News and Commentary
This page displays timely announcements, news reports, and articles written by MOSES members previously published in our newsletters, yearbook, or venues. The main display shows all items with the most recent first. You can select particular topics, working groups, or types of information to see the articles of one type, with the most recent first. Also see the Publications & Resources page for links to whole newsletters and yearbooks as well as other resources for research.
Organizer’s Corner
James Morgan, interviewed by Margaret Irwin As Organizer, what has stood out to you since the last newsletter? “I’m struck by the number of opportunities that are being presented to MOSES for further community-based collaborations and partnerships,” James said. “At the June General Meeting, Harry Haney spoke about the Madison Justice Team. Kina Collins, Interim Executive Director of WISDOM, spoke about plans for our statewide organization. Following those conversations, I see this as a...
Talking to Legislative Staff: A Story About Kevin
By Shel Gross Kevin is his real name. This is a true story. I’m not omitting his last name to avoid a slander lawsuit; there is no slander in this story. It is possible that someone reading this will figure out to whom I am referring. Fine. The point is that I don’t want to personalize it too much. While what Kevin did was exceptional to me, I don’t want to portray it as an exceptional occurrence. The point is that the relationships you develop with legislative staff can deliver. Big time. At...
Juneteenth
On June 21, MOSES folks and others from throughout the community, young and old, braved the heat to participate in the festive Juneteenth parade. Walkers started at the Labor Temple and moved up South Park Street, which was closed for the event, to Penn Park. The celebration at the park included music, dancing, games, vendors of souvenirs, and tasty food. Under the big tent, an array of community groups, including MOSES, provided information about their services. It was a day to reestablish...
Engaging Our Congregations: First Unitarian Society (FUS)
By Nancy Kosseff The First Unitarian Society (FUS) has been a MOSES member since 2013, following a vote at our annual parish meeting. Carol Rubin and James Morgan had stirred interest through a presentation they had made previously at FUS. At the time, our congregation was moving from a standing-committee structure to a ministry-team structure. Small groups of members could form a team focusing on a particular justice issue or parish need. The idea was that these teams would be flexible in...
Reentry 2030
From the Council of State Governments Justice Center Submitted by Katie Mulligan Reentry 2030 is a nationwide initiative whose goal is successful reintegration for every person with a criminal record. The initiative aims to reduce recidivism, expand Medicaid access, and improve employment and housing for people returning to their communities from incarceration. In the past year, North Carolina, Nebraska, and New York have joined Missouri and Alabama in signing onto Reentry 2030. These states...
Grassroots Groups Join Forces
By Pamela Gates and Patti La Cross On May 27, just six weeks after WISDOM’s Madison Action Day at the state Capitol, members of MOSES and WISDOM joined representatives of Citizen Action of Wisconsin (one of the organizers), the Wisconsin Public Education Network, Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), Madison Teachers, Inc. (MTI), Northside Rising (Milwaukee), Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Network, and Planned Parenthood for an energetic day of networking and advocacy. We heard...
Youth Restorative Justice Summit
By Shel Gross On February 28, Barbie Jackson and Shel Gross were given the opportunity to have a table at the Madison Metropolitan School District’s Youth Restorative Justice (RJ) Summit. At that table, they invited youth to respond to this question: What do you want the community to know about RJ? Here’s what the youth said: Youth (teens) are leaders and facilitators. RJ helps with voicing opinions. RJ is a very welcoming place! RJ is a learning experience. Everyone should...
How to Talk Effectively with Legislators About Our Issues Tips from WISDOM Training Sessions
How to Talk Effectively with Legislators About Our Issues Tips from WISDOM Training Sessions By Sherry Reames Do some research in advance about the committee or individual legislator you’ll be talking to. If possible, get advice from other members of MOSES or WISDOM who have met with these committees or individuals in the past. Spend some time looking at the information that’s available on the web. The legislature’s official website, legis.wisconsin.gov, gives a capsule biography of each...
Organizer’s Corner
Organizers’ Corner By James Morgan Greetings, MOSES members! I recently had the pleasure of visiting with congregants at Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society, one of our member congregations. My discussion centered on the value of relationships, individual and collective, and how relationship-building is one of the key components in building a base for collective power. I expressed how speaking or thinking about relationships often brings to mind terms like kinship and...
Review of A Fever in the Heartland
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them, by Timothy Egan, Viking, 2023 Reviewed by Pam Gates And what a story this is! It may shock and embarrass us white Northerners, who like to think we have a better handle on decency in relations with “other” Americans than our Southern counterparts. This story is from America’s heartland, Indiana, though it wanders a bit into Ohio and even to places a little further north, like Wisconsin....