|
by Brian Dugas
This week I was driving home from our Men’s group breakfast this Thursday morning (Thursday at 10:00AM at Ollie’s in Edwardsville) listening to WILK radio when the speaker mentioned seeing the rally on WB Public Square on Wednesday evening. This weekly rally is being coordinated through the Peace and Justice Center whose mission is: The Peace and Justice Center is an interfaith organization created to educate groups and individuals in peaceful ways of resolving conflict, to nurture dialogue among diverse groups, and to be a partner in the ongoing struggle for human rights and a just World. In the spirit of the Peace protests held in our countries past we have decided to have a weekly rally with the one simple goal of advocating for Peace in the world. For some, the No Kings rallies were a bit too aggressive, so if you are looking for a way to be an advocate for Peace, no politics attached, Wednesday’s, 5:30PM in Wilkes Barre Public Square is the place to be. The “partnership for the ongoing struggle for human rights” part of the mission has led to the Peace and Justice Center’s involvement with immigration. It was through the Peace and Justice Center that the Community Justice Alliance was formed last year with the goal of supporting the enormous but well hidden migrant population of Wilkes Barre. For those of you who don’t know, when Catholic Social Services closed their immigration office in Wilkes Barre during COVID, that was the only organization providing immigration services in the city. Most of you know that Beth and I are enrolled in a certification course that is nearing its completion, thank god, with the intention of opening those services back up and we are going to need help. If any of these events and activities are of interest to you, please join us for the next Social Action Committee meeting on Tuesday, April 7th on Zoom where we will be discussing our participation in these activities and others such as:
0 Comments
by Matt Thornburg
Millions of people exist in a world where everything is monetized, some people have an inherent advantage to cash in, and everyone around them seemingly just exists to increase their payout. Am I talking about America in 2026? Or something else? The explosive growth of online betting on everything from sports to elections to war provides a potent metaphor for where our country is right now. While gambling has been a part of the human experience since the dawn of history, the growth of technology, a permissive regulatory environment, and growing financial uncertainty have driven its use to levels unseen in recent times. Careful studies of the introduction of online betting in an area show that betting reduces credit and strains finances of vulnerable households. Gambling is also shown to increase intimate partner and domestic violence. However, I am convinced that online betting is a symptom, rather than a cause of greater problems. Foremost among them is the breakdown of a notion of "we" as people. When Americans see their neighbors merely as marks in a rigged game, we aren't really a society anymore. What academics call social capital is in steep decline across America. That rich tapestry of connectedness is fraying as "we" takes losses to "me". Unlike some of my past social action minutes, I don't have a legislator you can call or a bill you can support. But putting kindness, connectedness, and empathy out into the world can certainly help. by Lilly Gioia
USA Today recently reported on a new study by a think tank called Groundwork Collaborative. They looked into what they call the "high price of annoyance." I don’t know about you, but I think the list of annoyances we’ve accumulated in recent decades has an impact of the quality of our lives every day. First, I am sick to death of TV commercials about medicines. Anyone watching TV coming to America from somewhere else, must think our entire country is sick, sick with itchy rashes, or constipation, or allergies or every disease under the sun. But the Groundwork Collaborative attempted to quantify what it called “a torrent of small abuses” familiar to most consumers. They include the time we lose dealing with unwanted robo-calls, junk emails and scams. It was estimated that collectively this costs us $166 BILLION a year in lost time and money. Waiting on calls with health insurance companies is bad for our wallets too costing $216 billion a year. Junk fees tacked on to bills from ticket providers, hotels, and other transactions add another $90 billion. Here's how much the 'annoyance economy' costs consumers:
According to the think tank this is getting worse. Over the past two decades, for example, time spent on the phone with customer service agents has increased 60%. Personally I believe these frequent frustrations are a result of business consolidations and monopolies. A few mega corporations control too much. With reduced competition, customer service has so deteriorated. These huge companies don’t care how much our time is worth or how long we sit waiting on hold because they won’t hire adequate staff. What we really need is trust-busting, and corporate reforms, but I’m not holding my breath. America’s ‘annoyance economy’ is booming. Here’s how much it’s costing you. USA Today Taking on the Annoyance Economy Groundwork Collaborative by Eoin Carroll
