Jacob Pactor -Machon Kaplan Program Coordinator at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

Last Saturday, we took the Machon Kaplan participants to see a pre-release of Michael Moore’s Sicko. His new documentary and message pinpoints a problem and proposes a solution to Americans’ lack of adequate, effective, and efficient healthcare.

His solution parallels the URJ’s: a “national comprehensive prepaid single benefit standard health insurance with no deductible, to cover prevention, treatment and rehabilitation in all fields of health care.”

Sicko, opening nationwide June 29, ends with Moore asking: what’s next? So far, more than 500 people have posted their healthcare woes on YouTube. But will Congress listen or respond?

To that end, Representative John Conyers (D-MI) has introduced HR 676, which provides: comprehensive health insurance coverage for all United States residents, and for other purposes. Is your representative a co-sponsor? You can get involved here.

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Donald Cohen Cutler - Former Eisendrath Legislative Assistant, & Communications Manager at the Union for Reform Judaism.

In a recent Mark Pelavin post he wrote about the "great profile" of Ruby Payne in the "Money Issue" of the New York Times Magazine. While it pains me to do so, I must disagree with Mark's choice of descriptions regarding this article.

I have to say the profile seemed a bit fluffy. Payne did say over and over again that her work is designed to help teachers teach those from different socio-economic realities then their own, but she doesn't accept the criticism that all of her work is based on her observations as a teacher, girlfriend (and later wife), and school administrator. The piece does address the fact that every reputable educational institution discredits her work; regardless the Magazine gave Payne a major platform on which to spread her anecdotal information. Rabbi Jill Jacob's at Jspot wrote about the profile as well. She points to Payne's work as a collection of "gross generalizations (and often offensive ones at that)." I agree with her critique.

This article is congratulatory of non-scientific observation being passed off as facts. It was shocking to find it next to such well documented and well researched articles in this issue of the Magazine. But like I said, the rest of the Magazine was fantastic and I suggest reading it.

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To view the webcast of the entire event or to hear individual speeches, click here.

Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, blogged about the significance of this Day of Action on the Huffington Post:

Today we are seizing momentum as never before and saying "enough." We act because, as citizens, we not only have the right to hold our government accountable, we have the responsibility to uphold our American values.

To read the rest of Romero’s blog, click here.

Following the rally, I spent the afternoon attending lobby visits with representatives from the Jewish community on behalf of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.  In our visits to these Senate offices, our message was clear; Congress must take action to fix some of the most detrimental provisions of the Military Commissions Act (MCA).  Several bills have already been introduced that address these issues.  To learn more about the Restoring the Constitution Act, the most comprehensive piece of legislation that would repeal many of the MCA’s most harmful provisions, visit the ACLU’s MCA resource page.  

On that same day, the House Judiciary subcommittee held a hearing on issues relating to the due process rights of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.  Click here to read the Associated Press’ report. 

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Here is one key section, in which Obama offers a critique of the Religious Right:

But somehow, somewhere along the way, faith stopped being used to bring us together and started being used to drive us apart. It got hijacked. Part of it’s because of the so-called leaders of the Christian Right, who’ve been all too eager to exploit what divides us. At every opportunity, they’ve told evangelical Christians that Democrats disrespect their values and dislike their Church, while suggesting to the rest of the country that religious Americans care only about issues like abortion and gay marriage; school prayer and intelligent design. There was even a time when the Christian Coalition determined that its number one legislative priority was tax cuts for the rich. I don’t know what Bible they’re reading, but it doesn’t jibe with my version.

 And note this nice “shout out” to RAC Director Rabbi David Saperstein:

That’s why pastors, friends of mine like Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes and organizations like World Vision and Catholic Charities are wielding their enormous influence to confront poverty, HIV/AIDS, and the genocide in Darfur. Religious leaders like my friends Rev. Jim Wallis and Rabbi David Saperstein and Nathan Diament are working for justice and fighting for change. And all across the country, communities of faith are sponsoring day care programs, building senior centers, and in so many other ways, taking part in the project of American renewal.

The full text, which is quite elegant, is available here.  Here is an AP report on the talk.  Also, the UCC has posted a video of the talk here.

