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.”

by Eoin Carroll

Two months ago I told you that the three largest pollutants of the Chesapeake Bay are sediment and excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus).

Last month I explained that the majority of these pollutants ended up there via surface transportation caused by stormwater runoff and talked about ways homeowners could help reduce this.

This month I am going to talk about ways that everyone can become more watershed friendly regardless of where they live.  I have taken these tips from WatershedFriendlyPA.org which has many other ideas as well.

First I will talk about reducing contaminants in wastewater.  Sewage plants are marvels of technology but there are many things that they are not equipped to process.  Here are some of the most common ways you can help out:

• Proper storage and disposal of unused cleaning products, medicines, pesticides, old paint, etc.
• Use non-toxic cleaning products in moderate amounts.
• Putting grease and cooking oil down your sink is hard on your kitchen drain, your pipes, sewage pipes, and sewage plants.  At sewage plants, fats are hard to break down and so are mostly skimmed off and sent to landfills.  Why not send it there in the first place and avoid the clogs that they will cause in your kitchen.
• Compost food waste
• Pick up pet waste immediately and dispose of it properly.
• Use a commercial car wash (most car washes filter and reuse their water)
• Next is conserving water.  As we have discussed before, there is a limited amount of freshwater on earth.  Conserving it is important everywhere.
• Reduce water use inside the house by turning off the water while brushing your teeth and limiting shower time.  
• Do not pre-rinse the dishes before placing them in the dishwasher and only run the dishwasher when it is full.

Lastly you can get involved in community-based actions.

• Participate in community tree planting.
• Help plan or install a rain garden or native plant garden in a public space.
• Participate in an organized litter pick-up or pick up trash in your neighborhood on your own.
• Adopt a nearby storm drain and keep it clear of obstructions.

Your Watershed Circle will be trying to spread the word about upcoming events.  If you hear of one, please let us know so that we can help publicize it.  We will be adding these to the congregational announcement email that is sent out each week.

by Brian Dugas

For today’s Social Action Minute I would like to tell you about a few of the sermons we will be having this month, and our Collection for a Cause.

On January 11th Rabbi Laurie Green will be speaking to us in person. Rabbi Green is the new Rabbi at Temple B’nai Brith here in Kingston, and is a distinguished speaker and Social Activist having served congregations in CO, DC, MD, NY, OH and now Pennsylvania as an Interim Rabbi, a Settled Rabbi, an Associate Rabbi and a Rabbi Educator. She is an activist for Social Justice, having won the Phylis Silver award for Social Action, and having taken part in a number of successful campaigns including Marriage Equality in NY and labor organizing in CA. In her sermon called “Angel Tears of Empathy” she will speak about how we have lost the ability to have empathy for anyone who disagrees with us. Empathy is central to our religious teachings. This demonization of empathy is at work in negative ways in our own country, in Israel/Palestine, and in other places around the world. Please join us on January 11th as we welcome Rabbi Green for the first time.

Then on January 18th we will have speakers from the “The Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration” CADBI which is our Collection for a Cause this month. CADBI is working to build a mass movement both inside and outside of prison to take a stand against Death By Incarceration and other harsh sentencing practices. Pennsylvania prisons currently hold approximately 5,100 people serving life sentences. In Pennsylvania, life means your natural life, with no possibility of parole. You receive mandatory Life Without Parole (LWOP) in Pennsylvania if you are convicted of first or second degree murder, even if you were only present at the incident and were not accused of being the person who pulled the trigger.

On September 24th I had the privilege of working with members of CADBI when they used our church as a stop on their state wide caravan aimed at increasing awareness and support for their cause. I have to admit that as a former law enforcement officer, I was a bit skeptical about what they were trying to do, but just like I have learned repeatedly over the years, I still have a lot to learn. I used to be well aware of the felony murder rule (2nd Degree) that says that if someone is killed during the commission of a felony (robbery, arson, burglary) then everyone who was involved with that crime is liable for murder, even if they did not have the intent to kill. My old self would have said “good - if you do the crime, you do the time”, but my new self went to this meeting with an open mind and learned that maybe this isn’t always fair. I heard from a mother whose son was the driver of a getaway car, and wasn’t aware that someone had a gun, a gun that was used during the crime to kill someone. So they all go to jail together right? Wrong, the actual killer provided information to the DA and walked away with less time, while the rest continue to serve their life sentences.

In my mind there used to be no distinction, they were all guilty. I said to myself “I’ll just do my job and leave the rest to the lawyers who will surely do the right thing, right?” Wrong again. This is not justice, this is injustice, and if I’d known things like this was happening…….well I don’t know what I would have done, but I know what I can do now.

Please join us on the 18th to learn about their cause, to hear their stories, and join me as I learn another one of those hard life lessons.