May 2020 Newsletter
Issue #39
Issues in the News
Immigrants
The administration has declared food and agricultural workers to be “essential” and that they continue working while others “shelter in place.” 50% or about 1 million of these farm workers are undocumented.
The Environment
March 2020 was Earth's  2nd hottest March on record. January through March was also the planet's  2nd hottest year to date in the climate record dating back to 1880 .
Guns
March 2020 was a record month for gun sales. There were nearly 2.6 million sales, up 85% from last year. The spike is attributed to fears about Covid-19.
Domestic Abuse
In March, almost 50% of the largest metropolitan police departments reported double-digit percentage jumps in domestic violence cases.
Refugees
There are currently approximately 500 Rohingya refugees stranded in boats in the Bay of Bengal. They escaped Myanmar’s ethnic cleansing and have no place to go since s o far no country will accept them.
Housing
At the end of 2019 the national median rent for a 2 bedroom apartment stood at $1,343, a 5% gain over the previous year. It is commonly recommended that rent be about 30% of total income , which means that the minimum income to pay for an average apartment has to be $4,477 a month, which is $25.83 an hour or about $53,724 a year.
Health Care
In 1973, 53% of Americans had a great deal of confidence in medicine. Since then the number has dropped to 38% .
War
In 2019, countries around the world spent nearly $2 trillion on their militaries. The U.S. accounted for 38% of this total.

Peace
On average, investing early to prevent violence is 60 times more cost-effective than intervening after violence erupts. However, the world spends $1 on conflict prevention for every $1,885 it spends on military budgets.
Politics
Across party lines and religious groups, 94% of Americans say it is either somewhat or very important to have a President who lives a moral, ethical life. 


Since 1973, Americans who say that most people can be trusted has dropped from 40% to
33% today.

Hate Group Report
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center's annual report, white nationalism and antisemitism are on the rise. In 2019 , there were 940 hate groups and the number of white nationalist hate groups rose for the second straight year — representing a 55% increase since 2017 . In 1999 , there were 457 such groups. The states with the most hate groups are:
California – 88
Florida – 67
Texas – 63
There was also a 43% increase in the number of anti-LGBTQ hate groups — the fastest-growing sector of hate.
To learn more, click here.
Resources
Our Planet
A documentary series from Netflix, narrated by David Attenborough, that highlights our planet's natural beauty and examines how climate change is impacting all living creatures. Learn more.
For more on the Environment , click here.
What Does It Mean to Be a Refugee?
A short animation from TED Ed, that explains why and how people become refugees, the difference between refugees, migrants and those seeking asylum, and the some of the challenges refugees face along the way. Watch now.
For more on Refugees , click here.
Earth Day 50 th Anniversary Special Edition: How We Saved the World/How We Lost the Planet
The April 2020 issue of National Geographic questions what lies ahead for the planet in the next 50 years -- and what will people do to bring this about.
To learn more, click here.
For more on the Environment , click here.
United for a Fair Economy
Exposes and challenges the deep-seated systemic causes of inequality: institutionalized racism, low wages, exorbitant CEO compensation, regressive tax policies, and more. They engage in state and federal policy debates, provide training and support for organizers across the nation, and publish reports. UFE’s goal is to build a vibrant economic justice movement, help people “connect the dots,” and work towards solutions that address inequality at its roots. Learn more.
For more Economic Justice , click here.
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
The nation’s leading policy organization dedicated to researching, writing, enacting, and defending proven laws and programs. Works to save lives from gun violence by shifting culture, changing policies, and challenging injustice. Provides extensive, in-depth summaries of federal, state, and local firearm laws and policies. The most comprehensive resource for information on US firearms regulation, it supplies the foremost information and analysis on the Second Amendment, as well as detailed statistics, study findings, and polling in support of strong gun regulation. Learn more.
For more on Gun Violence , click here.
H2O: The Module That Made Us
A 3-hour series from WGBH Boston, that reveals how water underpins every aspect of our existence. Features natural history segments from across the planet providing stories and information about this vital molecule. Learn more.
For more on Water Access , click here.
The Bible and Borders:
Hearing God's Word on Immigration
By M. Daniel Carroll R. Helps readers understand what the Bible says about immigration, offering accessible, nuanced, and sympathetic guidance for the church. After two successful editions of  Christians at the Border, Carroll has sharpened his focus and refined his argument to what the Bible says about one of the most pressing issues of our day. He has reworked the biblical material, adding insights and broadening the frame of reference beyond the U.S. As Carroll explores the surprising amount of material in the Old and New Testaments that deals with migration, he shows how this topic is fundamental to the message of the Bible and how it affects our understanding of God and the mission of the church. Read more.
(Note: This title will be released on May 19, 2020.)
For more on Immigration , click here.
Invisible Americans:
The Tragic Cost of Child Poverty
By Jeffrey G. Madrick. Brings to light the often invisible reality and irreparable damage of child poverty in America. Keeping his focus on the children, he examines the roots of the problem, including the toothless remnants of our social welfare system, entrenched racism, and a government unmotivated to help the most voiceless citizens. Backed by new and unambiguous research, he makes clear the devastating consequences of growing up poor: living in poverty, even temporarily, is detrimental to cognitive abilities, emotional control, and the overall health of children. The cost to society is incalculable. Read more.
For more on Poverty , click here.
National Center for Children in Poverty
Conducts research and translates the findings into actionable recommendations that advocates and policymakers use to improve the lives and futures of low-income children and their families. They delve into issues that contribute to child poverty and make sure our ideas reach those in a position to make meaningful change that reduces the number of families experiencing hardship. Learn more.
For more on Poverty , click here.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines
A global network in about 100 countries that works for a world free of antipersonnel landmines and where landmine survivors can lead fulfilling lives. Learn more.
For more on War , click here.
The Case for Universal Health Care
By David Colton. Starting from the premise that health care is a societal responsibility, contends that universal health care should not only be guaranteed by the government, it should be organized and administered by a federal agency and funded through a new, health care transaction tax. This will ensure that the national health care program is focused on quality and is fiscally sustainable for current and future generations of Americans, ridding it from cost over-runs and service denials due to the search for profitability.
Provides an understanding of each facet of the present, flawed health care system: how it is structured and organized; how we pay for health care; what factors influence access, quality, and affordability; and contrasts it with approaches taken by countries providing universal coverage.

