The Rev. Chuck Currie

Goodbye, Mr. President from Steven Curtis Chapman

I'm betting this song won't make the top 20.

Goodbye, Mr. Presisent

Maybe it will do well with the bottom 30.

via Blake C Hickman

Terrorist Attacks In Mumbai, India

We are still early into the news of terrorist attacks in India. Reports suggest several attacks have taken place that may have targeted Westerners. Our prayers are with the people of India as rescue efforts are underway.  Click here for more.

Focus On The Family In A Free Fall

And it isn't even 2012 yet.

"Church Leaders Counter Economic Crisis With Faith"

NPR.org got in touch with me eariler this week with questions about the economic crisis and my recent sermon on that topic.  Here's the story that resulted:

NPR.org, October 2, 2008 · There's financial tumult all around and people are thirsty for answers. Across America, religious leaders prophesy and preach about ways to deal with the roller-coaster crisis. And they counsel congregants who have deep questions, unquenchable anxieties.

Trinity Church on Wall Street sits smack dab at the epicenter of the financial cosmos. Brokers, traders and "masters of the universe" fill its pews. The Rev. Anne Mallonee says the Episcopal church — with a 900-household membership — is seeing a definite increase in attendance. Especially on weekdays, when people from the financial district drift in for services, for solace and for solitude.

The church is offering a number of different programs — including extra prayer sessions and career counseling — to help people cope with the great unease. The first wave included support staff, such as secretaries and administrative staffers. "This week we are seeing more executives," she says.

"Someone who was here for 9/11 says this is the closest thing she has seen to that time," Mallonee says.

Feelings Of 'Fear And Distrust'

Across the country at the Parkrose Community United Church of Christ in Portland, Ore., the Rev. Chuck Currie has noticed that his congregation is rife with "fear and distrust of leaders."

He tries to calm the flock by saying: "Ultimately, our hope rests with God."

But, he adds, "economic problems are moral problems and how we respond speaks about our relationship with God and to the world."

Parkrose is no megachurch. With 114 members, it's a small house of worship in a modest neighborhood of low-income and elderly people. "We have a responsibility," Currie says, "to care first for those Jesus called the 'least of these' in society: the poor, homeless, sick, children and the elderly."

....

The Financial Impact

The current meltdown comes at an especially inopportune time — stewardship season.

Many churches calculate their finances according to the calendar year, and the first of October traditionally marks the time when preachers are talking about money anyway. On any given Sunday, you are liable to hear the pastor refer to the Apostle Paul, who quotes Jesus as saying: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

This year there may be some blowback.

"Funny enough, our 'Pledge Sunday' is this week," says Chuck Currie. Pledge Sunday is when people tell the church how much they plan to give in the coming year. The church then plans its budget according to the pledges.

What people feel like they can pledge in the middle of this monetary mess, says Currie, "will sure be an indicator of how people are feeling and where we are headed."

The church has faced financial problems for years, he says. "A downturn in pledges could be a disaster."

Click here for the full story.

Hurricane Ike Will Bring "Certain Death"

We have this information available from United Church of Christ leaders preparing for Hurricane Ike:

The UCC South Central Conference (SCC) is prepared for the arrival of Hurricane Ike. Douglas Anders, Conference Minister, in the weekly local church e-newsletter has provided web links and phone numbers for pastors and members who may need immediate relief following the hurricane. Additionally, several conference members have agreed to be points of contact for pastors in the path of Hurricane Ike.

UCC members in Texas and other locations that will feel the effects of this hurricane are encouraged to follow the advice of county emergency management officers – if advised to evacuate, leave the area. The SCC e-newsletter included a link to evacuation routes.

National Disaster Ministries staff in Cleveland have been in contact with the Conference Minister and contact persons in the conference and are ready to respond as appropriate.

Please keep all people on the Gulf Coast who are being impacted by hurricanes this season in your prayers. To assist with UCC recovery efforts, please give generously to the OGHS, 2008 Hurricane Recovery Appeal.

Click here for the full version of this post on the United Church News Blog.

Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains

The first night of the Democratic National Convention the delegates and guests heard a video presentation from former President Jimmy Carter that addressed poverty and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  At the conclusion of the video President and Mrs. Carter took the stage to loud applause.  It was an honor for me to be there to watch the Noble Peace Prize winner.  He has spent all these years after leaving the White House working to address poverty and war through the Carter Center.  He has a wisdom about him that is rooted, I think, in his deep faith.  President Carter knows what it means to be a peacemaker. 

Tonight I've been watching the documentary Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains.  Here's how the filmmakers describe their work:

Man From Plains is an intimate, surprising encounter with President Jimmy Carter. Following the path of Mr. Carter's recent controversial book tour for Palestine Peace Not Apartheid, Academy Award© - winning director Jonthan Demme reveals a complex individual who, with the gusto and determination of a youngster, criss-crosses the country to get his message across, even as that message creates a media onslaught in which his credibility and judgment are called into question. Man From Plains explores both the private and public sides of Jimmy Carter, whose intense sense of justice compels him to pursue, with undiminished energy and hope, his lifelong and deeply spiritual vision of reconciliation and peace.

What President Carter has always offered the American people (and the world for that matter) is an example to live by.  He has made controversial statements and put forth controversial proposals that have in different moments of his public life made him unpopular.  That doesn't seem to matter much to President Carter.  What seems to matter more is that President Carter understands that his unique place in history affords him the opportunity to push nations toward peace.  He offers a moral voice on both foerign and domestic issues that cannot be ignored.

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial

America marks the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Robert Kennedy this week.

If you want a way to honor his legacy consider becoming a supporter of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial.

Since its inception in 1968, The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial has aimed to fulfill the legacy of Robert Kennedy through promoting the full spectrum of human rights within the United States and throughout the world. In order to reflect the global nature of RFK's work, the Memorial established the annual Human Rights Award in 1984 to honor individuals who, at great risk, stand up to oppression in the nonviolent pursuit of social justice. Led by the Kennedy family, a staff of expert human rights activists and a strong network of volunteers, the Memorial develops and implements projects which enhance and complement the social change agendas of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award Laureates and Social Justice Fellows. Today the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization that works to realize his dream of a peaceful and just world through domestic and international programs that help the disadvantaged and oppressed, build our next generation of leaders, and tackle the toughest problems facing our society.

Click here for more.

Prayers for Senator Kennedy

My prayers this afternoon are with Senator Kennedy and his family.   Hurry up and get well, Senator.

Church World Service appeals for help for China earthquake survivors

Alert from Church World Service

BANGKOK -- Humanitarian agency Church World Service has issued an appeal in the amount of $200,000 to provide aid to survivors of the earthquake in southwest China that has killed more than 12,000 people. With its Asia Pacific Region team already in Bangkok coordinating response to the Myanmar cyclone, the China earthquake is the second major disaster the agency is responding to in less than two weeks.

In the China earthquake's aftermath, officials with the Amity Foundation, a long-time Church World Service partner in China, report that many buildings, including government facilities, have collapsed or are severely damaged, and that the demand on local emergency responders is great.

Donations to the appeal will help fund relief efforts by Amity Foundation, whose staff members now are assessing the damage from Chengdu and other affected areas. Amity already has provided 1 million Yuan (approximately US$143,000) to purchase and distribute drinking water and food for heavily-damaged Du Jiangyan.

More than 20 provinces are affected. Relief operations are expected to expand to include Wenchuan, Lixian, Beichuan, Maoxian, Dujiangyan, and Mianzhu counties in Sichuang province; Longnan city in Gansu province; Baoji city and Hanzhong city in Sha’anxi province. The areas of Gansu and Sha'anxi, especially Sichuan, are being targeted because they are the most severely affected. Both the disaster response and the dissemination of information from stricken areas are complicated by the destruction of local communication systems and roads in the earthquake.

Amity will focus its relief on some 8,000 families whose homes are destroyed and who are among the most-vulnerable. Amity expects to ensure that 16,000 of the most vulnerable individuals have sufficient food (15 kilos of rice per person) during the immediate emergency period; that 8,000 families have sufficient additional protection against cold weather in the form of quilts; that 8,000 homeless families also have the added protection of plastic cloth to help them survive heavy rains forecast for the quake center areas.

