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OCTOBER 2024

Commentary
Theological Grounding for UU Commitment to Democracy

Fresh off of the inspiring and energizing events of the UU Climate Justice Revival, with its message of hope and reimagined possibility for our relationships with the earth and with each other, I can’t help but think about what it means to ground our relationships at all scales in love, equity, and justice. Particularly, as we move from the individual and personal scale to the organization and congregation, and on to community and the nation. If we are going to build a “spirit-filled and liberatory future,” as climate justice requires us to do, we must work on and through relationships of trust, but also generative conflict—relationships that value, learn from, and find creative possibilities in diversity and difference. In other words, we are going to need democracy.

The idea that all people should have a say in the decisions that impact them is a core theological commitment of Unitarian Universalism—so much so that we have codified this commitment in our covenants to one another for more than 60 years. But we don’t always stop to remember why our core beliefs call us to work tirelessly, and sometimes even risk our own comfort and safety, for a particular form of government.

As Unitarian Universalists, we come together around the shared belief that “every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love, and compassion.” We proclaim that justice is manifested in the recognition of what Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called “respect [for] the dignity and worth of all human personality.” Unitarian Universalism teaches us that human equality is a necessary and natural outcome of humanity’s shared divinity, and that equity becomes justice when we build our communities, and our society, around the central principle of love and the idea that every person matters. 

True belief in human equality forces us to eschew hierarchical and authoritarian systems of power and decision making and to embrace democracy as a means of social relationship on every level—even and especially in moments of conflict, when mutual respect and care are most challenging and most needed. 

We cannot forget that our commitment to democracy comes from and runs as deep as our affirmation of human equality—the theological concept out of which it was born. Through democracy we exercise our individual “right of conscience,” but we draw that right of conscience from our shared belief that we are divine and deserving of self-determination precisely because we are of the same ultimate substance—not because we are smart or sophisticated, educated or enterprising, but because we are human.

Follow the button to read the full commentary.

 
Meleah Houseknecht
Minneapolis, MN
Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
Board Bio
 
 

The Office of the President and other senior national staff of the UUA recently released the following statement:

“Living Our Shared Values Amid Ongoing Violence"

 

Events

Still Here: UU Vigil for Gaza, October

Sunday, October 6
8:00 p.m. ET • 7:00 p.m. CT • 6:00 p.m. MT • 5:00 p.m. PT
RSVP: Online via Zoom

Through a litany of loss, outrage, and resistance, participants will declare we are still here. Participants will honor the ongoing struggle for justice following the Solidarity with Palestinians Action of Immediate Witness, advocating for a ceasefire, release of hostages, humanitarian aid, and an end to military funding of genocide in Palestine and the world. The UU Vigils for Gaza, open to all, is part of a series that invites UUs to grieve, learn, and hold space for one another. (View previous vigils on YouTube.com/@DRUUMM.)

On Sunday, October 6, join concerned Unitarian Universalist ministers, religious professionals, lay leaders, DRUUMM, Black Lives of UU, Side with Love, Church of the Larger Fellowship, UU Service Committee, UUs for Justice in the Middle East, UU Society for Community Ministries, UU Women's Federation, and UU College of Social Justice.

Immigration Justice and Elections
Hosted by UU Mass Action

Tuesday, October 8
Noon ET • 11:00 a.m. CT • 10:00 a.m. MT • 9:00 a.m. PT
RSVP: Online; 60-minute program

Join UU Mass Action, the UU State Action Network of Massachusetts, for a conversation about the upcoming elections in the context of commitment to Immigration Justice. Attendees will reflect on how immigration has been impacted by previous administrations, explore how different immigration justice organizations are orienting to these elections, and ground commitment to show up for immigration justice in the long term locally and beyond. 

UU Mass Action, will be joined by Nora Rasman, Democracy Strategist at Side with Love.

The Future of Environmental and Energy Justice: A Policy Leadership Series Event with Provost Shalanda Baker

Tuesday, October 8
2:00 p.m. ET • 1:00 p.m. CT • Noon MT • 11:00 a.m. PT
RSVP: via Zoom 

Join Resources for the Future (RFF) for a Policy Leadership Series event between Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action at the University of Michigan and RFF Fellow and Environmental Justice Initiative Director Suzanne Russo. This wide-ranging conversation will touch on Baker’s work at the Department of Energy, the role of environmental justice amid emerging legislation and the transition to clean energy, and how to foster a culture of cooperation while mitigating climate change. 

