20+ UUs arrested; some jailed overnight
So many UUs (and others) were arrested yesterday that the backlog clogged Sheriff Joe Arpaio's system, delaying his planned raids. Some--not all--UUs were allowed to leave on their own recognizance; some were arrested and arraigned (see photo of President Peter Morales); some were jailed overnight, to be arraigned today. Many UUs remained outside the prison, in a vigil to stand with their jailed comrades.
To donate toward bailing out the protestors (or simply to support the work in many ways), please use the "Standing on the Side of Love" donation page.
(Morales pic courtesy of Standing on the Side of Love's twitpic.)
My stomach clenched when I saw this photo of the Rev. Ms. Susan Frederick-Gray in handcuffs. Her body posture and the grim look of determination on her face affected me powerfully. Many people are unjustly arrested everyday, and I am grateful that my life has been largely untouched by that kind of injustice so far. Seeing friends and colleagues put into such positions makes this more real somehow. Thanks to everyone who protested, especially to those willing to be arrested. Let us all keep up the pressure to end this travesty of a law, and to start a sane and compassionate conversation about race in our USA...
posted by Chip @ 7:48 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I changed the headline from "80+ UUs arrested..." According to Matt Kinsi's "Spirituality and Sunflowers" blog post, there were 83 arrests, but only 20 or so were UUs. I apologize for the error.
"Seeing friends and colleagues put into such positions makes this more real somehow."
Uh Chip. . .
What you are actually seeing is friends and colleagues who knowingly and willfully put themselves into "such positions" in order to reap media attention and their fifteen minutes worth of U*U World fame.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
It is cynical attention seeking ersatz "civil disobedience" if U*Us ask me. . .
Nothing *real* about it.
U*Us *could* have protested without blocking traffic and without blocking access to government buildings but chose not to.
AFA*I*AC This prideful, self-congratulatry, blog post by U*U seminarian Shawna Foster only underlines what I said above.
Can U*Us say "photo op"?
I dare say that the gilt-framed "picture" Shawna Foster presents on her blog may well be worth a thousand questioning and critical words. . .
For the record there are several U*U bloggers who are "less than impressed" with the ersatz "civil disobedience" that U*Us engaged in in Phoenix this week, they include ChaliceChick, Rev. Scott Wells, and Desmond Ravenstone. Desmond sums up the problem with such ersatz civil disobedience quite nicely -
"Problem is that the tactics being used are stretching the moral intent behind civil disobedience. Instead of breaking the immoral law in question to expose how immoral it is, folks are breaking the law just to draw attention."
Not sure why the link to ChaliceChick's questioning blog post didn't take.
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