2013-05-22T21:44:23-04:00 Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=rev-peter-morales Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Rev. Peter Morales Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2489762 2013-01-16T15:28:22-05:00 2013-01-16T15:55:02-05:00

Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/
"One of the great misfortunes of history is that all too many individuals and institutions find themselves in a great period of change and yet fail to achieve the new attitudes and outlooks that the new situation demands. There is nothing more tragic than to sleep through a revolution." (Spoken by Dr. King at the Unitarian Universalist Association's General Assembly in 1966.)

The 2012 election signaled that the United States is again in a "great period of change." The following five issues call out for "new attitudes and outlooks," and I urge President Obama to rise to the challenges of leadership with responses based on justice and compassion.

1. Create a just and compassionate federal budget.

The effects of our country going over the "fiscal cliff" were minor, but we still face grave economic challenges. Our next federal budget should focus on job creation, revenue increases, a shared commitment to the common good and cuts in unnecessary military spending. Our elected officials need to stand up for those most marginalized in our society, to put partisan politics aside, and make a difference in the lives of all who live and work in this country. I call upon the Administration and Congress to work together to create a just and compassionate federal budget.

2. Prevent gun violence.

The horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., was just one in a long string of tragic and deadly incidents of gun violence. The devastating killings in Aurora, Colo., Tucson, Ariz., Ft. Bragg, Texas, the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin and Virginia Tech make it clear that we must immediately take steps to halt the availability of assault weapons and high-capacity magazine clips. We join with Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence in calling for change. For far too long, the National Rifle Association has been able to derail any discussion of how to prevent gun violence, but we must not allow them to obstruct the current movement toward change. We owe it to the memories of all those lives cut short by gun violence and hate to do all we can to make America safer. I call upon the Administration and Congress to pass legislation aimed at preventing gun violence atrocities.

3. Develop compassionate immigration reform.

Everyone agrees that our current immigration system is broken. Millions of undocumented immigrants are living and working within U.S. borders without a path to citizenship. The Administration's focus on enforcement-only policies has not reduced that number but instead has led to the tearing apart of families, human rights abuses and even death. Legislative action is needed now to preserve families and save lives. The Unitarian Universalist Association is a signatory to the Interfaith Immigration Coalition's "Interfaith Platform on Humane Immigration Reform." We affirm that immigration policy reform should uphold family unity as a priority of all immigration policies; create a process for undocumented immigrants to earn their legal status and eventual citizenship; protect workers and provide efficient channels of entry for new migrant workers; facilitate immigrant integration; restore due process protections and reform detention policies; and align the enforcement of immigration laws with humanitarian values. I call upon the Administration and Congress to work together to develop compassionate immigration reform.

4. Protect all women in their reproductive lives.

This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Our country must commit to protecting all women and their reproductive lives with justice and compassion. Reproductive justice works to understand and address systemic inequalities as they relate to marginalized communities and people and their reproductive and sexual lives. As a human rights issue, reproductive justice promotes the rights of people to have the children they want to have, not to have children they don't want to have, raise their children in safe and healthy environments, and express their sexuality without oppression. I call upon the Administration and Congress to protect all women in their reproductive lives.

5. Marriage equality.

Last year was a watershed year in the ongoing struggle for marriage equality. This spring, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments regarding the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. Though this is now a matter for the judiciary and not the legislative or executive branches, it is my fervent hope that the freedom to marry will soon be a right afforded to all.

In the days, weeks, months and even years ahead, there will inevitably be other challenges to face in the ongoing process "to form a more perfect union." As we mark the 84th anniversary of the birth of Dr. King, I call upon the Administration, Congress, and all Americans to work toward the goal of "liberty and justice for all." There is nothing more tragic than to sleep through a revolution.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2231836 2012-12-03T17:28:54-05:00 2013-02-02T05:12:01-05:00

Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/
Global economic, social and political systems have brought about a greater concentration of wealth. This has resulted in a lower standard of living and growing lack of opportunity. Since 1976, hourly wages have declined by 7 percent while the share of total income going to the top 1 percent of earners rose from 9 percent to 23.5 percent. Think about that for a moment. One percent now holds almost one quarter of all income.