As part of the recovery effort Amity will help rebuild 600 damaged or destroyed houses, 10 schools and five hospitals or clinics, and also will rehabilitate five water and irrigation systems.

The total budget is estimated at close to $1.5 million.

Contributions to support this emergency appeal may be made online, or sent to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515. Please designate: Appeal # 699-B, 2008 China Earthquake Response.

Working with local organizations in countries throughout the world, Church World Service provides relief and recovery, sustainable development, and refugee resettlement and protection services and is funded through public donations, grants and by the support of 35 U.S. Christian denominations.

CWS appeal: Myanmar (Burma) Cyclone Nargis response

Action Alert from Church World Service

Thousands of people have been killed or are missing in Myanmar (Burma) as Tropical Cyclone Nargis pushed ashore over the weekend. BBC News reports three-quarters of structures in the Irrawaddy region were destroyed by fierce winds, rain and storm surge. A United Nations relief worker in Yangon tells the Associated Press villages in the Irrawaddy Delta have been completely flattened. On Haing-gyi Island, along the country’s southwest coast, an estimated 20,000 homes have been destroyed, leaving at least 90,000 homeless.

Profiteering is already starting to grip those coping in the storm’s aftermath, with prices on food, fuel and building supplies shooting up 300 percent. CWS partners report communication abilities throughout Burma have been compromised.

RESPONSE: Immediate relief operations are underway with a comprehensive assessment on-going. The CWS Asia Regional Office is in direct contact with partners in Myanmar, and in coming days this initial appeal will be expanded to reflect needed support for longer-term recovery efforts in Myanmar.

Contributions to support this emergency appeal may be made online, sent to your denomination, or to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515. Please designate: MYANMAR (BURMA) CYCLONE NARGIS RESPONSE (#699-A). 

Torture Is A Moral Issue: Reject Michael Mukasey

Today Human Rights Watch urged the United States Senate to reject the nomination of Michael Mukasey as the next U.S. Attorney General. The action came after Mukasey refused to say during his conformation hearing if he believed the practice of "“waterboarding” amounted to torture.

READ THE FULL POST

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Speech At Columbia Raises Questions

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke today in a controversial appearance at Columbia University. Was it appropriate to invite a man to visit Columbia who has called for Israel to be wiped off the face of the earth and denied the historical reality of the Holocaust?

FULL POST

Larry Craig and David Vitter: No Difference In Their Crimes

Larry Craig apparently has sex with men in public bath rooms.  David Vitter apparently frequents prostitutes.  Both serve as members of the United States Senate and both are Republicans.  Ignore for a moment - if it is possible - all the political considerations involved.  It would appear that both these men face major mental health issues and are deserving of our compassion and prayers.  Having said that, neither should be serving in Congress.  Their hypocrisy is astounding.  Craig is a long time opponent of civil rights for gay and lesbian Americans.  Vitter is a champion of "traditional" conservative values.  For the moment their legal and moral difficulties outweigh whatever gifts they bring to public life.  So why is it that Republican leaders are quick to demand that Craig resign his seat while Vitter, who it would seem has a long history of involvement with illegal prostitution, is basically getting a get out of jail free card from his party?  Could it be that simple homophobia is at work?  If Republican leaders want to be taken seriously on "moral values" they need to acknowledge that Vitter's long history of soliciting sex from prostitutes is at least as big a moral failing as anything done by Craig. 

Glad To See Alberto Gonzales Go

After months of unfair treatment that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Department, Judge Gonzales decided to resign his position, and I accept his decision. It's sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeded from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.

- President George W Bush

Listening to President Bush comment today on the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales it reminded me of listening to a hardcore alcoholic deeply in denial.  This president never takes responsibility for his own actions.  Someone else is always to blame.

The truth is that the president appointed Mr. Gonzales to a position he was both professionally and morally unfit to hold.  The result has been scandal after scandal which has created chaos throughout the American justice system.

