SUPPORT FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Beloved Community,

As we all know, the right for women to make choices over their own body was taken away yesterday.  The very idea that women should be empowered to decide their own fate as related to their own body is self-evident.  The protections afforded to them for the last 50 years have suddenly vanished; leaving their fate to elected officials who will very likely never know them.  Never see them.  Never hear them.  Never speak with them.  Never understand the life they lead or the pressures they feel in their own, unique life experience.

For our local community, we live in a place where the obvious is protected by our state constitution.  Our leaders, past and present, have had the foresight to enshrine those rights so that no one minority group can simply erase the liberties we have, until today, taken for granted.  We should celebrate that foresight and be inspired to share it with others.

I have been working with others to make our freedoms available to others who, by virtue of simply being in another state, will not suffer the indignity of a forced choice or endanger their own lives and personal safety by taking matters into their own hands, alone and afraid.

So the call tonight is for us, as a community, to stand together with others and support them as they choose to exercise their unalienable right to terminate their pregnancy.  There are many roles we can play and many helping hands we can extend to others less fortunate who live oppressed due to political decisions and misguided moralism.

If this is something you would like to be involved with, please let me know by replying to me at admin@uuclv.org.  The plan is we will become hospitality providers for out of state visitors.  This involves providing housing for our visitors and any who might come with them, transportation to and from the airport/bus station, transportation to our local clinics and also providing comfort food and a safe place free of judgment and shame.  This last piece is very important and must be the guiding principle of our endeavors.

While it seems odd that I, a man who will never need these services, I am and always shall be a champion on this fundamental right.  As we work together, you will learn why.  My life goal, quite simply, is that every woman can safely and with dignity, choose the if and when of whether or not to terminate a pregnancy.

Thank you for your attention.  Please feel free to email me with questions, comments or any concerns.  My email is admin@uuclv.org.  We will be setting our first meeting sometime next week and I will have a more detailed presentation.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your attention.

Geoff Pool
Coordinator for Women's Right of Choice
UUCLV Social Justice Committee

We are looking for folks that are willing to provide transportation, housing, food, and kindness.  Sometimes this will all be accomplished by one household.  Others may be able to assist by handling just one of the needs or asks. Please consider being a caring soul that has the capacity to step up for women coming to Las Vegas from other jurisdictions that have ended a woman's right to choose. Contact the Minister minister@uuclv.org or Geoff admin@uuclv.org to volunteer or you can help defray costs by donating below. 

DONATE TO HELP SUPPORT WOMEN'S RIGHTS HERE

Nevadans for the Common Good

UUCLV is active in Nevadans for the Common Good (NCG), a community-based advocacy organization that seeks to improve life for residents of southern Nevada by working with state and local governments. We are one of 47 member churches, synagogues, and non-profit organizations, representing 110,000 residents, of southern Nevada. 
Current issues include greater funding for Nevada’s public schools, addressing the affordable housing crisis in southern Nevada, better payday lender enforcement, and increasing access and affordability of healthcare. NCG has also worked with local officials on fairer enforcement of immigration law.  If you are interested in joining us in this work, please contact: Mary Jane Brustman mjbrustman@gmail.com or Barbara Lloyd bobbie702@cox.net
Postcard campaign to our Legislators update: two of the three Bills we were endorsing have passed out of their Committees. The $40 million in tax credits for homebuilders to increase the affordable housing stock, and the Bill for a Pay Day Lending web site to prevent consumers from over-borrowing have both been amended. At last check, the amendments do not change the essence or purpose of the Bills. We will provide more information as we get it. Thank you for your support!  

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We Need Your Stories to Advocate for Elder Care!

Did you know that Nevada has the one of the largest percentage populations of senior citizens of any state, and one of the lowest levels of funding for senior services? In the last legislative session, funding for in-home care was increased slightly. Program providers and service recipients and their families must have a voice in this process. We want to have conversations with program providers and service recipients to hear their stories and understand their needs. Personal stories are powerful. If you have a story to tell, contact Joanne Leovy.

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