Opinion Articles on Social Justice topics
By Rev. David Miller, Senior Minister, UU Congregation of Fairfax, on Feb., 14 Of the many symptoms of systemic illness on display in our country, school shootings are among the saddest and most destructive. As I watched children today fleeing their school in Florida, arms raised, I thought not only is the horror of safe … Continue reading Statement on Gun Violence
Average citizens who think they can whip a concealed gun out to shoot down a bad guy are living under a dangerous illusion. Joel Miller | 9/1/1999 This essay first appeared in the September/October 1999 issue of UU World, when the author was minister of the Columbine Unitarian Universalist Church, near Columbine High School in Littleton, … Continue reading Why I sold my guns
At the memorial service for Hal Fuller, long-time UUSJ leader, previous Board Co-chair, and member of the UU Congregation of Fairfax, his daughter read his powerful “Why I Went to the GA” essay, which reflects his upbringing in New Mexico. His words then deserve our careful attention now, as our nation continues to wrestle with … Continue reading “Why I Went to the GA” By Hal Fuller, UU Congregation of Fairfax
Imagine thousands cheering because you love your child. We have been marching in the Capital Pride Parade since 2005 to celebrate our transgender son Asa. It is a spiritual high each year for us. The street crowd is amazing — LGBTQ people and straight people of all ages, singles and families, babies to grandparents of … Continue reading “The Importance of Being ‘Prideful’” By Gerda and Allen Keiswetter, UU Church of Arlington, VA
This is adapted from my February newsletter column looking at how to be in covenantal relationship in a time of strong emotions around the new President of the U.S. It is easy to assume Unitarian Universalists did not vote for Donald Trump. After all, UU progressive values: immigration issues, equality for GLBTQAI, women’s rights, diversity … Continue reading “Taking Note” by the Rev. Dr. Kate R. Walker, Mt. Vernon Unitarian Church
This is an edited version of a guest sermon delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Montgomery, Alabama, on March 1, 2015. F. Scott Fitzgerald, the great novelist, is probably our country’s most acute observer of the rich. You may have heard one of his frequently quoted statements–“the very rich are different from you and … Continue reading What Is The Matter With Inequality? by Adam Wasserman UU Congregation Fairfax
Gun violence is a serious problem in the United States. And it is not just mass shootings. On average 92 Americans die from gunshot wounds each day in gun suicides (57), gun homicides (33), and unintentional shootings (2). The number of Americans killed each day by firearms is greater than the number of victims (49) … Continue reading The Right to be Free From Guns By John Johnson, Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, Alexandria, VA
Much of the impetus for the Trump and Sanders campaigns is said to stem from voters who are angry about their declining economic circumstances. Income and wealth inequality are growing in our country. What should be done about it? French economist Thomas Piketty writes that the tendency for wealth to accumulate in fewer and fewer … Continue reading Economic Inequality and UU Principles By Gene Mulligan, UU Church of Arlington
The path that led me to become the 2015 UUSJ Environmental Award recipient began many decades ago. While in high school, I read Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. It had a profound effect on me. I was awakened to the negative impact man can have on nature. I felt it was so wrong and I wanted … Continue reading Becoming an Environmental Activist By Natalie Pien, UU Church of Loudoun, VA
Walter Ellis received a 2015 UUSJ Emerging Leader Award at the UUSJ Social Justice Awards Gala last fall. His full remarks are below: Since I only have a few minutes, I figured I’d share an image with you I’ve cribbed from the internet. It’s a sketch that I’ve grown quite fond of. It shows two houses, one … Continue reading All Houses Matter By Walter Ellis, Cedar Lane UU Church of Bethesda, MD
