HomeConection November2013. Democracy

Transcription

1 HomeConection November2013 Democracy Chalice Lightings and Meditations: I call that mind free which jealously guards its intellectual rights and powers, which calls no one master, which does not content itself with a passive or hereditary faith, which opens itself to light whencesoever it may come, which receives new truth as an angel from heaven. -- William Ellery Channing Into this place may we come to share, to learn, to speak, to listen, and to grow together in the spirit of peace and harmony and love. -- Frances Reece Day The true democrat is he who with purely nonviolent means defends his liberty and, therefore, his country's and ultimately that of the whole of mankind. -- Mahatma Gandhi Explore the following readings in Singing the Living Tradition published by the Unitarian Universalist Association. (Our hymnal) # 444 by Kenneth Patton #462 by Paul Robeson # 561 by Margaret Mead #578 by Olympia Brown #579 by Frederick Douglas #585 by Marge Piercy #586 by Abraham Lincoln #591 by James Luther Adams #592 William Ellery Channing

2 Story: Who Speaks for Wolf Once, long ago, the people realized that they needed to find a new place to live because they had run out of space. They needed to find a new home. The elders sent out the young men to seek out just the right place. All of the young men returned, each with a place chosen. All returned except one young man. This was the one they called Wolf s brother. He was called wolf s brother because he knew all there was to know about the wolf. The elders listened to each of the young men tell about the places they had discovered. Some told of the trees and plants that would provide food and shelter. Others told about the protected sites where they would be free of the worst of the winter cold or the summer sun. Still others told of the abundance of animals or the good earth in which to grow their crops. And, the elders listened to each of the young men. They listened and they chose where to move. Then someone called out Where is Wolf s brother? Who speaks for wolf? But the people had decided, and they began their move. Wolf s brother finally returned. He asked where they people had chosen to move. When he heard about the new site, he quickly told the people that the spot they had chosen was the center a great community of wolves. But the people closed their ears and would not listen. They settled into their new land and they thought it was good. Soon the people began to notice that some of their food was disappearing, and they saw wolves in the shadows. At first they believed that this was a fair exchange with the wolf. But then the wolves began coming into the village looking for food. The women began to fear for the children. The men worked to find ways to keep the wolves away. Finally they realized that with food disappearing, and with all the time and energy spent in keeping the wolves away, they were not prepared for the coming winter. The people gathered. They realized that they could no longer keep feeding the wolves, and they could no longer spend the energy to keep

3 the wolves away. It was clear the people and the wolves could not live together in such a small place. They considered hunting down all the wolves until there were gone but that would make them wolf killers. They knew that they were not a people who could take life instead of moving a little. And so they decided to move. From that time on they reminded themselves of the lesson they had learned. Whenever a great decision needed to be made, they would ask themselves Who speaks for wolf? They had learned that the wisdom of each of them would make for a wiser decision. This story is credited as a Native American Story. In some sites it is called Iroquois, and in others Oneida. A full recounting of the story can be found in Paula Underwood s book Who Speaks for Wolf: A Native American Learning Story. There is also a YouTube Video of the story at posted by joedeaninsanpedro. Story Questions: What is the most important part of the story to you, and why? If this is not your first time hearing this story, how are you hearing differently this time? What lesson can you learn from the story? If you were about to make an important decision for your family or community, what would it mean to consider Who speaks for wolf? What voices do you need to listen to when you make decisions? What voices do we fail to listen to in our community or nation when we make decisions? Possible Activities: Think about what Democracy means to you. What voices need to be heard in our democracy? What groups can you speak for because they cannot speak for themselves? Make a plan for doing so. Explore the work of Unitarian Dorthea Dix who spoke out for people with mental illness.

4 One of our Unitarian Universalists Principles says that We affirm and promote the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process. (Or, everyone should have a voice and a vote about the things that concern them.) Discuss with family or friends what the right of conscience means, and what the appropriate use of the democratic process is. Take the time to be an educated voter and vote in elections for which you are eligible. Watch the You Tube video telling of Who Speaks for Wolf with friends and family, discuss what this teaches us about democracy. Resources: Books for Children: If I were President, by Catherine Stier, Albert Whitman & Company, 1999 Jane Addams: Champion of Democracy, by Dennis Brindell Fradin, Clarion Books, 2006 (Young Adult) The Barfoot Book of Heroic Children, by Rebecca Hazell and Helen Cann, Barefoot Books, 2000 When Esther Morris Headed West: Women, Wyoming, and the Right to Vote, by Connie Nordheilm Wooldridge, Holiday House, August 2001 Resources for Parents: Children, Democracy and Unitarian Universalist Faith, Tracey L. Hurd, Ph.D., Unitarian Universalist Association Web Site, Resources for Adults: Democracy: A History, by John Dunn, Atlantic Monthly Press, 2006 The American Creed: A Biography of the Declaration of Independence by Forest Church, St. Martin s Griffin, 2003 So Help Me God: The founding Fathers and the First Great Battle Over Church and State by Forrest Church, Mariner books, 2008 The Separation of Church and State: Writings on a Fundamental Freedom by America s Founders by Forrest Church, Beacon Press 2011 The Agreement, by Barry Lopez, in One Hundred Wisdom Stories from Around the World, compiled by Margaret Silf, The Pilgrim Press, 2003

5 Democracy and Empire by Paul Rasor, uuworld.org, Summer Read the UU Historical Biography of Dorthea Dix at: The Video Values into Action: Unitarian Universalists Reclaiming Democracy This is a video of a General Assembly workshop by this name from GA A transcript is included on the web site.