Newsletters

FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK-
In January 2004 as the year changed we at PUC have brought in some 'new blood' to refresh the PUC staff as we head into this busiest year yet for PUC activism work with the presidential election. Beth Langley is our new newsletter Editoress, Brian Tant is our new webmaster, and we also have welcomed another advisory board member, Robert DePrimo. We are still, as always, looking to fill the vacant state chairs. However, the staff's main goal during this 4th year of PUC is working hard to make sure Pagans have a voice in the 2004 national elections, even if it is a small voice, we SHOULD and SHALL be heard. SO VOTE IT BE!
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GOD RESOLUTION CAMPAIGNS Report 
By Fallon Schulist

What began as Green County, Tennessee's worst idea has quickly spread to include many Tennessee counties, as well as other states. While many are gearing up for the upcoming Presidential elections, 
officials in many counties have begun pressing the God Resolution on citizens.

In September (2003), Green County (TN) passed a Resolution 
proclaiming "God as the foundation of our national heritage" and "the Ten Commandments as the basis for American Law." Only days after the removal of the Ten Commandments from the Alabama State Supreme 
Courthouse, Green County Mayor, Roger Jones, forwarded the Resolution to the other 93 Tennessee counties, urging them to pass it as well. 

By December (2003) several counties, including; Clinton, Oliver Springs, Anderson, and Blount in Tennessee had already passed the God Resolution. At the same time, Kennesaw county (GA) also approved the resolution. In January (2004), Lenoir County in North Carolina 
voted on, and approved the God Resolution. 

So what exactly does this resolution say?

"Our government was founded upon a trust in God" as expressed by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence where they announced that our rights were endowed by "our Creator". It is a fact that between 90 and 95 percent of those who drafted and signed the U.S. Constitution had a strong belief and trust in God and never ever 
intended that there be a separation between HIM and the affairs of government. There is now a growing demand by some within the judicial system to remove all visible recognitions of 
God from public 
institutions, including the removal of the Ten Commandments from the 
Alabama Supreme Court, even though it was placed there "to remind all that God is central to our National Heritage, and His Ten Commandments, without question, [are] the foundation of American law, moral values, and code of conduct." The recognition of God by our government was further established when Congress added "under God" to 
the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 and adopted "In God We Trust" as the national motto in 1956. And if approved, the resolution "urges all American citizens to proclaim to every level of government (local, state and federal) its responsibility to “publicly recognize God as 
the foundation of our national heritage, lest our nation forget and our children never know!"

The Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia chapters of the Pagan Unity Campaign urges you to contact your representatives with your objections to this Resolution. It is a clear slight against all non-Christians, as well as a clear violation of the seperation of church and state. For more information, please contact your state Pagan 
Unity Campaign representative. 
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SO VOTE IT BE campaign report 
by Ginger Strivelli

As a part of the Pagan Unity Campaign's ongoing 'SO VOTE IT BE' 
voter registration and education campaign, PUC is trying to 
encourage the Pagan community to get out and vote in this Spring's state 
primary elections. This is an excellent opportunity for our community to get 
in gear for the all-important upcoming presidential election in November of 2004. Alas, voter participation is lacking across the board, not just in our community. People need to realize how long and hard activists fought to gain the right to vote for women, for minorities, for those under 21, for those who did not own land or did not have a particular level of education. 
The 'right' to vote was limited to a very few upper class: old rich white men,
for a very long time, and yet now everyone who is not a child or a convicted criminal can vote, and only a fraction of those bother to even register to vote, then only a fraction of that fraction vote in any given election. It is a travesty that the battled for 'right' is not claimed by those who own it thanks to the blood, sweat and tears of generations of activists who fought to win everyone the right to vote in Lady Liberty's land.

In the words of one of the USA's foremothers; "We can make a manifestation by going to the polls, 
at each returning election." Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902).

The voices of Pagan voters need to be heard loud and clear in every state's 
primary elections as well as in November! It is our right to vote….
but we should also realize it very well might be our responsibility to those who came before and fought to give us that right!

SO VOTE IT BE!

_______________________________

Towey Campaign report 
by Colby Lewallen

On November 26, 2003 I was surfing the net and decided to go to the Whitehouse website (www.whitehouse.gov) to update my list of presidential candidates for the 2004 election. I saw they were going to perform an “ask the Whitehouse” in fifteen minutes. The speaker was going to be Mr. Jim Towey, Director, Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives. I clicked on the link and asked a few questions about Pagan students having an equal time for religious matters at school as any Christian or Jewish or Islamic student. I then submitted the question that got answered which follows.

Start quote:
“Colby, from Centralia MO writes: 
Do you feel that Pagan faith based groups should be given the same considerations as any other group that seeks aid?” 

Jim Towey:
“I haven't run into a pagan faith-based group yet, much less a pagan group that cares for the poor! Once you make it clear to any applicant that public money must go to public purposes and can't be used to promote ideology, the fringe groups lose interest. Helping the poor is tough work and only those with loving hearts seem drawn to it.”
End quote. 

After his response was given I was taken aback by his lack of knowledge. I do understand that there has been wrong information spread about the Pagan community, but to just answer a question like that was pure bigotry. After my question had been answered I posted the question and response to PUC and it spread to other Pagan groups as well. At last count there had been over 300,000 plus phone calls, letters and emails sent to the White House. The White House had placed a gag order on him and sent out a PR man to calm the flames. After many news articles and stories it seems the White house gave him another chance at an online discussion. Here are two of the Q and A segments that illustrate how they tried to dance around the issue.



December 23, 2003 
Start quote
Tina writes: 
“What is the administration doing to counter the worldwide perception that the U.S. only embraces Christianity -- instead of all kinds of religions that also want world peace?” 

Jim Towey:
“President Bush seeks to reach out to all faiths, and has. Yesterday, for example, he met with a group of Jewish leaders. He has frequently met with Muslims and other faiths as well. He also meets with groups of no particular faith. America is respected throughout the world for its pluralism and how we have the freedom to exercise our own faith, all the while respecting those with different views on matters of religion.” 
End quote

It seems that they only want to mention the big 3 in any topics that came up, yet when the subject of Paganism is actually mentioned this can only be interperetted as his "apology".

Start quote
Bill, from Michigan writes: 
“Several weeks ago in this forum you indicated that you were not familiar with Pagan faith-based organizations. Your comments elicited quite a bit of response from the Pagan community, and a rash of news articles, including some which detailed the growth of neo-Pagan religious groups in America. As a result of the information brought forward, do you feel you now have a better appreciation and understanding of the Pagan faith communities and churches in this country?” 

Jim Towey
“I appreciate your question. I meant no ill will toward any individual or group in my response to the question I was asked the last time I was on-line. People with loving hearts can come from many different faiths and backgrounds, and indeed, many who volunteer to help others or donate money to charities may not be motivated by faith at all. That is the beauty of our country and the richness of pluralism. President Bush's faith-based initiative seeks to mobilize armies of compassion so that the homeless are housed, the addicted are treated, the hungry are fed, and others in need are assisted. While there has been much progress made in America in alleviating poverty and loneliness, much remains to be done, and I remain committed to this effort. “

end quote

After the smoke had cleared I felt very good about the whole situation. It helped bring Paganism out into the open more and made some "mainstream" people stand up and notice us. I would gladly do it again in a heartbeat. And as a minor note, the White house and Mr. Towey have yet to respond to any of my inquiries.

Spotlight: Pagan Unity Campaign
by Fallon Schulist 
October 18, 2003

With the United States gearing up for the 2004 Presidential 
elections, I would like to take the time to introduce you to the 
Pagan communities' largest political activism group, the Pagan Unity Campaign. In 2000, Storm Bear Williams started the Pagan Unity Campaign as a way to get the Pagan community involved in one of the most important processes a citizen can participate in: voting. 

Ginger Strivelli, the Pagan Unity Campaign president, has taken the time to answer some of the most important questions about what the PUC is, how others can get involved, why voting is important, and why political activism is important. I hope you enjoy the interview and take some time to get involved! It may be one of the most important decisions you ever make. 


Q: What is the mission of PUC? How do you plan to accomplish this?
A: The primary mission of PUC is to get Pagans involved in voting and contacting congress and other elected officials on issues that are important to them. We also want to ensure that our rights as a minority religion are upheld and not trampled on or forgotten by 
elected officials who often favor majority book faiths over these 
minority religions, regardless of freedom of religion. The 
Constitution gives ALL religions in Lady Liberty's land the same 
rights. 

Q: Who started the PUC? Why?
A: When the 2000 presidential election was such a fiasco Storm Bear Williams decided to start PUC as a way for himself and other Pagans in the USA to get involved. 

Q: Where is the PUC located? 
A: The PUC is a USA based political activism group. We currently have supporters overseas, and some interest has been expressed to start sister organizations in various countries. But to date, none have been started. We try not to turn anyone away, as anyone can help with a majority of the internet networking we primarily do. 

Q: What are some of the campaigns the PUC runs? And what is the most successful PUC campaign?
A: The I AM Campaigns have been widely successful. It is also our most widely publicized campaign. 

Q: Does the Pagan public in general get involved with PUC campaigns?
A: Yes, quite often the Pagan community as a whole has joined in with the campaigns, the I AM campaign particularly. The other campaigns have also seen a large number of participants. We would certainly like more involvement from the Pagan community, but we are enjoying a big response now. The key to getting more Pagans involved is getting more volunteers to help spread the word by printing, posting, and handing out press releases, and by becoming "cheerleaders" within their local community.

Q: What do PUC volunteers do? State chairs? The President?
A: We coordinate the people that are doing the voice work, spreading the word. We also run a staff discussion list in which we debate and plan future campaigns, set goals, and make plans for PUC. We answer a ton of emailed questions, and we try to recruit other people to get on staff and volunteers in each state where there are gaps in the involvement with PUC. We maintain the websites (both national and individual states) and we will eventually do fundraising and red tape work on the PAC drive, although that has been put on hold in lieu of getting Pagan voters geared for the 2004 elections. 

Q: How can others get involved with the PUC?
A: One can join our yahoo group PUCPAC list (located at: PUCPAC) to receive updates on events, campaigns and join in general discussion. 
Join the individual state group relevant to where you are located 
(please contact your state chair for information), get involved with the various campaigns, spread the word to others about PUC and the PUC campaigns, and check the national and state websites frequently.

Q: How does the PUC feel about participation within the PUC from 
teens?
A: We do not discourage anyone from getting involved and helping us out. We welcome any and all sincere volunteers. Even teens under the voting age can help by networking, printing and distributing materials, encouraging others to get involved, by participating in the PUC campaigns, and by getting involved on a state and local level. 

Q: How does the PUC encourage teens to get involved with the voting process?
A: We encourage teens to get educated about politics, to register to vote and taking the time to vote once they are 18, and by spreading the word about the PUC to others. 

Q: Does the PUC plan to become an official PAC (political action 
committee)?
A: We are currently debating this within the PUC, but I believe it is something we will eventually do. It is a long, hard, and definitely costly process, so it will take some time to accomplish. In the mean time, we are already making important strides as a private political activism group. In fact, the work we do now is pretty much the same things that a PAC does, so we aren't getting too worked up over the red tape and money issues. Becoming a PAC is a formality only. Though we do plan to get it done, we don't want to jeopardize our current campaigns, which have been very successful, by getting wrapped up in red tape.

Q: What does it mean to be a non official political activist group? 
A: Anyone can lobby congress on a private level. Anyone can write, call, fax, or email, their president, congressperson, or senator and let them know where they stand on a certain bill, or issue.  Anyone can request support from congress on getting the public and government involved with religious tolerance and religions freedom. 
But often people don't lobby officials on a personal level unless 
urged to do so by an organization or group that urges them to join in with many other citizen in sending those messages. 

Q: Where do you see the PUC in 10 years?
A: Well, I certainly believe, and hope, that 10 years from now the 
PUC will be a bigger, more active voice for the Pagan community. We will most certainly have become a `legal' PAC, and therefore be a bit more rigid and strict about what we can and can't do, but at the same time, we will be able to demand more respect in what we do accomplish. I personally hope that our numbers will grow more than our red-tape forms and titles do. I hope to see every state with an active state chair long, long before 10 years have gone by, and I hope to see every state chair heading up hundreds of active members and volunteers in each state. And finally, with a large base, I hope we can get thousands of Pagans all over the USA to stand up and be heard during campaigns and on their own. 

Q: How has the PUC changed the general public (or elected officials) views of Paganism?
A: We have clearly given the politicians a different view of our 
community. Many of them have stated (off the record) that they are amazed that there are so many of us; that they are amazed that there are teachers, policemen, doctors, and lawyers, young and elderly amongst our numbers. They are surprised that there are Pagans in rural Southern towns, Pagans in rich classy districts, in inner cities, and everywhere in between. Sadly, the public still has some very negative misconceptions about Pagans. They generally feel that Pagans are just a few misguided and misbehaving young people in odd areas of the country.

Q: Why is activism an important part of the voting process?
A: It empowers voters to feel that they are more than just another person in a billion pulling a lever, or checking a box, to vote.  Through activism you learn that your voice does count and that you do have a say in how the government is run. It's a way to ensure that the government doesn't run you over and upholds your rights as a Pagan American.


Q: What would you say to people that feel that their votes don't 
count or make a difference?
A: I would say that each and every vote does count, but even more so when they are added together. If more Pagans voted, if more young people voted, if more Americans voted, and if they voted more on knowledge and cooperation than on spreading out the `Left Wing' vote among umpteen 3rd party candidates who don't have a chance to win...then it would make a difference. Even if you are the only one that votes, you don't encourage your friends and family to vote, your vote still makes a difference. Think of how close the last presidential election win was...just a few votes in any one state could have swayed the entire election. 

Q: What is the Pagan Bill of Rights?
A: The Pagan Bill of Rights is a simple restatement of the rights the USA already gives freedom of religion. It basically states that we seek to see and uphold and never ignore, repeal, or trample over our rights as United States citizens and Pagans. 


Q: Why do Pagans need to be politically active? Does activism really make a difference for the Pagan community?
A: We need to become more politically active because we are a part of this country, we are citizens. And we need to take those rights and responsibilities to heart if we want things to change. 

Q: How can Pagans get involved outside of PUC?
A: Join the political party of your choice, do volunteer work for the candidate of your choosing. Join groups that support the same issues that you do. Call, write, fax, or email your elected officials and tell them what you think about current bills, news topics, or their campaigns. 

Q: Where can we find more information on the Pagan Unity Campaign?
A: More information can be found by visiting the national website at: www.PaganUnityCampaign.org or by contacting your state chair.

January 2004

Featured Articles:

President's Desk 

God Resolutions  

So Vote It Be! 

Towey Campaign Report 

Spotlight: PUC 

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