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JUSTICE JOTTINGS
July 2011
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Racial & Immigrant Justice
Marianist Call to Action for
Just & Humane Immigration Reform
Have you made your commitment yet? It's a Marianist Family priority for 2011. Click to see the pledges already made and how you can be involved.
Reflections on the Border Witness Experience
Click here to read two short reflections by Carlos Flores and Pati Krasensky on their recent immersion experience in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Let My People Stay -
Faces of the Broken Immigration System
The campaign by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition promotes the cases of individuals and families set to be deported, spreading the word on how to act. They feature a different person each month who is being threatened with deportation and ask advocates to contact the appropriate officials about each case. Read the campaign overview and then click here to take action. |
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An Amazing Speech on Immigration - by an 8th Grader!
Watch this video from Mother Seton Academy in Baltimore of a young person's convictions about immigration.
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Death Penalty
 Struck by Lightning
To commemorate the 35th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Gregg v. Georgia, the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) has released a report showing that race, geography, money, and other arbitrary factors continue to make receiving the death penalty as random as being "struck by lightning." Read more from the report on the Issue Team's page.
Repeal Measure Introduced in California
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that "California's death penalty could be repealed by voters under a measure that is backed by two unlikely people: the author of the 1978 ballot initiative that greatly expanded the scope of capital crimes and a former San Quentin warden who oversaw four executions." Read what these two people have to say on the Issue Team's page.
Death Row USA
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund publishes a quarterly report called Death Row USA. The latest edition, dated Fall 2010, contains national statistics as of October 1, 2010. Read more about the report on the Issue Team's page.
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Adele Social Justice Project
Weekend for Young Adults in Cincinnati - Oct. 21-23
The next Adele Social Justice Project immersion/reflection
weekend for young adults (20's and 30's) is scheduled for
Oct. 21-23 at the Ozanam Center in the Over the Rhine neighborhood
in Cincinnati. The weekend will especially emphasize the theme
of racial reconciliation, including immigration issues. The
focus will be on Marianist Characteristics of Social Justice
including hospitality, joining voices with the voiceless and
interdependence. For more information, contact Marv
Nieport or Amy
Pendergast.
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Environment & Ecology
 Tip for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint - Cut the Grass and Emissions Consider retiring your gas powered mower for an electric mower or better yet, a push mower. Some older or poorly running mowers create more emissions than many cars!
 Support
Limiting Emissions
Recently the US
Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote a letter to EPA
Administrator Lisa Jackson supporting EPA's proposed rule
to limit mercury and other toxins from coal-fired power
plants. In addition to the greenhouse gas emissions from
power plants that cause global warming, coal-fired power
plants also emit mercury, arsenic, chromium, nickel and
acid gasses which have been linked to health problems such
as asthma, neurological damage, cancer, heart attacks and
bronchitis. For more information, click
here. Deadline for public comment on the proposed rule
is August 4. Contact the EPA
by email, Attention Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0234.
Learn ways to reduce
your own energy consumption. Connect with MEEC
via Facebook.
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GLBT Initiative
 A Place at the Marianist Table in Sykesville
Members of the GLBT Initiative Team recently presented A Place at the Marianist Table in Sykesville, MD. There were 20 attendees and a very lively exchange after the sharing of stories. A number of people from St. Matthew's Parish (Baltimore area) were present. They are developing a GLBT ministry in their parish called LEAD: LGBT Educating & Affirming Diversity. The other participants were from the Hearts on Fire Community in Baltimore and the Metro Marianists Community in DC.
Developments in New York
New York State recently passed a law affirming same-sex marriage. It was opposed by the Catholic bishops of New York (read their statement) on grounds that it was not consistent with the sexual teachings of the Church. But it was supported by many Catholics who see a difference between Church teaching and a civil rights issue. Read the National Catholic Reporter article on this issue and their editorial on the growing divide between church leadership and the people in the pews, particularly on matters of sexuality and morality.
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Justice Reflection
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Jim Vogt & Lauren Olso
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MSJC represented at National Death Penalty
Fast and Vigil
Lauren Olson, a member of the MSJC Death Penalty Team, participated recently in the Fast and Vigil to Abolish the Death Penalty in front of the Supreme Court in Washington DC. This annual four day vigil helps raise awareness about the death penalty among the thousands of visitors to the Supreme Court building. Jim Vogt, MSJC Director, joined Lauren for the final evening. In reflecting about the experience, Lauren wrote, "In the week leading up to the Death Penalty Fast and Vigil, I surprisingly found myself growing more anxious and nervous about the notion of parading up and down the steps of the Supreme Court with an attention-grabbing poster, chanting anti-death penalty slogans among a crowd of veteran demonstrators who were bound to be more traveled and experienced than I in the trenches and avenues of activism. 'I'm not really a protest person,' I would start to say when friends inquired into my weekend plans..." Click here to read more.
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Action for Advocates
 Tell the Administration and Congress
to Protect the Poor and Vulnerable
Join the US Conference of Catholic Bishops to urge our leaders in Washington to protect programs for poor and vulnerable persons during the deficit reduction negotiations. |
Resources
Affordable Care Act - Helping Real People
The Catholic Health Assn. (CHA) has developed a series of video vignettes featuring people who have been helped by the Affordable Care Act. CHA states that the videos "represent part of CHA's effort to correct misinformation on health reform and show how the law is already assisting individuals and families all over the country."
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Events
St. Louis Readers - Dead Man Walking Opera
This opera is based on the book by Sr. Helen Prejean about her work on Louisiana's death row. Aug. 19, 20, 26, 27 at the Union Ave. Opera in St. Louis.
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 A Prayer
God of Compassion
Today we pray for all the people of the world who live hiding and in fear from persecution.
We pray that you may give compassion to the politicians who are making laws. Compassion for all the people who will be affected by their decisions and live in fear every day that their lives may be in turmoil or that they may become separated from their families and loved ones.
We pray for all the children and their parents. Protect them from any harm that they may grow freely in your name. Help those who are struggling to find work to find a job today so they can shelter and feed their families.
We pray that deportations stop until we have comprehensive immigration reform and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement stop separating families.
God of Hospitality, we ask that you grace the people of the United States with your Spirit of Hospitality, so that all may be welcome here and treated with your Spirit of compassion and dignity.
We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen
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 A Thought to Ponder
"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living."
Gail Sheehy |
Questions, comments, or feedback for Justice
Jottings can be sent to Jim
Vogt.
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