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words of hope
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“This is the first generation in all of recorded history that can do something about the scourge of poverty. We have the means to do it. We can banish hunger from the face of the earth.”
—Hubert Humphrey, U.S. Vice President 1965-1969
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Take Action
July 14, 2010
Greetings friars and friends,
May God give you peace! As the recession continues and unemployment remains high, Congress is in the process of passing another supplemental spending bill for its wars. Unemployment benefits have ended for many, people are losing their homes, 16.7 million children in the U.S. don't have enough food, yet we continue to spend 1/3 of our tax dollars on the Pentagon.
An analysis of 2009 government spending shows the following breakdown: 33% Pentagon: 27% economy; 17% health care; 11% responding to poverty; 9% general government; 2% energy, science and environment; and 1% diplomacy, development and war prevention. See http://www.fcnl.org/pdfs/budget/taxday2009.pdf and http://www.fcnl.org/budget/how_were_your_taxes_spent09.htm.
Fortunately, some members of Congress are trying to address this concern. According to NETWORK, "Representative Alan Grayson (D-FL) has introduced the "War is Making You Poor Act" (H.R. 5353) which would cut money from the discretionary overseas contingency operations funds for operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and instead give tax credits to low-income people. While we do not expect this bill to make it out of the Armed Services Committee, we appreciate Rep. Grayson's efforts to call attention to the issue.
Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) is also a champion of prioritizing human needs spending over military spending. See http://www.networklobby.org/blog/2010-7-1/blog-debt-deficits-and-defense for more information on one of his efforts."
NETWORK asks us to contact the President and our congresspersons, asking them to address the imbalance between money spent on the military and that spent on human needs.
Peace and all good,
Sr. Donna Graham, OSF
Franciscan Justice and Peace Office
OFM Province of St. John the Baptist
Cincinnati, OH, USA
513-721-4700 ext. 3229
sjbjpic@franciscan.org
www.franciscan.org
June 17, 2010
Greetings friars and friends,
May God give you peace! The oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico has captured our attention these past weeks. When will it stop? How long will the effects last? Hopefully this is a wake-up call, to help us understand the need to move from fossil fuel dependency to cleaner, renewable energies. In a recent column, A Time for Moral Reckoning, Jim Wallis of Sojourners discusses the need to acknowledge our own responsibility as citizens and people of faith.
In an article in Onearth magazine, members of the military who have experienced the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, tell why they are now working for an end to our dependence on fossil fuels. They have seen some of the consequences, and there are many more.
The Environmental Defense Fund is encouraging us to write our Senators, asking them to lead us on a path to cleaner energy. On the same site is a video that explains the urgency in ways words cannot.
The Franciscan Action Network has a "Gulf Oil Disaster" page on their website with resources for prayer, liturgy, and reflection. And the Catholic Climate Covenant references a number of Catholic Media reactions to the oil disaster on their website.
Peace and all good,
Sr. Donna Graham, OSF
Franciscan Justice and Peace Office
OFM Province of St. John the Baptist
Cincinnati, OH, USA
513-721-4700 ext. 3229
sjbjpic@franciscan.org
www.franciscan.org
May 19, 2010
Greetings friars and friends,
May God give you peace! Our U.S. Bishops see that it is a moral imperative to rid the world of nuclear weapons. They urge Congress to support the New START Treaty which would reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals and put in new verification requirements. You can learn more and send a message to your Senators at the USCCB website.
In an NCR article, John Dear, SJ, tells how the Archbishop of Nagasaki, Japan, who is an in utero survivor of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, has dedicated his life to the abolition of nuclear weapons. Also, you may remember that our Provincial Council signed on to a Pax Christi letter to President Obama in March urging him to move towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. A number of environmental and public health organizations have asked us to urge our Senators to oppose Alaska Senator Murkowski's resolution (S.J.Res. 26) that would restrict the EPA's ability to cut carbon emissions and protect us from global warming gases. The Supreme Court has ruled that global warming pollutants are covered by the Clean Air Act and the EPA has been taking steps to eliminate global warming pollution from vehicles, large power plants and factories. Senator Murkowski's "resolution of disapproval", if passed, would block these actions and allow the pollution to continue. It may come before the Senate this week. You can learn more and send a letter to your Senators at the website of Natural Resources Defense Council.
Peace and all good,
Sr. Donna Graham, OSF
Franciscan Justice and Peace Office
OFM Province of St. John the Baptist
Cincinnati, OH, USA
513-721-4700 ext. 3229
sjbjpic@franciscan.org
www.franciscan.org
There are several environmental organizations that make it
easy to write to Congress in support of legislation that protects the
environment. Some recommended ones are:
Union of Concerned Scientists, www.ucsaction.org;
Natural Resources Defense Council, www.nrdc.org/action/default.asp;
NETWORK, a National Catholic Social
Justice Lobby, has an easy way to stay updated on the issues in Congress and
let your Congresspersons know how you want them to vote.You can go to the NETWORK web site, www.networklobby.org, click on Legislative Action Center and get
information about bills and issues and also NETWORK’s position on each.You can then directly write your senator or
representative, even if you’re not sure who they are. All you need is your zip code. You can go directly to the letter-writing
site at capwiz.com/networklobby. Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) has a similar site at capwiz.com/fconl/home/. |
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White House Comment Office: 202-456-1111
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
White House Comment Office: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Send E-mail at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Capital Switchboard number for all Members of Congress: 202-224-3121
Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520
202-647-4000
http://www.state.gov/secretary/ |
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