UPDATE: Melissa Rodgers’s posting on the speech offers some interesting background on the invitation to Obama from the UCC.

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Miriam Fink is a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center. She is a graduate of American University.

The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 was vetoed on June 20, 2007 by President Bush stating “Our innovative spirit is making possible incredible advances in medicine that can save lives and cure diseases. America is also a nation founded on the principle that all human life is sacred. And our conscience calls us to pursue the possibilities of science in a manner that respects human dignity and upholds our moral values.” The Reform Jewish Movement also believes that all human life is sacred and that is why our Movement also believes stem cell research is vital. Stem cell research has the potential to save and lengthen millions of Americans’ lives from diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, and a plethora of other ailments and illnesses.

The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act would open up stem cell lines for federally funded research ensuring that embryos used to derive stem cells were originally created for fertility treatment purposes and are in excess of clinical need and that the individuals seeking fertility treatments for whom the embryos were created have determined that the embryos will not be implanted in a woman and will otherwise be discarded. Furthermore, the individuals for whom the embryos were created have provided written consent for embryo donation.

My hope is the bill will receive the two-thirds vote necessary to override the veto and allow life saving research to advance as soon as possible. For more information about stem cell research visit the National Institutes of Health’s stem cell basic information website here.

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I have had a series of long conference calls over the past two days, which, naturally, have allowed me to catch up a bit on my web-browsing.  Here are a few articles/blog postings – some recent, some less so – which I commend to your attention:

Last week, the New York Times had a fascinating front page story (Justice Dept. Reshapes Its Civil Rights Mission, login required) about the increased focus of the Bush Justice Department on religious discrimination.  Although we have, in general, welcomed this new attention, the article suggests that it has come at the expense of the Department's historic commitment to combating racial discrimination.

There were a number of interesting pieces in the New York Times Magazine’s recent “Money Issue,” including a great profile of Ruby Payne and her work to expose the reality of income inequality in America.  Matt Bai’s report on John Edward’s anti-poverty work is also well worth reading.  (According to this post on Talking Points Memo, Edwards will expand on his “two Americas” theme tonight in a major speech at the Cooper Union in New York.)

Here is an interesting post on the often-interesting blog Orthodox Anarchist in which Modius summarizes his remarks to this week’s B’rit Tzedek v’Shalom conference here in Washington.  The gist?  “Rather than focusing on the conflict as a Palestinian rights or even human rights issue, when speaking with other Jews, we should focus on the occupation as a Jewish issue. How is the occupation bad for the Jews? How is it bad for Israel? What are the sacrifices we’re making, in terms of lives and resources, in order to hold onto the Territories?”

Finally, for now:  my friend Daniel Levy, a long-time Israeli peace/political activist, and advisor to, among other, Yossi Belin and Ehud Barrack, is now writing a blog entitled “Prospects for Peace.”  Daniel both presents analysis from a variety of viewpoints, and, perhaps most importantly, offers his own commentary on events.

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Yoni Freund is a Machon Kaplan Summer Social Action Intern at the Religious Action Center.

At Hebrew school when I was five, my teacher taught me the phrase tikkun olam (tee-KOON oh-LUHM, Hebrew for “repairing the world”) by showing me a poster with a huge band-aid stuck onto planet earth. Now I’m twenty, and I find that image just as daunting, elusive, and problematic. I’m glad they didn’t have a similar poster at Hebrew school that said “learning to read Hebrew” with a picture of an open page of Talmud. Jews didn’t always use the phrase tikkun olam so globally. In the Mishnah, the Rabbis of the 3rd century used the phrase tikkun olam in the context of “insuring a safeguard to those who may be at a disadvantage.” In the 16th century, Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria referred to tikkun olam as “repairs performed on an individual level” (Jennifer Noparstack, learningtogive.org).