Fireflies, lightning bugs, glow worms, whatever you call them are for me one of the highlights of the Summer when I see their almost magical flashing in the evening. Of course, as a beginner naturalist, the first thing that I have to point out is that they are neither flies, bugs, or worms. Instead they are a type of beetle. There are more than 2400 species of fireflies in the world and about 30 in Pennsylvania including one that is our official state insect. They are not threatened but their numbers have been declining due to the very familiar problems of habitat loss and increased pesticide use. Before I talk about what you can do to help fireflies, it helps to understand more about their lifecycle. The fireflies you see flying around and perched on vegetation are the adults. The flyers are the males who are flashing in order to find a female to mate with. The perching firefly is a female who will respond to a flashing male with a flash of her own. Each species of fireflies has its own specific flashing pattern which is how the female can detect whether the flash she sees is from a suitable male. This mating time is the shortest part of their life cycle lasting only a couple of weeks. Many fireflies will not feed at all during this time but some will occasionally feed on nectar. Once mated the female will lay her eggs on wet ground or on organic matter. The eggs too are bioluminescent although they emit a much softer glow. The eggs then hatch in a few weeks to a couple of months and the newly hatched larva then burrows down into the ground. The larva also glows giving it the name of glowworms. This is the longest part of its lifecycle as it stays in this form for between six months and two years and is the stage when it needs a steady supply of food. The larvae mostly eat the decomposers of the food chain; worms, snails, slugs, and sometimes other firefly larvae. Finally the larva pupates and from the pupae an adult emerges with a very short time to find a mate. We can help the fireflies by improving their habitat. An important step is to avoid over tidying of our landscape. When we remove all of the leaves and plant matter then we are removing the food that the decomposers (the worms, slugs, snails) eat. This eliminates the larva’s food source. We are also sometimes inadvertently removing the firefly eggs and larva. So leave the leaves when you can. We are also killing the fireflies with pesticides. Spraying for mosquitos is not only ineffective but it is very indiscriminate in its killing of all sorts of insect life. This also applies to lawn chemicals and agricultural pesticides which can be quite deadly to larva. The last major issue is light pollution. The firefly’s mating signaling of flashing can be easily outshined by night lighting which is magnitudes brighter and blinds the female from responding to the male’s flashes. Installing timers or motion sensors on your outdoor lights can help reduce this problem. by Brian Dugas
The Social Action Committee initiatives Meeting next Tuesday: Immigration, Voting, the Environment. Things are starting to move, people are waking up to the risks we face. Some of the things I want to share. UU the Vote- We’re investing in the foundations of a democratic society–care, relationships, safety, and collective action. UU the Vote 2026 will feature three critical elements to advance our values:
March 25, 2026 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM ET Our faith calls us to build a movement beyond voter turnout. It calls us to strengthen relationships, shared leadership, and durable infrastructure that build and sustain democracy. Join us for the launch of UU the Vote 2026: Ignite Solidarity, Reimagine democracy -- an expanded program to meet this moment and the next. Learn more about our collective commitment to strengthening democracy and mobilizing our communities for the season ahead. The work will require clarity, discipline, and bold public witness. But the foundation is already beneath your feet. You helped build it. And we will meet this moment — as we always have — with moral grounding, strategic focus, and love powerful enough to shape public life. I know that many of us are asking what’s next for UU the Vote. The answer is clear: we’re going to continue to organize. In this spirit, I am excited to announce that we have signed on to participate in the April 5th “Hands Off!” day of action. On Saturday, April 5th, communities nationwide will take to the streets to deliver a clear message: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their billionaire allies must stop undermining our democracy and our rights. This mass mobilization is a collective stand against the dismantling of essential services, healthcare, jobs, and democratic structures. Poll Working - Poll workers fill a vital role in our communities, ensuring that polling locations are sufficiently staffed and the nuts and bolts of election day go as smoothly as possible. Letter and Postcard Writing - Writing postcards and letters are one way to make sure potential voters have timely and accurate information to make their vote count. Postcards and letters can reach voters for whom we don’t have phone numbers and/or cannot be reached through door-to-door canvassing. We partner with the