People for the American Way released the following statement today that captures many of my own feelings:

“It’s high time this attorney general resigned. Alberto Gonzales was the 'Enabler General' for the imperial Bush presidency. He undermined the Constitution, made a mockery of the rule of law, and turned the Justice Department into an arm of the Bush Administration’s political operation.

“Gonzales protected the interests of George W. Bush over the interests of the American people at every turn. He oversaw a Justice Department that was twisted to serve political interests, from the president’s domestic spying program to bogus allegations of voting fraud that kept minorities and poor people from the ballot box. He showed open contempt for oversight by Congress, and gave testimony under oath that was at best incompetent and at worst, deliberately untrue.

“We first called for the Attorney General to step down in March, and our petition calling for him to step down garnered more than 80,000 signatures.

"Now, it’s time to heal the Justice Department, and find a new attorney general who will restore integrity to the office. The next attorney general must demonstrate the independence of the Justice Department from the Bush Administration, respect the rule of law and accept the just oversight of the American people. The Justice Department must once again be worthy of its name.”

America needs an Attorney General who is independent and committed to the rule of law.

Church World Service Needs Your Help

With earthquakes and hurricanes doing battle with the earth this week the good folks at Church World Service...

...the relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the United States. Working in partnership with indigenous organizations in more than 80 countries, CWS works worldwide to meet human needs and foster self-reliance for all whose way is hard...

need your help.   

"CWS appeal: India floods (Assam, Bihar, Orissa and W. Bengal)

Press Release from Church World Service

Throughout southern and central Asia, flooding in recent weeks has been the "worst in living memory," according to the United Nations. Across northern India, countless villages have been flooded, leaving tens of millions displaced and stranded.

"The sheer size and scale of flooding and the massive numbers of people affected pose an unprecedented challenge to the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian assistance," the UN said.

Long-time CWS partner in India, Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA), is reporting that at least 340 people have lost their lives, and that 45 million have been affected in some way by the storms and flooding in the Indian states of Assam, West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.

Tens of thousands of people are camped out in relief camps set up by the government. In the state of Assam, people have taken refuge in emergency camps or have been cut off in their villages by receding waters and soaring temperatures, which have led to concerns of potential disease outbreaks.

Safe water, food and shelter are among the items most needed to help families cope. Government forces are now using helicopters to drop relief supplies, but they can only meet the needs of a fraction of the displaced population.

RESPONSE: CASA is responding to this disaster by providing initial relief assistance to 17,500 families - 5,000 families in Assam, 2,500 in West Bengal, 5,000 in Bihar, 2,500 in Orissa and 2,500 in Uttar Pradesh.

The specific objectives of the CWS-supported response include:

• Providing cooked food to the flood affected families.

• Providing relief sets of clothing, blankets and other articles of daily use to 17,500 affected families - specifically: 5,000 flood affected families in Bihar, 2,500 in Uttar Pradesh, 5,000 in Assam, and 2,500 each in West Bengal and Orissa. The 17,500 relief sets consist of 1 woollen blanket, 1 Dhoti (a garment worn by the men), 1 Saree (women’s apparel),and nine pieces of aluminium utensils.

• Providing dry rations - including rice, lentils, cooking oil, salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder -- to the 17,500 affected families, as well as tarpaulin sheets that will serve as a temporary shelter.

• Providing water purification tablets and bleaching powder in the affected areas.

• Providing assistance to 5,000 affected families for repair and construction of huts.

Contributions to support this emergency appeal may be sent to your denomination or to Church World Service, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN, 46515. Contributions may also be made by credit card online, or by calling: (800) 297-1516, ext. 222.

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org

Karl Rove

Buh-bye, Karl Rove. On your way out of the White House, don't let the screen door hit you where the dog should have bit you.

- Eugene Robinson, The Washington Post

I have nothing more to add.

"Anti-immigrant sentiment is 'racism' declares Edgar"

Press release from the National Council of Churches

New York City, August 9, 2007--"Immigrants have become the contemporary scapegoat," writes the Rev. Bob Edgar. "It's time we call it for what it is -- racism."