There’s no start or end point for tikkun olam. Judaism’s notion of mitzvot, “good deeds,” can’t be compartmentalized—crammed into our daily schedule between soccer practice and dinner. When’s your next opportunity to repair the world? You repair the world whenever your friends are gossiping, and you choose to ignore their barbs about others. You repair the world when your friend couldn’t help you because he was busy, and you don’t spite him by using that excuse against him when he asks you for help. You repair the world when your parents are frustrating you, and you remind yourself, “my God, my religion, orders me to respect my parents,” and you show restraint with your words. There are probably 1,000 opportunities in a day to repair the world—if only we quit getting stuck on feeling like we need to march for Darfur to do something “good.”

Mother Teresa said, and the Torah would agree, “there are no great things, only small things with great love.”

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Olivia Gonzales is a Machon Kaplan Summer Social Action Intern at the Religious Action Center.

Forever free…the feeling my heart felt as I walked through the streets of Washington, D.C. on my way from the metro to my internship.

I was excited by the feeling of finally arriving in a city where I would not only grow as an individual but as a human being. I was enthralled by the fact that I was in a world where people worked in sync with the government and where life flowed in a circular motion such as the cars moved to the symphony of every-changing streetlights during rush hour traffic in Du Pont Circle. As I kept a steady pace, my heart began to beat a bit faster. I began to get more and more nervous as I made my way closer to the NAACP and as the midday air became more humid, I gazed into the distance and realized that this moment would stay with me forever because not only was I extremely hot from the blazing sun, but I was embarking on a life changing experience. Opening the front door of the NAACP office was both nerve wracking and exciting. I was nervous because opening the door to the NAACP office could determine my fate for future careers and I was excited because the office was extremely well air-conditioned and I was finally able to find some salvation from the sweltering heat.

I had a great experience on my first day at my internship and I am excited to return tomorrow.

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The fight to roll back many of the unfavorable provisions enacted by the Military Commissions Act (MCA), which was signed into law by President Bush last October, has recently gained significant momentum both on the legislative and judicial levels.

Just last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted in favor of the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act, a bill that would restore habeas corpus rights to detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay. Most recently, a federal appeals court ruled that civilians cannot be held as enemy combatants in indefinite detention. Both the New York Times and Washington Post provided excellent coverage on these decisions.

Since the passage of the MCA, the RAC has remained actively engaged on these issues. With an increase in momentum on the legislative level, the advocacy community at large is working to repeal many of the standards set by the MCA, particularly those relating to habeas corpus and due process.

On June 26, the RAC is partnering with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) for a Day of Action to Restore Law and Justice. The day’s events include a rally at Upper Senate Park and lobby visits with Members of Congress, with the goal of gaining support for legislation that will uphold the most fundamental values of our U.S. Constitution.

Additional details, including information on registration, lobby visits, and transportation, can be found at www.juneaction.org. We’re encouraging members of Reform congregations to sign up as part of the RAC’s delegation.

Please visit our resource page for more information, including the Union for Reform Judaism’s 2005 Biennial Resolution on Torture.

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

The Religious Action Center, in coalition with several civil rights and religious organizations, has recently launched an on-line clergy letter to the Senate in favor of improved Hate Crimes Legislation. The letter, found on www.clergyagainsthate.org, is an exciting opportunity for progressive clergy members to remind the Senate that there is a diverse and outspoken group of faith leaders who preach acceptance, kindness, and love.

On May 3, the House of Representatives passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 by a bipartisan vote of 237-180. The battle over this legislation has already begun in the Senate, and it is more important than ever that progressive religious leaders speak out in support. Opponents of the bill are spreading misinformation about the bill, claiming that it will be used to punish preachers who sermonize against homosexuality.

Currently, the federal government can only aid local authorities in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes when the crime was carried out because of a bias against the victim’s race, religion, or national origin, and while he was involved in a federally protected activity, such as voting or sitting on a jury. The Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (S. 1105) would add the classes of real or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability to the types of crimes for which the federal government can lend assistance, and would remove the overly restrictive “federal activity” provision altogether.

This bill would not take jurisdiction over hate crimes away from the states. It has provisions which protect freedom of speech, and can only be used in crimes that result in bodily injury. It would, however, provide an absolutely necessary backstop for those violent hate crimes which fall through the cracks because of a local police department that is either unwilling, or unable (due to lack of funds), to prosecute.

