Arizona and GA 2011

I was talking to someone today about the Arizona business resolution and what happened at GA 2010 surrounding it, and she mentioned that someone could propose a new business resolution about GA 2012 at GA 2011. If SD1070 law is repealed, or we no longer want to hold a justice GA around immigration, then we could be debating the issue again at GA in 2011.

I was reminded too about what one person said during the debate about the resolution, and that was that the business of the UUA, UU's, and GA IS social justice work. So, if we cancel all GA business, then we are in effect canceling social justice work. 

Arizona and immigration was not the only social justice work being done at GA 2010. We voted  FOR a Statement of Conscience on Peacemaking and FOR a Green Revoluntion in Religion business resolution. We debated revitalizing american democracy, ending world slavery, national economic reform, energy, peace, and justice. Workshops were offered on: a UU response to the crisis in Haiti, programming for LGBT youth, indigenous peoples' rights, human rights in Isreal/Palestine, congregation-based community organizing, anti-racism/anti-oppression, to name a few.

In 2012, if we suspend business as usual to the least amount required by the bylaws, then none of the issues above will be studied, debated, or worked on.

There was a lot of emotion and some fury around the Arizona business resolution that I believe got in the way of a real debate about GA 2012. Debate about the opposition to SD1070 was confused and at times interchangeable with debate about GA 2012, when they are clearly two distinct things. Not one person argued in favor of the law. The fervor to DO SOMETHING about SD1070 was high and since the resolution to hold a 'justice' GA in 2012 was the only thing on the table, that fervor translated into a pro vote for a 2012 'justice' GA around immigration. 

Did we really vote to suspend all other social justice work at GA in 2012? As a religious denomination, a body of political and spiritual influence, at GA in 2012, are we really going to say NO to working on gay rights, world slavery, global warming, anti-racism, and the many other issues of importance?

I still find this hard to believe.

Seriously, I think UU's are versatile enough to pat our heads while scratching our stomachs. Can't we oppose SD1070 AND stand on the side of love for LGBT equal rights AND work for a green revolution AND end slavery AND....

We are a large, diverse, inclusive religion with passion and compassion for many things. To the Board I would say: Please don't let a majority try to dictate the conscience of us all.  "The voice of the majority is no proof of justice." --Friedrich Schiller

The United States of America, Plaintiff vs. Arizona and Gov. Brewer, Defendants

Did you hear? On July 6, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in federal district court in Arizona against the state of Arizona AND the governor:

In this action, the United States seeks to declare invalid and preliminarily and permanently enjoin the enforcement of S.B. 1070, as amended and enacted by the State of Arizona, because S.B. 1070 is preempted by federal law and therefore violates the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution. [ http://ht.ly/27NYC ]

The DOJ also filed a temporary injunction to delay SB1070 from going into effect on July 29. The Arizona court will hear the case on July 22.

Go here to send a "No Anti-Immigration Law in My State" to your governor. Standing on the Side of Love has made it very easy to do this:  http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1272/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3690

Come, yet again come.

You may know that that #188 in Singing the Living Tradition is from a poem by Rumi:

Come, come, whoever you are,

wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving,

ours is no caravan of despair,

come, yet again come.

 

But did you know that the melody was written by Rev. Lynn Unger, Minister in CLF (Church of the Larger Fellowship)? I met her recently, she's a friend of a friend, but didn't know at that time that she was the composer of one of my favorite hymns. Something sort of magical happens (a spark of the divine perhaps?) when you sing this song in rounds with a congregation. Thanks, Rev. Unger.  

GA 2010: My Favorite Moments

If GA was anything, it was all-encompassing; like stepping into a different country with a different language for a few days. All in all, it was great and I was honored to be there, as a delegate.

I had many great moments at GA; here are a few of my favorite (not in order of importance):