A recent paper from RFF on Policies for Reducing the Impacts of Power Sector Air Pollution on Disadvantaged Americans, shows that the "CO2 Pricing policy also has a much higher ratio of estimated total health benefits and benefits from climate change mitigation."

Many UUs are Citizens' Climate Lobby (CCL) activists, see a video here, others are People Versus Fossil Fuels activists. For more on that divide see the UU World Article Two Approaches to Fighting Climate Change.

Democracy Leaders' Gathering
Hosted by the UUSJ Democracy Action Team

Wednesday, October 9
7:30 p.m. ET • 6:30 p.m. CT • 5:30 p.m. MT • 4:30 p.m. PT
RSVP: Online; 90-minute program

This election faces many potential challenges, including vitriol, misinformation, election disruption, litigation, certification refusals, and even violence. Our featured speaker, Dale Anderson, UUSJ Board Chair and member of our Democracy Action Team, will alert us to some of the biggest threats and provide information on what we can do to help reduce or mitigate them. Dale will cover "pre-bunking," poll monitoring, peacekeeping, supporting our Congregations, and ensuring our safety and security. We will have time to discuss the elements of Dale's presentation and hear some stories about what we UU Democracy Leaders are doing to get out the vote far and wide.

Brookings Institute
Race in the 2024 Election

Friday, October 11
1:00 p.m. ET • 12:00 p.m. CT • 11:00 a.m. MT • 10:00 a.m. PT
RSVP: Online

When former President Trump questioned Vice President Harris' racial identity, the issue of race jumped to the forefront of national politics. Americans have also seen immigrants racialized and blamed for anything from increased violence to unemployment for political gain. In an election cycle where the top priorities for voters are inflation and better-paying jobs, race and racial politics will have a significant effect on the 2024 elections.

On October 11, join the Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative at Brookings for a webinar where panelists will discuss the implications of these racial tropes for the 2024 elections and the state of American democracy more broadly.

Immigration Film Fest

October 17 - 27th
2024 Schedule - Buy Festival Passes

This year's festival includes 27 films you can access as part of the virtual festival from October 17-27 from the comfort of your couch. Join the festival no matter where you reside, from Rio to Rhode Island, Cameroon to California, Norway to North Dakota.

In addition, the festival will hold four in-person film screenings at several venues in Washington, D.C. from October 17 to 20.

Featured Actions

 

Where Climate, Housing and Displacement Overlap 

A recent article by PR Newswire, As the Housing Crisis and Climate Crisis Collide, New Build Change Partnerships Finance and Fuel Climate Optimism calls attention to the need for climate-resilient housing. Noting that around the globe, homeowners face “historical marginalization, mass migration, and lingering violence and conflict.  Due to climate change, they also face increased risk of drought, flooding, deforestation, and rising sea levels.” The article highlights Build Change, which focuses on housing in informal markets and has launched two projects, one in Columbia and the other in Indonesia. Those projects seek to shift power to women and people of color to tackle barriers to climate-resilient housing.

Does this sound familiar: Helene, Katrina, Sandy, Harvey, and Maria? The U.S. has sustained 396 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2024), NOAA.

In the U.S., we also need to address the condition of our housing stock, especially our public stock, and connect that to the mounting ill effects of climate change and housing insecurity. You can take action here.

 

The 2025 Tax Debate and Child Poverty

A recent piece by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) argues that Expanding the Child Tax Credit Should Be a Top Priority in the 2025 Tax Debate and that policymakers will have the opportunity to remake the tax code so that it is fairer, works for low—and moderate-income people and families, and advances racial equity. At a minimum, Congress should reinstate the successful 2021 American Rescue Plan expansion of the Child Tax Credit, including making the full credit available to children in low-income families.

UUSJ agrees that expanding the Child Tax Credit should be a key priority. This would benefit the roughly 19 million children who are prevented from receiving full credit simply because their families have low incomes. You can use our action on the Child Tax Credit to nudge Senators to show compassion for kids and families living in poverty.

UUSJ NEWS

Understanding Election Process and Threats

Protect Democracy and the National Task Force on Election Crises have updated several informative election-related materials before the election. They offer:

It’s Crunch Time – Make Sure You're Registered, and Vote!

You, your family, friends, and colleagues must check to ensure your registration is current. Please share this information with them.

How To Check: VOTE411.org is a nonpartisan bilingual website in English and Spanish that allows voters to enter their addresses and check their registrations. The site also gives candidate and election information for their location.

