Opinion Articles on Social Justice topics
As we look forward to this year’s federal elections, I want to spotlight one of the fundamental values of our American democracy. Our founders established a political system in which no single person or an elite group, such as a king or an aristocracy, could gain control of the decision-making processes. James Madison laid out … Continue reading A Democracy If You Can Keep It, by Kenneth Mitchell
Noticeable UU support for Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas An essential effort during March 2024 centered on the response to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton taking action to shut down Annunciation House. This Catholic humanitarian organization has provided hospitality and other life-saving services to migrants for decades. In reply, 268 faith leaders and 165 … Continue reading UU solidarity from across the U.S. for Annunciation House
Sean McCarthy Member of the UUSJ Immigration Action Team Maryland I am a semi-retired attorney helping a few migrants apply for immigration benefits on a volunteer basis. My wife is a native of Colombia who came to the United States many years ago to study and work. We later adopted two beautiful children from … Continue reading Immigration Turmoil on the Hill and the Way Forward for UUSJ
There were many common-sense ideas in the Dec. 20 editorial “A grand bargain on Ukraine and immigration,” but requiring migrants to wait in a third country is cruel and makes no sense. “Third country” presumably means Mexico, and the evidence is clear that Mexico is not a safe place for migrants to wait. From January … Continue reading Steve Eckstrand on “Making migrants wait in Mexico is not a good solution”
Our democracy is in danger; our country is at a crossroads. Those who support democracy, whether Independent, Republican, or Democrat, must speak out powerfully. We must educate ourselves and others, including our family and friends. We must contest the errors and misrepresentations in the media. Above all, we must identify people who support our democracy … Continue reading Our Country Needs Our Words and Values More Than Ever
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 … Continue reading Urgency on Voting Rights
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 … Continue reading Living In Hope For Immigration Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 18, 2023 Contact: Pablo DeJesús | info@uusj.org UUSJ Applauds The Reintroduction Of The Afghan Adjustment Act Congress should pass this bi-cameral, bi-partisan bill quickly Washington, D.C. – Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ) strongly supports the Afghan Adjustment Act (S.2327 and H.R.4627) reintroduced on July 14, 2023, by a bipartisan … Continue reading PR Afghan Adjustment Act
“True national unity can only emerge with acknowledgment of harm. It’s one of the first steps in pursuing restorative justice. For that reason, UUSJ supports serious discussions of reparations. Rep. Cori Bush’s resolution provides a much-needed framework for the federal reparations commission to begin. It allows us to start sacred dreaming and imagine what repair … Continue reading Serious Discussions Concerning Acknowledgement Of American Slavery
A bill is being written on Capitol Hill right now that could advance or obstruct many of the equity, justice and environmental priorities of Unitarian Universalists and other progressive people of faith. And it might not be the first bill you would think of when considering where we should deploy our organizing energy and our … Continue reading Ministerial Fellow, Kirk Freeman on A Bill For Every Community And Constituency, The Farm Bill
