The Ethical Culture Society of Essex County

516 Prospect Street, Maplewood, New Jersey 07040  Phone 973-763-1905     Email: ecsec.nj@gmail.com
Board of Trustees:Tom Cunningham, President; Jacqueline Herships, Vice-President; Diane Beeny; Jill Farrer;
William Graves; ; Lisa Novemsky; Bill Stoever, Terri Suess; Peggy Toy. Leader Emeriti: Martha Gallahue, Boe Meyerson, Jim White
Liz Cunningham, Office Manager
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updated10-26-24


Social Action Committee
Next Meeting

Next Social Action Committee Meeting
Friday, November 22 , 2024 at 5:00 pm.

By Zoom

 


Social Action Committee Minutes


Latest Resources:



There's Still Time to Phone Bank:

GOTV--GET OUT THE VOTE!

We recommend using the GOTV/Reclaim Our vote website: https://www.centerforcommonground.org/phonebanks . We have worked with this group before, and if you go to that website, you'll find a training video, scripts for the phone calls, and the names and phone numbers. The website places the call for you, preserving your privacy.

 

November 10, 2024: Bill Graves will be facilitating a post election Sunday morning program, a discussion of the aftermath of the election

 

 

We don't need fracked gas power plants in Essex county

 

. The proposed Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission is considering granting a license for a fracking gas-fired power plant to be located in an already overburdened community in Newark that is already adverse for the types of stressors that the plant would emit. DEP has repeatedly stated its commitment to environmental justice, and the Environmental Justice law requires the DEP to act in line with Environmental Justice principles.


– Call Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and ask him to use his influence on an issue he has already spoken out against, which is the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission's attempt to license a fracked gas power plant to be built on Newark. Call DiVincenzo at 1-866-862-3237


– Also, on this same issue, send comments on this permit to Kevin Greener at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection by October 29, 2024 at Kevin.Greener@dep.nj.gov. Watch your email for Daniela's updates on this.


 

 

The Social Action Committe's next meeting will be by Zoom on Friday, November 22 , 2024 at 5:00 pm.

 




 







 







Keep Updated via Delaware Water Keeper on Stopping Hydrogen Hubs:
https://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/ongoing-issues/mid-atlantic-hydrogen-hub



Food and Water Action video with Jimmy Lee speaking about plans to expand the NJ Tpke through Jersey City, which environmentalists are opposing: https://fwwat.ch/cjvt-videos .



Maplewood Food Fridge Pantry on Sringfield Avenue:
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/5139672739427230?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=7288789621182187 .






Daniela Gioseffi's simple suggestions
for Saving the Trees Globally and Locally


A Youtube of Daniela's poem on trees.

 

THINK GLOBALLY AND ACT LOCALLY
WHAT WE CAN DO QUICKLY AND EASILY
TO HAVE AN IMPRACT IN NEW JERSEY

 

 

Please ask Friends and Family to take a few minutes a week to do the following, also:

 

  • Fight to save our old growth forests, and use only RECYCLED paper products.
  • Whole Foods & Trader Joe’s own brands are best, because they do not use paper from abused, clear cut forests. Buy recycled paper products ONLY. Call Gov. Murphy and say PROTECT NJ”s OLD GROWTH FORESTS so important to our climate, clean air, and water.
  • Calls direct to Gov. Murphy during weekday office hours: 609-292-6000
  • What you can do and contact information to NJ Governor Murphy:
  • Think globally, act LOCALLY:  NJ Coalition of 120 environment non-profit orgs such as Empower New Jersey.  Sign the petition Receive alerts
  • 3 mins. Phone Action: Moratorium Mondays. We call the Governor to say NO NEW FOSSIL FUEL PROJECTS. via Empower New Jersey  866-586-4069  It’s suggested what to say and then you’re connected to the gov’s office.
  • E -Letters at the Governor’s Website https://www.state.nj.us/governor/contact/all/e-mail the Gov: constituent.relations.nj.gov
To learn more about how forests communicate and why hub, or Mother Trees, are vital to rejuvenating forests go to Suzanne Simard’s TED TALK: on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Un2yBgIAxYs or buy her book. FINDING THE MOTHER TREE: https://suzannesimard.com
 
 

WHAT IS THIS PAGE?

