Democracy for Vancouver

Today I attended 3 workshops and an outdoor noon rally for the earth.  UUA president Sinkford, Marilyn Sewalll, minister of Portland's 1st U Church were joined by several others, including including a Native American speak out under lovely sunny skies.  What a thrill!
 
The first presentation I saw was Rev. Bill Schultz and Dr. Sharon Welch on "The theology of Peacemaking."  The room was too small to seat everyone, so a volunteer Ask Me person told those without a chair had to leave due to fire regulations or risk a thousand-dollar fine.  About 50 people left and I would think some ought to complain to the GA about booking such a small room for this   Schultz began with a hilarious story about a president who took at least 12 years to put together a jigsaw puzzle because the instructions on the box read "10-12!"  Then he told how he once had hurt (abused) a dog, perhaps giving his clue of the human nature.  He said he has a cynical view of it.  He has seen many horrible human situations in his work and travels.  He said, left unchecked, people can be vicious.  We can legislate morality.  What is the role of religious institutions?  Speaking truth to power.  For the past 6 years America has not provided leadership in the world.  The genocide in Rhawanda could have been prevented with 1,500 soldiers which would have saved a million people.  It's as if "wickedness is the fashion."  Proactive steps could have prevented Darfor and Iraq.  He said "mankind is intrinsically wicked."  Instead of creating enemies, we must respond by feeling their pain.  We must "dirty" our hands to be our brother and sister's keepers, using caution and humility.
 
Sharon Welch said to renounce war and violence.  "If war is the last resort, what is the 1st, the 3rd, the 100th resort?    She spoke of a global paradigm shift.  She suggested a 3rd party armed forces under UN control.   She said peacekeeping forces and peace centers ought be created to restore a social sense of order.  To resolve conflict takes comprehensive work.  She said as the US seeks empire building, repression, resistance and rebellion follow.   The more force we use, it is less effective.  Military force is a form of weakness.  On the power of evil, she said "We are the dilemma of good and evil."   Sometimes when working for peace, abuse of power happens.  "Be artisans of hope, wonder, generosity, courage and forgiveness."  On the self-righteous among us, we try to change them while denying change in self.
 
The second workshop was Creating a Peace Center with the UU Congregation of Glen Falls, NY and the Rev. Dr. Deane Perkins.  They have 82 members and have managed to create an 8th Principle:  "We the members of the UU Congregation of Glen Falls covenant to affirm peaceable resolution and to promote the practice of non-violent transformation of conflict in our daily lives."   This passed April 15, 2007.  Whether they evolve into a "peace church" remains to be seen.  They live in a conservative community in upstate NY that border to Vermont.   How did they do it?  They educated their youth, they focused on core values, made a mission statement, conducted interfaith peace vigils, and did nonviolent communication training.  They kept "politics" out of it.  The impetus came from a mother whose son was serving a second tour in Iraq.  They discussed boundaries on when crossing the line on killing happens.  In the vote on the 8th principle, only 1 member voted against and that was due to "wording" problems, not the principle itself.   He listed the pacifist churches which does not include the Episcopal.  In educating, do we ever ask what another is feeling or what their needs are?  We ignore trauma of others.  Perkins underlying nature is summed, "I oppose all war."  To a question on gun control, he hopes guns would be turned in.  His faith is real peace.  With education and outreach he drew the community together.

The third workshop was The Pentagon Papers Then and Now:  UU's Confronting Government Secrecy starring Daniel Ellsberg, Amy Goodman, Rev. Robert West (former UUA president at the time of the publication) and former senator Mike Gravel and Bill Sinkford who did introductions.  Goodman spoke of ills today, war, torture, kidnapping, secret prisons, and universal deceit.  Ellsberg's decision changed history.  West stood up to enormous pressure to get the public record out.  No other publishing company would produce the papers, but Beacon Press (a UU affiliate) did!
 
Ellsberg had 7,000 pages showing unconscionable government behavior that he copied.  Other senators agreed, but would not RISK, including McGovern, Fulbright, and Mathias.  In 1971 West endured 2.5 years of government harassment when the UUA records were subpoenaed.  Secrecy and deception, misuse of power and invasion of privacy was rampant.  Resist government intrusion and reversal of constitutional liberties.
 
Today those equivalent papers EXIST.  But who will RISK exposing them?  Cheney and Bush exploit 9-11.  Documents of calculated war plans were discussed by Rumsfield.  We could prevent war with Iran if officials would expose those documents today.  Catastrophes could be averted, but they would risk career and conviction to prison.
 
Gravel said "Don't wait till the bombs are falling!  The engine of war is unstoppable. Reveal the truth, and obey the constitution."  Further, he said Congress has the power to which we stood up and CHEERED with agreement.   He is fearful for Iran because when "rats are in a corner, they do crazy things. We need more leaks in government. "   
 
What an awesome GA experience!  Now I prepare to listen to Rashid Khalidi, professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University and the head of Columbia's Middle East Institute.
 
Shalom
g. kortes