The General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC), writing in a guest commentary carried by the Religion News Service (RNS) yesterday, contends the "fearmongers among us are devilishly clever. They have used nearly every scare tactic they can think of to reduce us to a highly suspicious lot all too willing to not love the alien as ourselves and to evict them from their homes, get them fired, separate them from their families, in an all out rampage of oppression and prejudice."

In the commentary, which RNS entitled, "White Immigrants Get a Pass; Brown Ones Do Not," the Rev. Edgar points to conservative blogs and certain radio and television talk show hosts who are "trying to scare us."

The RNS commentary points to the numerous verses in the Bible about how to treat immigrants.

"When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God," Edgar writes, quoting Leviticus 19:33-34. Similar verses appear in the books of Exodus, Numbers and the Prophet Jeremiah.

"Demagogues keep preying on post-9/11 fear to whip up hatred and suspicion of people who have come here in search of the same thing my northern European ancestors were seeking," writes Edgar. "They want a better life for their families, more opportunities for their children and to learn English. They already pay millions in taxes and contribute to their communities."

Edgar concludes his RNS commentary incorporating words of the Prophet Jeremiah who warned against oppressing the resident alien: "It seems before God will dwell with us in this land we had better change our ways and 'truly act justly one with another' regardless of where we were born or the color of our skin."

The RNS commentary is available to more than 100 major daily and weekly newspapers including The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times and USA Today. In addition, hundreds of magazines, television stations, religious publications and websites subscribe to RNS.

The National Council of Churches USA is the ecumenical voice of 35 of America's Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, historic African American and traditional peace churches. These NCC denominations have 45 million faithful members in 100,000 congregations in all 50 states.

Related Post: Deep Ties Between The Minutemen Project And White Supremacists

Related Link: The Bible as the Ultimate Immigration Handbook: Written By, For, and About Migrants, Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers

Democrats Caved; Our Voice Needs To Be Heard

Action Alert from MoveOn.org

The Democratic-controlled Congress did the unthinkable on Saturday night: They gave President Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales more unchecked power to wiretap Americans without a warrant.¹ Yes, that's the same Attorney General who is currently mired in scandal and probably committed perjury on this very issue.²

Why'd they do it? Because the president used fear to intimidate them and it worked.³

Enough is enough. We have to send a strong message to Congress that there is no trade-off between fundamental liberties and security. Preserving our Constitution is essential to our security—we can't lead on freedom around the world when we're actively undermining the rule of law at home.

A good place to start is by having hundreds of thousands of us sign on to this petition demanding that Congress reverse their capitulation to Bush and the politics of fear. The petition statement reads:

Full petition text:

"I'm outraged that Congress capitulated to President Bush and gave him more unchecked power to wiretap Americans without a warrant. I demand Congress act swiftly to reverse this reckless act."

If enough of us speak out we'll send a clear message that Americans aren't buying the administration's scare tactics. Clicking here will add your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/capitulation/o.pl?&id=10919-5540571-e1o4Ln&t=3

We'll make sure to deliver your comments to your representative and senators within the week.

The President used fear of another terrorist attack to bully Congress into giving him more unchecked power and they gave in to his scare tactics. While most Democrats voted against these expanded powers, Democratic leaders in Congress didn't put up much of a fight and they didn't stand up and say 'no' to Bush. We've seen this play out before—most notably when almost every member of Congress voted for the Patriot Act—many without even reading it.⁴

They do this because they're afraid of being seen as weak on security—and because they buy the conventional wisdom that voters don't really care about constitutional freedoms. If enough of us sign, we can make it plain just how broad support for preserving the Constitution is.

The only good news here is that these new unchecked powers that Congress gave the Bush administration aren't permanent. They'll expire in six months and we have to make sure that Congress doesn't renew them then.

Here's how the Washington Post's editorial board described what happened:⁵

"The Democratic-led Congress, more concerned with protecting its political backside than with safeguarding the privacy of American citizens, left town early yesterday after caving in to administration demands that it allow warrantless surveillance of the phone calls and e-mails of American citizens, with scant judicial supervision and no reporting to Congress about how many communications are being intercepted. To call this legislation ill-considered is to give it too much credit: It was scarcely considered at all. Instead, it was strong-armed through both chambers by an administration that seized the opportunity to write its warrantless wiretapping program into law—or, more precisely, to write it out from under any real legal restrictions."

