What’s on Your Heart?

December 23, 2008

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Luke 12:34

What's on Your Heart?

The incoming Obama administration faces massive challenges. The U.S. economy is now officially in a state of recession affecting thousands of American households. At the same time the impact of the U.S. financial crisis is being felt most heavily in the most impoverished countries around the world.

Last month, President-elect Obama selected Timothy Geithner as the next U.S. Treasury Secretary.

Secretary-designate Geithner will be responsible for setting U.S. financial policy and to help alleviate the impact of the financial crisis here at home and abroad.

Participate in the What’s on Your Heart campaign. In this new campaign we will welcome Mr. Geithner to his position by telling him what’s on our hearts in these difficult times.

Read More >

Leave a Comment » | Action Alerts, Global Economic Justice | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Theo Sitther

Post-Katrina Armed White Vigilantes

December 19, 2008

katrina

A new investigative study by The Nation Institute is available, which documents violent acts carried out by white militias in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  A brief excerpt:

The new information should reframe our understanding of the catastrophe. Immediately after the storm, the media portrayed African-Americans as looters and thugs—Mayor Ray Nagin, for example, told Oprah Winfrey that “hundreds of gang members” were marauding through the Superdome. Now it’s clear that some of the most serious crimes committed during that time were the work of gun-toting white males.

So far, their crimes have gone unpunished. No one was ever arrested for shooting Herrington, Alexander and Collins—in fact, there was never an investigation. I found this story repeated over and over during my days in New Orleans. As a reporter who has spent more than a decade covering crime, I was startled to meet so many people with so much detailed information about potentially serious offenses, none of whom had ever been interviewed by police detectives.

For more information, please read:

  1. Katrina’s Hidden Race War (The Nation Institute’s report)
  2. Body of Evidence (A companion article to be printed in the Jan. 5 issue of The Nation magazine)

Pam Nath, the MCC Listening and Discernment Worker in New Orleans, La., brought this story to our attention, and has also recommended signing the following petition:

  1. Demand Justice in Post-Katrina Shootings

Leave a Comment » | Civil Rights, Crime and Justice, Gulf Coast, News Stories | Permalink
Posted by Gabe Schlabach

Immigration to the United States Over Time

December 17, 2008

While many anti-immigrant commentators use charged language to talk about an “invasion” of “illegals” or “aliens,” the vast majority of U.S. residents (those commentators included) have either personal or family histories of immigration.  (The exceptions are the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas whose ancestors originally resided here, and African Americans whose families were enslaved and forcibly relocated.)

Below is a neat video that shows how large, integral, and constant a factor immigration (from all corners of the globe) has been throughout U.S. history to the present.

Via Andrew Sullivan at the Atlantic.  Created by Ian Stevenson on Vimeo.

Leave a Comment » | Immigration | Permalink
Posted by Gabe Schlabach

“Seek Peace and Pursue It”

December 17, 2008

Mary Stata writes about ways the United States could more proactively promote peace for the PeaceSigns E-Zine.  An excerpt:

President Bush requested $518.3 billion for the military in the FY 2009 federal budget. Congress approved a 6.2% increase in military spending from the previous fiscal year, a mere $4 billion less than the requested amount. This number does not include $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. If the violence escalates in these countries, as is the case in Afghanistan, that number could triple.

This imbalanced emphasis of budgetary priority on military might has diminished international relationships and has exacerbated insecurity in many parts of the world. Rather than heavily investing in military efforts, the United States ought to invest in preventive strategies that repair broken relationships abroad and address root causes which lead to insecurity. The United States can promote a sustainable global peace and increase security without resorting to costly and destructive military intervention by:

  1. Expanding economic and development aid.
  2. Investing in diplomacy.
  3. Strengthening international organizations such as the United Nations.

These preventive strategies not only make fiscal sense, as diplomacy and economic development are a bargain compared to military intervention, but also value human life. Addressing root causes of instability and repairing international relationships would improve our security at home and our image abroad.

Read the full article.

Leave a Comment » | Articles, Global Economic Justice, Militarism | Permalink
Posted by Gabe Schlabach

“Terror in the World: Our Response Matters”

December 16, 2008

Mumbai AttacksGabe Schlabach writes for Third Way Cafe about how Indian reactions to the Mumbai terrorist attacks in many ways mirrored U.S. reactions following September 11:

For some in the United States, the images of flame and smoke rising in Mumbai brought to mind the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The expressions of pain and sorrow seen on Indian faces resurrected memories of our own feelings seven years ago.

But once security forces brought the situation in Mumbai to a close and the days began to pass, other familiar feelings emerged – understandable feelings, but nonetheless dangerous and unpredictable.

Fear. Insecurity. Anger. Hatred. Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Articles, Asia, Civil Rights, Crime and Justice, Middle East, Militarism | Permalink
Posted by Gabe Schlabach

“The World Might Become a Better Place”

December 16, 2008

Washington Office intern Fithe Heramo writes about child soldiers for Third Way Cafe:

Every parent hopes to see their child go to school, graduate, have a first date and marry. Most child soldiers’ parents, however, are not fortunate enough to see their children lead a normal life. According to the United Nations, there are 250,000 child soldiers around the globe. These children carry an AK-47 instead of a book bag and go to rebel and government camps instead of school. War significantly impacts communities, particularly when children become directly involved. The international community must work collectively to help stop the next generation from fighting this generation’s war, for children are the future.

In 2002 the UN banned the recruitment of child soldiers. The signing of the law opened doors for the prosecution of child solider recruiters in the International Criminal Court. The United States government also took another step in October 2008 when President Bush signed a law concerning child soldiers. The law is called the Child Soldiers Accountability Act and it makes the recruitment of child soldiers a federal crime even if the recruitment happened outside of the United States. As a result, an individual who recruits child soldiers will have difficulty coming to the U.S. either to make a living or as a refugee of war. Collective actions such as this law contribute towards the efforts of stopping child recruitment.

As Christians it is important to become involved in this issue. The Bible encourages us to give special attention to children. Jesus allowed children to come to him when the adults were trying to stop them. He became a voice for them and provided what they needed. We can follow his lead and be aware, pray or advocate on behalf of child soldiers around the world to eliminate further recruitment.

The full article is available at thirdway.com.

Leave a Comment » | Africa, Articles, Militarism | Permalink
Posted by Gabe Schlabach

Convention on Cluster Munitions

December 4, 2008

125 countries gathered in Oslo, Norway this week to sign an accord banning the use of cluster bombs.  The Convention on Cluster Munitions forbids signatories from using the bombs or engaging in joint military operations with armies that use them.  So far 93 countries, including Afghanistan and the UK, have signed the accord.   

Cluster bombs can scatter dozens of smaller explosives across areas the size of football fields.  Innocent civilians feel the effect of cluster bombs long after a conflict ends because the bombs often fail to explode on impact.  These bombs were used widely during conflicts in Laos, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and most recently Georgia.  

The United States, Russia, and China still have not agreed to sign the treaty because they argue that cluster bombs have legitimate military purposes.  Steve Goose of Human Rights Watched stated:

We’re of course disappointed by the states that did not sign up here in Oslo.  They’re on the wrong side of history.  Some of them are clinging to what is now a widely discredited weapon. 

To learn more about cluster bombs and MCC’s efforts to ban the use of this weapon, visit mcc.org/clusterbombs.   

Sign up on our website to receive action alerts about cluster bombs and other issues.

Leave a Comment » | Militarism | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Mary Stata

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