There is an excellent (and long) article in the Boston Globe about the recently reopened and closed FBI investigation of the murder of Rev. James Reeb in Selma, Alabama in 1965. There is also a short video that tells the same story with the very people quoted in the article. The UUA has posted a…

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Today's Wash. Post had an excellent article about the danger of loosing affordable housing in Arlington, Alexandria and Bailey's Crossroad Area in Fairfax. 

 

That's why it will be so useful to come to the meeting on July 27, 7:30pm at UUCA where a panel consisting of Bill Fogarty, Betts Abel and Louise VanHorne will explain how it might be possible to retain some of that housing. 

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GREAT NEWS! In advance of the first ever Senate hearing on gay marriage, today President Obama endorsed VT Senator Leahy's bill that would recognize legally married GLBT couples.The bill would repeal DOMA (the defense of marriage act)

Equality UUCA will have 6 members at the historic hearing  on wednesday morning. Others are welcome to join us for this historic event. email rhondabuckner@comcast.net

No one promotes abortion, or encourages women to terminate their pregnancy for the sake of race, least of all Planned Parenthood, yet that is exactly what right-wing, evangelical anti-choice activists are campaigning on in yet the latest attempt to close down the oldest women's health provider in the country.

On today's NPR show, Tell Me More, Host Michelle Martin brought together a member of one group that is spreading the theory that Planned Parenthood has for decades plotted to…

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/a-man-with-a-plan/2011/06/14/gIQAY1qHEI_story.html

 

Note how towards the end of the article, IAF is mentioned as the organizing force for religious congregations, one of the key allies of CASA of MD, for passing the MD Dream Act. 

In a back of the envelope calculation, Atlington County's living wage, or the esitmate of essentail costs for basic neccessities, is 57% more than the current federal minimum wage.

Shouldn't the minimum wage be staked to the cost of living adjusted for the area where you live? What would happen if businesses planned to pay all of its workers at least a living wage, and adjusted the costs of goods and services, and the  pay of salaried workers, executives, and shareholder dividends if…

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Where I live, two blocks from the Courthouse Metro, right off of Rte. 50, it can be very difficult to find a place to sit outside and read the newspaper or anything else. On such a gorgeous summer Sunday, I walked all around without successes until I turned back toward the Courthouse Plaxa, which has been extended with the addition of a hotel and a large, interesting water feature. They have a few benches too, and shade from trees that are in bloom. So as I sat down,opened the newspaper, the…

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Costly Unconstitutional Bill Would Lead to Unjust and Lifelong Incarceration of Immigrants Without Cause or Due Process (from ACLU July 14, 2011). The House Judiciary Committee (HJC) today voted out of committee a costly and unconstitutional bill that would authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain thousands of immigrants,…

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Just a reminder that tonight is the two hour training session for adult ed and other group leaders.  We'll start at 7 in the Board Room.  The workshop will cover facilitation techniques, the church lenses, church policies and practices, and resources.   All are welcome!

AFAC, Arlington Food Assistance Center, is a contestant on the Deals for Deeds website this week. Please vote for AFAC before 5pm Friday. If they win, they have…

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The next New UU class is this Wednesday, July 13, 5:30-9:00pm.  This is a terrific time to take the class, for the first time or as a refresher.  A New UU covenant group will be forming within a week or so and will only be open to those who have taken the New UU class.

Register here.  Type in the date of the class you'd like to attend in the New UU box,…

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The subject line is one definition of a Living Wage that is one that allows the earner to pay for at least his or her basic necessities, without public or private assistance. Is this but one definition of economic justice?

The distinction between a living wage and a minimum one is that an earner on the later cannot live without food stamps, housing grants, dental clinic and free clinic care or Medicaid or other aid, even if they work full time. If Congress decides it…

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Here's another video from General Assembly to prepare you for the GA service this Sunday, July 10, at 10.  This one shows the Standing on the Side of Love march and demonstration in support of marriage equality in North Carolina and the US.  It was a very moving experience.  You can check it out here:  http://www.uua.org/justice/issues/bgltequality/ga/184808.shtml

 

As a member of our church, I urge you to pay heed to the most recent assault on justice by our very own Attorney General, Eric Holder, and by extension President Obama and the current administration.

 

We know CIA interrogators subjected dozens of detainees to many abuses including waterboarding,…

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To get you in the mood for Sunday's General Assembly service, here's a short video put together by the UUA:  http://vimeo.com/25417729

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Servicemembers United, the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans, today enthusiastically applauded the order issued by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifting its own stay of a lower court's injunction barring enforcement of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law. This move once again renders "Don't Ask, Don't…

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You may have noticed that we now have a “Welcome to UUCA” video on the front page of our web site; in fact it's in two places.  And many of you are stars!  I created this video so that people who are new to our web site and church will feel welcomed and get a feeling for who we are as a congregation.  I wanted visitors to sense the spirit of friendliness, warmth, and enthusiasm coming from everyone, including the ministers and choirs and…

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Friends--

There's been a dialogue about diversity in ministry on the UUCAVA Social Justice yahoo group that intrigues me and parallels a dialogue going on in my head.  It might be worth sharing my views here about who I hope our "next-hired" minister will be.

 

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It has been a joy to hear the laughter of children at Peace Camp this past week and to see 62 happy and enthusiastic children from Buckingham community, Beacon House, and UUCA playing together and learning the skills of reconciliation and peace.  Peace Camp is one of the best programs in our church, and I'm thankful to Topher Dunne and Jason Powell and their committed and talented team of volunteers for their leadership and dedication.  I'm afraid the church will be much quieter for the rest of… Continue