Too many people struggle to provide for their families, have been cheated and abused by financial institutions, and ache under a burden of debt, unemployment and fading hope. This isn't about numbers; this is about human dignity and hope. Our system is broken, but it can be fixed. But we need to let our greatest hopes and aspirations steer this debate instead of our greed and fear.

Unitarian Universalists believe in the inherent worth of every person, strive for justice, equity and compassion in our relationships, and work for social policies that reflect our moral values.

As President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, I call upon our elected political leaders to let the common good, not the interests of the powerful, guide you toward reaching an agreement. I call upon you to stand up for those most marginalized in our society.

Unitarian Universalists across the country are joining with other faith communities to ask Congress for a just and compassionate federal budget. The Unitarian Universalist Association has joined with other religious organizations, including Christians, Muslims and Jews, in calling on our nation's lawmakers to enact a "faithful budget." This interfaith coalition is in agreement that the faithful way forward to fiscal health is to focus on job creation, revenue increases, a shared commitment to the common good, and cuts in unnecessary military spending.

The urgency is real, the time is now, to make a difference for all Americans who work, live and believe in this country. I urge our elected leaders of this country to let hope, compassion and goodwill shape a better future for all.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2089830 2012-11-08T12:00:22-05:00 2013-01-08T05:12:01-05:00

Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/
Unitarian Universalism is not a faith that focuses on an afterlife. Ours is a faith about living on this earth with one another.

Today, as another election season winds down, our attention moves from an intense focus on candidates, ballot initiatives and political tactics to reflection on what it all means and anticipation of what is to come. Once again, it is time to take the long view.

What will our religious faith demand of us in the coming months and years? What are the implications of our affirming the inherent worth and dignity of every person? What does it mean today to affirm compassion and justice? What does our recognition of the interdependent web of all existence call us to do?

For all people of faith in our country, the challenges remain daunting. We continue to live in a nation that is deeply divided. These divisions threaten us and weaken us. Regardless of denominational affiliation, our religious task in the coming months is to address the sources of the divisions and to find ways of breaking down the walls that separate us.

What is most troubling about America's polarization is that it is an indicator that millions upon millions of Americans are deeply afraid. This fear expresses itself in many ways.

For example, I believe that the rejection of science and the willful denial of overwhelming evidence for global warming and biological evolution can only be understood as arising from fear. Similarly, the efforts to marginalize LGBT people and deny them basic rights is based ultimately in fear.

The same is true of the persistent racism in America -- whether it expresses itself as hatred of our president or anti-immigrant legislation. I even believe that much of the rampant greed, inequality and defense of privilege we see all around us is founded on fear. I see fear of the unknown. Fear of change. Fear of loss. Fear of the other.

I know that when I am afraid I get defensive. I am more likely to lash out. When I am afraid I cannot reach out, I cannot open my heart or my mind. When I am not afraid, I am open to life, open to relationship, open to love.

In the wake of this election, we must remind ourselves that our goal is not to get our candidate elected or our ballot initiative passed. Our goal is to change hearts and minds. Our goal is to create the Beloved Community. Minds won't change when individuals' hearts are closed and afraid.

Let us be people of faith who show another way. Let us show, by our lived example, that we have nothing to fear. Let us show that life lived in love, in community, committed to compassion, peace and sustainability, and that embraces learning and diversity, are rich and joyful.

Let us continue to reach out across the walls that divide us. Love will guide us. Be not afraid.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1904450 2012-09-24T11:17:10-04:00 2012-11-24T05:12:01-05:00

Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/ valuevotersummit.org.

White. Male. Politically ultra conservative. Religiously fundamentalist evangelical. This is a summit of angry white reactionary men. Is this what passes for "values" voting in America? Whose values are being advanced here? And whose values are being rejected?

