The effect of Trumpism in our nation's schools

From a Southern Poverty Law Center report:

"Our report found that the campaign is producing an alarming level of fear and anxiety among children of color and inflaming racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom. Many students worry about being deported."

Trumpism violates many Unitarian Universalism principles and is causing harm to children in our nation according to a recent report from the Southern Poverty Law Center. We haven't seen this kind of dynamic in our society since the time of McCarthyism in the 1950s when lives were ruined with the accusation that targeted people were communist.

The covenanting of Unitarian Universalists to affirm and promote very different kind of values in our society offers an antidote to Trumpism. The time is ripe for UUs to offer sanctuary of love and compassion for our brothers and sisters being targeted. It is also time for UUs to bear witness to the evil of Trumpism and to offer more positive beliefs in justice, equity, compassion and truth.

Donald Trump in violation of the ninth commandment and many of UUs principles

People are taught in our Judeo Christian society that it is wrong to lie. It is the ninth of the ten commandments, "One shall not bear false witness against one's neighbor." Donald Trump has born false witness repeatedly when he accused Barack Obama of not being in the presidency legitimately because he was not born in the United states when it has been well established that Barack Obama is an American citizen having been born in Hawaii from a mother who was an American citizen.

Why would Donald Trump lie about Barack Obama's birthplace over the course of many years? He benefited from the lie politically as polls show that as many as 72% of Republicans believe this lie which is called "birtherism." Trump's lies have been fueled by cable news stations so often that people skeptical have come to believe the lies because of the the repetition.

Donald Trump birther lie is not only in violation of the ninth commandment, it is also in violation of the second and fourth principles of Unitarian Universalism. UUs covenant to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations and the free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

Since it is one of UUs principles to engage in the free and responsible search for truth and meaning, it is incumbent upon us as UUs to witness to the truth and to denounce falsehood especially when it is manipulatively disseminated for personal gain of obtaining personal power over others at the expense of truth, equity, and compassion. The birther lie in and off itself has been disproved and can be put behind us, but what about the character of the person who has promoted such harm? Has he taken responsibility? Has he apologized? Has he done anything to repair the years of harm that has been done to the President and to the American people?

As is stated by Mark Hertsgaard in his article in the October 10, 2016 issue of The Nation entitled, "Trump's Media Enablers," "The birther issue goes beyond mere partisanship and the strong differences between Trump and Clinton on specific policy matters like climate change and Obamacare. It raises fundamental questions of democratic governance and national identity: Is the United States still a nation of laws or, as many Trump supporters apparently believe, a tyranny of stealth?" It may be that Hertsgaard meant "deceit" instead of "stealth?"

As UUs we also covenant together to affirm and promote the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large. Democracy does not work well when people lie to one another especially its aspiring leaders. Democracy breaks down when such egregious lying is not recognized, acknowledged, and repaired.

It is necessary for UUs to bear witness to the harmful behavior that has been engaged in and to work, as each as able, to repair the harm that has been done not only to the President but to the citizens who lawfully elected him by participating in their democratic franchise of voting for him. It is apparent that harm has been done to our democracy by the lies perpetrated by Donald Trump and his failure to take responsibility for his lies and apologize makes him unfit for the Presidency.

While Jesus told us to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's, there is an overlap rather than a clean dichotomy, and it is clear that liars do not engage in God's work and should not be given positions of leadership.

For more on the Hertsgaard article in The Nation click here.

Class starting on the Words and Deeds of Prophetic Women and Men on 10/16/16

Class is starting on Sunday, 10/16/16. You can join us on line by leaving comments on this blog during the book discussion.

Manny, an environmental engineering student, is a good example of a prophetic man exemplifying our UU second source

The second source of the living tradition of Unitarian Universalism is the words and deeds of prophetic men and women. The second principle of Unitarian Universalism is to affirm and promote the respect for the interdependent web of all existence.

Manny the son of Cuban immigrants has entered college this fall, 2016 at MIT to study environmental engineering because he wants to save the world from the negative impacts of global warming. Manny's story is one of hope, determination, and commitment to making the world a better place that is very inspiring. Manny is a good example of a prophetic man who by his word and deeds works to transform the world. To learn more about Manny's story click here.