• The last person recognized at the procedural mic just before plenary ended on Saturday morning--a minister who introduced a beautiful couple of women she had married the weekend before, and a chariot led by tall roosters carrying the couple around the room and off to Loring Park for the public witness scheduled in connection with the Pride Festival, and the procession of us following. A proud-to-be-a-UU moment, to be sure
• A hug from one of the brides.
• Peter Mayer and Ann Reed singing together and separately. Singing "Blue Boat Home" along with Peter and thousands of UU's. Ann Reed performed We Will, a song that she wrote in being commissioned by the Sesquicentenial Steering Committee of First Universalist Church of Minneapolis--beautiful, powerful. If you haven't heard it, go now and find it.
• Being present when my minister was honored for his service; being honored to be part of his congregation.
• Talking with a UU from Arizona during the mini-assembly debate on Arizona.
• Part 1: Finding one of my favorite people in the world in the exhibits on the first day and getting a great hug. Part 2: Finding him again at the Sunday morning worship service and getting an even bigger hug.
• Keith Ellison's impassioned speech--he's definitely a guy to watch for on the national stage.
• Sitting next to a mom from Michigan whose son was in the children's choir; she was proud, as she should have been--they did a great job.
• Sitting next to a guy from Ohio whose partner was in the adult choir; he was proud, as he should have been--they did a great job.  
• Al Franken showing up announced and talking about his idea of god, and saying, "You are my favorite kind of church."
• The banner parade at opening ceremony (the closest thing I'll ever have to an Olympic moment).
• Plenary I, II, III, IV, V, VI,VII--as a delegate, the mini-assemblies and plenary are where it all happens: learn, debate, vote. Raising your yellow card to vote is a humbling thing, especially when you look around and see hundreds of other yellow cards in the air.
• Gini Courter's Moderator's Report at the last plenary--the best sermon/talk/reflection of GA.
• A hug from the moderator. (UU's are a huggy bunch, aren't we?)

Just to be clear, I think GA was an amazing thing. I heard that 3800 UU's were there. I love that we are a passionate religion with strong social justice values, and that what we sing and what we pray, we mean.

Did I agree with everything that was said and done at GA? No. Did I vote on the winning side every time? No (but almost all the time).

Still, I left with the feeling about us all at GA and UU's in general, that I have about my family. We may not always agree but we love each other. I trust that the people in my family are strong in spirit, good-hearted people, so that even when we disagree on particular things, I know that on the whole, we are united.

So, thank you to the planning committee, the board, the volunteers, the attorney, parliamentarian, the delegates, the workshop presenters, the choirs, the musicians, and all of you.

Whoever came up with "standing on the side of love" is a genius. There is no place I'd rather be and no one with who I'd rather be with.

Plenary

There were actually several plenary sessions in which reports were given, speeches made, music, breakout congregations recognized, and of course, voting on changes to the bylaws, a statement of conscience, the AIWs (action of immediate witness), CSAI (Congretional Study Action Issues), and the two business resolutions.

The plenary in which the business resolution vote on Arizona was scheduled was perhaps the most well-attended and emotional. By this time, the resolution had changed dramatically. It was no longer about boycotting Arizon, but about holding a special 'justice' GA there in 2012.

Section Four of the amendment now said “to explore options within the Phoenix area that would minimize our financial contribution to the Arizona business economy.” Some felt that this might hurt our allies, and/or unfairly punish businesses who oppose the law as much as we do. I kept hearing the Arizonan's voice in my head, "There WILL be lists," and I still can't get behind this or even believe that UU's are talking about blacklists.

Salvadore Reza of Puente spoke at plenary. He was great. In essence what he seemed to be saying was or what I heard his say was: do what you will in 2012, but come NOW, we need you NOW. Everyone cheered him, but I didn't hear anyone talk about partnering or working for justice in Arizon NOW.

Gini Courter did a great job reminding us that we are all on the same side of the issue and such before the time opened up for debate. The line at the Pro microphone were very long. I couldn't see the Con mic, but there were so many procedural questions that not many people got to speak pro or con. Then after 15 minutes of debate (I believe), the floor is open for amendments, and there were a few.

Like the mini-assembly, the people speaking for the amendment talked about how horrible the SB1070 law is, and not about whether a 'justice' GA in two years is the best response to opposing the law. It felt as though if you were against the resolution, you were against the cause. The amendment passed overwhelmingly and with great joy.

Now, what? I will be interested to see how many people answer Puente's call to come to Arizona NOW, and be part of the National Day of Non-Compliance on July 29, the day that SB1070 goes into effect, in this Arizona summer of human rights.

I just now came across a letter that Salvadore Reza of Puente and the head of NDLON (National Day Laborer Organizing Network) wrote to Rev Morales on June 8, 2010, in which they wrote:

We invite you to transform your General Assembly scheduled for June, 2012 in Phoenix into a Unitarian Universalist convergence for human rights in Arizona. We urge you to call UUs across the country to support the movement on the ground here in Arizona and to coordinate your activities with Puente and NDLON.

Perhaps I missed it in both mini-assemblies and plenary, but I did not hear anything about this letter, that the idea of using GA as a convergence for human rights was the idea of Puente and NDLON. I heard a lot about  the work of LUUNA (Latina/o Unitarian Universalist Networking Association), DRUUMM (Diverse and Revolutionary Unitarian Universalist Multicultural Ministries), and ARE (Allies for Racial Equity), and how they all worked into the early hours of the morning to draft an amendment that they could all agree to, and about the "many hours of deep listening, tears, and prayer" that the ARE President talked about.

And so, I'm curious, what will UU's do now?