These people attempt to portray themselves as representing values of religious people. The reality is that the opposite is true. Most religious people do not share the values of the extreme right. As a former parish minister and as the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, I have worked closely with religious leaders of many religious groups. I have worked with Christians who belong to evangelical movements, with Protestants of the mainline denominations and with Catholics. My work brings me into regular collaboration with Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs.

We are all values voters. Our values come from the core teachings of our various religious traditions. We -- Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs (and others, too) -- share a core set of religious beliefs and values that should guide our votes in this election and in every election.

Here is a list of beliefs and values taught by all the great religious traditions:

Compassion -- Every religion I know teaches that we should treat one another with compassion. Literally, we should feel one another's pain and seek to ease that pain.

Everyone matters -- I think of Jesus telling his followers that to help the most humble person ("the least of these") is the moral equivalent of helping Jesus himself.

Acceptance -- If we are to be compassionate and if every person matters, then it follows that we should accept one another. For me, that means I need to accept you as you are, whether gay or straight, white or brown, male or female, smart or simple, able bodied or handicapped, Arab or Chinese or African or Indian.

Generosity -- All religions teach that we should share. They also teach that avarice is bad.

Peace -- If we all matter, then we should live together in peace. And this peace is a lot more than the absence of war. We only have peace when we have some level of mutual respect, understanding and acceptance.

Stewardship of the earth -- The great religions teach responsibility across the generations. I have long wondered why many people who believe that every unfertilized human egg is precious are so indifferent to the destruction of the natural environment that sustains all our lives.

As I decide which candidates to vote for (and to support financially), I want to take my religious values to heart. These are decisions to be made prayerfully. As you and I prepare to vote, let us take our deepest religious values seriously. Let us ask which candidates are committed to building a world that is more compassionate. Which candidate will work to ensure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity? Which one will seek peace among all people? Which one is committed to protect our natural environment?

The real values voters summit takes place on Nov. 6. I plan to be there. I plan to vote my religious values. Join me.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1438440 2012-04-24T11:06:17-04:00 2012-06-24T05:12:01-04:00

Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/
This June, I will return to the scene of that crime. Two years have passed since the implementation of SB1070, and for the first time since my conviction, I will join with thousands of Unitarian Universalists from around the country, other people of faith, our local social justice partners and residents of Arizona. We will gather in peace, in solidarity and to bear witness to the truth.

The truth is, those of us seeking justice are not the criminals. The true crimes are being committed every day that SB1070 remains a standing law. Every day that the State of Arizona and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio use SB1070 to justify bigotry and violations of basic human rights, is another day such crimes are allowed to continue. As people of faith, we are beholden to shine a light on these abuses.

I am eagerly anticipating the U.S. Supreme Court's consideration of this horrid legislation. While the outrage inspired by SB1070 has not abated, there is now some hope that our nation's highest court will acknowledge the institutionalized racism embedded in this law and declare it unconstitutional.

Thousands of Unitarian Universalists are preparing to gather in Phoenix in late June, at the invitation of our social justice partners in Arizona, for our General Assembly. This year, however, we have declared our annual gathering of faith and public witness to be a Justice General Assembly, as we grapple with the knowledge that immediate dangers are facing migrant workers, many of them people of color, because of SB1070 and copycat legislation that has found its way to other states.

When writing about SB1070 two years ago, I asserted that this law and those it has helped spawn would, ironically, undermine the very goals they purport to defend. The Arizona law requires local and state law enforcement officials to ask for proof of citizenship if they suspect a person might be in the country illegally. It was said SB1070 would make Arizona a safer place. Rather than bolstering public safety, however, it has created an environment in which crime victims and witnesses are afraid to go to police for fear they will be detained and deported, separated from their spouses or lose their children. And in a legal environment that implicitly encourages racial profiling, it will become increasingly difficult for Latino people -- citizens and immigrants alike -- to feel secure in their communities, to find work and to live with the basic right of personal freedom that this country values so dearly.