For more information on the Matthew Shepard LLEHCPA, please visit the RAC’s Legislative Action Center, or the issue page for the Human Rights Campaign.

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Monday evening, members of the local Jewish community gathered at Temple Micah in Washington D.C. to discuss the pervasive problem of domestic hunger. Dr. Eric Shockman, president of MAZON, posed the question, “What is stopping us from ending hunger in America?”

Rabbis, community leaders, and anti-hunger experts all responded with well-reasoned answers that shed light on why, in the world’s wealthiest country, over 35 million Americans remain food insecure. One person voiced that our community needs to do more, that the Jewish community can unite in our fight against hunger in the same way we raised our voice against the genocide in Darfur. Another participant added that the federal government is lacking only the political will, not the resources, to end hunger.

This summer, Congress will be reauthorizing the Farm Bill which funds the Food Stamp program. This participant rightly urged us all to contact our Members of Congress and tell them to support a strong Food Stamp program in the 2007 Farm Bill. According to the National Anti-Hunger Organization’s “A Blueprint to End Hunger,” with a substantial investment into food stamps, Americans could cut food insecurity in half by 2010.

The millions it would take to reduce food insecurity (estimated around $18 million) is not a small sum, but it is still something I think our government must do. In addition to the religious mandate from Jewish texts, I find it morally reprehensible that given our abundance of wealth and resources, children in schools remain hungry and adults who work everyday cannot afford to eat. I have contacted my Members of Congress about supporting a strong Food Stamp program. Education, advocacy, and personal experience will all increase awareness of hunger in our midst, but what will you do to help stop hunger in America?

Fore more information about how to reduce hunger in America:

1. Read the National Anti-Hunger Organization’s “A Blueprint to End Hunger.”
2. Contact your Senators and urge them to cosponsor S. 1529, the Food Stamp Fairness and Benefit Restoration Act of 2007.
3. Take the Food Stamp Challenge and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

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

This week, Grist Magazine conducted an interesting interview with Reform Rabbi Warren Stone of Temple Emanuel in Kensington MD about the role of the Jewish community in the modern environmental movement. 

Rabbi Stone, who serves as the national environmental chair for the Central Conference of American Rabbis and blew the Shofar at the climate-change talks in Kyoto in 1997, talked about the need to raise Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards and linked environmental activism to the Jewish Tradition.

To read the full transcript of the interview click here.

To read a follow up transcript of a more recent Q&A session click here.

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

Looking for a follow up to the highly successful COEJL Hanukah light bulb campaign? Interesting in learning how make your voice heard about climate change?   

The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life in partnership with the Religious Action Center and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs have launched the next phase of their initiative A Light Among the Nations called “Conservation Conversations: Invite your Elected Official to Synagogue” aimed at engaging elected officials in dialogue around the issue of climate change. This initiative hopes to bring elected officials (such as U.S. Senators and Representatives, Governors, State Representatives, Mayors, and others) to synagogues participate in meaningful conversations about solutions to the issue of climate change.

To kick this campaign off we have created a number of online resources to help congregations participate in the “Conservation Conversation” campaign and invite their elected officials. Sample invitation letters, sample agendas, questions and background materials, and advocacy guides are available online. Click on the links provided or visit the campaign homepage at http://www.rac.org/climatechange these and other resources including our introductory packet and frequently asked questions.

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• The survey shows that although many Muslims are relative newcomers to the U.S., they are highly assimilated into American society. On balance, they believe that Muslims coming to the U.S. should try and adopt American customs, rather than trying to remain distinct from the larger society. And by nearly two-to-one (63%-32%) Muslim Americans do not see a conflict between being a devout Muslim and living in a modern society.
• Roughly two-thirds (65%) of adult Muslims in the U.S. were born elsewhere. Among native-born Muslims, roughly half are African American (20% of U.S. Muslims overall), many of whom are converts to Islam.
• Based on data from this survey, along with available Census Bureau data on immigrants' nativity and nationality, the Pew Research Center estimates the total population of Muslims in the United States at 2.35 million.
• Younger Muslims in the U.S. are much more likely than older Muslim Americans to say that suicide bombing in the defense of Islam can be at least sometimes justified. Nonetheless, absolute levels of support for Islamic extremism among Muslim Americans are quite low, especially when compared with Muslims around the world.
• A majority of Muslim Americans (53%) say it has become more difficult to be a Muslim in the United States since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
• Relatively few Muslim Americans believe the U.S.-led war on terror is a sincere effort to reduce terrorism, and many doubt that Arabs were responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Just 40% of Muslim Americans say groups of Arabs carried out those attacks.

