Members(hip) Matters

Members(hip) Matters: In a post written before the events of late last week, Thomas intended to continue the discussion of membership in Unitarian Universalism...

Editor’s Note: Today’s post was written before the events of last week on our Facebook Page. I will write more about all of that, maybe as soon as this week, but for now, this was the follow-up we had planned, presented as intended when it was written. Last week, I wrote a post about the importance of choice in what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. No one is born a UU. Even those raised…

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"Democratic leaders only did things like enact Social Security, create Medicare, pass the Voting Rights Act, and end the Vietnam War once they feared the electoral consequences of inaction. The same dynamic holds today: you can bet Democratic leaders will not fulfill their longtime promise to statutorily codify reproductive rights until and unless they feel the same kind of anger and pressure as their predecessors felt in their day.

That’s how democracy is supposed to work: we’re supposed to evaluate representatives not on their personalities or party affiliations, but on their records, and when they fail to deliver on their promises, those representatives are supposed to fear being denied their party’s nomination and thrown out of office by their own voters.

'Politicians respond to only one thing — power,' wrote Ta-Nehisi Coates back in 2011. 'This is not the flaw of democracy, it’s the entire point. It’s the job of activists to generate, and apply, enough pressure on the system to affect change.'

That’s how the American right ultimately brought us to this horrible moment: they conditioned Republican voters to actually expect and demand things, and punish those who wouldn’t deliver.

That same attitude is what’s needed from Democratic voters now — not just rage aimed at the conservative ideologues turning back the clock, but also rage at the Democrats who control the government today. Those elected officials must be forced kicking and screaming — against their own desires — to actually produce. Not tomorrow. Now.

Of course, many of us have been saying this for decades — and have been berated and belittled for doing so. But at least for a moment, it finally feels like we’re no longer alone.

If that’s fleeting, we’re screwed. If it’s enduring, then there’s still a tiny glimmer of hope."

- David Sirota, from "Democratic Leaders Don’t Fear Their Own Base. They Should." Jacobin, 25 June 2022.

Be Our Guest: Law Day - Voices of democracy in times of change

By Dean R. Dietrich, president, State Bar of Wisconsin Voices of Democracy is the American Bar Association’s theme for Law Day (May 1). This year, the theme encourages Americans to participate in the 2024 elections by deepening their understanding of the electoral process; discussing issues in honest and civil ways; turning out to vote; and, finally, helping to move the country forward after…

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I'm Not Voting!!!

Check out this and more from Independent Journalism and Media Group... Please Subscribe!

image of black man hold vote card Hey there, iJam Power Radio listeners, this is Jordan The Producer coming at you with a serious question: should some Black American voters be considering not voting in the upcoming elections? In recent times, there has been some talk about whether or not participating in the voting process is worth it. Some are feeling disenchanted with the political system and…

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Empowering Citizen Engagement: The Importance of Active Participation in Politics

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You’ll have to go to the link to see the document, as it is a PDF. It’s reasonably brief, but here is the beginning of it.

Illinois has every reason to be proud of the fact that the first controlled nuclear fission chain reaction was initiated in Chicago on the second of December, 1942. Illinois has every reason to be proud that it is the home of Argonne National Laboratory, which pioneered the nuclear production of electricity with Experimental Breeder Reactor Number One in December, 1951, and contributed greatly to the technology of other power–producing reactors, in particular the Boiling Water Reactor. Illinois has every reason to be proud that the first really large–scale nuclear–electric generating station, the BWR at Dresden (now known as Unit 1 of that plant) near Morris, started up there in 1960. Illinois has every reason to be proud that it has consistently maintained one of the largest shares of safe and economical, emissions–free atomic electricity, among the states, provinces, and nations of the world.

It is the business of the Legislature, however, not to be proud of the past or even the present, but to prepare for the future.

Worth and Dignity: A Labor Day Meditation

Worth and Dignity: A Labor Day Meditation

Labor day is a secular holiday, but maybe it can hold a special place for Unitarian Universalists? As part of the ongoing development of our faith, Labor day feels fundamentally tied to our values and the Principles of the UUA. Last week was the 59th anniversary of the historic “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom“, the event at which Dr. King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. And we…

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Democracy and Civil Society: The United Nations Democracy Fund.

The United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) funds projects that empower civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes. Currently, for example, UNDEF finances projects to mobilize the youth for elections in Côte d'Ivoire, to engage men in promoting gender equality in Palestine, and to build a platform for citizen advocacy in elections in Brazil. Most of UNDEF funds go to local civil society organizations in countries in both the transition and consolidation phases of democratisation.

Since its creation in 2005, UNDEF has supported more than 800 projects in more than 130 countries, with a total amount of almost 210 million dollars. Applicants can request a grant between 100,000 US dollars and 300,000 US dollars. The Fund depends entirely on voluntary contributions from Member States. So far, it has been supported by over 40 Governments. The biggest donors are the United States and India. External evaluations of completed projects are available on the UNDEF website.

guess who signed up to be an election judge??

June 12: Don't scuttle Nigeria's democratic process, LERA boss tells politicians

June 12: Don’t scuttle Nigeria’s democratic process, LERA boss tells politicians

By Francis IWUCHUKWU The Chairman of Lekki Phase 1 Residents Association, LERA, Abayomi Idowu, has charged politicians in Nigeria to always play by the rule so as not to scuttle the nation’s democratic process. He also congratulated Nigerians for embracing democracy which June 12 symbolises, just as he lampooned delegates of many political parties for turning the process into a money-spinning…

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Here is the link where you can find out what photo IDs are valid

Please reblog to get the word out!

for science, i ask you: