CPJ Newsletter May 2007 Catholics for Peace and Justice posted its newsletter for May 2007 [9 pp. pdf]

On education, their "Justice Advocacy and the Social Teaching of the Church" conference at St. Michael Church drew 100 people, including 64 new to CPJ.

In particular ideas that were shared on how parishes are spreading the word of Catholic Social Teaching and opportunities for you to get involved – for example CPJ will be hosting a book discussion this summer on Caring for God’s Creation.

Which might mean a book discussion group reading Natural Step for Communities: How Cities and Towns Can Change to Sustainable Practices, by Sarah James.

On the war, they received a response from Senator Kohl's office, but graded it incomplete.

And despite the clear verdict of the elections, we see that Kohl and the Democrats are still proceeding extremely cautiously to bring our troops home, and ignoring the issue of permanent bases and even whether impeachment proceedings against the President are warranted.

At least CPJ kept up the pretense of non-partisanship longer than MAPA.

So, we will be talking to Mr. Metzler to find out why "nobody's senator but ours" feels we don't deserve an answer to our questions.

And in a nonjudgmental way, no doubt.

Meanwhile, just as we didn't sit on our hands while waiting for Archbishop Dolan's response to our letter about Iraq two years ago, we plan to keep up the pressure while waiting for Sen. Kohl to take us seriously.

The Archbishop and Senator apparently didn't realize who they're dealing with, not that it's about them, you understand.

Some possibilities: further pressure on Kohl and his aides, a sustained campaign to hold our local media accountable for their reporting on this war, or possibly the occupation of Kohl's office, such as took place in Madison recently.

Discussion and then sanctions didn't produce results, so they had no choice but to invade and occupy.

If you want to "put your money (and time) where your mouth is" to stop this war NOW, this is the time to let us know. Contact Mark Peters...

Doesn't he have a day job?

There was also mention of the campaign to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, successor to the School of the Americas [SOA].

The goal of SOA Watch is to close the School of the Americas [SOA] and to change oppressive U.S. foreign policy in Latin America by educating the public, lobbying Congress and participating in creative, nonviolent resistance.

If one's idea of creative runs along the lines of the protest puppet.

The death penalty committee's name, as you might expect, understates its scope.

On Friday, April 27 State Senator Lena Taylor [chair of the Judiciary and Corrections Committee] held a meeting in Milwaukee to discuss Alfonso Graham's appointment as Chair of the Parole Commission. ... She [Sen. Taylor] wanted him [Graham] to be clear on being fair because it seems he has a bias toward keeping them in. ... Of course, people only got 2 minutes to speak. This was extremely unfair especially to the people who drove for 3 hours to get to the hearing. I reiterated the recommendations our Incarceration Coalition had given to Mr. Graham and barely had time to state them much less explain anything. We all wanted to say a lot more.

Perhaps Mr. Peters can incorporate the idea that justice demands meetings of unlimited length into his work as a Parish Consultant.

After dealing with Graham's appointment

The other part of the hearing was on the State of the Justice System and a professor from UWM spoke. John Barrett, County Clerk of Courts, District Attorney Chisholm also spoke. They all got more than 2 minutes of course.

It's almost as if they were invited to speak because of the offices they hold. One of the CPJ members present also put together some prison statistics for the newsletter.

Besides being a member of our committee, Kathleen [Hart] also works with CURE (Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants).

I've reported them to the Committee for the Reduction of Acronym Proliferation. Among her stats

Within two years after release the majority go back to prison.

Maybe that's a factor in Graham's "bias" if bias there be.

Among other Community Events was a Mother's Day For Peace at Lake Country Unitarian Universalist Church.

Help us reclaim the original spirit of Mother’s Day, a day of peace activism...

But at CPJ, isn't every day already a day of peace activism?

Show that you support peace by bringing your whole family for an afternoon that includes music, inspiring speakers, a children's "peace bike parade", creating a peace mural, and more.

Sounds like the bazaar in Pollyanna, if the movie had been set in East Berlin.

Finally a reflection on the April Prayer Gathering

Last Tuesday night as I drove into the church parking lot for the prayer gathering I noticed that the parking lot was packed with cars – it was bingo night. Someone commented if only we had as many people joining us in prayer for peace and concerned about the issues of our world as we have interested in bingo.

No one then suggested trying Bingo for Peace.  ¶ 5/28/2007 09:52:00 AM