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Ethical Action

The Ethical Culture movement attributes unique dignity and worth to every human being. The movement, therefore, promotes a wide variety of Ethical Actions based on its humanist tenets. Many members of the Ethical Society of Boston are active in projects, organizations, and causes that help individuals or promote social justice.

The Society's Ethical Action Committee helps to facilitate and coordinate these efforts. This page presents editorials and letters on issues of importance that members have acted on. There are also links to other organizations that promote causes members participate in or support.

Events    Topics    Activist Links    Special Projects


Events

Ethical Action Committee Meeting

The Ethical Action Committee meetings are currently in hiatus. Call Michael Bleiweiss at (978)689-2874 for more information.

MassCare Ben Gill Gala

Saturday, April 17, 2010 at 2:00 P.M. at Ryles Jazz Club: 212 Hampshire St., Cambrige, MA.  Join us at this fundraiser for single-payer health care.  Tickets are $35.  Contact MassCare at (617)723-7001 or info@MassCare.org for more information or to order tickets.


Activism

HR 676 and SB703 -- Federal Single Payer Healthcare

Support federal legislation for national single-payer healthcare.  There are currently 86 cosponsors in the House from the 110th Congress who have been sworn into the 111th session.  Contact your Congressional Representative to thank them for their sponsorship or to urge them to sign on.

HB 2127 -- State Single Payer Healthcare

Support legislation for single-payer healthcare in Massachusetts.  Contact your State Representative to to urge them to sign on or support this bill.

 


News

Reported by Natalie Klavans

 

The state of South Carolina had planned to issue a special "Christian" license plate featuring a cross, a stained-glass window and the words, "I believe" until they were stopped by a ruling by U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowen Currie. The state legislature had passed the measure authorizing the special plates unanimously. Lt. Governor Andre Bauer actively supported this act before it was challenged through litigation sponsored by Americans United for Separation of Church and State. They brought the suit to court on behalf of four local clergy; the Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Summers, Rabbi Sanford T. Marcus, the Rev. Dr. Robert M. Knight and the Rev. Dr. Neal Jones in addition to the Hindu American Foundation and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

AU Legal Director Ayesha N. Khan said, "The I Believe license plate sends the message that South Carolina has a favored religion. That’s one message the state is not permitted to transmit."

On December 11, 2008, the U.S. district judge issued a preliminary injunction forbidding the state to issue or manufacture the license plates and she ordered the state to inform people who requested the plates that they would not be available. On January 15, 2008 the judge will release a written opinion.


Special Projects

Environmental Buyer's Guide

 

The Ethical Society of Boston has developed a booklet called A Consumer's Guide to Wise Choices for You and the Environment. This is an informative compact guide to what is proper and what is dangerous in regard to Appliances, Household Cleaners, Food and Health, Toiletries and Cosmetics, Pet Products, Lawn and Garden Products, as well to infants and children.  Wide-ranging but not too technical, it recommends Best Buys, National Reports, Ways to Prioritize, Actions to Take, and many other matters you will want to learn about.

The booklet may be obtained for only $5 by contacting us at P.O. Box 38-1934, Cambridge, MA  02238.

 

 

Carbon Footprint Reduction Project

 

This year we offer you a step by step plan that involves personal behaviors that you can change and that  individually and collectively can significantly decrease the amount of CO2 that we contribute to the atmosphere.   We plan to track, month by month, how much CO2 we save and we will tally the total effect of the Ethical Society of Boston over the course of the year.

 


Topics

Single Payer Health Care:  Sample Letter

Dear "Insert Your State Representative's Name Here",

In 2006 Massachusetts enacted Chapter 58, a health care reform law. Unfortunately it does not adequately address the problem. It has added millions of dollars of additional expenditures to the already high costs, offered coverage to the newly insured which excludes much care and/or requires high deductibles and co-payments, increased the complexity of the system, and still does not cover everyone.