To keep focus on this, we're helping start a new long-term effort called the American Freedom Campaign to keep the pressure on Congress and make sure they fix this mess instead of making these powers permanent. We hope you can help over the coming months.

It's Congress's job to act as a check on the president's authority—not as a rubber-stamp. They have to know that we're watching them and we're demanding real accountability for this overreaching president.

Click here to add your name to the petition:

http://pol.moveon.org/capitulation/o.pl?&id=10919-5540571-e1o4Ln&t=5

President Bush still hasn't responded to Congress' subpoenas demanding the legal rationale for his warrantless wiretapping. If they don't rein him in now, it is unlikely that he—or any president that comes after him—will ever comply with this kind of necessary oversight.

Thanks for all you do,

–Nita, Wes, Justin, Carrie and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
  Tuesday, August 7th, 2007

Sources:

1."House Approves Wiretap Measure," Washington Post, August 5, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2869&id=10919-5540571-e1o4Ln&t=6

2. Senator May Seek Gonzales Perjury Probe, Washington Post, July 26, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2870&id=10919-5540571-e1o4Ln&t=7

3. The Fear of Fear Itself—NYTimes Editorial, New York Times, August 7, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/opinion/07tue1.html

4. Rep. Jim McDermott, Congressional Record: July 8, 2004,
http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2004_cr/h070804.html

5. Warrantless Surrender,Washington Post, August 7, 2007
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2871&id=10919-5540571-e1o4Ln&t=8

http://pol.moveon.org/capitulation/o.pl?&id=10919-5540571-e1o4Ln&t=4

62nd Anniversary Of Hiroshima Bombing

August 6th marks the 62nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima - one of the single biggest attacks against civilians in war and one of only two times atomic weapons have been used during a military conflict (both times deployed by the U.S. against Japan in the closing days of WWII).

This year the anniversary coincides with a debate occuring in Japan over the future of their "peace" constitution.  Kyodo News reports:

Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba warned that proliferation of nuclear arms is gaining momentum because a ''handful of old-fashioned leaders...are...turning their backs on the reality of the atomic bombings and the message of the hibakusha.''

This year's memorial has been overshadowed by events such as then Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma's remark in late June that the atomic bombing of Japan ''could not be helped,'' and the slaying in April of then Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito.

Meanwhile, the legal battle continues between hibakusha and the government over recognition of their illnesses as caused by the atomic bombing, and the anniversary follows the crushing defeat of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party in the House of Councillors election in late July.

In light of public worries that Japan might amend the war-renouncing Constitution to strengthen its alliance with the United States, Akiba urged the government in his Peace Declaration presented at the memorial ceremony to ''protect, as is, the Peace Constitution, while clearly saying 'No,' to obsolete and mistaken U.S. policies.''

Click here to read the full story.

"Where did the gun come from?"

This website - Where did the gun come from? - was mentioned on The Caucus, a blog published by The New York Times and the site asks a great question:

Why ask, Where did the gun come from?

In most shootings, two crimes are involved: the shooting itself, and the transaction that put the gun in the wrong hands to begin with. Too often, the media and public only focus on the shooting and forget to ask, “Where did the gun come from?”

By working together and asking “Where did the gun come from?” police, the media, community groups and policy makers can be powerful allies in the fight against gun trafficking.

If reporters are trained to ask, “Where did the gun come from?” they can support police by keeping the question alive in the public’s mind. If community members, faith leaders and public officials begin to ask, “Where did the gun come from?” they can send the message that people are paying attention to illegal gun activity in their neighborhoods.

When we can answer, “Where did the gun come from?” we’ll begin to stem the flow of illegal guns at the source and save lives. 

There are a lot of people making a lot of money off selling weapons used in criminal activities - and those sellers know what they're doing.  They ought to be held accountable. 

Related Post:  After Virginia Tech Churches Need To Jump Start Gun Control Debate 

U.S. House Votes To Expand Children's Health Care

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed critical legislation that would expand health care coverage to another 5 million uninsured American children.  House Republicans fought the legislation and President Bush has promised a veto. 

