole new level and risk with these restrictions adding a layer of emotional stress and uncertaintly.

I'm still caught in a state of disbelief. I've heard the stories of women who faced unplanned pregnancies pre-Roe and I've heard the struggles of women now who face the same situation but have limited access to abortion services. Roe was always the protection but I've lost faith in the sanity of our govenment and our Judicial system.

As President Bush said, "Every person, however frail or vulnerable, has a place and a purpose in this world. Every person has a special dignity. This right to life cannot be granted or denied by government, because it does not come from government, it comes from the Creator of life."

Well this decision certainly made me vulnerable and my "special dignity" is not being respected. Let me make my own decisions in consultation with my doctor and my Creator.

Randall Tobias' Prostitution Pledge

This blog post by Jodi Jacobson, Director of the Center for Health and Gender Equity, sort of knocks the wind out of you and replaces it with a ball of fire... a former US Global AIDS Coordinator (under Bush), champion of abstinence-until-marriage programs and the prostitution pledge, just resigned when found to be frequently utilizing a call-girl service (yes this is true)...

In the final moments of the Washington work day last Friday evening, emails began shooting across my screen announcing the immediate resignation of Randall Tobias as Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance and Administrator of the US Agency for International Development(USAID). The official press release cited "personal reasons," and this was clearly important news, so I passed it on to colleagues right away. One immediately wrote back asking for the "back story," on suspicion that a late-Friday release always means something fishy. I offered that Mr. Tobias might have a family emergency, and while I've long been a critic of the policies over which he has presided both as Global AIDS Coordinator and in his current capacity, I nonetheless felt compassion for him in what appeared to be a serious personal matter.

Boy was I wrong...

Randall Tobias and his former boss.