Jeff Willard is the Regional Social Action Co-chair, URJ, New Jersey West Hudson Valley Council Member Commission on Social Action.

In a 4 -3 decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court, Justice Barry T. Albin wrote for the majority; … “We have decided that our State Constitution guarantees that every statutory right and benefit conferred to heterosexual couples through civil marriage must be made available to committed same-sex couples.” However the court failed to apply a remedy. Instead the court referred the issue to the State’s Legislature. Because of the fear of being accused of judicial activism the court abdicated its responsibility. The court’s responsibility is to dispense justice regardless of public opinion.

The New Jersey Legislature has several options:

1) Change the State’s Constitution to define marriage to include same sex couples. Even though a small majority of New Jersey citizens favors same sex marriage, the majority of the State’s Legislators believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

2) Pass a Civil Union Law. In the dissenting opinion, Chief Justice Deborah T. Poritz wrote … “marriage bestows enormous private and social advantages.” “We can find no principled basis, however, on which to distinguish those rights and benefits from the right to the title of marriage.” A Civil Union statue would create a separate but equal citizenship for all of New Jersey’s GLBT population. We learned from the civil rights movement that separate is always separate, but is never equal. In Loving v. Virginia , 388 U.S. 1 ( 1967), a landmark civil rights case in which the United States Supreme Court declared Virginia's anti- miscegenation statute, the " Racial Integrity Act of 1924", unconstitutional, thereby ending all race-based legal restriction on marriage in the United States. The Supreme Court overturned the convictions in a unanimous decision, dismissing the Commonwealth of Virginia's argument that a law forbidding both white and black persons from marrying persons of another race, and providing identical penalties to white and black violators, could not be construed as racially discriminatory. In its decision, the court wrote “Marriage is one of the basic civil rights of man, fundamental to our very existence and survival” .... “To deny this fundamental freedom on so unsupportable a basis as the racial classifications embodied in these statutes, classifications so directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, is surely to deprive all the State's citizens of liberty without due process of law. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by invidious racial discriminations. Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State”. The court did not establish a different classification for these couples. The court recognized that all American citizens should be treated the same under our constitution.

Unfortunately Civil Unions will probably be the end result. New Jersey’s same sex couples may gain rights that they do not have now under the State’s Domestic Partnership statute, but they will be relegated to permanent second class citizenship.

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Gwen Litvak is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. She is a graduate of UCLA.

Last week, the Faith In Public Life blog hosted an converstaion between Reverend Paul Sherry, director of Let Justice Roll, and Rabbi Jill Jacobs, blogger for Jewish Funds for Justice’s website, JSpot.org. Both are activists who beautifully articulate the moral impetus for increasing the minimum wage and provide deft commentary about the political era in which the wage battle exists. In the Faith in Public Life blog, Reverend Sherry and Rabbi Jacobs discuss the religious reasons for just wages and how to transfer this theological belief into a successful political campaign.

The blog is available at http://blog.faithinpubliclife.org/

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Mark J. Pelavin is the Associate Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. He is one of the Jewish community's leading legislative strategists, and one of its senior lobbyists.

Rabbi David Ellenson, President of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (the Reform Movement’s seminary), has a charateristicly terrific essay in the Forward. Rabbi Ellenson comments on the debate which has developed on the decision of United Jewish Community (the Jewish Federation system) to “to appropriate a percentage of the special donations it has collected to help Israel recover from this summer’s Hezbollah rocket attacks to Israeli Arabs and Druze.”

Rabbi Ellenson weaves together rabbinic, Talmudic, and contemporary sources to argue that “In displaying concern for Jews and gentiles alike through its recent actions, UJC has conducted itself in accord with the highest elements in our tradition. This act of hesed [kindness] deserves praise, not critique.”

Gary Rosenthal, Editor of the New York Jewish Week, makes the same point in his “Editor’s Column” this week. It, too, is well worth reading.

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Rachel Cohen is on a semester long internship at the Religious Action Center. She comes from Washington University.