The survey (in PDF form) is available here. Pew has also posted the transcript of a very interesting press conference which was held to release the report. The transcript is here.

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

 As you may have read in The Boston Herald, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, or The Congressional Food Stamp Challenge blog, last week (May 15-21) 4 Members of Congress took the Food Stamp Challenge and documented their experiences shopping and eating on such a restricted budget. These four Members tried to assume their daily routines while subsisting on $3 a day or $21 a week. As you can read in the Congressional Food Stamp Challenge blog, this meant giving up diet soda, nutritious fruits and vegetables, and cooking all meals at home.

James McGovern (D-MA), Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Tim Ryan (D-OH) completed such a challenge and their experiences will undoubtedly inform the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization. Throughout the summer, Congress will be reauthorizing the Farm Bill, a compendium of nutrition and agriculture programs which funds many programs including the Food Stamp Program, the National School Lunch Program, and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Representatives McGovern and Emerson recently introduced H.R. 2129, the Feeding America’s Families Act, in anticipation of the Farm Bill reauthorization. A $20 billion bill, H.R. 2129 is a bold statement will spark serious debate about the severity of food insecurity in America. The bill calls for expanding access to Food Stamps, increasing the food stamp benefit value, and making more money available for emergency food programs.

In addition to advocating for a strong Farm Bill reauthorization and the passage of the H.R. 2129, the RAC is joining with other Jewish organizations (including Mazon, the JCPA, Hillel, American Jewish World Service, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, and The Rabbinical Assembly) to support, and take part in, the Interfaith Hunger Convocation on June 11 at the Washington National Cathedral. Jewish community leaders and members will hold a pre-Convocation gathering at 5pm at Temple Micah in Washington D.C. All are welcome to attend.

For more information about the pre-Convocation gathering, the Interfaith Hunger Convocation, or H.R. 2129, contact Gwendolyn Litvak at 202.387.2800.

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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.

It’s commencement season.  In addition to sending our congratulations to all graduates (and especially the six who will join the RAC staff as Legislative Assistants in August!), I thought it would be interesting to share some of the remarks made by some of the key Presidential contenders at various commencements this year. (I’m sure my nonscientific survey is incomplete; please feel free to add others.)

* * *

Excerpt from Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich’s speech at Liberty University (founded by Jerry Falwell)

“A growing culture of radical secularism declares that the nation cannot publicly profess the truths on which it was founded. We are told that our public schools cannot invoke the Creator, nor proclaim the natural law, nor profess the God-given equality of human rights.

“In hostility to American history, the radical secularist insists that religious belief is inherently divisive, and that public debate can only proceed on secular terms when religious belief is excluded.

“In this contorted logic, the public square becomes more welcoming to the extent that it strips away and banishes all religious symbols and language.

(The full text of his remarks can be found here.)

Excerpt from Senator Barack Obama’s speech at Southern New Hampshire University

“Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. It's whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere….

“And whenever the doubt creeps in and I find myself wondering if change is really possible, I end up thinking about the young Americans - teenagers and college kids not much older than you - who watched the Civil Rights Movement unfold before them on television sets all across the country.

“I imagine that they would've seen the marchers and heard the speeches, but they also probably saw the dogs and the fire hoses, or the footage of innocent people being beaten within an inch of their lives; or heard the news the day those four little girls died when someone threw a bomb into their church.

“Instinctively, they knew that it was safer and smarter to stay at home; to watch the movement from afar. But they also understood that these people in Georgia and Alabama and Mississippi were their brothers and sisters; that what was happening was wrong; and that they had an obligation to make it right. When the buses pulled up for a Freedom Ride down South, they got on. They took a risk. And they changed the world.”

