Long Island UU Social Justice Coalition Fall 2000 Newsletter UU Social Justice Around the Island

At Unitarian Universalist Congregation of South Nassau or SNUUC, the Gun and Media Violence Task Force, coordinated by Livia Polise, recently showed a video entitled "America Up in Arms", a new documentary film commissioned by the First Monday Campaign. The film tells the story of three families who have lost children to gun violence. The Task Force is also planning to organize a conference with guest speakers, workshops and children's activities with the theme of "How Violence In Our Culture Impacts Ourselves and Our Families." Any ideas for this conference, including suggestions for sources to fund speakers and workshop leaders, would be very much appreciated. We are also hoping to continue our holiday leafletting of Toys R Us toy stores encouraging consumers to not buy violent toys for the holidays.

We at SNUUC are working on forming a task force of parents, RE Committee and Social Action Committee members to address the challenging issue of "How Can Work Together to Involve Our Youth In Social Action and Social Service Activities." Any suggestions or experiences with similar efforts would be very helpful .

The Social Action Committee at SNUUC recently voted to become a member of UPSERJ (United People for Social, Economic, and Racial Justice on Long Island). "UPSERJ is a coalition of community organizations and religious communities together with individuals directly and/or indirectly affected by racism and poverty who are committed to using our collective strength to achieve social, economic , and racial justice on Long Island. The coalition will engage in educational and all other forms of nonviolent action - always responsive to the will and participation of the affected community." (from their mission statement). For more information about UPSERJ or other social action programs, contact Don Obers at 516-223-7548. To reach UPSERJ, call Robert Lepley at the LIAlliance for Peaceful Alternatives 516- 741-4360.

We at SNUUC are also interested in continuing our past efforts to protest the use of Sweatshop Labor by local stores such as WAL-MARTS. We are also having ongoing discussions about the possibility of creating a Social Action oriented coffeehouse and/or sponsoring fundraising musical events for various social causes. Please contact us if you too have interests in these areas!

PULSE of New York inc. (Persons United Limiting Substandards and Errors in Health Care) is a nonprofit support group for the survivors of medical malpractice and substandard care. The only group like this in the country, run completely by those who have experienced a breakdown in the health care system we are sponsored by the South Nassau Unitarian Social Action Committee. Meetings are held at the Freeport Congregation the second Sunday of the month at 2PM. Participants work together to educate and advocate, using their experience for a better and safer health care system. We were recently instrumental in the passing of "The Patient Health Information and Quality Improvement Act of 2000" which we are waiting for the Governor to sign into law. This bill if it becomes law will be the best Physician Profiling bill in the country. We have recently become involved with the National Patient Safety Foundation (founded in 1998 by the AMA) and hope to partner on "Survival Services." If you want more information on PULSE, Please call (516) 796-2533 or visit our website at www.PULSEofNY.com. Members are now in 7 states and you can meet with us at a PULSE meeting or a SNUUC Social Action meeting the last Sunday of the month in Freeport.

On Sunday, November 7, 1999 at 3:00 PM, the Freeport South NassauUnitarian Universalist Congregation will host an event organized by P.U.L.S.E., a patients rights support group. Participants will be encouraged to share their opinions about legislative proposals and to support victims of medical negligence and/or malpractice. Ilene Corina @ (516) 796-2533.
 
 

Bay Shore Social Justice has a small but enthusiastic committee. For the fall/winter agenda we are participating in the "Stop the Hate" Forum, are contributing food and other necessities on a monthly basis to an immigrant family, are supporting a child from India through Children International, and are looking forward to two guest speakers who are prominent members of Bellport UU: Eve Sokol will be presenting a "Journey Towards Wholeness" workshop featuring the movie, The Color of Fear, and Jennifer Green will be speaking on Economic Injustice. Additionally, for the Holiday Season we are once again donating food, toy and gift baskets to the community, Christa House (the AIDS Hospice), and a shelter for battered women as part of our support for "The White Ribbon Campaign".

