by Brian Dugas

Yesterday, March 8th was International Women’s Day. The theme “For all Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”

Michelle Wu - Mayor of Boston
Jasmine Crockett - Congresswoman from Texas
Alexandria Ocasio - Cortez - Congresswoman from NY
Janet Mills - Governor from Maine

What do they have in common? All are women, 3 of the 4 are minorities, all have been elected to leadership roles where they live - but now there is something more. All four have chosen to take on the role of national leadership in this country's time of need. In this country, great leaders have always emerged in times of crisis. For those of us who were lucky enough to learn and teach about American history, we recognize that it is precisely those times of crisis that we are forced to rise to the challenge, for great leaders to emerge, and for major changes to occur.

This country and the majority of the world has been led and controlled by men throughout history. Stop and think for a minute where this has gotten us - to this very spot we are in right now. I personally feel it is time for a new type of leadership in this country and the world. I believe that we are currently in one of those critical periods and on the verge of great change. I hope that we have the wisdom to support great leadership regardless of race or gender. At this point it seems like it is our only hope.

Now I’d like to share some opportunities for those who want to get involved:
Sunday, March 23rd, after the service - workday at the community garden. We will start clearing and organizing the community garden at Hillside Farms. Everyone is invited to join in the work and to reap the bounty during harvest time. If you want to participate somehow, but the community garden is too much, perhaps you can have a garden at your own home this year. I have learned from personal experience that it is not too difficult, and your property really can support a garden regardless of how small it is. If this is of interest to you, but you don't have the knowledge to feel comfortable with starting your own garden, then speak to one of us. There is a wealth of gardening knowledge right here in our congregation and we would love to share. We can even organize classes if that would help. So get your green thumb on, and get gardening!

Wednesday, March 26th, 6:30PM at Burke Auditorium on King’s College for A Conversation with Attorneys. We have worked with other organizations in the Wyoming Valley to provide people with the latest legal information available on a wide variety of topics. Lawyers from the valley and beyond have offered to speak and answer questions. Their concern about the status of our rights is quite evident through the interactions we have had, and I would urge you to join us at this event for your own benefit, and for those who might need support in the future. There is no fee or registration required, and everyone's invited.

Thursday, April 24th, 10:00 - 3:00, Daryl Lewis, Black Lives Matter, on Wilkes Barre Square, Wellness Fair, Volunteers help with set up, registration, operations etc. The Wellness Fair provides medical assistance and support for a variety of medical issues to the public in collaboration with the City of Wilkes Barre Health Department.

by Lilly Gioia

Here’s an interesting LIST:  What could all these businesses have in common?  MATTEL TOYS - NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE –  EXPEDIA -  TYSON FOODS –  SANOFI PHARMACEUTICALS – NIKE SNEAKERS – ANHEUISER BUSCH - IBM - ALASKA AIRLINES – MORGAN STANLEY – & MICROSOFT ??  45 Companies in all.  It turns out that they are on Stephen Miller’s DEI Investigations List!

Stephen Miller is one of President Trump’s closest allies and serves in the White House as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy.  He has a history of violent opposition to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in any form.  President Trump’s early Executive Orders banned DEI in all federal agencies and the military.  They resulted in the firing of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Air Force General Charles Brown and Navy Chief of Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman ever to serve on the Joint Chiefs.  General Brown is a highly decorated leader with over 40 years of outstanding service.  He just happens also to be Black.  Half of Admiral Franchetti’s 40 year Naval career was spent at sea. The new Defense Chief Pete Hegseth believes they were merely DEI hires.

Agencies began erasing DEI in February by erasing Black History Month.  Thousands of federal agency website pages were taken down where there was any reference to words connected to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.  

But two weeks ago Business Week reported tactics led by Stephen Miller to pressure private businesses to end DEI, threatening US Justice Dept. criminal investigations and legal actions if private businesses refuse to abandon their DEI initiatives.  These companies targeted for “illegal DEI” have a combined market value of almost $10 trillion.  Miller is after any hiring practices based on gender or race, any scholarships based on race, and funding for startups owned by underrepresented groups.  Miller’s group, America First Legal, has been the most active in pursuing DEI programs that they say discriminate against white men Business Week said.

Beyond the issues of equal opportunity and DEI elimination, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker spelled out the danger we are facing in his recent State of the State speech when he warned:
“It’s in fashion at the federal level right now to just indiscriminately slash school funding, healthcare coverage, support for farmers and veteran’s services.  they say they’re doing it to eliminate inefficiencies. But only an idiot would think we should eliminate emergency response in a natural disaster, education and health care for disabled children, clean air and water programs and  monitoring of nursing home abuse, nuclear reactor regulation and cancer research. 

If you think I’m overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this:  it took the Nazis one month, 3 weeks, 2 days, 8 hours & 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic.  
All tyranny requires your fear and your silence and your compliance.  Democracy requires your courage.  so gather your justice and humanity Illinois and do not let the tragic spirit of despair overcome us when our country needs us the most.”

Thank you Governor Pritzker – I hope that goes for Pennsylvania too!

by Jenny Blanchard

My first job after finishing college was as an ESL teacher at a university in New
York. We shared an office with the Sociology Department. The chair of this
department was an outspoken, very liberal political activist who shared my own
views on social and economic justice.

I soon observed with great disappointment that he treated his secretary terribly,
bordering on abusive behavior. He was dismissive and condescending to her, and
barely made eye contact when he handed her his coffee cup or gave her
instructions on some clerical task.

One day I approached his secretary, a very bright and hard-working woman, and
asked why she tolerated this behavior. She replied that her daughter was enrolled at
the university, and she had to keep her current position to access the tuition
remission benefits.

This was to be my first encounter with a complete disconnect between the outward
political views of an individual and their interactions with others. Sadly, it would
not be my last. I observed this phenomenon over and over again, meeting social
justice proponents who were zealous publicly, but mistreated others in their private
and professional lives. When I met an employee of Amnesty International, I spoke
of the noble mission of this organization. The individual replied: “Yes, they believe
in human rights for everyone except their employees.”

No matter how lofty our goals and aspirations, if we fail to treat the people around
us with respect and dignity, we have betrayed our ideals and we have
fundamentally failed as human beings.

by Dave Nichols

I think most of us agree that we are causing the planet to warm up by releasing greenhouse gas into the atmosphere and that warming is a threat to our sustainability. Three quarters of the emissions are from energy usage in the form of electricity, heating, transportation, and industrial processes. The remaining quarter of greenhouse emissions comes from food production. Even though it is a smaller source, it is still significant. Further increase in food production by itself will lead to excessive global warming.

There are several ways to constrain the carbon emissions footprint from food:

1. One thing we can do on our own is reduce the amount of meat and dairy in our diet. Livestock, especially cattle, requires a large amount of land for animal feed. Twice as much land is used for animal feed than land for human consumption. Animals also generate greenhouse gas from methane they release from digestion as well as manure. The carbon footprint of beef is much greater than eating pork. And chicken has a lower footprint than pork. Therefore, changing the type of meat we eat can be helpful.
2. Encourage more sustainable farm practices. Overuse of pesticides and fertilizers may lead to short-term gains in productivity but will damage the environment over time. Slash and burn methods are used widely in some parts of the world, leading to high carbon emissions and loss of forests.
3. Reducing over consumption of food. Ten percent of the world’s population does not get enough calories but 40% of the population gets too many calories.
4. Reduce food loss and waste. Globally we lose about 20% of our food supply.
5. Things that matter less regarding emissions are eating locally sourced food and eating organic. Locally sourced foods are often produced less efficiently, and food transport has a comparatively small carbon footprint. Also, most foods are safe for consumption if the chemicals used in agriculture are used at low levels.

The idea for today’s social action minute came from an activity we had at a Climate Reality meeting. At that meeting we were each asked to sort a stack of cards. On each card an action was listed that one could take to reduce climate change. The cards were sorted in three columns by 1) actions that we currently take, 2) actions that we might want to take, and 3) ones that we would not want to do.

One of the cards suggested hosting a plant- based protein potluck. Members of our group agreed that that would be fun and informative. We are hoping that some of you may be interested as well. Unless there are any conflicts, we plan to have it here after the services on March 2. There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the back if you would like to take part.

Sources
Food production is responsible for one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions
https://ourworldindata.org/food-ghg-emissions
Climate Reality Leadership Training – Al Gore Presentation October 18, 2025
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions

by Brian Dugas

I don’t believe that I have to give you an update on the current situation in our country.  Some people are finding that it is better for their mental health to turn off the updates and avoid the news altogether. I hope that those people can find the peace that they are searching for.

Others have decided to engage with the issues at some level, and many of them have joined our Congregations Social Action Committee. We are attempting to adjust our focus to better reflect the theme of resilience that we have discussed at our meetings.  Everyone is invited to attend those meetings which are on the first Tuesday of the month at 8:00PM on Zoom.

In this social action minute I’m going to provide you some information on a few things that are happening in the congregation that you may want to get involved with:

The first is the community garden - we are once again partnering with Hillside Farms for one part of our community garden program. We have 12 rows available for individuals or groups to sign up and take ownership of.  They will be responsible for the care and upkeep of their rows, with some cooperation, support, and training being provided by other members of the group, the amount and time being coordinated as we get closer to the growing season.  

Some important points:

• -We have a sign up sheet for the rows now available in the church
• -We have decided that Sunday, March 23rd, after the service will be our first collective workday
• -People are free to participate in our community garden program using their own gardens, we hope to coordinate what is being grown collectively so that at harvest time, we can share in a wide and varied bounty.  We encourage anyone to join us, regardless of their level of gardening skills.  I have learned a lot in the last year, and if I can do it, anyone can.

The food pantry has continued to evolve as the needs of the congregation have changed and grown.  Jenny has developed a system to better track items in the pantry, and we have decided to purchase Aldi gift cards for those items that are perishable or are not stocked in our pantry.  Please speak to Jenny if you have any questions, need a gift card, or would like to contribute to the food pantry fund.
We have frequently discussed safety issues for the congregation.  On February 16th after the service there is going to be a Safety and Security training and discussion. Please mark your calendars if you would like to attend, and speak to me if you have any questions.