Last night I had the honor of meeting Senator Tom Daschle, who served as the Democratic leader in the Senate until 2004. While meeting a politician from South Dakota would not have been the highlight of the week for most people, it certainly was for an undergraduate student in political science who recently came to DC. Imagine going to New York and meeting the starting pitcher (perhaps former manager is a closer analogy) of the Mets, and you can understand a bit of my excitement.

I met Daschle after an event he hosted at the Center for American Progress with famed political analyst Charlie Cook. The evening was one in a series appropriately titled “Conversations with Tom Daschle” in which the Center brings in various political actors to discuss current issues with young people as part of its Campus Progress initiative.

Cook analyzed the current election environment and made predictions for November, though he emphasized that much can change in the next twenty days. He stressed the importance of focus, claiming that the success of both parties depends largely on what issues are in the spotlight at the time of the election. As Cook sees it, the chaos in Iraq and the scandals plaguing the Republican Party will play out well for Democrats, who are already in an advantageous position as a minority party in a midterm election. He said that this election is shaping up as one of those unique years in which national events and extraordinary circumstances contradict the maxim that “all politics is local” and lead to a landslide for one party. Cook’s analysis was interesting and insightful, and I was once again impressed with the genuine excitement that surrounds politics in this city.

Still, I was most affected by the message Daschle imparted as he ended the evening: the importance of voting. It is easy to get lost in election analysis and punditry. However, we cannot forget that all Americans, from Washington DC to Washington state, are the ones who cast the ballots. Though polls may be predictive, it is ultimately the individual decision of every citizen that determines the outcome on Election Day. So as you read the news and think about the candidates, remember that analysts are studying your behavior, and that you have both the privilege and responsibility to decide what issues matter to you when you vote. Daschle recounted the tale of his first election, when he won by only 110 votes. Yet another reminder that every vote counts, so don’t forget to cast yours.

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Debra Eichenbaum is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. She is a graduate of Brandeis University.

For the past week there have been numerous stories about the acceptability, or lack thereof, of Muslim women wearing a headscarf or hijab in Europe. This is not a new story in any sense; it is an issue that has been in the news on and off for years with most stories focusing on the situation in France, a country which prides itself on its desire to pursue a policy of laicite, or secularism. Now however attention is being turned to England, a country deeply committed to multiculturalism.

In a New York Times article from last week, Prime Minister Tony Blair is quoted as calling the Muslim veil a “mark of separation” which makes others “feel uncomfortable.” The statement has created quite a stir and has proven its staying power in the media with articles appearing in the Washington Times, the Boston Globe, and other major publications.

Will England be the next country in a list of European Nations, including France, Italy, and a smattering of towns throughout Europe, to prohibit the wearing of a hijab? And maybe, the more important question is, is it appropriate for countries to outlaw a religious practice, such as wearing a veil? In America we value our freedom of religious expression. But let us not forget the fight that we, as Jews, waged in the Supreme Court and in Congress to win the right to wear a kippah in the Armed Forces. As Jews and people committed to the belief of universal religious freedom I think it is important for us to look at this issue of veiling from a culturally sensitive view and accept the inherent religious association of wearing a hijab instead of discarding it as a racist cultural marker.

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Annette Ezekiel, bandleader of JDub Records' artist Golem plays piano, accordion, and loves Yiddish song. Through research and travel, she brings material to the band and adds the twist of rock and roll that is Golem.

Do you ever turn on the news and think: who are these people? They are supposed to represent me? They don't look like me, talk like me, think like me or have anything remotely to do with my view of the world.

As a matter of fact, we might as well be from completely different planets. And then you are filled with a sense of alienation and helplessness, as if America the Country has been dislocated, like a broken arm, from the actual country you see every day around you. Perhaps these people on TV represent someone in this big country, but it sure isn't you.

Golem has just returned from a three-week tour during which we drove nearly 7000 miles and saw quite a bit of America. And I can tell you - those "folks" on TV do represent somebody in this country. Real people. We drove through places in the midwest where there were anti-abortion and fundamentalist billboards every few miles along the highways. We were shocked, but why? The people behind those signs didn't show up at the Golem shows (at least I don't think they did!) because Jewish folk-punk from New York probably isn't their cup of tea - but they're out there, and guess what? They elect politicians who represent their interests. It's not rocket science. To have people in courts, in Congress, in the White House, who represent what is important to you, you have to vote for them. Period.

