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March 2011 - Justice Department will no longer defend DOMA in legal challenges

President Barack Obama has ordered the Justice Department to stop defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as only between a man and woman, according to a statement Wednesday from Attorney General Eric Holder.

The president has concluded that given a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny, Holder said. The key provision in the law fails to meet that standard and is therefore unconstitutional. Given that conclusion, the president has instructed the (Justice Department) not to defend the statute in two pending cases in New York state, Holder said. I fully concur with the president's determination.

December 2010 - Mediators Work to Open New Clinic

CSV Mediators

SPREADING THE WORD – Mediators and Judge Louise Knight met in Lewisburg Sunday, Nov. 7 to start spreading the news that efforts to restore mediation services in Snyder, Union and Northumberland counties will soon come to fruition. Pictured with the group's informational brochure are, left to right, (in front) Rosalyn Richards, (seated) Kim Kazakavage and Renee Sosland, (standing) Cindy Peltier, Steve Jacobsen, Judge Louise Knight, Stan Frankel and Rene Cardone.

Local mediators have seen the power of what they can do, and are eager to get back to work. The volunteers, who performed mediations for free custody and other issues through the now closed clinic at Susquehanna University, have come together to form a new service organization, Central Susquehanna Valley Mediation Center, Inc.

Mediators help people in conflict to communicate clearly, getting past the stumbling blocks inherent in conflict. Mediation is used to help resolve disagreements ranging from eldercare issues to neighborhood disputes to custody concerns. The skills learned in mediation are especially helpful to people who will have ongoing contact, like parents involved in child custody disagreements. Through mediation, estranged couples can take the first critical steps toward getting past their personal conflict to work together in the interest of their children.

I have seen first hand the amazing transformative movement that people can make in the course of just one two-hour session. I can't tell you how many times I have heard at the beginning of a session, 'there is no way the other person will listen,' and then have seen the same two people, who couldn't look at each other in the beginning, embrace each other at the end of the session. Mediation empowers individuals to make decisions that will have a lasting effect in their lives.

- Cindy Peltier, Mediator & Center Vice President

Mediation provides the opportunity for people to have constructive conversations in the midst of difficult circumstances. When people are in conflict, others around them often suffer too. When people in conflict decide to participate in mediation they, and the people around them, can all benefit.

- Steve Jacobsen, Mediator & Center Treasurer

While mediators facilitate conversations on a range of issues, much of the work they performed at the clinic at Susquehanna University centered on court-referred custody disagreements. Judges in Union and Snyder Counties routinely referred custody litigants for mediation orientation before court proceedings. After a brief orientation, about 90 percent of the court-referred parties voluntarily agreed to mediate, and most of those reached some form of agreement that was later affirmed by the court. At its peak, the clinic at Susquehnna held 20 to 30 mediations per month, all free of charge to participants and facilitated by trained volunteers. Susquehanna University operated the clinic from 2008 until January 2010, when executive director Allan Sobel left his position for medical reasons. Sobel and his wife, Elayne, an active mediator, have worked closely with the mediators to relaunch services. Elayne Sobel serves on the group's board.

Judge Michael Sholley has told mediators and Union and Snyder County judges that he will refer parties who file custody actions for mediation orientation when services are available. By using mediation services, people are able to avoid attorneys' fees and court costs, the court calendar is better able to accommodate timely scheduling of trials and hearings, and the public burden of court costs for these cases is greatly reduced.

With bylaws written, incorporation and 501(c)(3) status complete and a board elected, the group now moves on to the challenge of raising the funds necessary to provide services free of charge. While all mediators are unpaid volunteers, a paid administrative assistant is needed to conduct intake interviews and process paperwork. Later, as the center’s workload grows, the center board hopes to add a part-time administrator.

Tax deductible donations can be sent to Central Susquehanna Valley Mediation Center, P.O. Box 604, Lewisburg, PA 17837.

Serving on the mediation center's board are Marie Grossman (president), Cindy Peltier (vice president), Steve Jacobsen (treasurer), Kim Kazakavage (secretary) and Elayne Sobel (court liaison). For more information, call Steve Jacobsen at 570-524-1436 or e-mail Marie Grossman at mariegrossman@comcast.net.

November 13, 2010 - CARE's Boogie Nights a Success!

The Lewisburg Club was rockin', people got up and boogied to the music of DJ Guido and danced the night away to support CARE. Food, fun, beverages, door prizes, and a festive atmosphere were all part of the evening’s enjoyment. This was the third CARE dance and it proved to be as successful as the previous two. We raised more than $260.. The funds will be used to help pay for CARE scholarships for worthy high school students.

Kudos to Cindy Peltier, David Ambrose, Iris Rifkin Gainer, Freddi Carlip, Jennifer Clarke and DJ Kyle Stevens for their hard work in making Boogie Nights a success.

Look for the next CARE dance in the spring. Keep those boogie shoes handy.

October 22, 2010 - On Being Out, Proud and Conservative - by Tammy Bruce

My left-liberal experience was of intolerance if you dared challenge political correctness. The right is more accepting (original)

California gay rights activists have led the way in campaigning for same-sex marriage to be recognised, with a significant recent legal victory and the support of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Photograph: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson

There's a little something I noticed in the reaction to my first article here at the Guardian – a question tucked in the midst of the hundreds of pithy and thoughtful reader contributions – I was asked: what is it like to be gay and conservative?

After all, those conservatives hate the homos, don't they? It must be very, very difficult for me, one concerned reader noted, to be among the intolerant and hateful.

Well, I do suppose I would rather bask in the unbridled sunlight of liberal values of fairness, tolerance and love so eloquently on display in many of the comments made on my first contribution here. I know, it seems like such an odd decision, to reject the Eden of the liberal establishment. Yet strangely, after having been on the left for so long myself, I began to wonder: how much love and understanding can one person take?

Presumably, "batshit crazy" is an English liberal term of endearment, right? When I read another commenter's description of American conservative women politicians as "a bunch of petty, incoherent shrews", I was filled with joy at realising how great it was to be among authentic feminists once again.

Having made my point, I trust, I'll now slip out of my snark suit and share a little secret with you. The real story of bigotry and intolerance is the fact that it lives and thrives on the left. As a gay woman who spent most of her adult life pushing the cart for liberal causes with liberal friends in a liberal city, I found that sexism, racism and homophobia are staples in the liberal world. The huge irony is liberals spend every ounce of energy promoting the notion that they are the banner carriers of individualism and personal freedom, yet the hammer comes down on anyone who dares not to conform to, or who dissents even in part from, the liberal agenda.

Think about what would happen if you did act up? If you dared to say you like Sarah Palin, or admire Margaret Thatcher, or think global warming is a hoax, or think Bill Clinton is a sexual predator, or that George W Bush isn't to blame for everything, or that Barack Obama has absolutely no clue what he's doing, you know there would be a price to pay. Odds are that your "liberal" friends would very liberally hate you. At the very least, being shunned would be your new experience, condemning you to suffer that horrific liberal malady called social death.

So, when it comes to my comfort level as a conservative who happens to be gay, here's what I know: while many conservatives are people of faith and their religion promotes a very different point of view than mine on homosexuality (and a few other things!), I have found conservatives to be more tolerant, more curious and more understanding of those who are different to them than I ever did when ensconced in US liberal leadership.

Are there religious extremists on the right? Of course, but they are marginalised and rejected. As an example, this year at CPAC (the Conservative Political Action Conference), considered the premier, annual conservative gathering in America, a speaker stepped up to the podium and began verbally to attack gays and lesbians. He was summarily booed from the stage by a conservative audience that refused to allow such bigotry to continue.