The Social Action Committee has been writing letters on various issues. We have checked facts and discussed language. Please feel free to use our letters and opinion pieces as a basis for your own letters!

Examples:

Social Action Committee Opinion Piece on Gun Control
in The Village Green 7-18-23

Ethical Culture of Essex County Social Action Committee Letter on Fossil Fuels to The News Record published The News Record February 16, 2023

Letters on Immigration Detainees Issues

 

Social Action Resources Page

Next Social Action Committee Meeting
Friday, September 22, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. By Zoom.

 

Social Action Committee Minutes here.

 

 

June 2023

Consider using the following letter from the Social Action Committee as a model for your own letter to the media or legislators. This one, send out 6-26-23, is about Gun violence and gun laws:

 

PLEASE USE OUR LETTER. IN WHOLE OR IN PART!

 


Dear (Editor, Legislator, etc.),

The Social Action Committee of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County is strongly advocating for prudent guidelines concerning the purchase, carry rights, and use of guns in this country. Because we believe that it is our responsibility to live an ethical life and leave the world a better place for future generations, and in honor of the thousands killed by guns every year in senseless acts of terror, we want to encourage immediate measures for stronger background checks and prudent gun sale restrictions, most particularly of assault weapons which have no peaceful use but are weapons for which the sole purpose is killing many human beings rapidly and with maximum bodily destruction.

While we support and praise the legislation already passed by the New Jersey legislature restricting the right to carry in certain "sensitive" venues, and limiting the rounds of ammunition that magazines can hold, more needs to be done nationwide to pass sensible and practical gun legislation. Victims of gun violence range from young children to older adults, and represent all ethnic groups, although many are Black, Indigenous, Asians, other people of color, Jews and Muslims. These random acts of gun violence occur everywhere: in our schools, in our houses of worship, in our shopping malls, in small Mom and Pop stores, in our train stations, and on our public streets. In essence, no place is safe.

The perpetrators are often filled with racial hatred, rage, or are suffering from mental illness. What they have in common is their weapon: guns, often military style guns that decimate bodies and blow faces off.

It is our conviction that no reasonable interpretation of the Second Amendment—composed in a time of front-loading muskets when automatic war weapons were unimaginable–should preclude our ability to establish guidelines and measures to keep us safe in a civilized, democratic society. If we as a nation cannot do that, we will descend into anarchy and public terror where no one is safe.

                                                                                                                                    Sincerely,

May 2023

 

A quick and simple way to speak out against new fossil fuel facilities in New Jersey. Go to www.EmpowerNewJersey.com (a Coalition of 120 eco-orgs) to learn more.

Then call 866-586-4069 and follow instructions to call Gov Murphy saying NO NEW FOSSIL FUEL PROJECTS.

 

Consider using some of our Committee letters to legislators and others as models or templates for your own personal letters. This is an important way to influence public policy:

 

3-22-23 From the Ethical Action Group at the American Ethical Union:

Call to (Ethical) Action:
The AEU Affirms the Rights of Trans, Non-Binary, and Intersex People

 

March 31 is International Transgender Day of Visibility. The day celebrates transgender people and provides an opportunity to increase awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as to celebrate their contributions to society. The American Ethical Union has issued a Statement to affirm its longstanding support for the human rights of Trans, Non-Binary, and Intersex people. The Statement has been posted on the AEU's website with the continuing list of Statements issued since 1967. The Statement has been posted on Facebook (both the main AEU page and the Ethical Action page) and Twitter and will also be sent to every member of the AEU via email. Now it's time for us all to swing into action. Here is a menu of actions that we can each take, as individuals and as Ethical Societies, to amplify this message in our communities. Choose which actions are within the current capacity of your Ethical Society. Each thing that we do adds to the number of people who will receive our message, see the stand we are taking, see our values. This is part of the effort needed to persuade others and to bring about social change. No matter how small our individual effort, together we can make a difference.

 

 

I.