Why Check: Mistakes can be made, and voters can accidentally be deleted from the rolls. And sometimes voters are purged, or removed, from the rolls for “reasons” that are discriminatory or disenfranchise eligible voters. People may not even realize they are no longer registered. In Georgia’s 2017 elections, more than 100,000 people were illegally removed from the voter rolls.

Your Power: Voter turnout in the United States is lower than in most established democracies. Low turnout is often attributed to political disengagement or because people feel their vote won’t make a difference. That’s just wrong. For example, in California’s federal primary election, the winner in the 16th Congressional District won by just five votes.

A Wonderfully Successful Revival

Over 370 congregations and churches, representing 36% of our denomination, across the U.S. participated in the UU Climate Justice Revival this past weekend. Wow! That was simply astounding. They explored how they could Create Climate Justice and:

  • Collaboratively create a representation of the challenges of climate change—and the possibilities of liberation within our communities!
  • Identify a vision for a flourishing future and actions we can take to make that vision a reality!
  • Understand their role in the interdependent ecosystem of creating climate justice and collective liberation!

And it was amazing! 

Ahead of the Revival, in excitement for the content, UUSJ’s Executive Director, Pablo DeJesús, released a commentary and reflection on why Unitarian Universalists should lean into becoming Advocates for Collective Liberation. Review the unabridged version here.

Defending Our Democracy
Fred Van Deusen, Democracy Action Team Convener (Democracy@uusj.org)

“It’ll be decided at the ammo box,” Says an AP3 Leader 

Disturbingly, ProPublica reports, “Experts worry that a Trump loss could spark violence from those who feel it’s their only option, especially if he once again refuses to accept the results. If Trump wins and then fulfills his promise to pardon January 6 defendants, they fear the most radical wing of his party could take it as a license for more extreme action” in their recent expose, Armed and Underground: Inside the Turbulent, Secret World of an American Militia. The piece covers the roots and context of one such violent concern for our election process.

 

Remember, We Passed The Electoral Count Reform Act

One of the most important legislative battles UUSJ has been involved with was the passage of the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022. That victory was a celebration and relief.

The journey began after the failed vote on the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. We rolled up our sleeves and asked, "What is next? Where can we make a difference?" we immediately got to work on electoral count act reform.

Passage was in no way assured. The politics of endorsement were thorny. Lots of education was needed, and we provided that. Pressure was needed, and we applied that.

For a refresher on the act, see:

 

Do Young Voters Matter More?

As the 2024 election approaches, the influence of young voters, particularly young voters of color, is becoming increasingly pivotal. In How Economic Concerns are Shaping the Youth Vote in 2024, Brookings authors Gabriel R. Sanchez, Karishma Luthra, and Anya Parasher highlight the economic challenges facing young Americans and discuss their policy priorities

Let me Bend Your Ear About “Prebunking”

“Prebunking” is a way to teach people how to combat misinformation or disinformation they may encounter from certain individuals or politicians proactively. We know that false information is everywhere. We need to help people think critically and seek out reliable election information.

  • What does pre-bunking do? It helps counteract inaccurate information. It provides positive and accurate information to help individuals recognize and resist misleading information. It also helps people get ahead of incorrect information by educating and helping them become discerning consumers of information they hear and see online. 
  • What can we do? Suppose we hear information that is incorrect, misleading, hateful, or encourages violence. In that case, we can start by providing accurate messaging about how this election is about our freedoms, families, and futures. 

In most situations, the key step is to avoid repeating negative or incorrect information, such as conspiracy claims, lost election results, or widespread election fraud. 

Instead, discuss values Americans share across race, background, and origin. For example, mention that:

  • Freedom is important, including our freedom to vote; our freedom to have an equal say in the decisions that impact our lives; our freedom to make our voices heard; and our freedom to elect leaders who govern in our name and in our interests.
  • Voters should pick our leaders, our leaders should not pick which voters to heed and which to silence.
  • Violence has no place in our political process and that weapons of war have no place in our communities.
  • We all deserve to be safe, to live our lives, move through our communities, and engage in our elections — whether we are running for office or running through a school hallway.
  • Election officials must respect our freedom to cast our ballots, have them counted, and to certify the results to ensure the will of the people prevails.
 

Mr. Stinnett, what do you mean Greenies don't vote?
Connecting Electoral and Climate Justice

Learn about the connection between electoral justice and climate justice with an 11-minute TED talk from environmental voting advocate Nathaniel Stinnett, who founded the Environmental Voter Project in 2015. According to Mr. Stinnett, likely green voters need to become a more significant or more consistent voting block in order to secure consistent and repeated legislative or policy victories.