As you might have gathered, I prefer the honest, decent and genuinely accepting friends and family I have in the conservative world. We don't always agree on everything, but isn't that the point? – being able to be yourself, make choices that best suit you, without fear of punishment or retribution. My friendships and relationships in the conservative world are not predicated on political correctness and enforced conformity of thought. They are based, instead, on mutual respect, honesty and understanding – concepts many modern liberals should consider revisiting.

October 21, 2010 - Bikini Liberalism

Juan Williams, Implicit Bias and the Trouble with NPR - by Tim Wise (original)

I've never been a fan of Juan Williams. Far too chummy with his FOX News colleagues and too eager to attack longstanding civil rights leaders in the name of supposedly courageous political “independence,” Williams is one I have never thought to defend before.

But today such a defense is deserved. Williams, it turns out, has been done a supreme disservice by his other employer, National Public Radio, and it is a disservice to which the harshest condemnation should be applied.

For those not up on the story, its contours are simple enough: On Monday, Williams appeared on Bill O'Reilly's show to discuss the previous week's flap on The View, where O'Reilly had bellowed that “The Muslims killed us on 9/11 as justification for opposing the building of the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque.” During their conversation about Bill's outburst — which had prompted hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg to walk off stage — Williams admitted to O'Reilly that he is often nervous on planes if he sees persons who are identifiably Muslim. Although he went on to caution O'Reilly, and presumably those watching, about ascribing to all Muslims the terrorist tendencies of an infinitesimally small few — so, in other words, he wasn't endorsing the fear to which he himself sometimes falls prey, but rather merely noting it honestly — the full context of his comments mattered not to the folks at NPR. On Wednesday they fired him, explaining that statements such as those he had offered on O'Reilly were “inconsistent” with their “editorial standards and practices.”

Yet what had Williams done, exactly? He acknowledged his own biases, and then explained the fallacy embedded therein. He was being honest, and in so doing, demonstrating an important fact that the nice white liberals who predominate at NPR try to deny, especially for themselves. Namely, that even the best of us can be taken in by racism, by religious bias, by ethnic chauvinism, by prejudice. No matter our liberal bona fides, the bottom line is this: advertising works, whether for selling toothpaste, tennis shoes, or stereotypes.

Putting aside for a moment the irony – after all, much of the most crass anti-Muslim invective has been provided by the very people at FOX who pay Williams's bills – the point remains: no one can completely avoid ingesting some of that to which we're subjected when it comes to racial or religious “others.” Years of research bears out this fact, indicating that wide majorities of us have internalized implicit biases against all types of people: African Americans, Latinos, Muslims, women, LGBT folks, persons with disabilities, and others. Not because we are bad people, let alone bigots, but because we're imperfect beings who despite being pretty decent, nonetheless can find ourselves stuck in the cognitive traps laid for us by the larger culture.

The only difference between Juan Williams and the people who fired him is this: Williams is honest enough to admit his own damage. And importantly, what the research on this subject tells us is that it is precisely those persons who are able to see and acknowledge their biases who are the most likely to challenge themselves, and try valiantly not to act on them. In other words, it is the Juan Williams's of the world whose self-awareness in this regard will minimize the likelihood of discriminatory behavior. Meanwhile, it's the liberals who deny to their dying breath that they have a “racist bone in their bodies,” or who swear they “never see color,” or insist that they are open-minded, forward thinking and free of prejudice, who are often unable to see how their internalized biases effect them, and move them around the chessboard of life without them even realizing it. Frankly, those are the ones from whom racial and religious “others” probably need the most protection.

If his ex-colleagues at NPR who now preen as ethical superiors, above the base instincts of we lesser mortals, were to sit and take the Implicit Association Tests developed by leading psychologists for the purpose of ferreting out subconscious biases, I have no doubt that most would be found to harbor the same prejudices to which Williams has confessed. But liberalism of the type that rules the day at NPR – what we might call “bikini liberalism,” which involves just enough liberality so as to cover up the socially unacceptable parts – requires no such introspection. All they need to know is that Williams is buddies with that awful blowhard O'Reilly, and works for FOX. Case closed. They've never much liked his gig at FOX, and now they have found a reason to sever ties with him.

Fair enough. But in the process of their self-righteous shedding of the one who told the truth, we should not allow them to pretend they do so in the name of high-minded, unbiased principle. They do not. They do so only as a way to maintain the white liberal pretense: that racism and other forms of bias are only problems for those people over there, but never for us. We voted for Obama. We have a Celebrate Diversity sticker on our car, or one of those neat Coexist stickers, where the letters are all made out of different religious symbols. We're better than that. And we can't sully ourselves by associating with someone who admits that occassionally even they turn out to be flawed, and fragile, which is to say human.

Bikini Liberalism indeed. Or better yet, perhaps we should just call it what it is — dishonesty — and be done with it.

October 2010 - Report from Campus Pride

Campus Pride cites suicide as sobering example in its findings in the 2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People released recently at a U.S. congressional briefing on Capitol Hill:

(New Brunswick, NJ, Thurs, Sept 30, 2010) “Campus Pride, the nation's largest non-profit organization working with LGBT and allied college and university students, offers its condolences and support to the family of Tyler Clementi and the campus community of Rutgers University.”

“Every college student should have the right to a safe campus climate — void of intimidation and harassment—for campus learning and living,” said Shane Windmeyer, executive director and founder of Campus Pride. “The suicide of this gay young man is a terrible, unfathomable tragedy. We send our condolences to the family of Tyler Clementi and to the campus community of Rutgers University. We ask that all campuses across the country remember what happened at Rutgers and act decisively to curb anti-LGBT bias incidents, harassment and acts of violence.”

Through its Q Research Institute for Higher Education, Campus Pride recently released its 2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People. The in-depth research study is the most comprehensive national LGBT higher education study of its kind. Campus Pride surveyed more than 5,000 LGBT students, faculty and staff for the report. Findings demonstrate that suicide and incidents of harassment are neither rare nor fleeting—they are REAL.

Among the findings in the report:

For more information about Campus Pride's 2010 State of Higher Education for LGBT People report, visit www.campuspride.org/research.

October 2010 - Thirteen Moon Walk for Peace

Check out with an extended peace project called Thirteen Moon Walk for Peace. This may inspire those in our community. Here is the project website: www.13moonwalk4peace.org

October 2010 - Nativism, the Anti-Immigrant Movement, and Caesar Chavez

From the desk of Doug Sturm…

Recently, the website of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) published an article by Heidi Beirich called “The Anti-Immigrant Movement,” in which Beirich declares there is a resurgence of American nativism. (See www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/ideology/anti-immigrant/the-anti-immigrant-movement)

The nativism of the 1920s was anti-Catholic, focusing on the Irish and Italians and resulting in the pro-Northern European Immigrant Act of 1924. The current anti-immigrant movement, however, is focused on Latin Americans, asserting that Latinos are “destroying American society and replacing it with an uncivilized and inferior foreign culture.” In this new form of the nativist sensibility, Latinos are considered the fundamental cause of urban decay, widespread crime, and environmental degradation.

Beirich traces the formation of some 13 anti-immigration groups to the work of John Tanton beginning in the 1970s. Among others, Tanton founded the influential Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) in 1979, a D.C. lobby group that is still active. Tanton remains on its board.

