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Detroit faith community rallies to promote democracy and citizen engagement

By Eclectablog on September 25, 2012 in Events

Rekindling Democracy

This past Sunday, the group Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength (MOSES) held a rally titled “Fire of Faith: Rekindling Democracy” at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit. MOSES is a group of faith communities from around the state that is working on social justice issues. They are an affiliate of the Gamaliel Foundation where President Barack Obama was a trainer and consultant for a time in Chicago and their approach to community organizing is very evident in the Obama For America (OFA) approach. (For more information about the Gamaliel approach, check out this post from just after the 2008 election: “I Want POWER and I Will Be Ruthless”.)

Sunday’s event involved nearly a dozen faith communities from around Michigan. Christian churches. Muslim mosques. Jewish synagogues. All were represented and all had a common goal of engaging their congregations in the democratic process. Young people from Crossing Boundaries, Building Bridges (CB3), a youth outreach effort by MOSES were well represented, as well.

Much more after the jump.

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Fighting on: A stunning response to the lie that stole the voice of a quarter million Michigan citizens

By Eclectablog on April 30, 2012 in Emergency Manager Law

Speaking truth

My good friend Brit Satchwell, educator and president of the Ann Arbor Education Association, is always on the forefront of fighting for workers and for those in Michigan who are most acutely impacted by the Republicans that currently have control of our state government. Whether it’s circulating petitions for the repeal of Public Act 4 — Michigan’s vile Emergency Manager law — or to recall Governor Rick Snyder or to enshrine collective bargaining rights in our state constitution, Brit is there, defending our democracy.

When the Board of State Canvassers met last week and two Republican men betrayed and silenced the voice of nearly a quarter million Michigan citizens with a vote based on a concocted lie, Brit was there and on his feet shouting “Traitor!” at those men. Detroit News photographer captured the moment exquisitely (you can see it HERE.)

Brit took pen to paper recently and composed a heartfelt and perfectly-worded response to this egregious act which he then sent to the Board. I am reprinting here from the blog of Michigan Forward with permission…

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So, Michigan Dems, you gonna go support the guy that’s against kids going to college?

By Eclectablog on February 27, 2012 in Democrats, GOP Primary

Breathe deep and think about what you are doing

Tomorrow is the Michigan primary. A significant number of Dem-leaning pundits and commentators are encouraging Democrats to cross over and vote for Rick Santorum in the GOP primary.

You can do that. It’s totally legal. I’m asking you not to.

I’ve already gone on record as to why I think this is a truly bad idea. Stupid. Misguided. Ill-informed. All that.

Are you really going to walk into your local voting location, declare yourself a Republican and then vote for the guy you hate the most? That’s democracy to you?

Don’t do it.…