Their major objection:  the program is paid for by increasing taxes on tobacco.

Republicans in the House and in the White House clearly place more importance on big tobacco than on the lives and health of our nation's children. 

The Washington Post reports:

The House (today) approved legislation vastly expanding a federal health insurance program for the children of the working poor, shrugging off a fresh veto threat from President Bush and the fierce opposition of House Republicans.

The Senate, where the legislation has strong bipartisan support, is expected to follow suit as early as (Thursday), voting on a more modest version of the program and probably setting up a showdown between congressional supporters and the White House, which says the measures are far too expansive.

The legislation would launch the most significant growth in federal health care in a decade, and Democrats hope it will fortify their members as they head home soon for the summer recess amid voter perceptions that they have accomplished little since taking control of Congress.

"This is the children's hour," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declared... "We are able to meet our moral obligation to our children."

The 225 to 204 vote in the House -- largely along party lines -- came after hours of delaying tactics, strident rhetoric and trench warfare from Republicans who called the bill the first step toward "socialized medicine," financed by an unfair tobacco tax increase and cuts to managed-care companies in Medicare.

But in the end, the Democrats had weapons that were just too powerful -- a promise to insure 5 million more children who otherwise would have no access to health care, adding to the 6 million children already covered -- and the backing of Republican and Democratic governors, the American Medical Association, AARP, the March of Dimes, the Catholic Health Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and even cyclist Lance Armstrong. And the prospects are good in the Senate, where a key Republican, Orrin Hatch (Utah), said, "It's difficult for me to understand how anyone wouldn't want to do this."   

House Republicans tried to scare senior citizens into opposing the bill but that effort failed:

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (Ohio), pointing to the cuts to Medicare managed-care plans, dashed off a letter to AARP, calling for the powerful seniors lobby to retract its endorsement and halt its full-throttle campaign for its passage.

But John Rother, AARP's policy director, responded that funding for Medicare physician reimbursements and free medical screenings more than makes up for any difficulties managed-care companies might face when they reap the same reimbursement rates as the core Medicare program.

President Bush has spoken out often against the bill:

...Bush opposes such a major expansion of the program. In an interview with The Washington Post last month, he said, "When you expand eligibility . . . you're really beginning to open up an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government."

The House bill would enlarge the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, by $47 billion over five years to provide coverage to the additional 5 million children.

As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports, Bush's argument is bogus.

What can't be argued is that millions of children in our nation go without medical care and need this legislation.  It is also clear that House Republicans and George W. Bush don't give a damn and will do everything in their power to keep children from getting the care they deserve.

Related Post: George W. Bush: Putting Tobacco Companies Before Kids   

U.S. House Members From Oregon Back Gonzales Impeachment Probe

Four out of the five members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon are now co-sponsors of legislation to "to begin investigations on impeachment" for Alberto Gonzales, America's disgraced Attorney General, according to Loaded Orygun.  You gotta love this state and our political leaders.

Related Post: Impeach Alberto Gonzales If DOJ Fails To Appoint Special Prosecutor 

Support Health Care For Kids!

Action Alert from Children's Defense Fund

Over the past ten years, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has been effective at reducing the number of uninsured children. However, nine million children are still uninsured and millions more are underinsured. That means millions of children in America are not getting the care they need to lead healthy and happy lives.

Congress is considering legislation to renew funding for SCHIP this week. Although our ultimate goal is to provide comprehensive health coverage to all children and pregnant women in America, supporting the SCHIP legislation currently under consideration in Congress, is a step towards this critical goal.

Take a few minutes right now to send a message to Congress to take this first step and support the SCHIP legislation currently under consideration in Congress. It's easy, it only takes a few minutes, and children cannot wait.

Related Post: George W. Bush: Putting Tobacco Companies Before Kids 

Impeach Alberto Gonzales If DOJ Fails To Appoint Special Prosecutor

Many religious leaders across the United States questioned the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to serve as the Attorney General of the United States – I was one of them. Gonzales already had a reputation at that point for being dishonest but worse than that he was also the one who gave the White House the (faulty and immoral) legal justification for torturing so-called enemy combatants.