The language that Golem sings in, Yiddish, was once a language of intense social activism in America. There were Yiddish-speaking trade unions, collectives, organizations that protected workers and the interests of the poor and victims of discrimination. The Jews in Eastern Europe were treated so despicably by the authorities and the societies around them, that they jumped at the chance, in a new land, to stand up for themselves and finally have a voice. With assimilation and comfort came, of course, apathy. We're not struggling anymore, so why bother? Today, people know only a few nostalgic words of Yiddish, at best, and as for social activism...... well, now someone like me actually has to write and urge people to vote! Just to vote! But don't bother, if you're too busy and don't have time. Just don't be surprised anymore when you turn on the TV.

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Rachel Slomovitz is the Press Secretary for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

Last Friday, I had the fortune of attending my first regional Biennial of the Reform movement! Not really knowing what to expect I gathered my belongings (which included mapquest directions and a travel mug of hot tea) and headed towards Gaithersburg, MD where the Biennial was being held. After finding my way to the Hilton, I step out of my car and hit bitter cold wind. But as I step inside the building, I was almost as quickly enveloped by warmth- not just by the temperature but by the people.

Among the warm smiles, and greetings were our RAC upstairs neighbors’ Rabbi Scott Sperling, Lisa Helfman and Lynda McCann Gilman. They immediately offered me lunch and I decided to sit on a workshop about synagogue leadership. After the workshop was over, I went into the Plenary session where I had a chance to listen to Rafi Harpaz, Minister Counselor of Public Affairs at the Embassy of Israel, speak about the Israeli-Lebanon conflict from the past summer. He also spoke about upcoming challenges that Israel would face and the current struggles to find the missing Israeli soldiers.

After the speech was over, I had a chance to meet with Emily Grotta, the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Union for Reform Judaism, and sit in her marketing workshop. The participants of the workshop were eager to find ways to reach out to their communities and their congregations. The Union for Reform Judaism and the Religious Action Center work on a daily basis with congregations to help them reach out to their local communities and if our assistance is ever needed- just call!

During the course of the MAC Biennial, RAC staff participated and led various workshops. Barbara Weinstein, the Religious Action Center’s Legislative Director, ran a workshop entitled: Speaking Truth to Power: A Guide for Congregations Engaged in Social Action Advocacy. Barbara spoke about the importance of advocacy, Jewish values that compel us to speak out on social issues, tools for successful advocacy, and the legal dos and don'ts that are imperative for all congregations to know.

The rest of my day consisted of greeting people and introducing myself as the Religious Action Center Press Secretary. I was glad that I was able to get to know the Mid-Atlantic Council a bit better and was able to get a feel for the needs of congregations. All in all, I felt the warmth and the kindness of participants of the MAC biennial and was glad that I was able to go. I encourage you to check out the MAC website. Pictures have been posted!

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Debra Eichenbaum is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. She is a graduate of Brandeis University.

Concerns about the 1st amendment implications of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives have been raging from its beginning. Now, the former Deputy Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, David Kuo, is coming forward to share his insights about the office. In his new book, Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction, Kuo claims that fears about the office’s preferential treatment of organizations from particular faith traditions are in fact true. MSNBC’s news reporter Keith Olbermann had an exclusive report on Kuo’s new book.

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Rachel Cohen is on a semester long internship at the Religious Action Center. She comes from Washington University.

There is nothing like a vacation to bring you back to reality. I spent the last weekend in St. Louis, at my home school of Washington University. Though I greatly enjoyed the time relaxing and catching up with friends on our quiet campus, I could not stop telling everyone how much I was enjoying my time in DC. When I got back to the city and had to wake up for work the next day, I realized that there are some advantages to being in school! Still, I am happy to be back in the office working on our Get out the Vote effort, attending meetings, and yes, even filing and blogging.