 There is a proposal in the State legislature  that will provide quality health care to all Massachusetts residents at reasonable cost -- HB2127, An Act to Authorize the Establishment of a Massachusetts Health care Trust," sponsored by Rep. Matt Patrick  in the House and Sen. Pat Jehlen in the Senate. It will eliminate the huge waste of money inherent in the private, profit-driven healthcare insurance business. and the loss of health insurance when someone loses a job or changes jobs which is the consequence of employment based health insurance. It will be accountable to the citizens of Massachusetts and flexible enough to change as the Commonwealth's health care needs change.

HB2127's single-payer system will provide quality health care for less money than governments, businesses, and individuals currently pay into the health care system. It will reduce administrative costs from as much as 40% to 5%. It will provide continuous coverage to all, as well as enabling the economies inherent in global budgeting and bulk purchasing of prescription drugs. It will set aside up to 1% of the Trust for medical research and will pay for the retraining of former insurance company employees.

It is the only health care bill that truly meets the needs of Massachusetts residents. Currently, it is referred to the Public Health committee.  I (We) urge you to support it and to contact your fellow legislators and urge them to enact it. 

Sincerely,

Anti-War Curriculum

For the past few years, a member of the Ethical Society of Boston has been developing a curriculum for children to inoculate them against war. The details of this program are given at the link above.

At the 2009 annual Assembly of the American Ethical Union , the following resolutions were approved:

Resolution on Climate Change


Activist Links

Economic Justice - Government - Health Care - Human Rights - Labor Issues - War on Terror and Iraq


Economic Justice

United for a Fair Economy: Works to focus public attention on economic inequality in the United States and its implications for American life and labor.

Alliance for Democracy: Works to reduce corporate domination of politics, economics, the environment, culture and information.

Co-op America: A national nonprofit organization providing the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to address today's social and environmental problems.

Alliance for Retired Americans: Works to improve the lives of the elderly and people of all ages. It is one of the leading activist voices for older Americans and is one of the largest organizations today representing senior citizens and their families.

Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities: A nonpartisan organization whose purpose is to defend the economic, social, and democratic foundations upon which healthy communities are built. The Coalition provides networking and coordination services to a diverse array of public interest groups who are working for community protection and improvement.

Government

United States Senate: Official U.S. Senate Web site

United States House of Representatives: Official U.S. House of Representatives Web site

Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Official Web site for the state of Massachusetts

Massachusetts Legislature: Official Web site for the Massachusetts state legislature.

Ethical Action Reports: A newsletter produced by the Ethical Action Committee of the Washington (DC) Ethical Society on proposed or pending legislation in Congress.

Common Cause: A nonprofit, nonpartisan citizen's lobbying organization promoting open, honest and accountable government and opposing corruption and big money special interests.

Citizens for Participation in Political Action (CPPAX) A democratic, grassroots organization that works for justice and peace through political action.

Center for Responsive Politics: A research group that tracks money in politics and its effect on elections and public policy.

Progressive Secretary: Sends progressive e-mail letters on your behalf to Congress, the President and other officials on peace, ecology, civil rights and other issues. You are asked to approve each letter or you can send the letters yourself.

Health Care

Health Care for All: Provides assistance and advocacy for people without health insurance and lobbies for universal, single-payer health care.

Mass-Care: A consortium of organizations working for single-payer health care.

Families USA: A national nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the achievement of high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

Human Rights

AEU National Service Conference The American Ethical Union's non-governmental organization representative to the United Nations

Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice: A national interfaith coalition representing the mainstream, pro-choice views of people of faith and countering religiously-based anti-choice arguments.

Amnesty International: An advocate for the freeing of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience all over the world.

Criminal Justice Policy Coalition: An organization dedicated to the advancement of effective, just, and humane criminal justice policy in Massachusetts.

The Earth Charter Campaign: Pushing to promote a world-wide dialogue on common values and to craft and implement a People's Earth Charter to secure a sustainable future based on justice, equity, peace, and ecological security.

Labor Issues

Fair Trade Federation: An association of fair trade wholesalers, retailers, and producers whose members are committed to providing fair wages and good employment opportunities to economically disadvantaged artisans and farmers worldwide.

War on Terrorism and Iraq

United for Peace and Justice: A listing of events and actions that are taking place to oppose war around the world

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