We’ve outlined below some areas of action that we might pursue over the next several months.  What activity (ties) might interest you in the weeks ahead?    Which 1 or 2 or 3 items might you want to put some time—a little or a lot.  What ideas do you have?  Add them below.  We will discuss on Wednesday.  

1.  Movie Night:  One possibility is Reunited States, an urgent documentary that follows four everyday heroes on the difficult journey of bridging our political divides. To be released in mid-February, the film is presented by Megan McCain and Van Jones. It urges audiences to consider that when it comes to polarization, we are all either part of the problem or part of the solution.

What we need for this topic area:  1-2 people to select the film; schedule it; arrange for streaming and possibly discussion afterwards.

2.  A common book read:  many books out now about democracy, the electoral college, etc. For examples,

o Let the People Pick the President by Jesse Wegman.  Mr. Wegman, together with Peter Fenn, will lead a conversation about the Electoral College at our Howe lecture on Thursday, March 4, at 7PM. (Mark your calendars!).  Mr. Wegman, grand nephew of long-time First Parishioner, Betty Howe, is on the editorial board of the New York Times.  Mr. Fenn, son of our very own Dan Fenn, has a political consulting firm in Washington, D.C.

o Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2020 report Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century, that includes recommendations “to help the nation emerge as a more resilient democracy.” 

o The Righteous Mind, Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt

What we need for topic area:  1-2 people to choose a book; schedule event; publicize; moderate.

3.   Braver Angels:  engage in dialogue with others of different views (see above)

What we need for topic area:  2-3 people to research and plan action steps we could take.  Work with Michelle Olson as advisor.

4.  Disinformation:  learn the ways disinformation is spread and how we might help work against them

Disinformation is a collective challenge, and it requires a collective response that includes government, media, social media platforms and — most importantly — every one of us,” Graham Brookie, Atlantic Council

Go after Fox and advertisers as a first step.  Sources of info: Media Matters; Global Disinformation Index, Center for Countering Digital Hate, Bankroll of Bigotry, Fontes Media Map, Grab Your Wallet

What we need for topic area: People who want to join an action team which will meet on a regular basis; help with team logistics; consult with relevant national organizations; share strategies; and engage in actions with evidence of effectiveness, such as phone calls, writing postcards, texting.

5.  Voting rights like voter registration, mail-in ballot requests…what we’ve done so well.  The 2022 elections are coming, and candidates are starting to think about that.

What we need for topic area: People who want to join an action team which will meet on a regular basis; help with team logistics; consult with relevant national organizations; share strategies; and engage in actions with evidence of effectiveness, such as phone calls, writing postcards, texting.

6.  Working for democracy reforms:

      At the state level in Massachusetts, such as:

The Act on Mass “Transparency is Power” campaign (See https://actonmass.org/transparency/) to address the following shocking problems in the Massachusetts House:  Most votes aren’t recorded; Information isn’t easy to find  online; Most bills are killed in committee by being “sent to study”; No reason is given why a bill is killed; Votes on important bills are often delayed for 15 months after a bill is filed; But then Reps aren’t given enough time to read what they’re voting on. (Action is needed NOW).

Other issues will surface, e.g., automatic voter registration, vote-by-mail, same day voter registration.

At the national level, such as:

For the People Act (HR 1), a democracy reform package that would quickly and effectively strengthen our democracy and empower voters (See https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/ensure-every-american-can-vote/voting-reform/people-act-democracy-reform); 


 Statehood for DC (HR51), a key democracy and racial justice issue;

John Lewis Voting Rights Act (HR 4), named for the civil rights icon, is vital to restoring the 1965 Voting Rights Act which was gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013;


Reform the Courts, to establish a less hyper-partisan process for selecting and appointing judges, and undo the damage to these institutions caused by Trump and McConnell  (See Demand Justice  (www.demandjustice.org)

What we need for these topic areas:  People who want to work together to track these issues by: connecting with relevant organizations; tracking progress on policy agendas; and identifying effective actions to promote to the congregation for action.

7.  Other: (please specify)