Action Brings Hope
A Message From Our Acting Social Justice Chair Barbara Leighton
Opportunities abound for possible actions to transform the world through justice and compassion. You can pick one or more to encourage yourself and others along the way. Some require getting out and connecting with other people. Other actions can be done from home but help in a big way when you speak your truth to let elected and appointed officials know of your values and concerns. Here are a few ideas that relate to ministries and focus areas in our congregation:
Economic Justice Ministry
Call or email state legislators to promote funding for education as described by Mike Teasdale’s May 9th letter to the editor in the Acorn. If you support increasing education spending until CA reaches the national average (AB 39), increasing career technical spending for the 40% of students who don’t go on to college (AB 1303) and more funding for special education and counseling (AB 428) urge legislators to support these bills. Mike Teasdale is currently serving on the Ventura County Board of Education for District 2 so he is aware of local needs to improve our schools and build programs for economic justice in the future.
Racial and Cultural Justice Ministry
Immigration Lobby Day held in Sacramento May 20th gave our UU Justice Ministry of California a chance to partner with California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC). Check www.UUJMCA.org for info and contact legislators to add your support or share thoughts.
June 8, from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm, some of us will be attending the Ventura UU Immigration Teach-in: suggested donation: $15 if registering by May 31st, $20 at the door. Registration: www.Eventbrite.com/e/teach-inact-out-tickets-59340196124 for event info, email susan.franzblau@gmail.com; for carpooling, Barbara Leighton beleighton@yahoo.com
Gender Equality and Reproductive Health Ministry
Reproductive rights actions have been springing up across the country. Check with Pamela Lopez or Facebook’s CVUUF Social Justice page for the latest information.
Robin Lindsay welcomes involvement in next year’s annual program of Our Whole Lives (O.W.L.) comprehensive sexuality education. Contact her at OWL@chaliceuu.org.
Climate change has been an ongoing concern for many of us. We have an email list of people in our congregation and community who want to stay informed of actions we can take individually or together. Recently, people added public comments to the Public Utility Commission meeting held in Oxnard and several meetings of the VC Board of Supervisors related to fracking and pesticides in Ventura County, plus several visits were made to the office of Congressmember Julia Brownley. Our congregation also hosts the monthly meeting of Citizens Climate Lobby, facilitated by Dick Elsley, with help from Gordon Clint.
If you want to be involved, or would consider helping to form a climate justice ministry, and are not yet on the group email lists where specific information can be shared, please contact Rev. Nica so she can help get you connected.
Action brings hope!