(The full text of his remarks can be found here.)

Excerpt from Rudy Guiliani’s speech at the Citadel

“At one time, there was a romantic thought that America could be isolated. Isolation is no longer an option in the age of globalization. Isolation is no longer an option when there are people in various parts of the world planning to harm you. Conditions for our fighting men and women have improved in recent years. President Bush has increased our military strength and further increases are planned. But we need to do more, much more. We need a force that can both deter aggression and meet many challenges that might come our way. America must increase the size of our armed forces. In particular we have to start with the Army which has been cut the most and is under the greatest stress. I believe America needs at least 10 new combat brigades above the additions that are already proposed by President Bush and are already in the budget. This commitment would offer reinforcements where they’re needed most—deter others from calculation that America may be stretched too thin. It would be a terrible mistake for anyone to calculate that, but let’s make sure they don’t by increasing the size of our force and allowing the United States greater flexibility to win the wider war of the terrorists against us.”

(The full text of his remarks can be found here.)

Senator Hillary Clinton spoke at Wilberforce University. Although there does not appear to be a public text of her remarks, the AP reported that: “she delivered the commencement speech at Wilberforce University, a small, historically black school, and urged them to remain optimistic about their ability to fight injustice and change society for the better.” Here’s an excerpt from the AP report of her remarks:

"Don't let anyone wear you down to the point where you believe it is not worth trying to change your society any longer….Journeys that led to the abolition of slavery still call us to finish the march to justice….”

Mitt Romney spoke at Regent University (which was founded by Pat Robertson). His campaign offers some excerpts from his remarks, including these:

“You know, I don't remember when it was exactly when I went beyond the sandbar. My family had a cottage on the shores of one of the Great Lakes. For the first 40 feet or so, the lake is shallow, warm, and protected from the big waves by a sandbar. That's where I spent most of the hot summer days as a boy. I liked it there. One day, my brother got me up on water skis. Perhaps fearing that a turn would cause me to fall, he drove the boat – and me – straight out into the deep. By the way, the lake is over 100 miles wide. I screamed the whole terrifying ride. But ever after, the deep water is where I wanted to be – body surfing in the breakers, water skiing, diving. Oh yes, the water wasn't as warm and calm, but it was clean and powerful and invigorating. I got out of the shallow water for good.

"Over the years, I have watched a number of people live out their lives in shallow water.

"In the shallows, life is all about yourself – your job, your money, your rights, your needs, your ideas, your comforts.

"In the deeper waters, life is about others – spouse, family, friends, faith, community, country. In the deep waters, there are challenging ideas, opposing opinions, protracted battles of consequence."

Romney also spoke at Hillsdale College. Excerpts from his talk are available here.

Former Senator John Edwards spoke at New England College. His campaign offers some excerpts of his remarks, including these:

"Today, we are at that place again. It is time for you – all of you – to take responsibility for your country, for your government, for your community…. This is not about waiting for leaders or someone else to solve these problems for you. It will never happen. You have to take responsibility…. Help our nation break its silence, speak out."

* * *

And for those who are just fans of commencements (and who isn’t?), here’s a handy round up of who is speaking where this spring.

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

The Union for Reform Judaism joined the growing campaign for targeted divestment from Sudan in March 2007 by calling for the targeted divestment of the Union’s funds from companies doing business in Sudan as well as calling for congregations, to the extent possible, to divest and encouraging participation in state and local divestment campaigns.

By withdrawing investments of private and government funds from companies that do business in or with the government of Sudan, these campaigns aim to cut off funds to the government thereby stopping the government-sponsored genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. Divestment becomes difficult when mutual funds come into play and financial managers cannot control where funds are invested.

But last week, in a very significant move, Fidelity Investments Inc. announced that it has cut its share by 91% in PetroChina Co., China’s largest oil producer and one of the largest operators of oil fields in Sudan. Fidelity, along with Berkshire Hathaway Inc., has come under fire recently for its significant investment in PetroChina and other oil companies that work in Sudan. Berkshire Hathaway has not divested its $3.31 billion holdings from PetroChina. In response to Fidelity’s divestments, the Fidelity out of Sudan divestment campaign “applaud[ed] Fidelity for taking this positive step in the right direction.”

