On the left: This graphic of the peace sign with photos of Palestine was found at the website of Jewish American author, Anna Baltzer.   We would recommend reading her recent entries for articulate first-hand accounts of life and war in Palestine and Israel:
www.annainthemiddleeast.com/

Many of her recommendations for action are excellent as well: for example, you might read the blog entry "What most US media isn't telling you."

Last month's bombing of Gaza and the resulting humanitarian catastrophe has deeply troubled many of us and filled our mailboxes with heartfelt pleas for help, angry messages of blame, and insightful analyses of the ongoing struggles in Palestine and Israel. 

Because of the sheer volume of information available, and the limits of this news format, we will refrain from listing here the many excellent articles, statements, and other reading that we would like to provide.

   We are in the process of organizing and providing material at our website that we hope will help our readers understand the most recent events, underlying causes, the history of the conflict and possible solutions to reach a just peace for both Palestinians and Israelis.

  Of course, being MFSA, we will also provide suggestions of what we each can do to support the peoples of the Middle East in their quest for that elusive - yet we believe, inevitable - goal of a just and peaceful co-existence.

   When this information is ready, you will find a special button for "Palestine & Israel" prominently displayed on our home page: www.cal-pacmfsa.org.  And we will send you word of it too!

 

    The birth of a new Marriage Equality Movement -- the civil rights movement of the 21st Century -- is unfolding before our eyes. Organized from the bottom-up by thousands of ordinary people, this people-powered phenomenon is exponentially growing by the minute, online and offline.
    This is our moment to stand strong together -- gay and straight -- and say that we refuse to accept a California where discrimination is enshrined in our state constitution.
    There are an abundance of actions on many fronts, by an 'army' of dedicated people who will work until the discriminatory amendment in California's constitution has been repealed.
      You can help in that work...we have many opportunities listed below, and more information for all these at our chapter website: www.cal-pacmfsa.org/Marriage_Equality.html
    We also have ALL the documents and resources mentioned here at that Marriage Equality page at our website:
www.cal-pacmfsa.org/Marriage_Equality.html

Sign the Pledge to Repeal Prop 8 with the Courage Campaign
and collect more signatures: http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/repealprop8

         


Sign the Open Letter to President Obama with Join the Impact and get more signatures for that, until Feb 14:
http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/page/Open+Letter+to+Barack+Obama

Feb 12-14   Participate in Freedom to Marry Day Events. Too many to list in this news bulletin! go to our  website to read the schedule of events in many counties around Southern California.
                       
Feb 8-16   Freedom to Marry Week and beyond: Hold 7 conversations in seven different ways - suggestions and encouragement from Reconciling Ministries Network and the ACLU. (Scroll down the page for this information.)



Feb 16-17   Major events in Sacramento - worth making a trip for the Statewide Rally and Lobby Day! Exciting performances, speakers, video messages and more! (Scroll down the page for these events.)

Can't attend Lobby Day in Sacramento? - or even if you will - take action now: Join in sending a message to California legislators today and let them know that you or someone you know is one of thousands of LGBT Californians who deserve their support and equal treatment under the law.
    Send an email asking them to sign onto SR7 or HR5.

You can send that message through the Human Rights Campaign service: http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/calobbyequal/igb8uud4oj57jk3n?


Learn about the Legal Action taken by California Council of Churches, the ACLU, and Marriage Equality USA. Read about the historic stand taken by the state Attorney General:
www.cal-pacmfsa.org/Legal_Action_re_Prop_8.html

Sign the Letter to the California Supreme Court from the Courage Campaign. Over 180,000 signers so far - help reach the goal of 200,000.