The anti-immigrant movement gained a hold in Arizona in 2000, and gave rise to the initial Minuteman civilian border patrol in 2005. Over subsequent years, more than 300 Minuteman-style groups have emerged around the U.S., many engaging in direct actions against Latinos-harassment of those seeking work, surveillance of Latino homes and encampments where homeless immigrants live, direct assault on Latinos, even cold-blooded murder.

In this connection, it was a pleasant surprise to note that the SPLC in its Fall issue of Teaching Tolerance (available free to primary and secondary school staff on request) invites teachers in Grades 7-12 to request a 39-minute DVD, Viva La Casa: The Story of Cesar Chavez and a Great Movement for Social Justice along with a teaching guide (see www.tolerance.org/kit/viva-la-casa). The website includes resources contrasting the work of Chavez among immigrant farm workers with the nativism of the current anti-immigrant movement.

As an aside, the October 4 issue of The Nation lists Cesar Chavez in it article “The Fifty Most Influential Progressives of the Twentieth Century.” The article-its selections and accompanying brief descriptions—is an inspiring read.

Progressivism and nativism, in effect, represent antithetical ways of perceiving the world and acting in the world. At the Unity Jam/Stop the Hate Rally (see above) the keynote speaker, Professor Alexander Tristan Riley, addressing the nationwide controversy over immigration policy, distinguished between different two forms of understanding our place in the world: “we versus they” (the intent of nativism) and as just plain “we”, an all-inclusive “we” (the intent of progressivism). The former viewpoint denigrates the “other” even to the point of annihilation; the latter viewpoint acknowledges and respects “otherness,” but seeks to resolve tensions for the welfare of all. In this struggle, CARE's mission, I submit, is to be an agent for progressivism in the Central Susquehanna Valley.

Question: How might CARE become more effective in assuming this task? Reactions welcome.

September 28, 2010 - Unity Jam/Stop the Hate Rally

In spite of the rain on September 27, about 200 people, including Bucknell students and staff and residents of Lewisburg and surrounding communities, attended the Unity Jam/Stop the Hate Rally at Lewisburg's Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church. Once again, the partnership between CARE, other community organizations, places of worship, and various departments from Bucknell University (e.g., Multicultural Student Services, The Women's Center, Office of LGBT Awareness) produced a diverse line-up of speakers and performers. Jessica Quintana Hess, Director of Multicultural Student Services at Bucknell, enthusiastically introduced all speakers and performers. The Kentucky Fried McDucks played wonderful instrumental music before and after the rally. As was the case last year, both Mayor of Lewisburg Judy Wagner and Superintendent of Lewisburg School District Dr. Mark DiRocco welcomed and spoke to the crowd. New Bucknell President John Bravman stressed that, just as hate is taught and learned, so too must love, acceptance and open-mindedness be taught and learned. Members of the Lewisburg High School Diversity Club provided a tangible reminder of the need to attend to and speak out against the "isms" (racism, sexism, etc.).

The Keynote Speaker, Professor Alexander Tristan Riley, challenged us to welcome, accept, and support immigrants and to reject simplistic and divisive statements about the behavior of people new to communities or "them." This support, he argued, is consistent with the true American covenant. He recalled the outrageous murder and conspiracy surrounding the murder of a Latino man in Shenandoah two years ago simply because he was in a relationship with a white woman with whom he had children.

G.W. Boon and the Voices of Praise Gospel Choir beautifully sang a song of praise. Marie Rivera read a poem about hate that she had written and at its conclusion turned around to show the audience the "Stop the Hate" words that appeared on the back of her shirt. Freddi Carlip, speaking on behalf of CARE, thanked all for attending and for bringing brightness to a cloudy, dark and rainy evening.

2010 Stop the Hate working committee members from CARE included Freddi Carlip, Iris Rifkin-Gainer, Cindy Peltier, Dennis Wilbur, and David Deibler-Gorman.

Thanks to All the Supporters for the Rally! They include:

August 2010 - “Maze of Injustice”: Degradation of Native Women

From the desk of Doug Sturm…

In the latest issue of The Progressive (September 2010), Mary Annette Pember, a Red Cliff Ojibwe, depicts in graphic form the plague of sexual assault against Indian women that has been rampant for years on Native American lands within the US. Indeed, it has been open season on American Indian women for more than 200 years. Sarah Deer, a Muscogee Creek, suggests that, since colonial times, raping Native women has been considered a right of conquest.

Pember draws on a 2006 report of Amnesty International, “Maze of Injustice,” for her statistics which indicate that one out of three Native women will be sexually assaulted during her lifetime. That astounding rate is higher than any other ethnic or racial group in the United States. Yet that figure may be deceptively low given the reluctance of Native women to report sexual assaults. In the aggregate, 86% of the rapes will be by men of other racial identities. This statistic contrasts sharply with rapes against White and Black American women.

Of those assaults that are reported, the proportion that is subjected to prosecution is miserably low. Department of Justice figures for 2009 indicate that 47% of cases reported to the department were not pursued. Recently, however, the Obama Administration has increased funding by $180 million for the DOJ to collaborate with tribal courts beginning in 2011-an increase of 250% over recent annual budgets.

The power of Pember's article, however, lies not in its statistics, startling as they are, but in its dramatic stories, including her own life story-a story of rapes she had experienced when young and of participation (during her preparation of this article) in an Ojibwe “full moon ceremony” of healing for women crippled by sexual assaults. These stories are by themselves reason to commend the article as a “must read.”

August 2010 - Message from MoveOn

In one week, members of Congress will head home to spend August listening to constituents.

Remember last year when that happened? The voices of ordinary Americans were drowned out by a vocal minority of Tea Partiers who spread lies about "death panels" and the President's birth certificate. This August has got to be different. We're hoping to organize hundreds of Fight Washington Corruption gatherings on Tuesday, August 10—just days after Congress arrives home for the recess—to make sure that this time grassroots progressives are heard loud and clear from the beginning. We'll urge our members of Congress to sign our pledge to end corporate control of our democracy.

We've got over 100 events set up, but there's still no event in your area. Can you host one outside Rep. Christopher Carney's office in Williamsport on Tuesday, August 10? To get started [visit the MoveOn website www.moveon.org]

The events will happen outside congressional offices, and our event organizing guide and online tool make them very easy to pull off. Here's what you'll have to do as a host:

  1. Pick a time during the day and register it in our online tool - we recommend noon locally, when lots of folks have a lunch break. Once it's posted online, other MoveOn members can find the event and sign up.
  2. Call a couple reporters to let them know the event is happening - or ask one of your attendees to make the call.
  3. Print out materials, show up a few minutes early, and read a statement at the event.

We've already found the local office for you and will email other MoveOn members in your area to invite them to attend. We'll provide the signs you can print and we'll give you tips on reaching out to the media. And we'll give you a script that you can use to run the entire event. All you have to do is post the event and follow our step-by-step guide.

The timing of the gatherings is critical, and together we can tell Congress it's time to fight for the other 98% of us without corporate lobbyists in Washington, D.C.

August 2010 - Political Polemics over “Illegal Immigrants”

From the desk of Doug Sturm…

Remember the inspiring words of Emma Lazarus engraved on the base of the Statue of Liberty? “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” In the current fracas over illegal immigrants in the U.S., this welcoming invitation—once revered as representative of the American spirit—seems to have been forgotten by those who would “send 'em all home pronto!”

