by John Miglietta, Vice-President
As I sit here in my nice cozy home office as the last of winter is trying to drag me into gloom, I am heartened by this congregation and its vision. One thing that gives me hope is our adoption in 2021 of the 8th Principle. You know the one where we say “We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
While one of the most obvious and clear cases of racial injustice is that borne by our African-American brethren, they are not the only ones. We mention a case every Sunday in our Welcoming. We recognize that our property was once the domain of the Paugussett’s. While we may not have individually been party to their plight, we collectively have benefited. This is what the Eight Principle means. It means that we have to acknowledge and rectify (to whatever extent possible) the damage done by our forebears. I didn’t know that the Native Americans didn’t have access to basic civil rights until 1968, nor that they didn’t have freedom to practice their religions until 1978. My ignorance is no excuse for my lack of awareness. Our own Danbury New–Times recently has had a series of articles on the looting and retention of Native American artifacts in museums and collections around the state. The return of these objects to their rightful heirs I believe is something that we can all support and push for.
So, how can we work toward supporting and living the 8th Principle? We just had an online workshop entitled “So You’re Working on the 8th Principle...” As part of our annual Auction we also supported two local organizations Danbury TBICO, and DARA that directly help those in need. We surpassed our goals for both of those appeals. But there is more to do. It’s time to roll up our sleeves.
Hoping that all are enjoy the coming of Spring!