The most interesting, and often challenging, aspect of my semester in Washington is the juxtaposition of simultaneously working and taking undergraduate classes. Three days a week after work I head over to Georgetown or Capitol Hill for sessions on economics and public policy and constitutional law. The students in my program also attend a weekly speaker series as part of our internship seminar. The days are packed (though nothing compared to a day in the life of a RAC Legislative Assistant), but the experience I am gaining in and out of the classroom is certainly worth the effort. Studying political science in Washington is like studying art in Florence; the classroom is the world around you.

While this is the main reason I chose to spend my semester away from college in DC, it also means that I am constantly faced by the fact that much of what I am learning in class contradicts with what I see in the world around me. In politics, as in many other fields, the gap between theory and reality is monstrous. For the average American voter, I doubt that the debate between the original intent of the Constitution and need for it to be a “living document” is relevant to everyday life or comes into play in the ballot box. We no longer see the candidates defined on traditional terms as small-government, free-market conservatives or welfare-state supporting liberals. Rather, most Americans disregard theory and make decisions based on how their pocketbooks and their consciences will be affected by their votes. And this is usually a good thing. Despite what we learn in the college bubble, textbooks and theories are far from all-powerful.

I encourage any student truly interested in government to spend time in Washington, whether it is a year-long program, a summer internship, or merely a vacation, and experience the realities of American politics. You will find that it is as exciting, and often fun, as you thought it would be. However, you also may find that the way things work is not exactly what you were expecting, or at least not what you were taught. This may not come as a surprise, but it will still come as a dose of reality, one which anyone considering a career in politics should take while he or she has the opportunity.

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Allison Grossman is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. She is a graduate of University of Arizona.

Today, over 24 evangelical Christian leaders gathered together not to discuss their political differences or debate scripture, but to unite. And what was the one issue that motivated the cooperation of such an extremely diverse group? The violence still occurring in Darfur. Evangelicals for Darfur officially kicked off their campaign today, believing that, in the words of Jim Wallis, “this is a time and an issue which transcends other political differences.” From immigration reform to the war in Iraq, from Reverends and Bishops to authors and professors, and from the Southern Baptist Convention to the Christian Coalition of America to the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, this is one extremely diverse and, yes, odd group of leaders to come together over a common cause.

Since I began working on Darfur at the RAC about two months ago, the language has slowly changed – 2.2 million displaced people became 2.5 million and call-in days thanking the UN for passing Resolution 1706, authorizing the deployment of UN peacekeepers to the Darfur region of Sudan, became frustrated urging to actually take action and deploy troops.

The emergence of Evangelicals for Darfur reveals the increasing desperation of the issue but also the presence of a universal humanity that cries and out acts when faced with deep injustice. The crisis in Darfur is a situation on which we all must educate ourselves and our community and we all must continue to take action to stop – and the Evangelicals for Darfur helps us get one step closer to making sure we all work to protect those who are not able to protect themselves.

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Matt Weinberg is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. He is a graduate of Cornell University.

There was a startling article in Wednesday’s New York Times about an unusual type of voter disenfranchisement. For the first time since the enactment of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, a federal lawsuit claims that blacks have been disenfranchising white voters. In a small Mississippi town in Noxubee County that is approximately ¾ black, Democratic Executive Committee Chairmen Ike Brown has allegedly taken part in a wide range of voter fraud, intimidation, and disenfranchisement procedures.

The subjugation of blacks in the United States just over forty years ago is a stain on this nation that will not heal for many generations. The Civil Rights Movement was fought by people who understand the most important of democratic principles: that all people, no matter what color, religion, or ethnic background, deserve equal rights. The Voting Rights Act was enacted in 1965 after many civil rights organizations, including many Jewish ones, shed sweat and blood in order to bring equal rights to blacks. If Ike Brown and other black Americans are indeed disenfranchising whites in Noxubee County, then they are disgracing the work of the Civil Rights leaders. The focus of the fight against voter disenfranchisement in the United States today generally remains a fight to protect the rights of minorities. Nevertheless, we can not forget that it is just as offensive to our democratic principles when rights are denied to any American.

