“Hope as a Strategy” by Rev. Peter Friederich

Rev. Peter Friederich

In his speech attacking Obama at the Republican National Convention, Rudy Giuliani said that “Hope is not a strategy.” Well, he’s dead wrong about that. Since 9/11 the Bush administration has used fear as a strategy. As a strategy to rationalize the use of preemptive military action that has decimated our economy and our standing on the world stage, a strategy to eviscerate our constitutionally-guaranteed personal liberties, a strategy to justify the use of torture, a strategy to manipulate and control us.

I reject fear, and instead choose hope as a strategy. A strategy to develop alternative fuels that will gain us energy independence. A strategy to lead us out of an unjustified war in Iraq. A strategy to provide health care coverage for every American. A strategy to save the middle class and to bridge the ever-growing chasm between the haves and the have-nots. Barack Obama is offering us hope, but he isn’t offering just hope. Or even just “hope and a prayer.” He is offering hope, and a prayer, and a plan. Contrary to what the Republicans would have you believe, he isn’t just “full of empty rhetoric.” (And, by the way, when did it become a crime to be a well-educated, erudite and inspiring speaker?) If you’re not familiar with the particulars of his plans to get us out of Iraq, to promote energy independence, to provide health care coverage for all, to provide tax credits to the middle class, I urge you to visit www.barackobama.com and learn more.

And I urge you to join me in working to elect Barack Obama, and choosing hope over fear.

With love and faith,
Rev. Peter Friederich
Unitarian-Universalist
Swarthmore, PA

“More than Party Allegiances” by Rev. Wes Jamison

Rev. Wes Jamison

This election is about more than party allegiances.  It’s about the future of this country and this world.  It’s far too important to sit idly by and do nothing, or worse yet, allow the rhetoric of fear scare us into quietly agreeing to four more years of the same failed politicial and economic policies.  The next President will appoint at least one and possibly as many as three justices to the United States Supreme Court.  With the justices Bush has appointed, that will ensure a tight conservative grip on the court for at least the next 20 years.  We CANNOT let that happen.  McCain keeps talking about drilling as a means of solving our current energy crisis.  You and I both know that isn’t going to work.  Even if we drill and find a few more pockets of oil within the borders of this country, we won’t see a drop of that oil reach our markets for at least 5 to 10 years.  We need to begin moving toward an alternative now.  T. Boone Pickens has suggested converting our cars to run on natural gas–a more abundant, cheaper, cleaner alternative to gas distilled from crude oil.  It’s an excellent idea for a bridge to carry us while we invest billions in research, something the Bush administration has refused to do.

I went on a forum on faith sponsored by the Obama campaign last night.  The speaker was an ethics professor from Wesley Theological Seminary and an ordained Church of Christ (not UCC, but acapella Church of Christ) minister named Shaun Casey.  He shared a frightening statistic.  During Bush’s administration six million additional people have fallen into poverty in this nation, bringing the rate to it’s highest level since the 1960s.  Currently, as many as 52 million US citizens are without health insurance.  Due to changes in the bankruptcy laws under the Bush administration and the former Republican controlled congress, medical bills can now be charged against a person’s credit.  This means that one major medical event in the life of a family can ruin their credit for years to come, thus preventing them from gaining adequate housing, transportation, and even loans to help their children get through school.  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.  This has to end.

If you’re already working for the campaign, please, keep working.  Talk to everyone you know, even if you don’t think your state will go for Obama.  We need EVERY vote we can get.  If you live in a battleground state, then PLEASE, PLEASE do everything you can.  We have about six weeks left until the election.  Go to www.barackobama.com and register if you haven’t already done so.  You can generate a list of people who live near you and print off a script to use to either call them or go visit them in person and talk to them about this election.  You can also find Barack Obama’s platform, including his plans for education, energy, foreign policy, and everything else.  Even if you don’t feel confident on the issues, you can read up and feel more confident.  We need every vote we can get, especially in Virginia, Ohio, Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, and Florida.

We can and will win this election!  Don’t give up hope.   This election is FAR TOO IMPORTANT to sit idly by and do nothing.  We saw what happened when we did that in 2000 and 2004.  Please, talk to EVERYONE you know and encourage them to vote.  If anyone needs to register to vote, send them to www.voteforchange.com and the website will guide them through the process.  Also, if you know of anyone who needs to vote absentee, then send them to that website as well.  They can register to receive an absentee ballot on there.

Grace and Peace,

Wes Jamison,

B.A. Milligan College
M.Div. Emmanuel School of Religion

“If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each [one's] life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”
–Henry Wadsworth Longfellow