Religious leaders to help launch organization in Dumfries
Upward of 1,800 leaders from 40 religious institutions are expected in Prince William County on Sunday to launch a broad new interfaith organization.
They will meet at 5 p.m. at the First Mount Zion Baptist Church in Dumfries to kick off a new organization in Northern Virginia public life dedicated to a “New Dominion” of justice and political participation in the state.
The organization, which will draw representatives from Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William, is “Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement” and it seeks to make changes on affordable housing, immigration, health care and other issues.
Northern Virginia clergy and lay leaders from Christian, Jewish, Unitarian and Muslim religious institutions have been working with the Industrial Areas Foundation over the last three years to create a broad-based, non-partisan, multi-racial, multi-faith, citizens’ power organization, rooting in local congregations and other voluntary associations to make change in the lives of low and middle income residents and communities in the area.
On Sunday, the V.O.I.C.E. member groups, which represent a total constituency of 120,000 people, will lay out an action agenda on affordable housing, immigration and health/dental services that has been hammered out after months of organizing within the various faith organizations and introduced in a recent series of meetings with city, county and state leaders. A number of elected leaders will address the organization Sunday, including Prince William Board of County Supervisor Chairman Corey Stewart, R-at large.
The Industrial Areas Foundation — founded in the 1940s by Saul Alinsky — already has several affiliate organizations who worked together to pass the first living wage law in the United States, won a $40 million dedicated annual fund for affordable housing in Montgomery County, Md., and secured $1 billion for neighborhood investment in Washington, D.C.
The Rev. Horace Grinnell, pastor of St. Anthony Roman Catholic Church Parish in Falls Church and a V.O.I.C.E. founder, said, “The current economic crises make this unified action all the more imperative. Now is the time for our faith communities to stand together and speak for all whose voice is not heard. Our faith values call us to raise our voice in solidarity with them.”
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cville, there is a huge difference between socialism and ethical government, between socialism and ethical capitalism.
If our government and businesses were ethical and cared a damn about any of the disadvantaged, we wouldn’t be having this conversation and the dreaded “s” word would never even come up.
“Egalitarian” is not the objective here. “A chance to survive” and “an opportunity to work from poverty to prosperity” are what we are talking about. People born into poverty or who fall into crises have no means to bring themselves out of it via our current corrupt systems. And in a time when we have to pay for bail-outs for the criminal, this becomes even more self-evident.
There are MANY ways to fix this, and not all of them include spending money. Congress and local government seem to believe that dumping our money into ineffective systems will yield better results. For example, “let’s bail out Wall Street without holding the CEO’s and wealthy accountable for their actions.“ “Let’s try to handle national problems at the county level.“ “Let’s cut programs for the mentally ill and put the money into our own pockets. No one will notice.“
Then there is the attitude of “what’s mine is mine and what’s YOURS is mine.“ Many of the same people in government who advocate for the rich are the same people who wouldn’t spend a dime to help others in need and then blame the victims of truly unfortunate circumstances.
I’m quite aware of what socialism is and is not. “Socialism” is a propagandizing term used to support the wealthy and to further trounce on those who are struggling to survive. The “American Dream” has become a nightmare for those of us who can’t fight the system because we can’t afford lawyers and our courts don’t favor anyone without a voice. Well….now we are fighting the system as a group. And it’s going to get louder the more our economy falls.
To kgotthardt:
I think you need to look up the definition of Socialism. If you don’t own a dictionary let me provide the answer.
Socialists mainly share the belief that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth into a small section of society who control capital, and creates an unequal society. All socialists advocate the creation of an egalitarian society, in which wealth and power are distributed more evenly, although there is considerable disagreement among socialists over how, and to what extent this could be achieved.
cville, this has nothing to do with socialism. This has to do with what the state legally mandates: to get people who have no home, no food, no health care and no place to go resources.
If you are worried about paying more taxes, don’t. You are already paying for useless programs. You are already paying for our leaders to pander to their campaign contributors instead of working towards the good of this entire community, not just the wealthy. You are already paying for the rich to manipulate the tax system and the government. You are already paying for these leaders to spout off the media, to promote their own agendas, to hire their cronies, and to spend time in useless meetings they have brought on themselves and don’t advertise to residents. And then, you are paying their salaries.
Moreover, you are already paying every time a homeless person has to set up a tent behind a strip mall. Do you think the poor are contributing much to your economy? Do you think the uneducated can become fully active members in your community?
Take all of this away and you won’t be paying one thing more than you already are and your community will prosper.
No, this isn’t socialism. This is smart use of money, fiscal wisdom instead of shortsightedness.
We are slowly headed towards Socialism in this country. I do believe that people who deserve help should get help. But it is not the responsibilty of the government to give handouts to certain people because some false guilt trips have been laid on them. Income redistribution will be the end to America.
Who says they think Stewart will offer ANYTHING except support for Catholic-Hispanic-Muslim-Vet Hater Duecaster and company?
Hey politicians: you can’t ignore us any more. Be there and support us or be voted OUT.
What on earth do these leaders think Supv. Corey Stewart has to offer - if the groups aims and goals are stated correctly?
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