This is not the American dream. It is an unforgivable lapse of courage on the part of legislators, not just in Arizona, but also in other states that have mimicked SB1070 in their own laws.

The First Principle of Unitarian Universalism affirms the worth and dignity of every human being. When we raise our voices in protest against SB1070, it is because this law strips the dignity from those whose immigration status, economic status, race, color, or country of origin may be different from yours or mine. This law is an affront to good leadership, preying instead on our fear of the unknown, the "other." It is not in keeping with the humane immigration policies this country deserves. And it must not stand.

I look forward to returning to Phoenix. I look forward to worshiping together, to learning together, to bearing witness for justice. I am humbled when I see the broad coalition of social justice organizations and faith groups that have chosen to stand on the side of love with the Unitarian Universalist Association. And if in this fight for justice I have been branded a criminal by the likes of Joe Arpaio, so be it. I will wear that brand with honor.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.966171 2011-09-16T13:50:44-04:00 2011-11-16T05:12:01-05:00

Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/
All of this rancor obscures a more fundamental issue: We choose the kind of society in which we live. The choices we make are moral choices and, as moral choices, they are ultimately based on our central religious values.

We tend to treat changes in the economy as if they were like the weather -- natural phenomena governed by forces beyond our control. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have chosen to live in a society with high unemployment and with income distribution that is becoming medieval. A tiny percentage of Americans owns most of the wealth. Meanwhile millions of willing and able people are without work. This did not just happen. We created this situation.

An economics professor once taught me that if you focus on money, you will never understand economics. What he meant was that the economy is a huge system of human relationships in which people produce and exchange things and services. Money is not the economy; money is a way of keeping score.

As social creatures, one of our fundamental needs is to be in relationship, to participate, to give as well as to receive. Look at what happens to people when they are not employed, especially for long periods. Not only does their income go down, so does their sense of worth. They feel isolated and rejected. Having real work to do gives us a sense of dignity, belonging and value.
Some would argue that we should even treat the right to work as a fundamental human right like the freedom to vote or to choose one's religion. In fact, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes the right to work and protection from unemployment.

When we realize that the economic system is a human creation which we chose and which we can change, we see important moral choices everywhere. Levels of taxation are a moral choice driven by our religious values. So is the level of unemployment.

For example, we could choose to live in a society with low unemployment. We could choose to have less economic growth if it meant more people would have work. We could choose to pollute less.

Given the choice between living in a country with a few rich people, lots of unemployed people, low taxes and high pollution or a country with fewer rich, more people with jobs, higher taxes and environmental sustainability, I know the choice my religious values point me toward.

It's a no-brainer. I would choose the latter.

What would you choose? The choice is ours to make. ]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.912071 2011-07-28T12:45:56-04:00 2011-09-27T05:12:01-04:00

Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/
Exactly one year later, on July 29, I return to stand trial. Let me be clear: the worst I will face pales in comparison to the hardships borne by so many others. Those who find themselves caught in the wrath of Sheriff Arpaio struggle as their families and their lives are torn apart.

As president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, I am a religious leader, not a political one. For me, joining the protest and being arrested along with fellow ministers, lay people, and local community activists was an act of religious witness. It was an affirmation of our common humanity and a spotlight on acts by law enforcement officials that marginalize and dehumanize our neighbors. These actions -- terrifying raids into private homes and racial profiling among them -- do not speak to humane immigration reform. They do nothing more than break our communities apart, person by person.

One of the slogans used in the struggle for immigrant rights is "Todos somos Arizona" ("We are all Arizona"). That phrase takes on new meaning as 10 other states either have passed or are actively considering passing copycat anti-immigrant legislation. Meanwhile, states like New York and Massachusetts are pulling back on their cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The conflict in Arizona rages across our land. Todos somos Arizona. Literally.