Fidelity’s move is significant towards cutting off the income of the Sudanese government, but the success of the divestment campaign ultimately relies on us to continue to pressure Berkshire Hathaway, Fidelity, and other mutual fund companies to create Sudan-free mutual funds, as well as urging public and private organizations to divest their own funds from the businesses helping to fund the genocide.

For more information and resources on divestment, click here.

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

The other week, I attended the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on the DC House Voting Rights Act (S. 1257). I have been to a few DC Voting Rights hearings during my year as a Legislative Assistant, and every time I go my passion for the issue is reignited. How can the “greatest” democracy in the world, and the country which took it upon itself to spread democracy across the globe, not provide voting rights to the citizens of its capital city? Why does this issue even require a hearing? Shouldn’t Congress make it a top priority to immediately fix this historical injustice?

Unfortunately, partisan politics and a lack of interest in the issue have prevented Congress from righting this wrong, and it is the citizens of DC who suffer. Ironically, the fact that the citizens of DC lack voting representation is a large part of the reason why their complaints have fallen on deaf ears. The citizens of DC find themselves in a paradox: they need political power in order to attain a vote in Congress, but they need a vote in Congress to have political power.

Tuesday’s hearing showcased a number of prominent and wonderful speakers. One highlight was Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), the co-sponsor of the House bill who has been leading the fight for DC Voting Rights in the past few Congresses. Congressman Davis pointed out that if the clause in Article I of the Constitution that says the House of Representatives is to be elected by the people “of the several states” should prevent DC from having a voting Congressional seat, as opponents of the bill claim, then the Constitution also says Congress can not levy taxes on DC, citizens from DC are exempt from federal income taxes and jury duty, and the full faith and credit clause does not apply to the District. The constitution clearly states that all of those things are reserved for the “states,” but the Supreme Court has consistently held that DC can be considered a state for those purposes. If the Supreme Court considers the District a state for tax and other purposes, why not for voting?

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), the District’s Congressional Representative, who is allowed to co-sponsor legislation and vote in committee, also gave a moving and passionate speech. She spoke of her own past, growing up in a segregated DC and fighting for civil rights in the Deep South. She was moved to tears as she spoke of the oppression African-Americans and women have faced in this country. She implored the Committee to protect civil rights and give the residents of District of Columbia the right to vote.

Jack Kemp, a former Republican Congressman, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Vice-Presidential Candidate also gave a rousing speech in favor of the bill. He reminded the committee that Republicans have a strong history of upholding and expanding voting rights, and that Democrats have historically been opponents of civil rights extensions. He urged the Republicans on the Committee to reclaim the Republican position on civil rights and voting.

Overall, the hearing was successful and fascinating. Other speakers included Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT), DC Mayor Adrian Fenty (D), and Wade Henderson, the President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. Viet Dinh, a Conservative legal scholar (and the architect of the USA PATRIOT Act) spoke about the Constitutionality of the bill, while Professor Jonathon Turley of the George Washington University Law School spoke for the opposition. Text of the testimonies and more information on DC Voting Rights.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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

For anyone looking for proof that oil prices have skyrocketed in recent years, vindication is here.  According to a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee issued by the Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union, families spend 85% more—or nearly $1,000 more per year—on gas and oil than they did five years ago.

While there are a number of factors responsible for this, the testimony highlights a number of the most significant including unstable oil sources, company profit margins, less efficient vehicles, and urban sprawl.

The statement also points out recent short term price fluctuation, “Between January and May 2007, gasoline prices have increased 80 cents—60 cents going toward increased refining and marketing prices,” a trend that is not likely to slow down. While this is clearly a concern for millions of American, poor and minority rural populations are most affected because many cannot afford the cost of transportation to work.

CNN money has an interesting article on steps we can take to lower gas prices.

Click here for the entire Senate Judiciary Committee statement.

Posted by Religious Action Center at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)