Urgency on Voting Rights
by Jean Pierce, Trustee

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down decisions that challenge our polity and have inspired me to fight that much harder to preserve our democracy.

I was glad that the Independent State Legislature Theory gained no traction in Moore v. Harper. Like so many, I’ve been concerned with the ethics of the court when powerful and wealthy forces may be influencing our justices since “there are no binding ethical restraints on Supreme Court Justices like those that apply to lower courts and to government officials generally.”  

Outside influence on any matter before the court forces us to consider, in particular, how the current limits on voting rights are against UU Principles and values which embrace radical inclusion in the creation of a healthy democracy.

[Click here to read the full post, to find out how we got here]

At this time, our Unitarian Universalist efforts need to be two-pronged:

• We need to remind our legislators that voting rights have had a long history of bipartisan support. They need to remember that voting rights are essential for a strong democracy. Polling by Data for Progress and Vote Save America shows that provisions of the For the People Act receive bipartisan approval from the public, with 68% of those polled endorsing reforms in the measure.   
• We need to oppose some of the provisions of the American Confidence in Elections Act (ACE), which would impose restrictions on voting by mail and further restrict voting by residents of Washington, DC. 

We cannot take our democracy for granted. It is up to each of us to work to expand voting rights. This begins with encouraging our legislators to talk across the aisle to find areas where they can work together to restore voting rights.

------------

Jean Pierce - Jean Pierce is a new UUSJ Trustee. Jean has been active in Social Justice in various capacities. As Social Justice chair of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva, Illinois, for over 15 years, she helped coordinate programs focused on Education, Direct Action, and Monetary Support for local, national, and international causes. Jean served as chair of Issues and Advocacy for the Illinois League of Women Voters for ten years. She recently moved to Portland, Oregon, where she anticipates making new connections with fellow UUs and League members. See her full bio here.

Expert Opinion Briefing: U.S. Supreme Court Ethics Reform, Time For Congress To Act

Wednesday, August 9
8:00pm ET • 7:00pm CT • 6:00pm MT • 5:00pm PT
RSVP

Join UUs for Social Justice as we host Brie Sparkman, Policy Counsel, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington—former counsel to Congressman Hank Johnson, the lead sponsor of the SCERT Act.

Learn more about the political and legislative landscape for ethics reforms focused on the U.S. Supreme Court. Discover what actions we as citizens, voters, and Unitarian Universalists can take to shape a healthy, inclusive democracy our faith calls us to champion.

Happily, Brie is a lifelong UU! So show enthusiasm for her work!

Take the related Action Alert to support Supreme Court Ethics here and download the poster to help spread the word.

Living In Hope For Immigration Justice
by Dan Schneider, Trustee

When many of my ancestors came to Ohio from Germany in the nineteenth century,  there were no federal restrictions on immigration. Compared to today, entering the  United States was relatively easy. 

While many of us like to say we’re a nation of immigrants and their descendants, that statement makes invisible the millions of people indigenous to this land and those brought here as slaves. Some of my ancestors settled on land that had been recently taken from the indigenous people of the area. My dad’s side of the family encountered people who were neither immigrants nor children of immigrants. In 1882 my great-grandparents purchased the farm where members of my family lived for 85 years. Near the farm was a community of formerly enslaved people and their families. My grandfather, who was born on the farm in 1884, grew up hearing stories of the horrors of slavery and bequeathed to his family a belief in racial equality. 

Today things are different. Federal immigration restrictions began around the same time my great-grandparents purchased the farm, and the first restrictions were directed against people who came to this country from China. They, like many, were brought here to work. In the twentieth century, Congress created immigration laws that favored immigrants from northern and western Europe and discriminated against immigrants from southern and eastern Europe and most other places. During World War II, our national government removed Japanese Americans from their homes and forced them into desolate camps. The government restricted the immigration of Jews who were trying to escape Nazi Germany.

[Click Here To Continue Reading To Find Out How We Got Here]

First, we need to tell stories and support the immigrants in telling their stories that will show the common humanity of all of us. Secondly, we need to speak the truth that many objective studies have shown—immigrants to the United States, both documented and undocumented, make us a more prosperous nation. I believe they also add to our diversity, which makes the United States a more interesting and enjoyable place to live. 

I am proud to be connected with Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice as we work for more just, humane immigration policies. I strongly supported the Action of Immediate  Witness (AIW) on protecting Dreamers, young people who were brought to this country as children when their parents entered the US without documentation. The AIW was proposed by UUSJ and approved overwhelmingly by the 2023 Unitarian Universalist  Association General Assembly. 

I have also been honored to participate in online calls that the UUSJ set up with congressional aides in support of the Afghan Adjustment Act. I was able to speak as a Vietnam veteran to ask and demand that we help the people who supported our forces in Afghanistan just as we helped the Vietnamese people who supported our forces many years ago.

I believe in living in hope just as immigrants do. That is how I honor the memory of formerly enslaved people who influenced my family and honor the recent immigrants who have influenced me. We need to be true to our values and continue building momentum for justice for immigrants.

-------------------

Dan Schneider - Dan is a new UUSJ Trustee. Dan grew up on a small farm in West Central Ohio and was the first person in his family to attend college. He graduated from Wittenberg University and received a Master of Science in Teaching from Drake University. Dan and his wife have attended the First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati since 2006. He was Co-Chair of the Social Justice Committee and served on the church Board of Trustees; he served as Board Co-Chair of Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio and was a board member of the Amos Project. See his full bio here.

Our AIW at General Assembly 2023 passed and received 98% of the votes. As a denomination, we resolved to “Protect the Dreamers, the Recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA), with a Pathway to Permanent Residence.” We called on Congress to give them a pathway to permanent residence. See the full AIW proposal here.

Take the related Action Alert to support Dreamers and DACA here and download the poster to help spread the word.

Support the Reintroduced Afghan Adjustment Act

We must keep our promises and ensure that vulnerable Afghans relocated to the U.S. receive lasting safety through the passage of the recently introduced Afghan Adjustment Act. Take Action here and download the poster to help spread the word.

Save The Date
March on Washington 2023
Saturday, August 26
RSVP

The 2023 March on Washington will set the tone for 2024, exactly 60 years since the first in 1963. As the nation reckons with historic levels of violent hate crimes and threats to its democracy, we must continue the fight for democracy, social justice, and civil rights.

Stay tuned for meet-up details. Email info@uusj.org to tell us you want UU details for D.C. when they become available.

Save The Date
March to End Fossil Fuels
Sunday, September 17
RSVP

Join UUs for Social Justice as we mobilize with Green Faith and People Versus Fossil Fuels to march, rally, and protest to demand President Biden take bold climate action. Biden must reject new fossil fuel projects, phase out fossil fuel production, and declare a climate emergency.

Stay tuned for meet-up details. Email info@uusj.org to tell us you want UU details for NYC when they become available.