Tag: Social Issues

Thanks to a bipartisan vote that is soon to be signed into law by President Biden, my 40-year marriage will be safe in all states. No, I am not LGBT. I am a heterosexual Cherokee woman who happens to be married to a white man. And by white, I mean 100 percent Irish Welsh. The Respect for Marriage Act protects same sex marriage. It also, finally, protects interracial marriages.

I imagine democracy as a one-way freeway headed for the future. The vehicles on that freeway carry inspired concepts such as, freedom of many kinds, inclusion of all persons, equality and justice for all persons, citizenship, civility and mutual respect, consent of the governed, voting rights for all citizens, minority rights and personal and social responsibility.

From 1965 through 2021, more than 29 million Americans have been arrested for simple marijuana possession, mostly for violating state laws. But thousands were convicted of federal offenses.

SpokaneFāVS is hosting their third book club this fall and will be reading, "Torn: Married to a White Supremacist" by Christine Eddy, who was married for 27 years to a neo-Nazi.

Starting Sept. 8, “Finding Our Place in the Inland Northwest” — a new six-session documentary and discussion series — kicks off at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Organized through a partnership between the Human Rights Education Institute, Museum of North Idaho and the church, the series is intended to create opportunities for thoughtful small group public discussions about realities, challenges and opportunities that are part of life in the Inland Northwest.

In the case of banning books, Christians who desire to live at peace in a society with variant points of view should not force others to read books only they approve. Rather, they should promote a free society where people can choose what they want to read. That doesn’t mean we agree with everything nor shield the world from our influence, but it does mean we encourage and create safe spaces for peaceful exchanges of ideas.

With all the recent racist attacks and mass shootings, there is a lot to process as a community and to think through how we can move forward towards justice and transformation. Our next Coffee Talk brings together professionals in our community who will guide and inspire a discussion of how each of us can serve as agents of change.