Prayer
As we enter the last three weeks before our national elections, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary invite us to join them and invoke the blessing of the spirits of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and their wives. “Believing in the power of the “Communion of Saints,” I have been asking for their blessings for the past few weeks. Perhaps our intentional, focused prayer will touch people’s hearts.” – Sr Donna Korba, IHM.
Advocacy and Action
On October 23, at 7:00 PM, Beyond Borders and the Haitian Community Help & Support Center will host a conversation with members of the Haitian Community in Springfield OH. You can hear the experience of the last few weeks straight from Haitian members of the community. You will need to register for this webinar.
The Ohio Sisters Justice Network, of which SNDdeN Ohio is a part, has released a statement of Solidarity with the Springfield Haitian Community.
The Sisters of Mercy invite you to become a Prayer Partner for a state legislator for 2025. Volunteers agree to pray for the assigned state legislator, that they make moral decisions that support the common good. Their Justice and Peace Office will mail a letter to each legislator informing them about the effort and letting them know who the individual is who will be praying for them all year. Volunteers are encouraged to write a letter to their prayer partner, but it is not required. You are not asked to lobby on behalf of issues, just to pray. If you would like to join the effort, sign up here.
Education and Information
Well, here is something unexpected! Amazon has announced an end to the plastic “pillows” used in packaging their shipments. They are “committed to reducing plastic pollution.” I hope that commitment continues and spreads to other companies!
Democracy Watch and Resources
I have attached an additional flyer in regard to Issue 1. Below is a reminder from the last Weekly Update.
Ohio Residents: There is a lot of confusion around Ohio Issue 1 on the ballot this November. Issue 1 is an attempt to correct Ohio’s badly gerrymandered districts. To make things worse, the ballot language that has been crafted by Secretary of State Larose is purposefully confusing. So much so that the language was taken to the Ohio Supreme Court. Sadly, the bias in the court means the language was not required to change. In her dissent, Democratic Justice Jennifer Brunner wrote, "We should be requiring a nearly complete redrafting of what is perhaps the most stunningly stilted ballot language that Ohio voters will have ever seen."
When people read this misleading language, it will alarm them enough to vote in the way the writers wish. Gerrymandering is harmful regardless of which party is in power while drawing the maps. Politicians have a vested interest in retaining the ability to draw maps for themselves. Regardless of how the ballot reads, please be aware of what your “yes” vote or “no” vote means. Please see the attached explainer culled from various Ohio newspaper articles. And keep watch for last night’s recording from the Ohio Sisters Justice Network. It will be available soon. If you are still unclear, I am happy to speak to anyone about this issue.
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