Watch the moving video "Fidelity" and send a message to the state court: http://www.couragecampaign.org/divorce



March 4-5   Follow the progress on legal challenges to Prop 8 on March 5. The California Supreme Court will hear the Prop 8 case on Thursday, March 5, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.  
    If you are interested in viewing the hearing, a list of cable companies that will show the California Supreme Court hearing on Prop 8 can be found at: http://www.calchannel.com/channel/schedule/
    Join candlelight vigils and re-commitment ceremonies  the day before, March 4.  Many of the 18,000 same-gender couples who have been legally married in California will renew their vows that day, and many people will participate in vigils the evening before the court hearing. Check the Marriage Equality website for information on these events as it becomes available: www.marriageequality.org

Learn the reasons behind the fight for marriage equality and what must be done to succeed; download these excellent reports from Marriage Equality USA.
    Find the links for these documents at our website: www.cal-pacmfsa.org/marriage_equality.html  or at the addresses listed with each:

"Why Marriage - Get the Facts"

http://www.marriageequality.org/index.php?page=why-marriage

"Prop 8 Hurt My Family"
and
"We Will Never Go Back: Grassroots Input on the No on Prop 8 Campaign"
These last 2 reports at the MEUSA home page: http://www.marriageequality.org 
(scroll down the page to find the links for both of these reports)

Back to TAKE ACTION Contents

HR676 would provide healthcare through an improved and expanded Medicare model for all with no co-pays, no deductibles, no premiums and no interference in the healthcare professionals' relationship with patients -- no insurance company involvement in clinical decisions.  HR676 is a publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare reform plan that would give patients the choice of doctors and providers that many do not have under private, for-profit plans.

HR676 would save this nation billions in both public and private health costs.  As Medicare delivers outstanding health care coverage for those over 65 at vastly lower prices, HR676 would do the same for all residents of the US.

What could be better?  Health care with the freedom to choose your own physician, hospitals, and other services, all paid at a rate pegged to  your income that saves you and the government money?  It also assures that we'd have NO uninsured.  And that is the greatest gift of all.   Please support HR676 and ask your Representative to do the same!

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Currently, there are more than 2,300,000 people incarcerated in the United States prison system. The tough-on-crime policies of the 1980s and 90s that included trying juveniles as adults, eliminating parole, truth in sentencing, the privatization of building prisons, the expansion of mandatory minimum sentencing, three strikes laws and incarcerating low-level drug offenders rather than providing drug abuse treatment, have all led to an ever-increasing prison population.

In several states, persons as young as 16 or 17 are treated as adults in the criminal justice system. While the juvenile system provides rehabilitative programs, youths in the adult system receive little of these programs. Youths are at greater risk of assault and victimization in the adult system, and cannot expunge their criminal records, which will dramatically limit their future opportunities in employment and education.

Mandatory minimums have been instrumental in greatly increasing the prison population, and have contributed to racial injustices in the criminal justice system. One particular egregious form of mandatory minimum sentencing is the disparity between crack and powder cocaine. Both the U.S. Sentencing Commission and the Department of Justice have pointed out the failure of these laws to focus on drug kingpins.

The overcrowding of prisons has led to corporate interest in building prisons. As prisons become more populated prisoners are then housed farther away from families and necessary networks and resources. Prison overcrowding has led to greater violence against prisoners, who are often without access to judicial recourse.

Much more attention is needed for aiding prisoners who seek to acclimate to life on the outside once their time has been served. Each year around 650,000 people are released from prison, most with only enough money for a bus ticket. With little access to resources, a return to criminal behavior is more than likely.

The UMC General Board of Church and Society invites Faith Organizations to add their endorsement to a Criminal Justice Reform Letter, to be sent to our government leaders. To read the text of the letter and add your organization's endorsement at the web address, click here.
 
Back to TAKE ACTION Contents

Feb 7 - April 18 
Peace Kids and
Youth Leadership Academy
in Peacemaking

Sunday, February 15
Worship service at 11:00 am
Following the service we will have a
roundtable discussion with Fr. Geoff in Grant Hall.
Hollywood United Methodist Church
6817 Franklin Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90028  
323-874-2104
www.hollywoodumc.org
(See directions and parking info below)

Hollywood United Methodist Church (HUMC) is pleased to have Father Geoffrey Farrow preaching in our pulpit on Sunday, February 15, 2009.    His sermon is entitled  "Transformational Prayer."  Father Farrow has come into the public spotlight most recently when the Roman Catholic Church removed him from his parish and as a clergy member for his refusal to tell parishioners to vote yes on Prop 8.
 