Moreover, in pressing their case, the nay-sayers have, it seems, substituted fiction for fact. So William Finnegan in the July 26 New Yorker “Talk of the Town” quotes Senator John McCain, speaking in favor of Arizona's new law (now under question by the judiciary) as referring to “an unsecured border between Arizona and Mexico, which has led to violence, the worst I have seen” and declaring that the number of illegals apprehended last year was staggering

In sharp contrast to McCain's rant, Finnegan cites the Border Patrol as reporting that, in fact, the numbers are down “more than sixty per cent since 2000, to 550,000… last year, the lowest number in 35 years.” Finnegan also notes that, “The southern border, far from being 'unsecured', is in better shape than it has been for years.” Moreover, violent crime, while increasing in Mexico, “has fallen this side of the border; in Southwestern border counties it has dropped more than 30% in the past two decades,” including in Arizona.

We live in a political world, it seems, where too often the facts of the case are summarily dismissed when they run counter to passionately held causes. Finnegan acknowledges the need to address the issue of illegal immigration, but he is not sanguine about the prospect of doing so in a sensible way: “Every effort to address it has provoked a groundswell of angry obstructionism and demagoguery.” So much for the American spirit.

It's time, I propose, we return to the words of Emma Lazarus, and take them seriously.

Mid-July 2010 - Inequality in America: The Incessant Factor of Racial Segregation

The July 19/29 issue of The Nation includes six brief essays on “Inequality in America and What to Do About It.” Orlando Patterson, distinguished Harvard professor of sociology, born in Jamaica, is particularly concerned about African Americans experiencing the current economic crisis more as a “virtual depression” than as a “Great Recession.”

The proportion of unemployment among African Americans is 15.5% compared with an overall rate of 9.7%. “Among black teenagers, many of whom are…seeking full employment, the rate stands at a staggering 38%.” Black median household income is “the lowest of major U.S. ethnic groups.” In 2007, the disparity between black and white median family wealth is stunning: for blacks, the figure is $5000; for whites, $100,000. Patterson declares that the “middle class” among blacks is, sad to say, disappearing.

Exploring the factors underlying this striking economic disparity between blacks and whites, Patterson suggests that “while the civil rights movement…succeeded wonderfully in the public sphere of American life,” that achievement had little impact on “the persisting exclusion of blacks from the private sphere”—neighborhoods, schools, churches and clubs. In these arenas, blacks tend to experience widespread exclusion, segregation, and racial separation.

Patterson's conclusion is that segregation in the private sphere is a fundamental condition of the economic distress suffered by African Americans. Social segregation, in its effects, deprives African Americans from “network location and access to cultural capital,” key factors in economic success in advanced societies. His prescription: forming strong public policies directed toward countering segregation in housing, education, and employment conjoined with intentional efforts by black Americans to reach across racial boundaries in the private sector.

Perhaps Patterson's thesis constitutes a challenge to the work of CARE here in the Central Susquehanna Valley. Think so?

July 29, 2010 - Lancaster County Human Relations Commission

On July 29th the Lancaster County Commissioners held a public hearing to listen to viewpoints regarding the decision to disband the Lancaster County Human Relations Commission (LCHRC). Two of the three commissioners, Scott Martin and Dennis Stuckey proposed disbanding the commission after ignoring requests to add LGBT as a subject class within the LCHRC.

At 5:30 p.m., just prior to the meeting, a Unity Rally was held to raise support for the LCHRC. Shortly after 7:00 p.m., the hearing room was filled with about 150 people, and an estimated 250 more waited at the county administration doors in a line that stretched across Binns Park to the sidewalk. Nineteen people with prepared testimony spoke for seven minutes each, followed by hearing anybody who wanted to speak for three minutes. About 30 people took that opportunity. The hearing lasted until 11:45 p.m. The commissioners, as well as all in attendance, earned high praise for the coordination of the hearing and maintaining respect for all present despite widely ranging and highly emotional views. All of the commissioners took the hearing. Commissioner Lehman, the only one of the three that supports the LCHRC as well as adding LGBT as a subject class, expressed appreciation for the communication among the commissioners regarding this consideration. The next morning, the commissioners' office scanned in all the testimony and emailed it to me. Huge thanks for that to Andrea McCue and the commissioners' office. The testimony is available at: //lgbtfreedomweekpa.org/Article.aspx

The most impressive testimony came from Stephen Glassman, Chair of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Steve has earned the highest respect in Pennsylvania's LGBT community for his combination of political skills and his strive for equality. Steve understands the concerns of the commissioners and specifically addressed areas about which they were unclear. The commissioners had several questions for Steve. Primary points were: the possible loss of federal funding if the LCHRC should be disbanded; concern about duplication of effort between the Lancaster County and the Pennsylvania HRCs; the inability of the state to take on county cases; the low expense of the LCHRC compared to all of its benefits; the ability of the LCHRC to do a better job for Lancaster County than could be accomplished by the state; and the public impression that would be made if the LCHRC were to be disbanded.

One of the final speakers of the evening calculated that 82 per cent of the testimony given that evening was in favor of keeping the LCHRC. Of those that were opposed, most were against all government programs. There were a few who were specifically opposed including LGBT people.

Several people giving testimony focused on the myth of duplication of efforts and on the hope that the Pennsylvania HRC would resolve all discrimination cases. Many examples were given where municipalities provide public accommodations that are also provided by the state including libraries, police, and parks. To the amusement of most of the attendants, the commissioners themselves were considered redundant to the state legislature.

Louis A. Butcher, who served 15 years as the executive director of the LCHRC, took point on a key issue that was collaborated by the testimony of others. The LCHRC is designed to arbitrate cases and serves as an information center for discrimination issues. Without it, many businesses would incur financial burdens through court cases and penalties. These costs are often avoided by a simple call to the LCHRC for clarification on the discrimination laws.

One of the three-minute speakers near the end made a point that everybody understood. Disbanding the LCHRC simply isn't worth the fight. Besides all the points raised during the testimony, the discussion itself causes strife and division for a community that's already in very difficult times.

Besides Steve and Barry, most of the usual LGBT heroes descended on Lancaster including Alanna Berger, Blaise Liffick, Andy Hoover, Ted Martin, Mark Stoner, Carl Choper, Mykal Slack, and our most recent hero, AJ Marin. There were many champions of civil rights in one room, and I apologize for only naming those with whom I am most familiar. But, if you can forgive my singular point of view, I'd like to give huge kudos to AJ Marin. Over the past couple months, I've seen AJ perform an almost unbelievable feat of organization. He started by simply asking to have LGBT added as a subject class of discrimination, was faced with the prospect of losing the LCHRC altogether, and so took on the challenge of coordinating people from a widely diverse set of communities resulting in a hugely successful rally and hearing. Taking inspiration from AJ's lead, many new collaborations were formed, including an interfaith coalition named Embrace. AJ, Great Job! I am in awe of your talents and accomplishments.

June 2010 - Premonitions of the American Future?

From the desk of Doug Sturm…

(1) From Rand Paul, a physician and the Republican candidate from Kentucky for the U.S. Senate Stated in an interview with the Louisville Courier Journal, May 19: “I liked the Civil Rights Act [of 1964] in the sense that it ended discrimination in all public domains…. [But] I don't like the idea of telling private business owners…. I do believe in private ownership…” In the same interview, when asked about lunch counters denying service to Blacks, Paul declared it wrong to prohibit a business from discriminating. The next day on MSNBC, when asked again about the desegregation of lunch counters, Paul responded, “Does the owner of the restaurant own his restaurant? Or does the government own his restaurant?”