Good and thoughtful people are going to disagree about the particulars of public policy on immigration. But none of us is free to condone brutality, humiliation, policies that cause thousands of deaths of innocent people. Our religion compels us to take a stand.

We have to remember that our laws are founded on our sense of what is moral. And our sense of what is moral is ultimately founded on our religious and spiritual values. With legislation like SB 1070, our treatment of migrants goes against the teachings of all religious traditions.

I try to imagine what someone like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would say about how we treat migrants in America today. Or Gandhi. Or Jesus. Where would they stand? Would they allow those with less power, less social standing, to be treated as if they are less than human? I believe we already know the answer.

I am proud to be president of a religious movement that calls all of us to stand on the side of love, on the side of the inherent worth and dignity of all people, on the side of compassion for those most vulnerable. I am proud of our Unitarian Universalist ministers and congregations in Georgia and Alabama who are at the forefront of opposing anti-immigrant legislation in those states.

Throughout this struggle, I think of my visit last year to our border with Mexico, and the children at a detention center there whose father had been taken away. I think of the thousands who have died in the desert. I think of the young undocumented adults I have met who came here as infants and now live in constant fear of being deported from the only country they have ever known. I can still see their faces. They haunt me.

When I think of the people who are suffering and dying as a result of our broken immigration system, I know I did the right thing a year ago. And I know all of us who stand on the side of love will have to make that stand again and again.

Todos somos Arizona.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.835913 2011-03-15T11:32:09-04:00 2011-05-25T18:40:24-04:00

Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/ Rob Bell's new book has incited heated discussions about universalism and what it means. I welcome this.

As president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, an association of more than 1,000 congregations that are proud to carry the universalist name, I am fascinated and encouraged by the current public discourse around the concept of universalism.

Unitarian Universalists have been examining the very questions Bell has raised for more than two centuries. In the 1770s, John Murray brought his belief in universal salvation from England to America and went on to found the first Universalist church in this country in Gloucester, Mass.

Building on Murray's theological foundation, Hosea Ballou penned his Treatise on Atonement in 1805, a stunning theological work that became the defining document of universalism in America. In his book Ballou put forth a truly radical concept: That a loving god would never condemn any of his beloved creatures to an eternity of damnation. Ballou's belief that humans stand in union with the godhead was a transforming theological concept and a hotly debated topic more than 200 years ago.

Universalism continued to change over time. In the early 20th century, pacifist and Universalist minister Clarence Skinner reinforced the connection between spirituality and social justice that is a hallmark of today's Unitarian Universalism. Good works and our own ethical choices, he posited, marked the path to a "Kingdom of Heaven" here on Earth.

In keeping with our openness to changing notions of theology, our understanding of universalism is still evolving. Today, we see it embodied in the work of Unitarian Universalists like the Rev. Kaaren Anderson of First Unitarian Church in Rochester, NY. She and her parishioners felt called to launch an abortion hotline that listens without judging. Without blaming. Without pushing away those who simply need a kind soul to hear them.

In keeping with the Rev. Anderson's example, when we speak of universalism today, let us speak in terms of compassionate love for all people. No matter how we interpret Bell's writing or his personal theology, let us be tolerant and kind in our dealings with one another, regardless of our faith. Most of all, let us stand on the side of love, always.
]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2010:/theblog//3.786279 2010-11-21T18:41:22-05:00 2011-05-25T18:15:22-04:00

Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/
Imagine inviting family and friends over for Thanksgiving dinner and feeding some of them a lavish feast and some of them scraps and leftovers. While some are served an overabundance of delicious food, others receive tiny portions of unappetizing leavings. Horrible thought!

Two apparently unrelated headlines caught my eye a few weeks ago as I surfed my usual news sites. I can't get them out of my mind. The first is a truly major development: The percentage of people living in poverty in the United States is the highest in half a century. One out of seven Americans lives in poverty.