His tenure at the Justice Department has resulted in one scandal after another and even Republicans in the U.S. Senate are calling on him to resign or for the president to fire him. Each time he testifies before Congress he tells one lie after another to either protect himself or his masters in the West Wing.

This weekend The New York Times ran an editorial that said:

Democratic lawmakers are asking for a special prosecutor to look into Mr. Gonzales’s words and deeds. Solicitor General Paul Clement has a last chance to show that the Justice Department is still minimally functional by fulfilling that request.

If that does not happen, Congress should impeach Mr. Gonzales.

Impeaching the president and/or the vice-president is a cause championed by some on the left but that is a fool’s errand. Impeaching Gonzales, on the other hand, seems doable and it may be necessary to restore law and order to the nation.

The Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry Calls For Living Wage As Minimum Wage Gets Bumped Up

Last week low-income working Americans finally got a raise when the federal minimum wage was increased after years of growing poverty levels. Pehaps no one was more responsible for this than The Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, the founder of Let Justice Roll, a project of the National Council of Churches, and the former general minister and president of the United Church of Christ.  At a press conference held this week with Congressional leaders he said: 

This is a good day, isn't it? After ten long years, America's low wage workers and families are getting a break. It's about time -- and Let Justice Roll is very glad to be part of it. Let Justice Roll is a nonpartisan coalition of over 90 faith-based, community-based, labor and business organizations united around one single goal -- working together to establish a living wage for all of our country's working people.

We have worked alongside many others to raise the minimum wage in a growing number of states -- Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia. We have worked in support of city and county-wide living wage ordinances. And we have worked in support of the federal legislation we celebrate today. All with one purpose: reaching a living wage for all of America's working people -- a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.

We believe that a job should keep you out of poverty, not keep you in it.

With Martin Luther King, we believe, "There is nothing but a lack of social vision to prevent us from paying an adequate wage to every American (worker) whether he (or she) is a hospital worker, laundry worker, maid, or day laborer."

And with the prophet Amos, we envision a renewed society wherein "justice rolls down like living waters and righteousness like an everflowing stream." That is the very definition of a good and decent society.

Yes, today is a good day. But, even as we celebrate, we know that we have a long way to go if justice is to be done for America's low wage working people.

Even at $7.25 an hour in 2009, the minimum wage, in inflation adjusted dollars, will be more than $2 below what it was in the year 1968 -- four decades ago. We do have a long way to go.

In the meantime, low wage working families will continue to struggle mightily with the ever increasing costs of health care, housing, education, and so much else.

When the Fair Labor Standards Act was established, way back in 1938, the Act was designed "to eliminate labor conditions detrimental to the maintenance of the minimum standard of living necessary for the health, efficiency and general well-being of workers." The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at which Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, called for a national minimum wage act that will give all Americans a decent standard of living. How far we are from those noble and visionary goals. We do have a long way to go.

A just minimum wage is not only ethically right; it is also economically right. A just minimum wage is good for workers. A just minimum wage is good for business and the economy. Speaking of business, nearly 800 business owners and executives representing every state in the nation have signed a statement endorsing a minimum wage increase at www.businessforafairminimumwage.org.

A just minimum wage is good for our common future. So, we dare not and we will not cease our efforts until all working people receive a living wage.

Let Justice Roll will work, along with many others, in support of future federal legislation to raise the minimum wage to a living wage. We will work in support of minimum wage legislation at the state level and for living wage ordinances at the local and state level -- places like Georgia, Kansas, Oklahoma and Cuyahoga County, Ohio.

We will continue to make the case that raising the minimum wage is a central moral and economic issue of our time. Morality demands that a job should keep you out of poverty, not keep you in it.

Yes this is a good day, a day to celebrate. On this day, even as we celebrate, let us look forward to an even better day. A day when all working people will receive a truly living wage -- a wage that will give all of America's families a decent standard of living. On that day, justice will roll down like living waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Let's do it!

Congratulations to all who worked hard for this victory.  Now let's all get back to work.  My friend Rev. Sherry is right that we still have along way to go.