On May 20, John Stossel, business anchor of Fox News commented on Paul's interview: “It's time now to repeal that part of the law [the section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 desegregating all public accommodations], because private businesses ought to get to discriminate. And I won't ever go to a place that's racist…and I'll speak against them. But it should be their right to be racist.” Two days later, the African American advocacy group, Color of Change, circulated a petition to Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch to fire Stossel, claiming his call to repeal is “an insult to Black America and to all Americans who understand the history of racism in this country and have fought for racial progress.”

(2) The thesis of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's latest book To Save America: Stopping Obama's Secular-Socialist Machine (Regnery Press) in a nutshell: Obama's “secular-socialist machine represents as great a threat to America as Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union did.” Title of the book: To Save America:. The American Jewish Committee's reaction: “By invoking the current administration in the same breath as two murderous totalitarian states, Newt Gingrich has drawn a foolish and dangerous analogy. Gingrich's linkage not only diminishes the horror of the Holocaust, it also licenses the use of extremist language in contemporary America.” Gingrich is a paid political commentator on Fox News.

May 2010 - CARE Diversity Award

CARE announces the CARE Diversity Award, a gift of $500 to a local high school student who has demonstrated excellence in activities that have contributed to the achievement and advancement of women, minorities, persons with disabilities and/or persons of differing sexual orientation and gender identities.

This year's recipients are Evelyn Chevere from Selinsgrove High School and Brittany Emigh from Lewisburg High School.

Evelyn was a member of the Selinsgrove Area High School Tolerance Troupe during all four years of high school. She has undoubtedly had an impact on the awareness and understanding of diversity issues in our area.

Brittany was a member of the Lewisburg High School Diversity Club and also took a leadership role in raising money and awareness for Haiti relief.

Both students played significant roles in the annual Unity/Stop the Hate rally that takes place in Lewisburg each spring. We applaud their efforts!

CARE Award

CARE Steering Committee members Margie Torres, Cindy Peltier and Iris Rifkin Gainer with Brittany Emigh (second from left), one of the CARE Diversity Award recipients.

May 2010 - Letter to WVIA in response to a show on the Shenandoah.

As I watched the broadcast “Are we all Shenandoah” I was aghast when the program became the very image the town was protesting – an image of a bigoted community.

I feel the program placed the minority members of the panel in the position of accountability for their group. The host allowed inaccurate stereotypes and inaccurate statements to go unchallenged. I feel the host lost control.

Although she did correct the use of the phrase “you people” in regard to the minorities, the repeated quote, “We came in the right or legal way and followed the rules,” belies the fact that there were no restrictions except for health reasons or for being Chinese in the 19th or early 20th centuries. I have enclosed an article in support of this and other immigration regulations.

The questions about taxes are always another issue raised when speaking of immigrants. There is a specific code for reporting income. Social security taxes are paid as well as state, local, and taxes on goods purchased. Those with payrolls not reported have no recourse when they are underpaid or cheated out of overtime. Who do they report this to? And at what cost to them?

Language is another area where myth sometimes overrides the truth. German papers were in the forefront in Pennsylvania's early days and German-speaking children sometimes learned English in school. Children were also translators for their parents and grandparents. All did not come here conversing in English. The Berwick ACF finally held English classes because of so many accidents and failure to follow instructions because of the language barrier.

Social and church gatherings were often times ethnically divided. Sections of neighborhoods had clear racial and cultural demarcations.

I am usually proud to say that I am a WVIA supporter. Not on this occasion. What could have been a dialogue between the parties and an opportunity to learn about a different culture turned into an accusatory assault on an ethnic group and the two minority panel members in particular.

As an African American, my ancestors did not come here the right way as so many boast. The rules did not always apply to them, but there is great pride in their contributions and great pride in their willingness to love a country that did not always love them back or recognize them.

It was therefore a missed opportunity for Shenandoah to declare itself open to its strengths and weakness and WVIA to be supportive in that effort.

Isabel Tarr
Bloomsburg

May 2010 - A Conundrum: What's it mean to “be white”?

From the desk of Doug Sturm…

On the recent US Census form, Barrack Obama checked off “Black” as his racial/ethnic identity; I checked off “White.” But, I confess, I was miserably uncertain about what I had done. What does it mean to “be white”? I don't know whether Obama had any hesitation or, if he did, why.

For those wishing to pursue the complexities of “whiteness” as a category of identity, I recommend a brief article by Kelefa Sanneh, “Beyond the Pale: Is white the new black?” in the April 12 issue of The New Yorker (pp. 69-74). The article draws on a series of recent books and one film (see list below) to demonstrate the instability of that designation.

From David R. Roediger, she quotes, “It is not merely that whiteness is oppressive and false; it is that whiteness is nothing but oppressive and false.” Again, from another text by Roediger, she draws the story of an encounter between a British businessman and a “white domestic worker” in the US. When he asks to speak with her master, she remarks, “I have no master. I'd have you know, man, that I am no sarvant; none but negers are sarvants.”

Sanneh refers to Nell Irvin Painter's judgment that white identity is shifting: being white these days is not what it used to be, partly because a number of nonwhites have joined the cultural and (more important) economic elite. Does being “white” mean to be among the “elite”?

She herself remarks, “Yes, whiteness is a social construct, and not (as race scientists used to think) a biological essence — but then so, too, is every collective identity… [I]t's getting easier to imagine an American whiteness that is less exceptional, less dominant, less imperial, and more conspicuous, an ethnicity more like the others.” Yet, “it doesn't mean that whiteness is innocent of history — you can't tell the story of whiteness (or, for that matter, blackness) without talking about racism.”

What does it mean, then, to be “white” or “black” or “yellow” or “red”?

Texts reviewed:

April 2, 2010 - State of Black America 2010

From the Desk of Doug Sturm: Jobs: Responding to the Crisis

The National Urban League (NUL, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, has released its annual report on The State of Black America, focusing especially on the current economic crisis as it impacts millions of minority citizens.

The report's Executive Summary (available online at www.nul.com) opens by declaring "the devastation caused by near-record high unemployment for African-Americans…threatens to push an already struggling community deeper into poverty and despair." Black unemployment is nearly twice that of white Americans.

Employing NUL's intricately designed Equality Index to compare the relative status of White, Black, and (this year for the first time) Hispanic Americans through 2009, the report concludes that, using the status of White Americans as a norm, the status of Black Americans stands at 71.8 percent, and the status of Hispanic Americans stands at 75.5 percent.

These figures are derived from measurements taken along five categories: economics, health, education, social justice, and civic engagement.

In response to the present-day economic crisis as it affects minority groups, the report presents a "comprehensive and bold six-point" NUL Plan for Putting America Back to Work including:

Question: Should CARE adopt this plan or something similar to ask current candidates for public office if they would support proposals of this sort? Get the report, study the plan, tell us what you think.

March 25, 2010 - Letter from Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. to Dave Ambrose Treasurer of CARE

Re: Issue of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”

Dear Mr. Ambrose:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about the military policy referred to as “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” and its effect on the armed services and our national security. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

In 1993, a compromise was reached regarding the controversial issue of gay and lesbian Americans serving in the United States military. Referred to as “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”, the policy dictates that members of the Armed Forces are not to be asked about nor allowed to discuss their sexual orientation. In the years since “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” has been implemented, over 13,000 service members have been discharged under the policy. While there have been numerous challenges to the constitutionality of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the policy has remained in effect.

