“A nation divided against itself cannot stand” – Abraham Lincoln, June 16, 1858 I’ve been deeply concerned about the state of our democracy. Frankly, I’m terrified. What I’m seeing is that our democracy, the very foundation of our country, is in danger. We cannot take our democracy for granted or be complacent. We must ensure that … Continue reading Saving Our Democracy – Why I Care

We watched in horror on January 6, 2021, as right-wing extremist groups attacked the Capitol Building trying to prevent the results of a free, fair and well-verified presidential election from being implemented. Our long and unbroken tradition of the peaceful transfer of power was indeed broken. We recently saw a similar attack occur in Brazil, … Continue reading It Is Time for Democracy to Strike Back

Midterm Takeaways from UUSJ Democracy Action Team Convener, Fred Van Deusen [Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this commentary was published online last month in Medium] The very good news from the recent midterm elections is that our democracy survived to fight another day. No significant disruptions occurred to voting around the country, and no … Continue reading Midterm Takeaways

[Editor’s Note: Donna Scheidt is a member of UUSJ’s  Democracy Action Team. This is adapted from her introduction at last month’s UUSJ webinar on the Moore v. Harper case that included  Becky Harper, Common Cause NC, and a named party in the pivotal redistricting case concerning the balance of powers, and Chris Shenton, attorney, Southern … Continue reading Living One’s Faith and Values

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s endorsement of the Senate Electoral Count Act (ECA) reform proposal is a significant victory toward reforming the vaguely written 19th-century law that opened the door for those denying the results of the 2020 Presidential vote.  And while it falls far short of the comprehensive approach UUSJ believes is needed to … Continue reading We Need ECA Reform While Also Fighting For Voting Rights

The Democracy Action Team (DAT) is focusing on reforming the Electoral Count Act,  after the disappointing Senate filibuster of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. One measure under consideration – the  Electoral Count Modernization Act – does have bipartisan support.  It would update and clarify the current 1887-passed law that governs the casting and counting … Continue reading What’s Next For Voting Rights 

“It takes deep faith and a lot of hard work to keep a democracy vibrant.”  – Rev. Wm. G. Sinkford, Former UUA President “In our religious lives, the democratic process requires trust in the development of each individual conscience—a belief that such development is possible for each of us, as well as a commitment to … Continue reading Devastating Dereliction of Duty