Preserving Our Democracy
The Preserving Our Democracy Team (POD) engages the congregation in non-partisan efforts to effect reforms to our threatened democratic system. We seek to fight voter suppression in key states, to urge voters to vote (registration, mail ballots) and to support democratic reforms at the national and state levels. We phone, text, write letters and postcards to voters. We attend rallies and sign petitions. We increase awareness through sponsoring forums and church-wide book-reads on topics germane to Democracy.
Building Bridges, a subgroup of POD, explores ways to depolarize differences among Reds and Blues through its monthly discussion groups. Our primary focus for 2024-2025 will be to better understand those we disagree with, despite the emotional and conceptual challenges that we experience in fostering that mission.
To maximize POD’s impact, we frequently work with larger organizations such as UU the Vote, Indivisible LAB (Lexington, Arlington, Bedford), Concord Indivisible, Force Multiplier, and Common Cause. The POD team meets regularly during the church year to set priorities and to plan specific actions.