As a Unitarian Universalist you are called to be a prophet

The second source of the living tradition of Unitarian Universalism is the words and deeds of prophetic men and women and for those who call themselves Unitarian Universalists they all are prophets if they are living their faith and not just spectating.

If we are to create happy lives for ourselves and leave the world a little better place when we leave than what we found upon our arrival, we must become consciously aware of our faith. Our faith is what matters most to us when its all said and done.

It is said that some people do not have faith and are agnostic or atheist, but the fact of the matter is that we all have faith in something. To become more conscious of your own faith consider this question, "What matters the most to me in my life is ___________." However you filled in the blank is the basis of your faith.

The faith of Unitarian Universalism is crystallized it its seven principles and six sources. To share the good news of the UU faith, one has to believe it him/herself. As it says in A Course In Miracles, we learn what we teach, and so if we would become more confident and secure in our UU faith we should teach it to others and therein is the role of prophecy.

Who have you shared your UU faith with today, this week, this month? We can transform the world if we followed the simple idea of "each one, teach one." It is in the teaching, and showing the example of our lives that we prophecy.

The second source, the seventh principle, and moments of grace

The second of six sources of the living tradition of Unitarian Universalism is the words and deeds of prophetic women and men. How do we draw upon this source?

A primary way is reading biographies about the lives of informative and inspiring women and men.

Another way I have found is by reading the Sun Magazine which every month has an interview with an interesting and inspiring person and a section called "Readers write" where "Readers Write asks readers to address subjects on which they're the only authorities." In other words, Readers write, invites people to tell stories from their lives. Here is a moment of grace as described by David Armitage in response to the topic for May, 2016 for Readers Write which was "backyards."

in the early 1980s I started a rigorous six-year academic program in Boston that required me to work during the day, take classes at night, and do homework on the weekends. On my first summer off, I wanted to get far away from my studies, work with my hands, and be close to the earth. So I went to live with an Amish family in Pennsylvania. The experience renewed me, and I decided to do it again the next summer.

That year I drove from Boston to Pennsylvania on a holiday weekend, and what was normally a six-hour trip took more than ten hours. By the time I arrived, just before dusk, I was anxious and exhausted.

My Amish hosts had delayed their dinner for me. During the meal I tried to act natural, but I felt full of nerves. My Amish host could clearly tell something was amiss, because at the end of dinner he said, “Come with me.”

I followed him to their backyard, which bordered an alfalfa field. Although his faith discouraged smoking, the farmer lit a cigarette. Three of his children gamboled about while two others clung to him. The farmer stood without saying a word, looking out over the alfalfa. I did the same.

The dark-green field was becoming harder to see in the fading light. The sky was peach at the horizon and deep blue higher up. Stars had begun to appear. Then out of the alfalfa rose fireflies — a few at first, but soon there were hundreds. Their pinpricks of light mingled with the stars: heaven and earth meeting in this humble man’s backyard. I felt my nervousness leave me.

The farmer turned and said, “That’s for you.”

David Armitage
Boston, Massachusetts

Mr. Armitage's story reminds me of the seventh principle of Unitarian Universalism which is "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part." When we pull back from the stress of our daily routines and get things into perspective, and nature often helps us do that, we can experience an ease and comfort which seems almost miraculous and like a moment of grace.

To visit the Sun Magazine Readers Write in the May 2016 issue click here.

The Brockport Sun Magazine Discussion Group meets on the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 - 8:00 PM at the Lift Bridge Book Shop, 45 Main Street, Brockport, NY to discuss the previous month's issue. While everyone is welcome, registration is required. For further information, contact David Markham at davidgmarkham@gmail.com or 585-727-3663.

Redemption involves a genuine apology and making of amends

This short video was published on Sep 15, 2016 by Upworthy and Story Corps about the story of a woman's great-grandmother about an America we should never forget.

The living tradition of Unitarian Universalism includes the second of six sources "words and deeds of prophetic men and women which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love."

Sometimes one of the most powerful things we can do is bear witness. While this story is painful to hear and watch, it reminds us of the injustice perpetrated in our county which has never been redeemed.

The second of of our UU seven principles asks us to affirm and promote justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. One possible response to the great-granddaughters anger might be a genuine apology for the harm that has been perpetrated against her family and the making of amends.

It seems troubling that in 2016 we still are having to be told that "black lives matter."

t