In related news, climate faith leaders urge voters to make the environment a priority RNS.

Environmental and Climate Justice
To connect with UUSJ about our activities (info@uusj.org)

Hurricane Helene
Our coalition partners at People Versus Fossil Fuels are drawing attention to conditions on the ground for those impacted by Hurricane Helene, "Mutual Aid and Autonomous Disaster Relief Groups Mobilize in Wake of Hurricane Helene."
 
They ask folks to consider:

ExxonMobil Sued For Recycling Claims

One of the most significant recent news events in the environmental space was the California DOJ suing ExxonMobil over plastic recycling claims, JURISTnews. 

California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s complaint opens on page 7, arguing, “The plastics industry, through its deceptive public messaging regarding plastic recycling, is responsible for one of the most devastating global environmental crises of our time: the plastic waste and pollution crisis.” Related coverage:

A.G. Bonta is not alone. On the same day, four non-governmental environmental nonprofits, the Sierra Club, Surfriders Foundation, Heal the Bay, and Baykeeper also filed suit. They allege that Exxon “caused the single-use plastics pollution crisis through a decades-long campaign asserting that single-use plastics trash is harmless and can be disposed of easily and safely” when “The reality is quite the opposite.”

  • Remember, you can Tell Coke: Bring Back Refillable Bottles with the Center for Biological Diversity. A century ago, Coke took back 96% of its bottles for reuse. Recently, they committed to sell 25% of their beverages globally in refillables. However, in its flagship market — the U.S. — Coke has run a small pilot project in Texas.
 

Dueling Energy Presidents

E&E by Politico reports that Trump Vows will raze regs and lure ‘energy-hungry’ industries. At the same time, Biden says, “We’re stronger together than alone” as he gives his farewell message on climate to the U.N. General Assembly. This after an August push talking up his ability to “deliver more projects more quickly” by accelerating federal permitting (White House Fact Sheet).

Wondering about Candidate Harris?

 

Kings Over the Necessaries of Life

UUSJ has been keenly interested in food systems since we began work on this most recent Farm Bill update. That update now has a chance for movement in the lame-duck session but is just as likely to see passage in 2025.

Our friends at Farm Action share their most recent publication, “Kings Over the Necessaries of Life”: Monopolization and the Elimination of Competition in America’s Agriculture System​. A comprehensive report providing definitive evidence of corporate control over who gets to farm, how they farm, what food is produced and sold in this country, and how much consumers must pay. The report leverages the newly launched Agriculture Consolidation Data Hub. 

Together, they help explain how our “unprecedented consolidation across the food and agriculture system is harming every Americans as a handful of corporations amass more power and profits off the backs of everyone else."

 
 

Climate Hazards Will Worsen in Nearly 1,000 Major Cities by 2100

Business Insider and Yahoo News report that a new tool shows what the climate crisis could feel like in your city and indicates that “heat waves, energy demand, and mosquito-borne diseases will spike as global temperatures rise.” 

While cities in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Indonesia face the most significant threats, they still look too hot in North America. Check out the data visualization tool. 

In this context, it makes sense that Science News is reporting that climate change could double U.S. temperature-linked deaths by mid-century.

 
 

Can We Find Trillions for a Just Energy Transition?

The Guardian reports that a study says rich countries could raise $5 trillion annually in climate finance. The study is responding to a new briefing by Oil Change International entitled "Shifting and Unlocking Public Finance for a Just Energy Transition.” 

Ahead of COP 29, the study has been endorsed by 36 organizations from across the globe. This is in response to last year’s COP when governments committed to transitioning away from fossil fuels. The idea is that the next key step is for rich countries to agree to a new climate finance goal of at least $1 trillion annually to make this transition possible.

 

Environment and Climate Coverage:

Immigration Justice
Steve Eckstrand & Terry Grogan, Immigration Action Team Conveners (Immigration@uusj.org)

Hateful Anti-Haitian Rhetoric

One of the most significant recent news events in the immigration space was the false assertion that Haitian immigrants were eating people’s pets in Springfield, Ohio. Candidate Trump gave the claim national airplay during the October 10 presidential debate. Multiple threats to the community occurred in the days afterward; the FBI is looking into anti-Haitian threats at Springfield, Ohio, university, Reuters.