On February 2, 2010, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the Senate Committee on Armed Services regarding “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.” For the first time, the Defense Secretary and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff unveiled a plan for the eventual repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell.” Secretary Gates reported that the Pentagon has initiated a year-long study to review how best to implement a repeal of this policy. In the weeks following Secretary Gates' and Admiral Mullen's testimony, other respected military officials, both active and retired, have expressed their support for repeal, including General Colin Powell, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Upon carefully reviewing the impact of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” on our military, speaking with members of the Armed Forces and weighing the recommendations of Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen, I believe the time has come to end this policy. With our Armed Forces engaged in two wars, our national security depends on a strong and talented military. Moreover, any qualified American willing to risk his or her life for their country should be permitted to serve free of discriminatory treatment. There is also evidence that lifting bans on openly gay service improved morale by putting the focus on mission rather than identity.

“Don't Ask, Don't Tell” was created by an act of Congress, and it will require an act of Congress to repeal it. On March 3, 2010, S. 3065, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2010, of which I am a cosponsor, was introduced in the Senate. S. 3065 repeals “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” and establishes a nondiscrimination policy that includes sexual orientation in the Armed Forces. It codifies the review process initiated by the Pentagon and ensures that “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” is repealed consistent with the recommendations of top military officials. S. 3065 is currently being considered by the Committee on Armed Services, of which I am not a member. Please be assured that should this legislation come before the full Senate for consideration, I will have your views in mind.

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to visit my web site, casey.senate.gov. I invite you to use this online office as a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,
Bob Casey

Febraury 26, 2010 - From the Desk of Doug Sturm

Persisting Economic Disparities in America: United for a Fair Economy

Recently, United for a Fair Economy, a Boston based movement created to struggle against the grossly uneven distribution of economic resources in the US, released it annual “State of the Dream” report, subtitled “Drained: Jobless and Foreclosed in Communities of Color.”

The 32 page report is available on line through UFE's website faireconomy.org. Clearly composed and accompanied with well-designed graphs, the report concludes with a range of sensible policy recommendations, including special attention to federal tax policies.

Inspired by this timely report, I composed a letter to the editor of The Daily Item (published on the editorial page February 26) reprinted below:

As we enter these final days of African American History Month, I am reminded that the larger purpose of this special month is to remind us that, whatever our racial and ethnic identities, we are all participants in a society that promises liberty and justice for all.

The cruel fact is that this promise has not been kept. In its annual report on the current economic status of minorities in America released last month, United for a Fair Economy summarizes significant disparities in employment, income, and wealth among White Americans, African Americans, and Latinos.

So, for instance, in employment as of December, given official figures, 16.2% of Blacks and 12.9% of Latinos were unemployed, but only 9% of Whites.

In income, the ratio is similar. Compared to every dollar earned by Whites, Blacks receive only 62 cents, Latinos only 68 cents.

In wealth, where the median value of assets owned by white families with assets was $39,500; that of families of color was only $5,500.

If it is true, as I believe, that in a democratic society we belong together and that we are ‘our brothers’ (and sisters’) keepers’. we should, especially during this time of deep and persisting economic crisis seek ways to overcome such disparities as we make an effort to resolve the overall crisis.

As Martin Luther King, Jr., was fond of insisting, the inseparable twin of racial injustice is economic injustice. In this land we must, if we are serious about our proclaimed national promise, collaborate in creating a community of equals. Until we do so, our proclaimed commitment to democratic principles is but a sham.

February 2010 - NAACP: UNSUNG HEROES OF BLACK HISTORY Project

The following letter was distributed to members and supporters of the NAACP on first of February, announcing its new “Unsung Heroes of Black History” project. The project invites anyone and everyone to submit stories (and photos) to add to the project. The website to access a set of such “Unsung Heroes” and to learn how to submit additional nominations is: naacp-unsung-heroes.tumblr.com.

The letter is from Ben Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP:

Every February, we celebrate the triumphs and accomplishments of African-Americans as families, classrooms, and libraries across the nation commemorate Black History Month. It is a time to recognize the giants of our struggle, from Harriet Tubman to Martin Luther King, Frederick Douglass to Barack Obama.

But history is more than just a collection of famous people and major dates. Indeed, it is a multi-layered narrative in which individual decisions lead to collective movements, where context, timing and personalities combine to create the space for social change to occur.

Without question, the Montgomery Bus Boycott needed a Rosa Parks to take her legendary stand, but it also depended on the thousands of individuals making the courageous decision morning after morning to risk their jobs, their health and their safety to bring a measure of justice to the Jim Crow South. Each of these participants deserves our recognition too.

Every organizer who fought against workplace inequality, every neighbor who registered his or her block to vote, is an unsung hero of black history.

This month, the NAACP has launched "Unsung Heroes of Black History Month," a new interactive web-based feature celebrating these little known black history heroes. NAACP members and supporters around the country will have the opportunity to upload a photo and tell the story of their favorite unsung hero to be published on our website. Viewers will be able to read, learn and comment on their stories.

The world-changing advances made by African-Americans were neither pre-ordained nor inevitable. They are the product of thousands of individuals who changed the world with small decisions every day.

When you share a story of an unsung hero, we can expand our understanding of the narrative of black history, one hero at a time. Thank you.

January 2010 - News from the PA Progressive Summit

For 2010, the Freedom To Marry Rally for Harrisburg has exploded into a whole slew of events designed to educate and demonstrate that marriage equality is a civil right and religious liberty issue. Events include:

For all the Rally details, see FreedomToMarryPA.org or join the Facebook group "Freedom To Marry Rally - Harrisburg PA"

For more on the PA Progressive Summit; a separate and equally exciting event from the Marriage Equality events, go to www.paprogressivesummit.org!

November 2009 - Political Action

In addition to the Health Care debate featured in the news; Congress is taking up a number of issues affecting our communities. In particular:

September 2009 - In Support of HB 300

House Bill 300 is just, fair legislation that would end discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in Pennsylvania. It would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, the commonwealth's civil rights law, to include "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression" as protected classes. Right now, it is legal in many parts of Pennsylvania to fire someone simply for being gay.

Anti-gay extremists have been hammering the offices of state representatives with phone calls and especially emails. Most representatives have received nearly 1,000 emails from the anti-gay forces.

Unfortunately, those who think LGBT Pennsylvanians should be second-class citizens have had some success. Numerous representatives have been intimidated by this vocal minority, including some co-sponsors who have removed their names from the bill.

It's time for those of us who oppose discrimination to fight back. If we expect to win in this important struggle, the ACLU of PA and our allies need you to take action.

Here are some things you can do:

To learn more: www.endlegaldiscrimination.org

ACLU of PA · P.O. Box 40008 · Philadelphia, PA 19106
aclupa@aclupa.org · 215-592-1513 x122 · www.aclupa.org

June 2009

An Impassioned Speech About Gay Rights From Obama's Employment Chief John Berry, President Obama's openly gay Office of Personnel Management director, gave an impassioned speech on anti-gay discrimination this week at the Departmentof Justice's (DoJ) awards ceremony celebrating Gay Pride Month, as reported by Government Executive. Berry, who has been a major player in employment policy before he entered the job, offered a particularly pointed criticism of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy:

A good friend of mine was a colonel who honorably served in the Middle East. His sacrifice and risk of life was no less dear than anyone. I ask America, where do you stand — with this honorable service or with those who would make him lie to do so?

The Bush administration had stopped the DoJ celebration from 2003 to 2007, before Attorney General Michael Mukasey resumed it in 2008.