The second headline was a mere tidbit in the business news. It said something to the effect that companies that make things no one really needs have done very well in this recession. Though apparently unrelated, the two items are, of course, intimately connected. The poor are getting poorer and their numbers are increasing while the rich are doing very well. They continue to buy high tech gadgets and luxury items.

These news items should have been a major religious story. At one level, the growing gap between rich and poor is an economic and political issue. But it is also a moral and, ultimately, a religious issue. There is a temptation to see economic relationships as the result of uncontrollable forces. As a matter of fact, allowing this widening gap between rich and poor is a choice -- a moral choice. And it is a moral choice with enormous spiritual consequences.

All of the great religious traditions teach us that we are connected to one another. Every human being is my brother or sister. Every faith teaches compassion, that those who love God express that by loving others. Every faith also teaches us that we become fully human in community.

Economic inequality pollutes human relationships the way smog pollutes our lungs. Just look at life where the gaps between rich and poor are greatest -- Latin America and Africa. And look back to when the gap was greatest in American history. These were times of slavery and robber barons.

I know from my years in parish ministry the financial strains that beset families. I have seen a member lose her home because of predatory lending practices and witnessed the devastation of a sudden illness. The Centers for Disease Control reports that in 2009 59.1 million Americans had no health insurance, and we know that catastrophic health expenses can plunge families into poverty. Why is it that the United States is the only country in the developed world without universal health insurance for its citizens? And why here, in the richest country in the world, did more than 1 million children go hungry in 2008, according to the Dept. of Agriculture? These are more than political issues; these are spiritual issues as well.

Inequality breeds fear, bitterness, suspicion, crime and violence. It eats away at the dignity and self esteem of the poor while it hardens the hearts of the rich. Inequality numbs our spirits. Ultimately it dehumanizes us. Ironically, social psychology shows us that our grandmothers were right: The rich are not happier.

The answer is not some romantic neo-Marxist notion of a perfect equality. But neither is it the uncontrolled and rapacious avarice that sacrifices people to profit margins and outrageous consumption.

The growing gap between rich and poor harms us all. We can choose a better way. Let us share the bounty of the earth. There is enough for everyone at the Thanksgiving table.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2010:/theblog//3.673432 2010-08-07T22:16:15-04:00 2011-05-25T17:15:21-04:00

Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/ always, in violence. Below is a brief portrait of the early stages of ethnic cleansing in Arizona. And, make no mistake, we are all Arizona.

On July 29, I engaged in civil disobedience in Phoenix as part of the Day of Non-Compliance protest against SB 1070, Arizona's harsh anti-immigrant law. I was called to bear witness to my faith's ideals of compassion and the inherent worth and dignity of all people.

Let me share with you pieces of my brief experience as an inmate in Arizona's infamous Maricopa County Jail. My 14 hours in custody constituted a profoundly disturbing experience -- but not in the ways I had anticipated. I wish I could share visual images of my time in Sheriff Joe Arpaio's jail, but, of course, they took my camera first thing. Here, then, are some verbal snapshots, followed by some disturbing reflections.

Snapshot 1: The Arrest

Around noon on Thursday, after more than an hour of blocking the entrance to the Maricopa County Jail, the inevitable happened. The big metal door behind us opened, revealing scores of battle-clad deputies. I wondered what had taken them so long. Now it was clear. They needed time to put on all their riot equipment in order to arrest a bunch of peaceful protesters.

"You are under arrest," he said. Because I was standing behind the protesters who had linked themselves together, I was the first one arrested. One of the protesters tied together as part of a human chain was the Rev. Susan Frederick Gray, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix. I had been standing directly behind Susan and beside Salvador Reza, a local human rights activist.

As I walked meekly beside the deputy, he grabbed my upper arm and raised it to where my shoulder hurt. There was no reason. I am a portly 63-year-old who, alas, is no longer a physical threat to anyone. After handcuffing me and taking everything out of my pockets, they told me to sit on the concrete sidewalk inside the small indoor parking area.