For more on Health Care , click here.
Prison Insider
Aims at raising awareness about detention conditions and upholding the rights and dignity of those throughout the world. Provides a tool for comparison and encourages best practice, testimony and solidarity. Promotes rights and dignity versus violence of inequalities, injustice and revenge.
For more on the Criminal Justice System ,
Climate Change: The Facts
A resource from PBS that brings together leading climate scientists who explain what might happen if global warming increases 1.5 degrees. Experts examine the consequences of rising temperatures on ice sheets, fragile ecosystems, developing communities and extreme weather events. Personal accounts of California wildfires, extreme coastal flooding in Louisiana and increasing temperatures in Australia illustrate these effects.  Learn more.
For more on the Environment , click here.
American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics and the Ongoing Fight for the Soul of the Country
By Jack Jenkins. Examines the re-emergence of progressive faith-based activism, detailing its origins and contrasting its goals with those of the Religious Right. Today’s rapidly expanding interfaith coalition — which includes Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and other faiths — has become a force within the larger “resistance” movement. Profiles Washington political insiders as well as:
as well as a new generation of progressive faith leaders at the forefront today, including:

  • Rev. William Barber II, leader of North Carolina’s Moral Mondays and co-chair of the nationwide Poor People’s campaign
  • Linda Sarsour, co-chair of the Women’s March
  • Rev. Traci Blackmon, a pastor near Ferguson, Missouri who works to lift up black liberation efforts across the country
  • Sister Simone Campbell, head of the Catholic social justice lobby and the “Nuns on the Bus” tour organizer
  • Native American “water protectors” who demonstrated against the Dakota Access Pipeline in Standing Rock
  • Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal bishop
For more Justice resources, click here.
Lightfoot Films
Produces documentaries with a focus on social justice, culture, and human rights -- focusing particularly on women’s issues and Latin America. Their productions are produced in both English and Spanish and have aired on PBS, ABC, NBC, Odyssey Channel, The Learning Channel, Hallmark Channel, and the Brandenburg Television Network. Some of their titles include: In Our Son's Name, Approach of Dawn Scraps of Life. Learn more.
For more Justice resources, click here.
  Action Ideas
Ignatian Solidarity Network Online Store
Offers clothing, posters, mugs, jewelry, coffee, pins, prayer cards, candles, buttons and other items that promote social justice themes. Learn more.
For more Public Witness resources, click here.
Ethix Merch:
Merchandise on a Mission
Features wholesale promotional products made with respect for people and the planet. Here one can find branded merchandise and promotional items made in USA, which support union workers and the environment, and is never produced in sweatshops with unfair labor practices. Ethix Merch helps supporters apply their buying power to support workers and protect the environment. Learn more.
For more Public Witness resources, click here.
Important Dates This Month
Individuals Honored This Month
May 1st

We are one, after all, you and I, together we suffer, together exist, and forever will recreate each other.
May 9th

I want a change, and a radical change. I want a change from an acquisitive society to a functional society, from a society of go-getters to a society of go-givers.
May 9th

Instead of building the peace by attacking injustices like starvation, disease, illiteracy, political and economic servitude, we spend trillions of dollars on war, until hatred and conflict have become the international preoccupation.
May 9th

How can we expect fate to let a righteous cause prevail when there is hardly anyone who will give himself up undividedly to a righteous cause?
May 19th

Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe at what the poor have to carry rather than stand in judgment at how they carry it.
May 20th

I am convinced that it is still best that I speak the truth, even if it costs me my life.
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