In the upcoming month, the RAC staff will continue to work hard to mobilize congregations to “Get Out the Vote.” Part of this movement is to educate Jews and others around the country about disenfranchisement issues that still exist today. Even though most American Jews probably have not had 1 st hand experience with disenfranchisement, stories like this one from Mississippi remind us how important is the right to vote. They also should give us pause to reflect on how hard Jews worked to win the right to vote for everyone in the United States. Considering our history in the civil rights movement, Jews must continue to speak out against all forms of voter disenfranchisement across the country. After all, the right to vote is the most basic principle of a democracy.

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Julian Bond, one of the nation’s most distinguished, and effective, civil rights leaders, is Chairman of NAACP. These comments are transcribed from a phone conversation between Mr. Bond and RAC Director Rabbi David Saperstein.

The right to vote is a right won at an enormous cost of blood and time. I would be unfaithful to those who went before me and made it possible if I did not exercise that right at every election. I am astounded by the people who do not exercise this right, including large numbers of people who are registered but do not take the time on election day to go out and cast a vote. To me, the right to vote means having a say about what’s happening in my country, with my country, and by my country. It is my hope that Americans will go out in large, large numbers, and have their opinions known, and will in affect be casting their votes for change.

Every election is important and is about large issues that affect all Americans, whether or not they realize how they are impacted. This midterm election, leading up to the Presidential contest in 2008, however, strikes me as a referendum on a number of issues. It is a referendum on the war; in many congressional districts and Senate races there are candidates who favor the current policy the United States is following, and there are candidates who are opposed to it. It is also a referendum on the economic policies the Administration has pursued, such as the tax breaks for the wealthiest people in the country while services for people at the bottom of the economic ladder are shrinking.

There is a real assault on the right to vote for racial minorities, women, and the disabled going on at the federal level and in various states. There are at least a dozen states that have passed, or are threatening to pass, laws which radically restrict access to the ballot. These laws typically insist on a photo identification card before a person can become a voter and cast his or her ballot on election day. These laws are clearly aimed at the people who are most likely not to have these kinds of papers, and they impose a poll tax on them because in many states a person has to pay a fee in order to attain them. We already outlawed poll taxes years and years ago, but our enemies keep finding new ways to implement them.

There is a second barrier to voting that affects many, many Americans, and that is felony disenfranchisement. In a number of states there are laws that when a person commits a crime, serves his time, and is released, he is not able to regain his civil rights. This is a lifetime of punishment, and makes no sense. Unfortunately, our struggle against disenfranchisement is like having to fight a war over and over again.

I can not end without saying how grateful we are to have had longtime faithful partners from the American Jewish community, who have played such an important role in the struggle for civil rights from the beginning of the NAACP in 1909 and even in the years beforehand. They have crafted legislation and rallied Congress to pass necessary legislation. They have been active participants and martyrs, and we are eternally grateful to have such a group of faithful partners. I look forward to continuing this partnership for years and years to come.

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Gwen Litvak is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. She is a graduate of UCLA.

“The Jewish tradition affirms the crucial importance of work as central to the dignity of the human being.”
-- Union for Reform Judaism Resolution on Full Employment, 1977

Last week, Jews around the world gathered to observe the Yamim Norim, the Days of Awe. We considered our sins committed during the previous year and reflected on our own practices of teshuvah, tefilah and tzedakah. As I reflected on my own experiences in the past year, I thought about my work on labor issues here at the RAC. Where more could I have done to raise awareness about the paltry federal minimum wage? What time and energy had I given to organizing issues when I was in college? What in the High Holiday liturgy spoke about work, dignity, and creating sustainable communities and stable families?

I studied Los Angeles city living wage in my senior year at UCLA, shortly before coming to the RAC. The most notable success of the movement was the ability to organize workers in a city traditionally hostile to organizing. The living wage not only increased the standard of living for thousands of people but restored dignity to those in the hotel, airline, and restaurant industries.