The handcuffs were the first indication of the difference between the Phoenix city police and the county sheriff's force. Those arrested by the Phoenix police had handcuffs that were like a flat belt. The handcuffs used by the sheriff's deputies had sharp edges designed to gouge into our wrists. A small matter, but telling.

Shortly after I was handcuffed three deputies came by shoving a young Latino who had been one of the group blocking the entrance. The young man shouted over and over, "I am not resisting arrest." I saw him later when we were in the same holding cell. His face had scrapes and his back had numerous ugly bruises. He said they took him to a room, threw him on the floor and kicked him. Except for a few tokens, this is an overwhelmingly white anglo sheriff's department.

It must have been 100 degrees. We sat there for more than two hours. A gentle member of the staff brought water from time to time. About 50 deputies (many of them portlier than I!) stood around. The administrator in me was appalled at the inefficiency and waste.

Snapshot 2: Charges, Fingerprints, Mug Shots and Using the Toilet

It took the sheriff's department more than five hours to get from the arrest to actually doing intake. Imagine your worst experience at a DMV office. Multiply it by your worst experience at a post office. This, amazingly enough, is the bureaucracy of the sheriff's department.

In an odd way, the staff seem as much prisoners of this system as those in custody. They work in a windowless space. They stare at computers, though they rarely actually enter anything. They seem numb, cold, and hardened. What must it do to the human soul to be part of such an abusive system?

When my name was finally called to be photographed, I asked to use the toilet. A deputy pointed me to it. I asked that my handcuffs be removed. They refused. I leave the rest to your imagination. At least I was allowed to relieve myself. Later I heard from women prisoners that they were not allowed to use the toilet.

Snapshot 3: Toilet-Paper Pillows

One never stops learning. It never occurred to me to use a roll of toilet paper as a pillow. It was one of the ways you could tell those who had been here before from us first timers. You lie on your side on the concrete and use the roll of toilet paper as a pillow. I was too alert to sleep. Others snored through much of the evening.

As few as three and up to 20 of us at a time were put into a holding cell. They kept moving us around for no apparent reason. And they kept losing track of us. A guard, always surly, would open the cell door and ask for "Juan Garcia" or "Jim Jones," only to discover that he was not in our cell. This must have happened 15 or 20 times.

We protesters were mixed with guys picked up on drug charges, parole violations, and such. All of these guys had been inside a number of times before. One poor chap had been arrested for parole violation but had no idea what he was alleged to have done. Another went on about how orange peel, carefully cut and dried, made an excellent marijuana substitute in a pinch. He was high on something, though I suspect it was not thick-skinned oranges.

Snapshot 4: Tic-tac-toe, Hangman, a Bar of Soap and Jesus

Just as toilet paper became a pillow, soap became chalk. One of the young prisoners pocketed a motel-sized bar of soap and struck up a game of tic-tac-toe on the cell floor. When interest in that waned, he started a game of "hangman" (the elementary school game of guessing a word by guessing letters).

The words were obscure and the hangman had additional gender specific body parts. I was invited to play. The word I had to guess had five letters. I was running out of body parts and had "_ E S _ S". Tension mounted. Divine intervention saved the day. It hit me: the word was J E S U S. Imagine a head of a religious association not getting Jesus! My honor was saved.

Eventually, around 2:30 a.m. on Friday morning, I was released. At every step of the way the process appeared to be delayed as much as possible.

Snapshot 5: A Second Arrest for Sal

Late that afternoon we get word that Salvador Reza, the local organizer and head of the organization called Puente ("Bridge"), was arrested again. Sal was arrested as he was observing from across the street an act of civil disobedience at Joe Arpaio's infamous "Tent City."

After a night going through the same process again, Sal was released. Even the prosecutor admitted that there was no probable cause for his arrest. It was harassment, pure and simple.

Reflections

I was a journalist before entering seminary to become a Unitarian Universalist minister. I like to think of myself as less naïve than many of my colleagues. I have lived in Peru and in Spain under Fascism. Yet I found the situation in Arizona appalling and deeply disturbing in ways I did not anticipate.

