I was asked to tell you why I felt called to support the Poor Peoples Campaign and participate in its direct action at the U.S. Capitol. The ground work was laid when I started going to Cedar Lane and my consciousness was raised on one social issue after another, sermon after sermon, reflection after reflection. Soon social justice and Unitarian Universalism (because of its focus on social justice) were integrated with a desire to serve my country by supporting efforts to make our Democracy work for all.

The Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) is being led by Rev. Barber. He is doing the best he can to pick up the cause and movement begun by MLK. It appears to me that this movement has the potential to make our Democracy work for all. It is attempting to bring together all the people currently being hurt by Government policies at every level.  The PPC is mobilizing people across the country to engage in civil disobedience and to protest policies that perpetuate poverty, racism, militarism, and ecological devastation.  Because it is grounded in the ethic of love and faith in love, I believe it has a chance of being more successful than ordinary political activity. The tactics I leave to the movement’s leadership. They are putting their lives into the movement and doing the best they can to achieve success. I went to the first Moral Monday of the movement on May 14th and was arrested for being in the street with many other lay people and clergy (including Rev. Barber, UUA President Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray, and Rev. Abhi Janamanchi) in front of the Capitol and not moving out of the street when ordered, while singing a song that included “before this movement fails we’ll all go down to jail”. Actually we were processed and released on the Capitol grounds after about 4 or 5 hours, mostly in the sun, with an orange wrist band substituting for cuffs.

A video of the Rev. Barber speaking at the rally preceding “direct action” is available here. Join the movement to support it at any level, from just lending your name or donating a small amount to doing one of the many support functions available.

Yours truly, John Gubbings