The two articles below discuss the ways in which dignity is slowly being removed from the work of low wage laborers. The first article, an editorial by Holly Sklar, poignantly discusses the disturbing gap between rich and poor. The second article reacts to the National Labor Relations Board recent decision to change the definition of supervisor, ostensibly making it harder for employees to have the autonomy to organize. I encourage you to read them and reflect on the ways in which your own daily practices reflect the maxim that dignity and work are intrinsically linked.

http://peaceandjustice.org/article.php?story=20060929090823361&mode=print

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/04/AR2006100401644.html

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Debra Eichenbaum is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. She is a graduate of Brandeis University.

Freedom of Religion or Apple Pie? That, in my opinion, is what the choice has been in Congress these last two weeks on not one, but two, pieces of legislation that have been considered: The “Veteran’s Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act” and the “ National Defense Authorization Act.” Even though both of these titles sound innocuous enough, and the latter even seems to have nothing to do with religious freedom, both bills could greatly affect our freedom of religion in this country.

The Veteran’s Memorials, Boy Scouts, Public Seals, and other Public Expressions of Religion Protection Act, or as I call it the “Apple Pie Bill” – because in an Election Year you can vote against the Boy Scouts just as easily as you could vote against Apple Pie – is an attempt to eliminate the possibility of recouping attorney’s fees and out-of-pocket expenses in cases brought under the Establishment Clause. Not only would this bill undo the longstanding practice of victors being awarded fees, a practice instated so that people could actually afford to bring cases to trial, but it would also single out one Constitutional protection for scrutiny above all others: the Establishment Clause. And with the bill only having one target, it is easy to see what the goal of this legislation is: to curtail the number of lawsuits and thereby weaken out 1 st Amendment protections.

The second “Apple Pie” bill that Congress considered was the National Defense Authorization Act, a very important piece of legislation which contained a very troubling provision. Although the provision was couched in terms of freedom of conscience, in actuality the provision attempted to subvert the religious freedom of military members and support proselytizing by chaplains. And worst of all, since this provision was buried deep into the language of a security bill, its backers were taking advantage of an opportunity to attach an irrelevant and dangerous provision to a must pass bill. Fortunately, the provision was removed at the last minute. Unfortunately, it was replaced by language in a Conference Report calling on the Air Force and Navy to rescind their new recently adopted guidelines aimed at remedying the environment of religious intolerance and coercion that is currently felt by cadets.

So what do these two bills teach us? It teaches us that when push comes to shove, it seems like Congress will choose their Apple Pie unless we work together to make our voices heard and offer a better. Who knows, maybe they are cake lovers after all?

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Marc Katz is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. He is a graduate of Tufts University.

The United States decided Monday to make a “debt for nature” swap with Guatemala, excusing 20% of the country’s $108 million debt in exchange for Guatemala’s promise to invest that money in protecting the county’s forests and wildlife. According to the New York Times, this decision would impact four major areas of the country, all of which are home to large portions of tropical and subtropical forests and all of which contain numerous endangered species.

International debt is a huge problem in the world. With many countries unable to care for their own people, the burden of paying off richer nations can seem overwhelming. The decision to cancel a portion of Guatemala’s debt has allowed them financial flexibility to invest necessary money into their fragile and valuable eco-system.

The United States government should be applauded for its efforts. And for anyone who doubts whether this latest debt cancellation will benefit the United States, the answers are in the trees. According to a World Conservation Union report “the monetary value of goods and services provided by natural ecosystems (including gas regulation, waste treatment, and nutrient recycling) is estimated to amount to some 33 trillion dollars per year – nearly twice the global production resulting from human activities” This is truly a deal that everyone profits from.

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Debra Eichenbaum is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. She is a graduate of Brandeis University.

Most school children can easily recite the catchy rhyme: “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” It’s engrained into their minds at an early age – In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain with the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria to discover America, or did he? Is it fair to say that Columbus actually discovered America? Because, isn’t it true, that the land had already been inhabited by the Native Americans for generations?

Today around the country government offices, post offices, and schools are closed in commemoration of Columbus Day – a day celebrating the man and the event. Don’t get me wrong, I see nothing wrong with a day off from school and work to think about the sailing of the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. But as we reflect on that fateful voyage I think it is also important for us to look at this day from the perspective of a Native American, from the perspective of one who views Columbus’ arrival as the end of freedom and self-autonomy rather than the beginning of civilization.