Reverend Kathy Cooper-Ledesma, senior pastor of HUMC says about Father Farrow: "His courageous actions to bring forth justice have inspired both our congregation and the community at large."

From Fr. Geoff's biography
    On October 5th of 2008 Fr. Geoff delivered a statement at the end of the 11:00 am Mass at the Newman Center at California State University-Fresno. In this statement, Fr. Geoff explained that he could not comply with a directive from his bishop to direct parishioners to vote "yes" on Proposition 8.  This Proposition would remove the right of same sex couples to enter into civil marriage in the state of California.
    Later that week, Fr. Geoff was removed as pastor of St. Paul's by his bishop and suspended as a priest. He worked throughout the month of October with the "No on Prop. 8" campaign.
    Currently Fr. Geoff is engaged in public speaking to advance the cause of LGBT rights.  Commentaries by Fr. Geoff may be found at:   www.fathergeoff.com

 
    Hollywood United Methodist Church is the 50th Reconciling Congregation in our denomination. All are welcome at HUMC; our congregation is comprised of passionate, progressive Christians celebrating the diversity of all people. More information about HUMC maybe found on our website: http://www.hollywoodumc.org.
    We offer childcare and ample onsite and offsite parking during the service on Sundays.  
    Hollywood UMC is easily accessible from the Metro Red Line; exit at Hollywood/Highland and walk 2 blocks north.  Parking is available in the church lot at the corner of Highland and Franklin.  Validated parking is also available at the Hollywood/Highland complex 2 blocks south of the church.

Back to UPCOMING EVENTS Contents

 

The California Supreme Court will hold a hearing on a suit to invalidate the 18,000 marriages of same-gender couples in California. Vigils and more scheduled for the day before -
see information in our Take Action section above.

Back to UPCOMING EVENTS Contents

PCU's
2009
Gala Dinner

   
    Founded in 1907, MFSA has been an unstoppable, prophetic movement for over 100 years, the oldest social justice organization in American Methodism.

In that time, just a few of the Federation's long list of actions and achievements include:
+ providing unparalleled support throughout the last century for the labor movement;
+ leading the struggle for United Methodist divestment from South Africa;
+ supporting the ordination of women and the removal of all gender discrimination in our church;
+ continuing to work for the elimination of racism and ethnic discrimination in the UMC;
+ spearheading landmark publications on the Far Right's influence in the church;
+ rallying United Methodists throughout the Connection to counter that influence;
+ protecting vigilantly our church's support for reproductive choice;
+ championing the cause of full inclusion for LGBT individuals in the life of the United Methodist Church; and
+ providing leadership for the UMC to take concrete action (such as selective divestment) for a just peace in Palestine and Israel.

MFSA mobilizes all its resources to make a major impact every four years at the denomination's General Conference and Jurisdictional Conferences, the bodies that determine the future direction of the United Methodist Church.

    MFSA works often through the ministries of the United Methodist Church, supporting and augmenting peace and justice UMC ministries in the local church, annual conferences, and at the national level.

    However, MFSA is not an official UMC body - we are are not funded by the United Methodist Church. We are supported entirely by annual memberships and the contributions of concerned faith activists.

    Because we are an independent organization, we can call our church to expand its understanding of the radical call of the Gospel to be the inclusive, justice-seeking, risk-taking Body of Christ.

    We also take action on issues and initiatives that are beyond the scope of the church's ministries, providing an irreplaceable voice for our United Methodist members in numerous ecumenical and interfaith coalitions and campaigns.

    MFSA is accountable to its Board of Directors, composed of representatives from our 38 active chapters, plus additional at-large members to ensure diversity and breadth of expertise.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +