After the outdoor service at the park on July 18, there will be a church-wide potluck picnic. Start thinking about what you can bring. We'll need lawn chairs and portable tables for the buffett.

If your last name begins with the following letter, please bring the following

A-E: Beverages

F-L: Dessert

M-R: Side

S-Z: Main

Looking forward to a lovely Sunday in the park. If you're available to help set up and clean up please contact mckeelaura@ymail.com or anyone else on Membership Committee (John Broome, Barbara Hailey, Sally Harding,  David Leaman, Don MacGregor, Fran Simons, Melissa Staas).

by Paul Konkoly

Inspired by my participation within three 2U Small Groups and the 2U Social Justice Council, I feel I must do my part to abolish the death penalty.

Since 1976, when our nation resumed the use of executions, 1,212 people have been put to death by our institutions of justice. In Illinois alone, since 1976, 6% of the people on death row were exonerated. There is little doubt that we have executed several dozens of innocent people. We must abolish the death penalty because if we don't our politicians will continue to believe that, as recently stated by Governor Pat Quinn, "the death penalty underscores our shared belief as a society that some crimes deserve the most severe punishment, when handed down fairly and justly." Other  politicians, such as Bill Brady, would lift the Illinois moratorium on the death penalty and resume the executions. We need to let our political

leaders know that we don't have their "shared belief" and we don't ever want to resume executions.

There are very good practical and spiritual reasons for abolishing the death penalty:

The elimination of the death penalty is not a new issue for UU congregations.  However, since the moratorium in Illinois ten years ago, its been awhile since UUs in Illinois have talked about it.  There is a renewed effort to abolish the death penalty in Illinois, in other states, and in other countries.

On behalf of the Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, UUSJ, I am looking for volunteers to join me on a UU task force that is committed to abolishing the death penalty. To begin with, the task force will work closely with the Unitarian Universalists for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, UUADP and the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, ICADP. If you share my conviction, and have the time and the energy, please call me on my cell (312-350-0163) or send me an e-mail, pkonkoly@yahoo.com to discuss participation on the task force.  I look forward to hearing from you.