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Take Action! Part II
by Heidi Unruh

Featured Ministry

The New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good

The New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good, founded by David Gushee, Richard Cizik and Steven Martin, seeks to renew Christian public witness for the sake of the Gospel and the well-being of God’s world. The “Uncommon Voices” blog helps evangelicals articulate and embody Christ’s love and justice in our cultural and political context. Join their current campaign urging the government to investigate allegations brought by Physicians for Human Rights of CIA medical experiments on U.S. detainees.

More Current Articles in Public Policy:
•	Experience the Words of Dr. Martin Luther King by Heidi Unruh
•	Entitled to Our Own Facts? by Heidi Unruh
•	Same-Sex Marriage and Public Schools by Heidi Unruh
•	Remembering Atomic Devastation, Imagining a New Future by Heidi Unruh

Check out some more mid-summer ways to “turn up the heat” on elected officials on issues of justice and the common good. (If you haven’t already done so, check out Take Action Part I.)

Support the Jobs Bill

Half in Ten, a campaign to cut poverty in half in ten years, encourages you to support the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (HR 4213), which passed the House but is stalled in the Senate. Without passage, over a million unemployed workers have already lost jobless benefits and more will follow. See these personal stories of the dire effects of long-term unemployment on families. Please write to your senators to urge passage of this important jobs bill. Also visit Half in Ten to learn about various state anti-poverty initiatives.

Protect the religious freedom of faith-based service providers

A bill (HR 5466) to reauthorize federal funding for drug treatment programs administered by federal, state, or local governments, sponsored by Reps. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Gene Green (D-TX), would exclude faith-based providers that take account of religion in any of their employment decisions. This contradicts the Charitable Choice language in operation since 2000, which provided that, in some of those programs, faith-based organizations (FBOs) can receive the funding without suppressing their religious character, while requiring that no one be forced into religious activities. Under the Civil Rights Act, religious hiring by religious organizations is not considered discrimination; rather, it is specifically protected. While it is unlikely that this bill will be adopted, it is a warning sign for FBOs to be prepared to respond.

Co-sponsor the Youth PROMISE Act

The proposed Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support, and Education Act (H.R. 1064 / S.435) aims to disrupt the “cradle to prison pipeline” through proven prevention and intervention strategies. The legislation empowers local leadership by assigning program oversight to community-based committees. Well-designed, community-based juvenile outreach programs have been documented to reduce crime, cut public spending in the long run, and most importantly, save lives. Check out the list of cosponsors in the House and Senate to see if your representatives are signed on, and become a “citizen co-sponsor” of the Act.

Stop contracting with Blackwater

The US State Department just awarded Blackwater an 18-month contract worth $120 million to guard US consulates in Afghanistan. This is the same private security company that was kicked out of Iraq by the Iraqi government after Blackwater mercenaries massacred 14 civilians in Baghdad. Blackwater (now called Xe Services) has also been accused of weapons smuggling, supplying prostitutes, and other ethical and legal violations. Don’t want any more of your tax dollars going to this company? Sign the petition to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Any other good ideas for social action you want to share?

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