Center for Common Ground and Vote Forward for this work! Vote Forward runs numerous RCTs (randomized controlled trials) to test the effectiveness of our voter turnout programs. Then, in our continued pursuit of innovation and commitment to transparency, we share our learnings with our volunteers and supporters, peer organizations, and the public. Since launching in 2017, Vote Forward has been committed to scale, impact, and partnership. We’ve written over 40 million letters to voters with the help of over 285,000 volunteers and numerous nonprofit, political, and corporate partners ranging from Patagonia to Daily Kos to the Milwaukee Bucks and more. Now we’re hard at work developing new and innovative tactics for the upcoming election cycle. Volunteer-powered, Evidence-driven, Collaborative and Innovative. Singing Resistance - A choir is forming in Honesdale, and all are welcome to participate. No experience required. The choir is being organized in response and in solidarity with a national movement of citizen singers called Singing Resistance. Led by theatre artist, Tannis Kowalchuk, the choir will develop a repertoire of songs (learned by ear) that gives voice to our concerns about rising authoritarianism and threats to democracy. The intention is to develop a group of singers that can join public gatherings such as No Kings Day and other events where music can be used as a tool for positive action, community strength and connection. Practice takes place Monday nights at 6 PM at Dem Headquarters 967 Main St. Honesdale starting February 16th. Let’s join together to breathe joy and song into the resistance, and to uplift and center our message of equality. Road Trip. The Johnson Amendment 1954 prohibited all 501c3 organizations from participating in political campaigns or endorsing /opposing candidates. Loss of tax exempt status 2025 policy shift IRS clarified that houses of worship may now endorse or oppose candidates during religious services without losing their tax exempt status. IRS now treats internal communications to a congregation during worship service as a family discussion rather than prohibited political intervention. by Dave Nichols
I think we need to continue to talk about what has happened and is happening in Gaza. If we don’t then their situation will likely get worse. Between September 12 2005 and Oct 7, 2023 Israel sealed off Gaza allowing it very limited access to the outside world. They restricted food and other supplies from entering Gaza. Israel used snipers to kill and maim Palestinians who peacefully demonstrated against Israel's policies. On October 7, 2023 Hamas launched an attack in southern Israel. It resulted in the death of 1100 Israelis. At that point Israel embarked on a campaign of genocide in Gaza. Some people say that calling it genocide is a slanderous exaggeration but The UN High Commission of Human Rights*, made this determination last fall, laying out in detail the criteria and evidence that constitutes this claim. Since the cease fire started in October Israeli attacks on Gaza have slackened but not stopped. They have killed approximately 600 people. For the 2 million Palestinians surviving in destroyed Gaza life is tenuous with only sporadic deliveries of food and water and medicine. On November 17 the UN Security Council passed a resolution authorizing the formation of a Board of Peace. In this resolution Donald Trump was granted personal authority over Gaza. He now effectively rules Gaza. The rights previously given to Palestinians to determine their future were forgotten. There is not a single Palestinian member on the board. According to the UN resolution, Hamas must disarm. This is a condition for Israel to withdraw. Trump commented a few weeks ago that he will give Israel the green light to resume the genocide if Hamas does not comply. Israel has always used the pretext of an armed Hamas in order to ethnically cleanse Gaza. This evidenced by their destruction of civilian infrastructure, starvation, and explicit statements by Israeli leadership. Our government has actively supported Israel in these crimes against Palestine. We have given Israel more military and economic aid than any other country. We constantly vote against UN resolutions condemning Israel. We witnessed our university students being arrested and expelled from universities. Universities were also being sued by the government and they capitulated to the demands of the administration to eliminate and discussion let alone protest. Congress repeatedly tries to pass resolutions that prohibits speech against Israel. Congress tried to ban TikTok until it was purchased by a pro Israeli family. For those of us who resist and call out for the human rights of minorities and immigrants in this country we should also resist and speak out for the same reasons against our governments participation in destroying the lives and the rights of Palestinians. * UN website: Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, UN Commission finds | OHCHR by Jenny Blanchard