It’s not my place to say that one side is wrong and another is right. But, I think they both have a point. So this Columbus Day, as you enjoy your time off from school or work, I suggest you reflect on the day, at least for a minute, the way some Native American Rights advocates suggest, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. A time to celebrate the cultural traditions of Native Americans and remember that even though Christopher Columbus is an important figure in our history, maybe its time to rethink how we teach about him because, after all, for a place to be discovered it needs to be unknown by all beforehand.

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Gwen Litvak is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. She is a graduate of UCLA.

Last month I had the opportunity to attend a memorial service for Evelyn Dubrow, a lobbyist for UNITE-HERE. As John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, and others, mused about Dubrow’s legacy of political action, I wondered what enabled Evy to be such an effective advocate.

            Evy’s success was partially rooted in her connection to the issues for which she was lobbying. She began organizing textile workers in New Jersey in 1937. In 1956 she became the legislative director for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, and remained a lobbyist on Capitol Hill for 46 years. Anna Burger, of the Change to Win Coalition, spoke of Evy’s willingness to speak with workers and congress people alike; she understood that her power came from the people she represented and her authority came from her own experience as a worker.

           Evy’s success also came from her passion and belief in the ability to improve worker’s lives. Representative George Miller (D-CA) and Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS) lauded the long hours Evy put in lobbying and the many nights she stayed up until two or three a.m. monitoring a vote in the legislature. Such passion shaped pay equity, family and medical leave, workplace safety, increases in the minimum wage, and trade policy. Evy’s dedication and energy could not be replaced by the modern day conveniences of a laptop or Blackberry.

Many speakers remarked that, “Evy Dubrow was the union label,” which I interpreted to mean that she embodied the ideas of principles of the union for which she advocated. I left the memorial service feeling inspired and with a deeper understanding of how to embody the economic justices issues for which I will be advocating throughout the year.

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Marc Katz is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. He is a graduate of Tufts University.

Why is the Environmental Protection Agency in trouble? A recent report by the Office of the Inspector General, states that the EPA is failing to conduct environmental justice reviews of their programs and ensure that low income and minority citizens are getting equal health and environmental protections. According to the report 60 percent of regional offices have not conducted reviews of their programs. The breakdown of the system may be occurring at all levels, because 87 percent of these departments claim they were never asked to do them.

Whatever the reason for the oversights, the EPA is now facing a lot of questions about their lack of action. This is because policies put in place to make sure that low income and minority populations do not get sick from pollution do not work unless someone is making sure that they are being adhered to.

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Allison Grossman is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona.

After checking in with my government-issued photo ID, I walked into a large conference room with high tech video cameras lining the back wall and groups of people looking far more important than I ever do. After settling down about midway down the room, drawn towards the small group of familiar faces from the advocacy community, I braced myself.

I was there to see Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice deliver a speech on United States Policy in Africa, specifically addressing the situation in Darfur. We waited, wondering if this speech would deliver surprising news, hopefully an important step the United States would propose towards resolving the extended conflict that has cost over 400,000 lives and more than 2.2 million displaced people in Darfur.

Secretary Rice’s speaking style isn’t as charismatic as other officials, but she is focused and intense; one cannot help but listen to someone so compelling. Ms. Rice told us,

We will continue to bend every fiber of our being to ease the suffering of people of Darfur, but our goal is, and must be, more ambitious than that:  We do not want the people of Darfur to live forever in refugee camps; we want to help them return home and to live at peace. 

In the end, there was nothing revolutionary; no gaping mouths of surprise elicited, just nodding heads when she reiterated our solid support for the people of Darfur, the overwhelming potential of Africa, and our commitment as a long term partner of the continent to fulfill said potential.

Right now, Africa’s plagues include HIV/AIDS epidemics, widespread TB and malaria, ethnic and governmental violence, famine and flooding, extensive poverty and untapped resources. But global funding and education is and has been increasing, and it is a trend that must continue. We must fulfill the ideal of an international community and, as Ms. Rice stated, “protect those who cannot protect themselves.”

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