At the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington our Social Justice Committee has dedicated itself to working on affordable housing in the Huntington area. We spent the summer attending Town Board meetings and lobbying for housing for families. We joined a coalition of community, religious, and social organizations working for more affordable housing for families, including LI CAN and will continue to support this. We are also planning on getting more involved in Habitat for Humanity. We continue to collect food for local food pantries every Sunday and have a CSA, Community Supported Agriculture, program where weekly an organic farmer brings in produce to members. The committee has also been researching socially responsible investing as part of the congregation's investment portfolio. We regularly do letter writing on Sundays after services and are happy to share any letters with other congregations. Check out the web site for sample letters.

Journey Toward Wholeness:  We are offering a monthly film series, entitled: Understanding Race. On the second Friday of each month we have a pot luck supper at 6:30, a film at 7:30, followed by dessert and discussion. Sometimes there is a guest facilitator. The films range in type and topic but all are designed to stimulate discussion, increase awareness, and to be "food for thought". So far we have shown, A Long Walk Home, "I'm not a Racist But..." from the TV show Any Day Now and Snow Falling on Cedars. Our next films are Nov. 10, "The documentary on a prison of today; Dec. 8, El Norte, a film about the immigration experience; and Jan. 12, Nothing But A Man , a film about the life of an African American man. All are welcome and child care is provided if you call the fellowship.

Last year we presented a service that we created on "The Middle Passage" With song, dance and words we present in an hour program a look at this aspect of slavery and its impact on us today. We have presented the service at five fellowships so far and are willing to share it with others. If anyone is interested in hosting this presentation, call Helen Boxwill, 631-549-9346.

JTW looks forward to participating in the Metro District Antiracism and Diversity’s second conclave in Plainfield, NJ to share what congregations are doing throughout the Metro District. We will do a Kwanzaa service, will have a Journey Toward Wholeness Sunday in January, and The Middle Passage Service on Feb. 25.

The North Fork UU Fellowship has an adopted family, locally in Riverhead. We have monthly donations plus holiday gifts as well as food baskets and gently used clothing for the children. They are very appreciative of our efforts. In the past we have held animal cruelty petition letter campaigns to cosmetic companies; circulated turtle nesting petitions and participated in other animal rights campaigns. The NFUUF has had representation at anti-gun K-Mart rallies.

At the UU Fellowship at Stony Brook, we have new leadership for our Social Action Committee: Martin daCunha has joined Lem Coley as committee co-chair. Our U.N. Sunday service was presented on October 22 by the Social Action Committee. Erin Tower, our distinguished guest speaker, spoke with great eloquence on the Jubilee 2000 movement - a faith-based coalition working to relieve the crushing debt of the world's poorest countries. Ms. Tower is Treasurer and Board Member of the UU United Nations Office and an experienced speaker on this topic.

The Social Action Committee has reaffirmed its commitment to end capital punishment. At Sunday services on November 19, 2000, we again will be offering the "Declaration of Life" document for signature by members of the congregation. The Declaration of Life is similar to a will. In it a person declares that if s/he is a victim of murder, the perpetrator of the crime should not be put to death. It's a very powerful, personal statement against capital punishment.

We were pleased to see the establishment of Brookhaven Citizens for Peaceful Solutions (BCPS) - a group formed in the Farmingville community to address immigrant problems with a spirit of tolerance and cooperation. Many congregation members, including some of our Senior High kids, attended the October 15 Candlelight Vigil in Hauppauge. Our minister, Kate Lehman, spoke at the event.

Our Men's Group presented the White Ribbon Campaign (Men Working To End Men's Violence Against Women) to the congregation on Sunday, October 15. They asked Fellowship members to wear white ribbons during this week as a statement of a personal commitment to never participate in, condone, or be silent about violence against women.

Though it competed with an important congregational meeting, a small group of us still made it to Schmidt Farms in Melville for the Island Cares. The produce (piles and piles of peppers this year) is then distributed to area food pantries. We continue to support the Our Daily Bread community dinner and food pantry. In addition, member Janet Kagel has recently organized a contingent of our young people to help at a local soup kitchen.