“If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, “society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.” Those are not my words, but the words of President John F. Kennedy less than a month before he was assassinated. Kennedy gave the last major speech of his life at Amherst College, where he spoke at length about the role of art in a free society. Considering these words, it’s obvious why, when Congress debated what kind of monument they would build to honor the slain president, the consensus was that it would be most appropriate to build a living memorial in the form of a world class arts center to honor Kennedy’s ideals. For more than 50 years, the Kennedy Center has served as the capital’s premier cultural center — until now. Donald Trump, who has no concept of the meaning of either art or culture, had his flunky board commandeer Kennedy’s memorial by renaming it in his own honor. This move is much more than offensive; it is dangerous, as Trump has now vowed to oversee all programming at the newly named Center to ensure that it aligns with his vision of American culture and history. In short this represents nothing less than state censorship of free expression. This is not the first time in human history that we have seen government overreach with respect to arts and culture. But what we can learn from history that it is often under the most repressive regimes, ranging from Nazi Germany to the McCarthy Era in the United States, that the arts respond most strongly. America’s artists have already resisted this latest attempt at dictating conformity in a hundred different ways. They have protested and they have refused to perform, to the point that the Kennedy Center will remain closed for two years, purportedly for renovations, but in reality, no one will agree to perform there! These artists will continue to speak out, and they will summon all their talent and creativity to tell the truth. There is no way that Trump and his lame attempt at branding America in his image can possibly compete with that. We have already witnessed cancellations in the lineup of major productions and refusals to perform from a host of artists. By refusing to perform at the newly named venue, the artists of the world have demonstrated that they are just as powerful, if not moreso in their silence. My piano teacher once shared with me her response to individuals who support cuts in funding to support music education: “In that case, she replies, you can never listen to music again for the rest of your life.” You should see the panic-stricken expressions on people’s faces when they hear these words. This is the power of art, whether you are Woody Guthrie or YoYo Ma, or you are a humble musician sharing your gifts with our own UU Congregation. As Kennedy said at Amherst, “The artist, however faithful to his personal vision of reality, becomes the last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an officious state.” Otherwise, the only art remaining will be the art of suppression. by Eoin Carroll
Birds, bats, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps, small mammals, and most importantly, bees are pollinators. They visit flowers to drink nectar or feed off of pollen and transport pollen grains as they move from spot to spot. Pollinator populations are facing multiple threats and are experiencing massive declines worldwide. The major threats are habitat degradation and fragmentation, pollution, pesticides, pests, pathogens, and climate change. Insect pollinators have been affected the most. Pollinators are important because between 75 and 95% of flowering plants require pollination. This includes around 1200 food crops. It is estimated that one out of every three bites of food comes from plants that depend on pollination. The good news is that there are ways you can help. Two really good ways are to plant for pollinators and to reduce or eliminate pesticides. Habitat opportunities abound on every landscape, every site can provide some habitat. Here at the UUCWV we will be planting a pollinator garden this Spring. Even though it is just a small piece of our property it can still have an impact. Pollinators rely on certain flower species for nectar and host sites. Native plants, or plants that have historically been a part of the natural environment of a region, provide the most benefit to pollinators. The introduction and expansion of non-native plants, or plants that have not historically been part of a region, impact the abundance of native plants required by pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds to forage and reproduce. Non-native plants such as cultivar and hybrid plant species are, in most cases, not good for pollinators as they can result in double flowers, changes in flower color, and sterile flowers with no pollen. Furthermore, the expansion of grass lawns reduces plant species richness and the overall biodiversity of developed areas. Home use of herbicides and insecticides may inadvertently remove important plants required for pollinators to survive. Habitat alteration or reduction may impair a pollinator’s ability to navigate and reproduce. Reduced immune response in bees is also associated with pesticide use. You can find more information on native plants that would be suitable for your home at Homegrown National Park and the Pollinator Partnership. A web search will take you to these organizations that have lots of information to help you learn about how you can help. by Brian Dugas
