During the 2016 election season, our Unitarian Universalist faith calls on us to use the values of dignity, equality, justice, compassion, and conscience to guide our actions as voters. As each of us considers how we will vote in November, we must take our values with us into the voting booth, and support those who stand up for social justice and who respect our democratic processes. Many issues command our attention and efforts to create a better nation and world, issues such as escalating inequalities, voter suppression, immigration, global climate change, racial/ethnic justice, mass incarceration, and the effective resolution of national and international conflicts.
The Social Action Committee’s goal is to to focus on questions of access to voting here and throughout the state and nation during the next six months. In June, we will stand up for our values by conducting a voter registration at the Dairy Princess Festival (Saturday, June 4). Our goal is to assure that every eligible voter is able to register to vote. If you would like to be involved, please email socialaction@uucantonny.org.
In September, we will show a new documentary produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center, called “Selma: The Bridge to the Ballot,” leading up to a final push on voter registration and education. While the issues related to voter suppression are likely different here than in other parts of the country, there are barriers to the vote here that we will help remove. We also will partner with other local groups to assure that every voter is educated about the candidates’ commitments on the issues they most care about. Watch for more during this unpredictable election year!
Eileen Raymond, Co-Chair, Social Action Committee