Our Racial Concerns Committee is continuing the `Talking About Race' series with two provocative and historically interesting programs on Monday, November 6th, from 7:30 PM -9:30 PM. A HARD ROAD TO GLORY is the late Arthur Ashe's study of the Black athlete in American society from the days after the American Revolution to the late twentieth century. ONLY THE BALL WAS WHITE looks at the end of the Negro leagues in the late 1940's as members of the teams reminisce about an institution that brought so much joy to so many but whose demise came about as the price of integration. Please contact Paul Glatzer (psglatz@aol.com) if you are interested in attending.

UU Fellowship of Bellport is continuing an antiracist agenda with the Journey Toward Wholeness Jubilee Sunday on October 27-29. The JTW Committee plans to introduce a film and discussion night in the next few months and form a local anti-bias task force.

We have also been highlighting Central American issues at UUFB. Programs have included topics such as The Immigrant Experience with SNUUC member, Linda Nanos, author of the novel, The Minor Respondent; and a slide show and lecture of Central America by St. James Peace and Justice Community member, Bob Becherer. UUFBSA members demonstrated at the Grand Opening of the Massapequa Kohl's Dept. Store to protest Kohl's union busting and sweatshop labor practices. Many UUFB folks also attended several rallies in support of the Central American workers of Farmingville. We have also written letters to Fidelity Investments and Gore in support of the U'wa people of Colombia whose land and way of life are endangered by Occidental Petroleum, one of Fidelity's and VP Gore's financial holdings, and voiced opposition to the US giving more military aid to this country without first providing civilians with economic and social aid. SA members joined the youth group to visit the Doctors Without Borders Refugee Camp in the City Exhibit. A cool crisp day, the trip to the Van Cortlandt Park was well worth it. We were guided through the mock camp by a nutritionist and veteran of several peace missions. The guides explained the daily realities faced by refugees throughout the world and shared their experiences in the field. The exhibit helped to personalize this human rights problem in an effective, hands-on approach. Don't miss it if it returns to NYC.

UUFB also continues to work toward the permanent closing of the School of the Americas and the end of the murderous US policies in Central America for which this School of Assassins has come to symbolize. SA members, including two youths, will journey to Ft. Benning, Georgia on November 18-19 for the annual SOA Watch demonstra tion and civil disobedience.

In honor of this month's Amnesty International's Weekend of Faith in Action for the Death Penalty, the SA committee sponsored a program on the death penalty and the Declaration of Life. We plan to have more discussion and actions on this topic and the inequities of the criminal justice system in the future.

At UU Congregation of the South Fork, Ken Dorph has been leading a group working to counter the directives from the executive office of the Boy Scouts of America that has been obsessed with "keeping the three G's forever out of scouting-the godless, gays and girls." With the recent Supreme Court ruling permitting the BSA to continue their policy, they are working within the ranks of local boy scouts to petition rescinding the national office's discriminatory directive. Our congregation organized a community candlelight "Vigil To Stop Hate" for the third year in a row at the Sag Harbor High School. Because of the downpour, it had to be moved inside the auditorium at the last minute, but still we had a turnout of 250 people to hear a cross section of community clergy speak about the corrosive effects of people of faith not actively fighting the hatred against despised minorities. People were shocked to hear of the brutality against Mexican day laborers in our towns from victims who had been cheated of their pay and worse. One frightened man lifted his shirt to show the scars from being deliberately run over. Although he is now working lightly, he very nearly lost his life spending over 60 days, the first four in a coma, after several operations in the hospital.

WHAT IS HATE VIOLENCE? "Hate violence" refers to acts of violence that are motivated by hatred at persons in a targeted group. Hate violence is directed at persons because of a particular characteristic. These characteristics include race, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, gender, and disability. Often a person is directly attacked. For example, 95% of all anti-gay violence is directed at a person rather than property. When property is attacked it is done in a way that seeks to offend, threaten, and/or emotionally injure people in the targeted group. Hate violence is excessively brutal. Intense and extreme force is used. The object is not merely to rob or subdue the victim, it is to inflict pain and intentionally hurt the person being attacked. Victims of hate violence are often severely injured or killed. Hate violence is terrorist in nature. Acts of hate violence seek to generate fear and send a threatening message to all persons in that category. For example when a person is attacked because of their race, all people of that race know they could have been the victim of the attack.