It is evident that immigration has become a defining issue for our country. There are numerous organizations working on immigration issues, and some of them have reached out to us for support and assistance.  Among them are the Unitarian Universalist Social Justice organization which is looking for people to contact our newly elected government officials in NEPA, and the Community Justice Alliance who has made contact with a local congregation with a large latino population.  There is a meeting planned for Monday, February 24th at 5:00PM at B’nai B’rith Synagogue to discuss how we can help them if anyone would want to join me.

by Jenny Blanchard

In 1963 the U.S. Post Office introduced a remarkable new creation: the Zone Improvement Plan, otherwise known as a (ZIP) Code, as a means to allow mail sorting methods to become faster and eventually be automated. Little did the Postal Service know at the time that this innovation also created unimagined socio-economic benefits as an organizing and enabling device.

A residential zip code – where a child grows up—is more predictive of social mobility and economic fate than any other national metric. And due to a lack of affordable housing and enduring patterns of residential segregation—the zip code where people live is largely determined by income, race, and ethnicity. Your zip code is a more powerful predictor of your health than your genetic code. In some states there is a 13-year difference in life expectancy based on what county you live in.

And this is glaringly apparent in our home state of Pennsylvania. In fact, 85 percent of Pennsylvania’s power plants are located in neighborhoods with more low income and Black families than the state median. The fact that these facilities are located in Black communities is not an accident — it derives from centuries of racist policies, and it severely affects the quality of life for individuals in these communities.

Black Americans bear the burden of high exposure to particulate matter from these power plants. Exposure to these particles carries many health risks, including decreased lung function, irregular heartbeat, lower birth weight, and premature death in people with heart or lung disease. Black Americans endure some of the highest particulate pollution in the country along with the highest rate of childhood asthma hospitalizations.  During the recent pandemic, elevated particulate air pollution in Black communities meant these residents were more at risk for suffering from complications and potentially dying from COVID-19.

The so-called "American Dream," a phrase that has become central to our national ethos, offers forth the inspiring notion that every person has the freedom and opportunity to succeed, regardless of their circumstances. All obstacles can be overcome through strength, hard work, and perseverance. But no brave soul, no Horatio Alger hell-bent on going from rags to riches, no human being, no matter how committed and how tirelessly they toil, can overcome small particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter that have made their way deep into your lungs or your bloodstream.

The heavy weight of poverty and race on American lives take a staggering toll. A diminished life span should not be added to this terrible burden.

by Chavah Granovetter

For the 6th consecutive year, indigenous tribal communities in interior Alaska are not permitted to catch King Salmon. A staple in diets and culture. Fishing camps are crumbling to ruin as once again, indigenous cultures are suffering. Subsistence lifestyles will die out in these villages if we do not change our behaviors in the lower 48. Two main causes of the decline of salmon, leading to the restriction against subsistence  fishing: climate change and trawling. While many countries are banning trawling, America is not. Trawling is a type of commercial fishing where large nets are dragged across the ocean floor, or just above it. This destroys the ocean floor and catches everything in its path despite these commercial fisheries targeting specific fish. Their target, pollock.  The cheaper fish used for mass production for  fast food. Long John Silvers, McDonalds, Gorton fish sticks. When we eat trawl caught fish, we are directly taking away from subsistence lifestyle, indigenous tribes.

by Johanna Perez

The monarch butterfly, known for its breathtaking migration across North America, is facing a perilous decline due to habitat loss, climate change, and the destruction of its primary food source—milkweed. This iconic species now faces a dramatic decrease in numbers, signaling an urgent need for action. It is estimated that by 2080, monarch butterflies will be extinct on the west coast, and there is a 50-80% that it will also be extinct on the east coast. Monarch butterflies are pollinators and losing this species could have disastrous consequences on our food crops.

Adding the monarch butterfly to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) would provide critical protections, allowing for the preservation and restoration of the habitats that support their survival. Milkweed, the monarch’s primary host plant, and nectar-rich plants like goldenrod, coneflower, and bee balm are vital to their lifecycle, offering sustenance during their migration. By safeguarding these plants and designating critical habitats, we can help restore monarch populations and protect biodiversity. The monarch’s plight is a call to action: if we protect this beautiful butterfly, we are also protecting countless other species that rely on these ecosystems. Ensuring the monarch’s survival is essential, not only for nature but for the health of our entire environment. Besides planting seeds that benefit the monarch butterfly, please send a comment to the Fish and Wildlife Commission stating that you support protecting the monarch butterfly - it only takes a minute.

Leave your comment supporting the proposed rule at:  https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FWS-R3-ES-2024-0137-0001

Read the text of the proposed rule, Endangered and Threatened Species: Species Status with Section 4(d) Rule for Monarch Butterfly and Designation of Critical Habitat, at: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FWS-R3-ES-2024-0137-0001