Risks to the people of this country and the world may be the greatest they have ever been. The last I heard, the Doomsday clock is just 85 seconds to midnight. I personally suspect that things are never going to go back to the way they were. What it will look like in the future is hanging in the balance right now. Whether we will have an authoritarian state owned by corporations and the wealthy, or a government that is actually of the people, for the people, and by the people will be determined in the very near future. If you have ever wanted to get involved, now is the time to do it. What our Social Action Committee is currently doing. Social Action Committee: Voting Immigration, the Environment Voting Primary elections May 19th where Democrats and Republicans select the candidates that will represent their parties in November, and General or Mid term elections November 3rd All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 in the U.S. Senate Will determine the 120th US Congress, 39 State and Territorial elections, and many state and local elections
Immigration
Environment
by Lilly Gioia
Both the PA League of Women Voters website and the national League of Women Voters website boldly warn that America is facing a CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS. “It is time to take our democracy back,” they urge. ARE WE REALLY IN A CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS? The League defines a Constitutional Crisis this way: “When the executive, the legislature or judiciary branches cannot or will not adequately protect the US Constitution, when there are explicit attempts to dismantle a functional democracy within any of the three branches, or when any level of federal government takes action to destroy democratic institutions in a manner that intentionally or purposefully jeopardizes the US Constitution – When these events occur, the constitution is deemed at the highest serious risk and warrants full-scale action to preserve and protect democratic institutions and civil society.” According to the League’s statement, “Since the Trump administration took office in January 2025, we’ve seen increased attacks on our democratic systems and a failure by Congress to intervene. This came to a head in early April when the president defied a Supreme Court order to return the wrongfully deported Marylander, Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia. On April 16, 2025, a US District Court Judge, James Boasberg, ruled that there is “probable cause” to find the Trump Administration in criminal contempt of court for violating his order to immediately pause deportations under the Alien Enemies Act. The executive branch’s blatant disregard for an order by the judicial branch constitutes an attack on our democratic system. Therefore, we consider our country to be in a Constitutional Crisis. The League’s plan is called UNITE & RISE 8.5. Through engagement, education and collective power, 8.5 million voices are needed to be heard by the mid-term election in November. The League invites us to: BE ONE! Many Unitarian Universalists are already committed to this goal through their support for UUtheVOTE, but the League has been organizing women’s advocacy groups around the nation since April 17, 2025. Their effort began with this statement: From the flagrant disregard for congressional authority and governmental checks and balances to defying Supreme Court orders, one thing is abundantly clear: our country is in a Constitutional Crisis. We the people must fight back. That is why the League of Women Voters is launching a powerful new initiative, Unite and Rise 8.5. Through Unite and Rise 8.5 we will engage and mobilize 8.5 million voters to protect and preserve our democracy. Unite and Rise 8.5 aims to build a movement of 8.5 million individuals to unite and rise up against the anti-democratic actions of this administration. Launching in May 2025 and running until the 2026 midterm elections, this initiative is part of the WOMEN DEFEND DEMOCRACY campaign. The number 8.5 million is the estimated number of voters it would take to bring about change through nonviolent protest. This is based on research showing “Nonviolent protests are twice as likely to succeed as armed conflicts...and those engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change.” According to a University of Florida study, approximately 245 million Americans were eligible to vote in the 2024 general election. If 3.5% of those eligible voters –8,575,000 people—engage in non- violent protests, we WILL bring about meaningful change. Unite and Rise 8.5 will fight for our democracy on multiple fronts from the courts to the streets. More actions will be outlined in the future, but if you go online to LWV.org or PALWV.org, you will find action items already under way beginning with signing their “commitment.” |
The Social Action Minute
One of the most popular features of our Sunday services is our Social Action Minute. During this time, a member of the Social Action Committee speaks on a topic of their choice in order to bring awareness and a call to action to the members of our Congregation. These are the archives of the Social Action Minutes presented at our Sunday services. If you missed a service, or are interested in the topic, you can revisit it and get information here. Archives
April 2026
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed