Justice

The UUCM Bending the Arc Task Force invites you to be a member of our “Get Out the Vote – Postcard Club.”

Last Chance for Postcards to “Get Out the Vote”. The UUCM Bending the Arc Task Force encourages you end the Postcard Campaign with a BANG! Our current and last target State is Georgia where critically important Senate and Gubernatorial races are perilously close. Getting out the Vote of registered but infrequent Black voters in Georgia can make the difference.

Our postcards tell them to bring ID and pack water and where to call for info on their polling place.

These voters need our support and encouragement! No matter how many packets you have done we encourage you to stretch yourself do more. Even 1 postcard a day will make a difference!

Last day to mail Georgia postcards is Oct 20 In Georgia, voting early in person is crucial. SB 202 now restricts or bans the safest and most achievable voting practices, even criminalizes bringing food or drink to weary voters in prohibitively long Election Day lines. It undermines the Secretary of State, giving the State Election Board more power to overrule and racially target local jurisdictions. The issues in our script were rated as top issues of concern by Team Unity, a Georgia coalition of NAACP and other voting rights groups.

Postcard Packets

Pick up your packets on Sunday during service hours or M-F from 8:30-noon. If you need help getting yours, contact Gail Johnson Vaughan at gjohnsonvaughan@uugrassvalley.org.

Only want to do a few postcards? Join our pre & post service postcard parties in the UUCM library.

Postcard writing tips: 
1. Don’t wait to start.
2. Even putting in 5 minutes a day will get you done soon.
3. If you are using colors for your postcards try this trick. Do the whole pile of cards one color at a time. Seems like it goes much faster.

Getting Out the Vote – Texting

Writing postcards not your thing but still want to help? Structured texting campaign lets you text 500-1000 pre-written texts per hour. Go to: centerforcommonground.org/texting

For more information or to join the club, contact Gail Johnson Vaughan at gjohnsonvaughan@uugrassvalley.org.

The UUCM Justice Team is hosting a panel forum, along with open live and virtual discussion, on the growing public concern regarding challenges to our US Democracy, and thoughtful ideas of what each and all of us can do to make our Democracy better and stronger. […]

Are we Stopping the Mine? What to do now before it’s too late!

Join in this action forum for justice co-sponsored by the UUCM Stop the Mine Task Force with CEA MineWatch, Earth Justice Ministries, the Elders Action Network of the Foothills, and the Concerned Citizens Roundtable. […]

The late John Lewis urged everyone to get into “good trouble.” UUCM will be designated a Good Trouble congregation if we meet at least four of the seven criteria established by UU the Vote for participation in the 2022 election. The Bending the Arc task force has accepted this challenge and the work to become a Good Trouble congregation has already begun. Here are the criteria and UUCM’s progress to date:

Criteria 1 – Average 20 postcards per member.
Done. We hope to prepare and mail 10,000 postcards!

Criteria 2 – Average 200 text messages per member.
We can do this, but we need a task leader to help us get organized.

Criteria 3 – Average 20 calls per member.
We are making great progress. At least 400 calls have been made. A phone bank training will be held on 9/18 to recruit more volunteers.

Criteria 4 – Average 20 door knocks per member.
Would anyone like to take this on?

Criteria 5 – Reach 20% volunteer engagement.
Thanks to the postcard club, we have already done this.

Criteria 6 – Average two newly registered voters per member.
Task force members met with the school district superintendent to discuss tabling at the local high schools to preregister students. Stay tuned for further updates.

Criteria 7 – At least two members volunteer to be poll workers or poll watchers.
One person has volunteered to work on election day.

If you would like to help UUCM become a Good Trouble congregation, you may contact Keith Johnson at Justice@uugrassvalley.org or any other member of the Bending the Arc task force.

Great job on Virginia Postcards for the general election! Early Voting Starts on September 23 so you can begin mailing your cards Monday Sept 5 – Nov 5.

Don’t wait, the sooner the get them the sooner the buzz starts in Norfolk and don’t forget to put your dots on the Tally Jar Poster in the lobby.We only have a few packets left to be adopted. Please pick up one Sunday if you can.Only want to do a few postcards? Come join our postcard writing parties before and after Sunday services

There is probably an electric vehicle in your future.

On Wednesday evening get your questions answered by a panel of your UUCM friends who own electric vehicles Join Cheryl Branch, Gayle Schultz and Bob Branstrom, along with a guests who own a hydrogen car.

Join us in-person at 5:30PM with a potluck at the church.

Discussion will begin at 6PM and also offered via Zoom.

UUCM’s July Share the Plate recipient, Nevada County Habitat for Humanity, will receive $766.50 thanks to generous UUCM members, friends and visitors. Those weekly donations add up! Thank you, all.

Phone banking is a valuable tool for justice seekers. Why? Because it works. For example, in the 2020 Georgia Primary election at least 60% of the voters contacted through phone banking did vote. Over one-half of these voters were first-time or infrequent voters.

Are you apprehensive about making cold calls? If so, this training is for you. We will go over the process step by step and answer all your questions. Come see how easy it is!

This is a one time training session to be held on 9/18/22 from noon to 2 p.m. in the Channing room. The training will be conducted by Keith Johnson and Bob Miller of the Bending the Arc task force.

Join the “Get Out the Vote – Postcard Club”

The UUCM Bending the Arc Task Force invites you to be a member of our “Get Out the Vote – Postcard Club.”

We know how important it is to get registered Black infrequent voters to vote in the General Election – with an emphasis on early voting. Each month from June through mid-October, those interested will be provided with a packet of 20 postcards, stamps and addresses. Those who are able, cover the $10 cost per packet. Those who want to support the effort but not write postcards can be “funding members” and support costs for others for whom cost is an issue.

Anyone can join the club – UUCM community, your family, friends, or anyone who wants to help counter voter suppression and the assaults on our democracy.

Our current target is Virginia. The last election changed the balance of decision makers in favor of voting restrictions. This election matters a lot in correcting that.

Postcard Packets

Pick up your packets on Sunday during service hours or M-F from 8:30-noon. If you need help getting yours, contact Gail Johnson Vaughan at gjohnsonvaughan@uugrassvalley.org.

Only want to do a few postcards? Join our pre & post service postcard parties in the UUCM library.

Postcard writing tips: 
1. Don’t wait to start.
2. Even putting in 5 minutes a day will get you done soon.
3. If you are using colors for your postcards try this trick. Do the whole pile of cards one color at a time. Seems like it goes much faster.

Getting Out the Vote – Texting

Writing postcards not your thing but still want to help? Structured texting campaign lets you text 500-1000 pre-written texts per hour. Go to: centerforcommonground.org/texting

For more information or to join the club, contact Gail Johnson Vaughan at gjohnsonvaughan@uugrassvalley.org.

Initiative #2 of the UUCM Bending the Arc of Racial Justice Task Force is to ask UUCM members to vote to adopt the 8th Principle at our Annual Community Business Meeting in May 2023.  In turn, that decision will inform our 3 delegates attending the June 2023 UUA General Assembly.

As determined by the membership size, UUCM is allowed 3 voting delegates.  So far, 216 UUA congregations have adopted the 8th Principle.

E-chalice articles, such as this one, will suggest resources for learning opportunities as we prepare for voting.  These resources are meant to stimulate formal and informal conversations during the coming months.  Later this Fall and Winter there will be scheduled opportunities for both in-person and Zoom study, discussion, and deliberations.  

The 8th Principle draft reads: We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote…..‘journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse and multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.’  There will be opportunities for wordsmithing, so if this is ‘your thing’ let Janet Dunstan know and she’ll help facilitate connections for participation in this important work.

As a starting place, some context on how the 8th Principle proposal began may be useful by reading a historical perspective called “Findings Related to the Southern Regional Lead Hiring Decision, Spring 2017” contained in the 2020 report from The Commission on Intuitional Change. See Appendix I Widening the Circle, Appendix I.pdf report. (20 short pages).

The comprehensive report called “Widening the Circle of Concern” includes significant and specific recommendations to UUA and congregations.  Both an audio and a written report are available and can be found at https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/cic/widening. PDF printable version is available at Widening the Circle of Concern Report.pdf

If you have questions, comments or would like to participate in the Bending the Arc for Racial Justice Task Force, please contact Janet Dunstan (contact information can be found in the member directory).