Individually (each of you), not representing your Ethical Culture society:

  • Read and Share the Statement--and your views and values and experiences--with friends, neighbors, co-workers. Talking (respectfully) about an issue, whether it's any of the hot buttons that seem to divide us as a nation is one of the best ways to help others understand our point of view (and to understand theirs). Katherine Hayhoe urges us to talk about climate change "with mutual respect and a focus on what genuinely connects us." It's a good technique for any issue where the community is not in total agreement.
  • Share the Statement--and your views and values--with decision makers. And then engage them about the issue.
  • • Call your representatives' offices--local, state, and federal. Ask what your representatives are doing to protect the rights of trans, non-binary, and intersex people in public and private spheres.
  • • When election campaigns begin (they really don't ever end), you can ask a question about a candidate's stance on the what the educational system should do to support trans, non-binary, and intersex students; what support should be given to parents who care for their children who are trans, non-binary, or intersex; how we as a society can include others rather than marginalize them. Refer to the Statement, if you wish, during a candidate forum (or before agreeing to work in their campaign). Just asking such a question brings the issue to their attention (and to the audience as well), and it might even elevate the issue for future action.

 

 

II. Facebook

  • • If you are not on Facebook, skip this step • If you are on Facebook:
  • • Engage with the AEU post and the AEU Ethical Action post. (To engage is to click on one of the little icons that shows your reaction. Like is nice, but any of the others would be more helpful in raising the prominence of AEU on Facebook.)
  • • Share the AEU or the AEU Ethical Action post on your own timeline. (This will expand our reach to include your friends and contacts. Expanding our reach increases the likelihood that more people will receive our message and consider joining our stand.)
  • • Comment on the post(s). You may want to report what your community is doing to the rights of trans, non-binary, and intersex persons. You may want to report that your Ethical Culture society has voted to take the same stand as the AEU. You may even disagree with some element of the Statement. A comment increases the prominence of the post so that it is more likely to show up in the timelines of people who follow the page. (This matters.)

 

 

II. Twitter

 

If not, skip.

If so, re-tweet and add your own comment.

 

 

 

 

 

Please use any language from letters and opinion pieces by the Social Actioin Committee as a basis for your own letters. That's what they are for!

 

Social Action Committee Opinion Piece on Gun Control
in The Village Green 7-18-23

Ethical Culture of Essex County Social Action Committee Letter on Fossil Fuels to The News Record published The News Record February 16, 2023

Letters on Immigration Detainees Issues

Segregation in New Jersey

Major piece on Climate Refugees in The Guardian

Aid for Ukraininan People

 

Information and Ideas on Making Voting Better:

  • Fairer voting

  • The NJ Forward Party has a short animated video -- with the 2016 election as background -- will fill you in on Ranked-Choice Voting, including what's meant by the "spoiler effect."

  • For more, check with Represent.Us of New Jersey

  • Intimidation of Voting Officials

  • A page on Ranked Choice voting by Martha Howlett from the Social Action Committee

  • Intimidation of Voting Officials (6-19-22)

  • For future Get-Out-the-Vote Projects: Sign up to write and call to Get-Out-The-Vote! Here's how to register to help: https://www.centerforcommonground.org/postcarding

  • Volunteer information for Getting out the Vote
    from ROV/Center for Common Ground

     

 

Selected Older Issues

Want to give to flood crisis in eastern Kentucky?
See this Lexington Herald-Leader article with
suggested places to donate.

 

Suggestions for giving humanitarian help to people in Ukraine.

    • United Help Ukraine: https://unitedhelpukraine.org/ (They have a passing grade on Charity Navigator (85/100). To check organizations with Charity Navigator, go here: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/471837509

    • Global Citizen: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/ways-to-help-ukraine-conflict.