Berry drew on his own experiences — among them, seeing his partner of 10 years lose a battle with AIDS — to make a forceful case against gay discrimination. He challenged those in attendance again before he was done: Again, I ask: where do you stand? Honoring love as precious and true wherever you find it, or with those who would demean or deny it?

Obama has said he wants to overturn Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but he has yet to do so. His relationship with gays has been slightly strained since he took office; they saw hope in his candidacy, but there's a sense that he's yet to deliver. Don't Ask, Don't Tell, domestic partner benefits (or, preferably, federal civil unions), hate crimes (which the Senate will reportedly address), and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act are pieces of their agenda.

Berry's significance, I'm told, is partly symbolic. He's the government's highest-ranking openly gay official, and he happens to be in charge of human resources. There's a notion of the federal government as a "model employer," sending signals to the private sector on issues like diversity.

The signal of Berry's speech Wednesday was loud and clear — albeit one that was not widely attended by media or widely publicized.

10 Myths Brochures Available

At the Stop the Hate Rally in September, CARE promised a brochure entitled Ten Myths about Gay Sexuality… and their Corrections. The brochure is now ready and lists facts that disprove 10 common myths about gay sexuality. If you would like copies, feel free to contact us.

The brochure is being disseminated in cafes, churches and other public places. People have also asked to use the brochure in workshops being offered to school nurses, guidance counselors and other professionals.

Diversity Resources Directory

CARE is beginning work on a directory of services to benefit diverse populations in the Valley. Included will be professionals who are known to be knowledgeable about the needs of specific groups, such as lawyers, doctors, teachers, business owners, clergy, and counselors. If you know of a person or group that you think should be included in our directory please let us know.

Martin Luther King Celebration

CARE and the Donald Heiter Center Collaborate on Plans for Martin Luther King Celebration which will be held at the Donald Heiter Center. Babbette Rose-Faison, along with others from CARE's Task Force for African American concerns will help with the planning and the cooking.

September 25, 2007 - CARE Leads Off Stop The Hate Rally

Lois Passi, Co-chairperson, spoke to a crowd of approximately 200 Bucknell University students, staff persons and community members in Hufnagle Park at the Unity Jam - Stop the Hate Rally. After a kind and generous introduction by the Director of Bucknell University's Multicultural Center, Jessica Hess, Passi took the stage other Steering Committee Members and members of the Clergy Roundtable. Passi highlighted CARE's commitment to equality for all people and reminded audience members that CARE respond not only to individual incidents of discrimination but also to public matters concerning diversity. She cited the recent cancellation of a Lewisburg High School Marching Band trip to Knoebel's Grove on the same day that a Gay Pride picnic was being held in the amusement park as an indication of how much work needs to be done to insure respect and equality for people of all sexual orientations in the Susquehanna Valley.

Passi announced CARE's launching of a 10 Myths Campaign in mid-November as one step toward addressing fear of gays among the people of the Susquehanna Valley. CARE will disseminate a brochure that lists 10 myths about GLBTs, the truth. She asked audience members to help by giving a 10 Myths brochure to a friend, relative, coworker or neighbor that may not have accurate information about GLBTs. In addition, she said that brochures would be made available to local businesses and churches. Passi noted that CARE members would make newspapers and radio stations aware of this campaign. Passi ended her speech with a poignant anecdote about the Vietnamese Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hahn.

Following Passi's speech. Melissa Ferrick, played guitar and sang. Ferrick is a musician from Massachusetts who has opened for Ani DeFranco the past few weeks on tour. Attorney Chris Sabas spoke about inalienable human rights in the context of the Hazelton backlash against Latinos. Erica Lopatofsky, a Bucknell University graduate student, and Lee Saville-Andree performed two songs. Marissa Calhoun, a Bucknell student, invited community members as well as students to join her activism efforts. Peggy Cronin, from the Bucknell Writing Center, introduced the crowd to the two parts of the America Project, the second of which is Sekou Sundiata's upcoming 51st (dream) state. Following a song by Voices of Praise and thanks by Ms. Hess, the crowd marched by candlelight onto Market Street, down 4th Street and back to Hufnagle Park in Lewisburg.

Milton Area Homework Club Ready to Go

The Milton Area Homework Club, co-sponsored by CARE, the YMCA of Milton and the Milton Area School District, is set up and ready to go! Fifteen tutors volunteered to tutor students on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Transportation from the schools to the YMCA was arranged by the school district, and teachers are now aware of the program. All of the money was successfully raised by Milton Area businesses.

September 2007 - CARE joins the No Hate in Our Town Campaign.

On September 1, 2007, while supporters of the Hazelton mayor's anti-immigration ordinance held a rally in Harrisburg to breed more fear and distrust of immigrants, No Hate in Our Town held a press conference in Harrisburg to speak out against hate and in support of all workers. No Hate in Our Town is a joint venture of six statewide organizations (including the Pennsylvania Network of Unity Coalitions in which CARE participates). It is an effort to unite Pennsylvanians in support of fair and inclusive communities. In the face of divisiveness caused by discriminatory local anti-immigration ordinances and other forms of scapegoating, the coalition calls for unity in addressing the root causes of economic, health and public safety issues in our state. As a show of support, the photo below was taken on Sunday, September 2, 2007 in Lewisburg by Mary Hague, who initiated the event. Across the back row: Helen Nunn, unidentified mother & daughter in arms, Alex Wilce, Doug Sturm, Kerry Walters, Kim Daubman. Middle row: Adrian Levin, Margie Sturm,Caroll Bloom, Cindy Peltier. Front row: two unidentified children.

For more information about this campaign, please contact mhague@bucknell.edu.

June 3, 2007 Interfaith Service Celebrates Gay Pride Month

I have a dream for all humanity that we may know truth and dignity; peace on earth, and that one day we'll stand arm in arm, hand in hand.

- Mary Donnelly

Interfaith Service

I Have a Dream was one of the songs sung by The Buffalo Valley Singers and choir members of St. John's United Church of Christ in Lewisburg where the area's first interfaith service was held to honor gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents of Susquehanna Valley. The service was held on Sunday, June 3rd at 7:00 PM. Approximately 120 people attended. The event was co-sponsored by The Community Alliance for Respect and Equality (CARE).

Ten local clergy from 5 different religious traditions participated in the service. Other local clergy came to show their support as well.

A litany of celebration was led by Rev. Brian Vasey of Beaver Memorial United Methodist Church. The call went out to the religious communities for support and equality and celebration. It has taken time, and there are too few, but slowly arms are being extended in welcome and blessing, he read.

The Rev. Ann Keeler Evans read from material she wrote herself for the service. Three short homilies were offered by the Rev. Robin Jarrell of Christ Episcopal Church in Milton, Rabbi Nina Mandel of Congregation Beth-El in Sunbury, and Rev. Barry Stopfel of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Susquehanna Valley in Point Township. Each spoke of the need to understand sexuality as part of our spirituality, and to be accepting of all sexual orientations. Is there such an abundance of love in the world that you can throw some away because it doesn't look like the love you know?, asked Rev. Stopfel.

Rev. Karl Polm-Faudre, a Tibetan Buddhist priest, offered a Buddhist prayer. Rev. Allen Fluent spoke of our lives and our love as an offering to God, and Rabbi Serena Fujita offered a benediction in which she spoke of the need to stop hate and violence directed toward gays. She stated that hate crimes against gays are the fastest growing form of hate crime.

Many of the congregants expressed thanks to the communities of faith for having a service to honor gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people. The mood in the room was optimistic. Rev. Stopfel summed it up well in his closing words: My brothers and sisters, our song of freedom and pride will prevail. Our faith, our love and our courage will make it so. Blessed be.

