JUUstice Washington

A Unitarian Universalist State Action Network

The California Native American Genocide – Two books reviewed

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The first comprehensive treatments of this subject were published very recently, in 2012 and 2014. These are An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe, 1846-1873 by Benjamin Madley, and Murder State: California’s Native American Genocide, 1846-1873 by Brendan Lindsay.

. . .

Over the past few months, I’ve read these books and have been working on this report. More than any other aspect of local history I’ve written about, this has been the most difficult. This is not because these books are not well-written. It is because this topic is, to quote Madley, “unrelentingly grim.” This project has taken me longer than normal because it is emotionally very heavy. It is profoundly disturbing and unpleasant.

Read more here.

Winning the Green New Deal Book Launch from Sunrise, Aug. 27, online.

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It’s finally here. WINNING THE GREEN NEW DEAL is out in the world today! If you haven’t yet picked up a copy, you can get one here.

I am so excited to share this book with everyone. Guido and Varshini worked very hard to gather brilliant people together and make this the definitive guide for what the Green New Deal is, why we need it, and how we win it. This book is a chance for us as Sunrisers to reground in what we’ve been working toward and an opportunity to invite others into the movement in a new and exciting way.

[Read more…]

Training Court Watchers for Flood of Eviction Cases

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Elizabeth Maupin of Issaquah/Sammamish Interfaith Coalition writes:

I have been in touch with the Seattle University Law School and the Housing Justice Project about training and placing court watchers in the King County eviction courts. Once the moratorium ends there will likely be a tsunami of eviction cases.  Volunteer court watchers who sit in a courtroom and take notes not only provide us with data on racial bias and discrimination, but actually impact outcomes merely by being there.  Experience has shown that judges, prosecutors, and attorneys who know that they are being watched and will be held accountable are more likely to take care to operate fairly and to follow reforms designed to improve our justice system.  Housing Justice Project will provide training and volunteers will probably serve for half a day once a month.  Background checks will be required.

Let us know if you are interested by contacting Karla Davis (karlad@kcba.org)and we will get you updates on this as the project moves forward.

The Unraveling of America

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Evidence of such terminal decadence is the choice that so many Americans made in 2016 to prioritize their personal indignations, placing their own resentments above any concerns for the fate of the country and the world, as they rushed to elect a man whose only credential for the job was his willingness to give voice to their hatreds, validate their anger, and target their enemies, real or imagined. One shudders to think of what it will mean to the world if Americans in November, knowing all that they do, elect to keep such a man in political power. But even should Trump be resoundingly defeated, it’s not at all clear that such a profoundly polarized nation will be able to find a way forward. For better or for worse, America has had its time.

Read more here.

WA to create $40M fund for undocumented workers hurt by pandemic

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Undocumented workers who lost income because of the coronavirus pandemic, but were passed over for federal assistance, will finally be getting some help in Washington state, thanks to a new $40 million relief fund.

Gov. Jay Inlsee is setting up the new financial assistance program with cooperation from a broad coalition of immigrant rights organizations, including OneAmerica, the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network and the Washington Dream Coalition.

Read more here.