Hate violence is hate violence is about power and control. A key purpose of hate violence is to keep people "in their place." Perpetrators feel entitled to act violently. There is a sense the violence is socially sanctioned. For example violence against women is a result of men believing they have a "right" to control women. Hate violence is anti-democratic. Violent attacks often increase after public demonstrations to secure democratic and civil rights for people in one of the targeted groups. Silence in the face of hate, however, does not prevent violence. Hate violence is built upon a foundation of silence. Anti-gay hate crimes are a serious national problem.

When Americans are assaulted merely because of their real or perceived sexual orientation, gender, or disability, the law should be as tough on their assailants as it currently is tough on criminals who attack based on racial, religious, or ethnic bias. Yet only in rare circumstances can the federal government investigate and prosecute hate violence against gays, lesbians, or bisexuals. The Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) would amend current federal law to include real or perceived sexual orientation, gender, and disability. The FBI would be able to investigate and prosecute violent hate crimes against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals Current law already allows investigation and prosecution on the basis of race, religion, national origin and color. Reported anti-gay hate crimes are on the rise.

Our shareholder resolution against the Kmart Corporation has been forwarded by the ICCR to the Securities and Exchange Commissioner to have shareholders vote to direct the Corporation to end the gun dealing out of their stores. Along with Wal-Mart, these two largest national discount chains are the largest gun dealers in America. These guns departments are loss leaders that the marketing guys have shown to be a powerful lure with which to bring in even the youngest boys, parents in tow, to entice into the toy department where they are located. The Kmart resolution is the latest campaign undertaken by the Suffolk County New Yorkers Against Gun Violence which was organized out of the UU Congregation of the South Fork.

The Metro District Diversity Committee Second Annual Conclave will be held on Saturday Nov. 11 9:30 to 3:00 at the First Unitarian Society of Plainfield, NJ. This is an opportunity for all and anyone interested in Racial Justice work to connect with UU's all over the district, from NJ to Connecticut, from Westchester to Long Island, to share programs that work, struggles, and achievements. It is a great day for networking, sharing, learning, and recharging our spirit. For more information and car pool info call Helen Boxwill 631-549-9346 (leave message on tape) or email Helenbox @aol.com.

For those interested in traveling to the Nov 18-19 School of the Americas protest in Ft. Benning, GA with the NYC Coalition to Close the SOA, request a regisration form at closesoa@onebox.com ASAP. They have inexpensive travel arrangements available. Deadline is Nov. 4. For anyone looking for general protest info, please go to www.soaw.org. If you do not have email, call 212-894-3735 x1297 and leave a message saying the best time and way to reach you. Also please try to make it to the non-violence training Nov. 4, 1-4pm. There will be interactive role plays, fun and food. Madison Ave. Baptist Church, 30 E 31st St between Madison and Park. The information sessions in Georgia will not replace this kind of smaller group training.

The Youth Liberation Confer ence, will be held on Dec. 9 & 10, at Southhampton campus of L.I.U. Students in the Friends’ World College program are organizing the conference. For more information visit the website www.powow.com/youthlib or call Becky Lazensky, 287-7414.

CONCERNED ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE? Ask Congress and the State Legislature to act now! Send a message by free fax to your elected officials in Washington and Albany by just clicking on http://www.gunfreekids.org. It's easy and quick - and it's important! PASS IT ON! WANT TO DO MORE? Join New Yorkers Against Gun Violence! http://www.nyagv.org or call 212 674-3710.

Visit the Remember the Iraqi Children website and be a part of the One Million Postcards Campaign to save the children of Iraq. Kouthar Al-Rawi, 11-years old and her sister, Marwa, 10-years old, made two visits to Iraq. Since then, they have been working to help stop the devastation of the children of Iraq. They ask you to write a message or draw a picture on a postcard to "Mr. President" and request the end of the sanctions on the Iraqi people, for the sake of the children. Sample postcards are on the website: http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/hamzaha/iraqichildren/.