    • Ukraine Red Cross

    • Ukrainian Congressional Committee of America

    • www.donate.wck.org

    • The United Nations World Food Program gives the opportunity to donate food specifically to those who have fled Ukraine: wfpusa.org

The AEU Statement on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine   with suggestions for how to amplify it. See the AEU Discussion Board about War in Ukraine

 

3-7-22   New Lawsuit about segregated schools in New Jersey

 

 

 

 


More Actions and Information for Making Voting fairer

Information on the Infamous County Line voting systen--only one state in the Union uses it: New Jersey

Latest on the County Line

A recent webinar concerning the efforts to reform the County Line: Better Ballot NJ: Resolving to End the 'County Line'

 

 

Ranked Choice Voting

Check out this opinion piece on Ranked choice voiting: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/opinion/alaska-elections-ranked-choice.html?referringSource=articleShare

A page on Ranked Choice voting by Martha Howlett from the Social Action Committee

 

Good Soureces on Voting Reform and Other Issues

The Brennan Center

NJ Policy Perspective

A book called Code Red

 

 

 

Local News

New at SOMA Action: The Democracy Action Committee!

"Are you feeling anxious, frightened, enraged about efforts to limit voting rights around the country? Do you want to see the nearly 700,000 residents of Washington, D.C. get their own state, govern themselves, and have representation in the U.S. Senate? Are you screaming at the T.V. lately about the filibuster rule that is stopping Congress from carrying out the Biden agenda? You are not alone! Dozens of progressive groups around the country are joining forces and developing a multi-pronged strategy to stop this assault on our democracy and strengthen our democratic institutions.

"So...we've formed the SOMA Action Democracy Action Committee to help connect local residents with these national campaigns and movements. If you'd like to be a part of this new initiative, please email allisonposner@gmail.com. And stay tuned for news about our first action-oriented non-virtual event--coming very soon!"

 

-- New Jersey Restorative Justice new website

The organization is also present on Twitter at:   https://twitter.com/NJ_RJN

 

New Jersey Restorative Justice Network (NJ-RJN) was formed in July 2020 when a handful of committed individuals from three organizations met for the first time to support each other's efforts to promote restorative justice practices across New Jersey. Since then, we have been organizing our network, creating educational programs for the public, and lobbying for legislation, specifically a bill currently in the New Jersey legislature, Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youth and Communities Pilot Program (A4663/S2924). 

 

  • Read and share the recent RJ Op-ed by our Co-Chair Jessica Laus in support of the Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities Pilot Program bill (A4663/S2924). 

  • If you are interested in getting involved in NJ-RJN please reach out to us through the website, through a Twitter DM, or by contacting Co-Chair Tricia Idrobo at pfressidrobo@hotmail.com .

 

 

 

-- An excellent presentation to share about divesting our state pension funds from fossil fuel companies:

 Thank you for attending the Sierra Club Jersey Shore Group's webinar on Monday featuring Barbara Pal, Co-chair of Divest NJ. Barbara's presentation is available to view here.

At the meeting, we shared a way that you could take action right now to ask Governor Murphy to divest New Jersey's public pension from fossil fuels. If you didn't get a chance to participate yet, send a letter to Governor Murphy today!


-- For summaries of the day's news by an historian, Heather Cox Richardson, subscribe here. (Be sure you click the "free" subscription button!)

 

-- For information on Environmental issues, get on the list at 350.0rg.

 

-- First Friends of NJ and NY: our Social Action Committee has been supporting this organization to help immigrant detainees for more than ten years.

 

-- Against Endless War is an organization based in Union County, NJ. The web site lists many social justice and diversity events. The group is in Highland Park and has coffee houses, now all on zoom: Against Endless War

 

-- The following groups work for ballot reform, including open primaries (primaries not by party) and ranked choice voting.

Represent US

Represent New Jersey Their chapter meetings are the 3rd Saturday of the month on Zoom, at 11 a.m.

-- This organization offers actions and information combatting the use of fossil fuels:

No New Fossil Fuel Projects in New Jersey

 

-- Write this activist Sheila Caldwell, who puts you on her email listserv, offers information on actions to take, particularly on issues of racism and related issues: conveycommunique@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Action Committee Recent Minutes (Reverse Order)

Click here for Social Action Committee Archives Pre-2021
Click here for Social Action Committee Archives Pre-2010
Click here for Social Action Committee Archives Pre-2008
Opinion pieces on this page do not necessarily express the views of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County as a whole or of the entire Social Action Committee.