January 20, 2007 - Progressive Summit Held

A meeting of approximately 25 progressive non-profit groups was held on Saturday at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Lewisburg. The meeting was organized by Rev. Kerry Walters and run by Jordi Comas, head of Central Susquehanna Citizens for Change (CSCC).

Topics discussed included common problems we all face as non-profits and ways that we can collaborate with one another. Two important considerations were the establishment of an umbrella non-profit group (a parent organization) as well as the establishment of a website in which all the member groups could keep one community calendar. This would help each of us know what the others are up to and keep us from accidentally scheduling two events on the same date.

We at CARE extend our thanks and congratulations to Jordi Comas and to Rev. Kerry Walters for organizing the meeting.

January 15, 2007 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Celebration

The Donald Heiter Community Center (lewisburg, PA) hosted a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s (MLK,Jr.) birthday celebration on Monday. The Community Center Staff, sponsored the annual event along with CARE, to promote community service and positive community action.

A delicious dinner followed afternoon activities for children. The highlight of the evening was a performance by Selinsgrove High School's Tolerance Troupe, under the direction of Mr. Harvey Edwards. The Troupe promotes the values that Dr. King embraced throughout his life.

January 14, 2007 - Martin Luther King Celebrations

St. Paul AME Church (Milton, PA) holds an annual remembrance program to honor Reverend Martin Luther King. The highlight of this year's program was poetry and song by the Gaspipe Theatre Company of Lewisburg.

The Daily Item reported that Danielle Scott, Derek Scott, Denise Guinn-Bailey and Lisa Johnson read the poems, composed by Derek Scott, before a full house. At times, the audience clapped in time with the songs, and occasional exclamations of That's right and Uh-huh from the audience gave something of a revival meeting atmosphere to the presentation.

Ed Nelson, the mayor of Milton, made some brief remarks thanking those who attended and Donnie Spiller read a short excerpt from Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

According to the Item, Reverend Donald Spiller said in closing If this country could come together as we do tonight, we could make all things right. It's a battle that has to be fought, and we must make the sacrifices. It makes a big difference in my mind and heart.

Frances Spiller, a member of CARE, served as the master of ceremonies and was delighted with the turnout. People filled the church for the celebration.

May - June, 2006 - Co-sponsor: Latino Culture In-Service Training

CARE teamed up with the Milton Area School District and Bucknell University to present two workshops, one for elementary school teachers and the other for High School teachers, about Latino literature. Snacks from various ethnic groups were donated from various restaurants, and CARE donated many books to the libraries of the Milton Area School District. This group will continue to work with the Milton Area School District to supplement their multicultural books in their libraries.

May, 2006 - Speech by Dr. Ghayda Al Ali

Dr. Ghayda Al Ali, a local Iraqi citizen living in Lewisburg for one year, and a Bucknell professor of Arabic, spoke to a small group about her perspective on the situation in Iraq. A lively discussion followed.

Spring, 2006 - Multi-cultural books in Milton Area School District

Lois Passi began a project to increase the number of multi-cultural books in the Milton area schools. After a review of the card catalog for the Middle school, four Latino books were donated, and other books identified for other cultures. Lois is currently seeking donors for these books, as the budget in the schools is very small.

Spring, 2006 - Libros en Espanol

Claudia Wilshusen, a Lewisburg resident, brokered the establishment of the first Spanish language section of an area public library, Priestly Library in Northumberland, PA. Pam Ross, the librarian, re-organized the library to accommodate 30 Spanish language books and additional magazines. Many CARE donations paid for the books, along with a discount on each book provided by the proprietor of Page After Page in Lewisburg.

April, 2006 - Panel: What Role Should Education about Religions Play in the Public Schools?

Held on Palm Sunday, this afternoon event began with an hour long presentation by three panelists: Lois Passi, co-chair of CARE and chair of the religious diversity committee; Kathy Hummel of the CSIU; and Joe Burroughs of West Perry, a teacher of World Cultures. A 45-minute discussion followed. Approximately 25 people attended this event.

March, 2006 - Co-sponsor: Speech by Dr. Signe Waller

CARE co-sponsored Dr. Signe Waller, who spoke about the Willingboro murders and use of a truth commission to facilitate healing years later. This event was held at Bucknell University.

February, 2006 - Co-sponsor: Presentation of Briars in the Cotton Patch

CARE, under the direction of Cindy Peltier, co-sponsored a movie entitled Briars in the Cotton Patch which was shown at the Campus Theater to an audience of approximately 300. This 1 hour long documentary chronicles the history of the Koinonia movement in Georgia. Brian Johnson led a discussion following the movie. This event was co-sponsored with the Center for Non-Violent Living and Union-Snyder Habitat for Humanity.

January, 2006 - Co-sponsor: Martin Luther King Celebration

CARE co-sponsored the Martin Luther King celebration held at the Donald Heiter Center in Lewisburg. Featured were a multicultural display provided by CARE, a timeline of the Civil Rights movement, a gospel choir, a potluck dinner, and a speech by Babette Faison of Lewisburg. Approximately 100 people attended this event.

December, 2005 - Candlelight Vigil

In early fall, several parents and children discovered a burned cross at their bus stop in Milton. CARE organized a candlelight vigil entitled Replacing a Flame of Hate with a Flame of Love in response to this cross burning. Approximately 50 people attended. Brian Johnson, a Milton resident and chair of Multicultural Affairs at Susquehanna University, gave a speech. Additionally, Lois Passi spoke for CARE, Oscar Guerrero and Chris Acosta spoke for Latinos (with speeches given in both English and Spanish), and Mayor Ed Nelson also spoke.

Fall, 2005 - Essay Contest

An essay contest was launched at the Peace and Justice Festival. The title of the essay was How will YOU make the world a better place? The Daily Item sponsored the contest with $550 prize money. There were three categories: ages 4-7, 8-12, and 13-17 with first, second and third prizes in each category. Winning essays were published in the Daily Item. Each winner received their prize check and a book. Additionally, each of the 109 entrants received a personal letter with a certificate thanking them for making the world a better place and specific feedback about their essay.

October, 2005 - Friends around the World: A Multicultural Event For the Whole Family

This first-ever multicultural event was held on October 1 at RiverWoods, Marlow Hall, Lewisburg. It was free and open to the public. A large room was divided into continents. Each continent area held displays, artifacts, food samples, and crafts from various cultures. Additionally, there were games, a storytelling tent sporting stories from around the world, a "religions" section, and a "garden table" highlighting the beauty of diversity. Shoba Kumar, a resident of Selinsgrove, performed classical Indian dance. The River Road Whistlepigs played international music. The Susquehanna Valley International Folk Dancers taught us dances from around the world. Approximately 100 people attended this event.

October, 2005 - Peace and Justice Festival (co-sponsor)

CARE marched in the Peace and Justice Festival held annually with Bucknell University. Featured speaker was Floyd Cochran, previous member of the Aryan Nation turned human rights activist.

August, 2005 - Diversity Picnic

Our annual diversity picnic was held at St. Mary's Park in Lewisburg. While those attending enjoyed good food and fellowship, attendance was poor. Causes were identified and rectified for future programming.

July, 2005 - Annual Meeting

Our annual meeting was held at Peking Garden Restaurant in Lewisburg. A presentation was offered by Lois Passi in which we began to explore the possibility of establishing a board of directors in the future. We also discussed the possibility of an expanded development program.