I am honestly surprised that such systematic denial of basic civil rights (the beating, the arrest for no cause, the denial of use of toilet facilities, the targeting of Latinos) can go on openly in a major American city. This is not a nutty sheriff and a handful of deputies in a small town. This is a law enforcement body in a major urban area.

And I wonder at the absence of forces that are supposed to defend the rights of the helpless. Why in the world has our federal Justice Department not taken action? How much evidence do they need? Where, for that matter, are the usual champions of civil liberties like the ACLU?

Other states are considering copycat legislation based on Arizona's SB 1070. Republicans are advocating a constitutional change that would deny citizenship to children born in the U. S. if their parents are not citizens.

We are witnessing the early stages of ethnic cleansing. Todos somos Arizona.

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Rev. Peter Morales http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rev-peter-morales/
The Arizona law requires local and state law enforcement officials to ask for proof of citizenship if they suspect a person might be in the country illegally. Following a nationwide outcry, the law was amended to clarify that it does not allow for racial profiling. Still, it is impossible to imagine how this abusive practice can be avoided. There can be no mistake about the intent and outcome of this legislation: people with brown skin who speak Spanish are the targets. Ethnic cleansing could soon become the law in Arizona.

Ironically, SB1070 will undermine the very goals it purports to defend, particularly public safety, health, and education. Crime victims and witnesses will be afraid to speak to police for fear they will be detained and separated from their families. Parents will avoid taking their children to medical facilities for vital care. Schools will be disrupted when students are removed. It will also become increasingly difficult for Latino people -- citizens and immigrants alike -- to work and support their families.

When I was in Phoenix for the Memorial weekend protests, I was moved beyond words to see demonstrators holding sings reading "Undocumented and Unafraid." Their courage was truly inspiring, for if conservatives win the coming court battles, SB 1070 will create a police state in which neighbors are required to inform on one another or risk prosecution themselves. Citizens who offer rides to families after church or who volunteer to drive seniors to medical appointments risk having their cars impounded if they are found to be transporting undocumented residents.

It is no surprise that most of the Arizona law enforcement community, including the state's Attorney General, oppose the law. SB 1070 allows, and even encourages, individual citizens to bring suit against municipalities that they believe have not gone far enough in enforcing the many provisions of the law. Towns will go bankrupt defending frivolous or malicious lawsuits, neighborhoods will be destroyed, and families will be torn apart.

This vision is not the America I want to live in.

We must acknowledge that the United States is largely responsible for the influx of immigrants across our southern border. Our economic policies are helping to create wrenching economic dislocations in Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, while at the same time US companies and consumers demand and benefit from the cheap labor that immigrants supply. Businesses, consumer-citizens, and undocumented workers are profoundly connected in a vast, interdependent economic web. We cannot solve the problem by scapegoating and casting out the most vulnerable members of a system we created and profit from.

We must not allow our country to be ruled by fear and diminished by racism. Arizona is ground zero in a looming human rights crisis. And it is a spiritual crisis as well. Addressing these problems on a national scale will require honesty, humility, and generosity. By summoning these qualities we will reclaim what is best about the American spirit.

This is why I will be back in Arizona tomorrow. Unitarian Universalism is a "creedless faith, meaning we have no prescribed doctrine or dogma. But we do have principles. Our first principle affirms the worth and dignity of every individual, and the second calls for justice, equity, and compassion in human relations. I will be in Arizona to witness for the dignity of the people about to be persecuted and demeaned by SB1070. All of the world's major religions emphasize loving one's neighbor, so I will be part of a broad interfaith coalition standing on the side of love in Phoenix. Finally, along with thousands of other people, of every religion and none, I will be there to defend the America I believe in -- a country that rewards hard work, protects privacy, and guarantees civil and human rights for all. We must act now before we betray our deepest American values and damage the soul of our nation.
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