Subodh Chandra, attorney for the Haitian Bridge Alliance, alleges that “circumstance had a ‘direct impact’ in spurring the 33 bomb threats” to the Ohio city and constitutes grounds for the private criminal charge of Candidates Trump and Vance.

Ohio allies provide some helpful Springfield, OH response guidance, and share the following for context: America’s long history of anti-Haitian racism, explained, Vox

 

Support When Many Are Vilifying Immigrants

UUSJ joined Welcome With Dignity’s Press Release urging Leaders to Focus on Solutions that Build a Fair, Humane Asylum System and arguing “Our current immigration challenges require forward-thinking solutions and innovative reforms – not punitive policies that push refugees back into dangerous situations, retraumatize vulnerable people, and separate families.”

Pablo DeJesús, our Executive Director, said, “We are troubled by the political discourse that vilifies immigrants. This narrative ignores their substantial contributions to our economy and communities and their integration into our families.”  See the press release for the full quote.

While we are on the vilification of immigrants, see:

 

No, Immigrants Aren't Taking Jobs from U.S.-born Black Workers

The Migration Policy Institute has recently published Beyond the “Black Jobs” Controversy: Immigrants and U.S.-born Black Workers Share a Growing Jobs Pie. The report examined U.S. Census data on prime-age (ages 25-54) workers at four points: 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2022. A few key findings are:

  • The number of prime-age workers in the U.S. increased from 97 million in 1990 to 118 million in 2022,
  • The foreign-born share of prime-age workers nearly doubled from 10 percent to 19 percent.
  • Although the number of U.S.-born Black workers increased by nearly 2.4 million, their share of prime-age workers remained constant at 10 percent.
  • The decline in the native-born share of prime-age workers was primarily due to a decrease in non-Latino White U.S.-born individuals of prime age.
 
 

Protect Afghan Allies Now

For more than two years, UUSJ has been working with a coalition of organizations to advocate for permanent protection for Afghan evacuees who supported our mission in Afghanistan and stood up for human rights in their war-torn country.

After much negotiation, a bipartisan group of Senators tried to attach an essential amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to accomplish this finally. The amendment, in the form of new legislation, includes many provisions of the previously proposed Afghanistan Adjustment Act (AAA). The amendment, the Fulfilling Promises to Afghan Allies Act (FPAAA),  

UUSJ has prepared an Action Alert in support of FPAAA urging Congress to provide a pathway to permanent residency for Afghan Refugees.

 
 

The Case that Could End DACA

On October 10, attorneys with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the State of New Jersey, the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of Texas will present oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in a case that could end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. 

DACA is the Obama administration policy that gave temporary protection from deportation and a work permit to more than 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. DACA has been threatened for years, and new applications have been barred since 2017. A ruling that DACA is unlawful would likely be appealed to the Supreme Court, with an expectation that DACA would end suddenly. 

Nevertheless, UUSJ is working with other immigrant rights and social justice organizations to monitor the court case, plan future actions to support DACA and seek Congressional passage of the Dream Act.

Economic Justice
To connect with UUSJ about our activities (info@uusj.org)

Party Posture on Abortion and LGBT Policies

Stephanie K. Pell of Brookings underscores differences on abortion in her piece The Democratic and Republican Parties' positions on reproductive rights and health care.  She highlights Kamala Harris' advocacy for reproductive rights and Donald Trump's shifting rhetoric on abortion, as well as the Republican Party's efforts to curtail access to it—outlined in Project 2025. Pell notes abortion is a top issue in the upcoming election, with a "growing share of voters in swing states now say[ing] abortion is central to their decision this fall," according to Times/Siena College polling. 

In contrast, her Brookings colleague Jonathan Rauch argues On LGBT issues, both parties move left and compare the 2024 Democratic and Republican Party platforms on these matters. He highlights Democrats' continuity with their pro-LGBT policies and Republicans' shift toward silence on same-sex marriage while focusing on transgender issues.

 

LIHEAP as Environmental Justice

WE ACT for Environmental Justice and NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) recently released a policy brief calling new attention to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as an environmental justice issue, making the connection between our built environment and our quality of life.

The brief notes that “Extreme heat is the deadliest impact of the climate crisis—and it’s only getting worse,” and “while the demand for cooling is growing, federal support for cooling assistance is chronically underfunded and unprepared to support households in our changing climate.”

See their brief, LIHEAP Needs a Lifeline: A Call to Strengthen the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program in a Changing Climate.

 

Tax Policy Content and Clippings:

Campaign-related:

Policy Articles:

 
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