Lawful Assembly

This is our final episode. The demands of creating the show are much greater than its reach, so we are focusing our energies to do good in other ways and leaving the podcast behind.  We are grateful to all our listeners, and to all the people who commented and contacted us. We thank you for letting us be part of your lives for the last year. Carry on and fight the good fight.  Here are the shownotes to this week's episode: SHOW NOTES States of Washington, Illinois, Arizona, and Oregon's Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order, January 21, 2025:  https://agportal-s3bucket.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/10_TROMot.pdf?VersionId=eWXZfvZtw60HmNTPOMluCKS_Li3n1Tu8  David Guttman, "Judge in Seattle blocks Trump order on birthright citizenship nationwide," January 23, 2025, The Seattle Times, https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/judge-in-seattle-blocks-trump-order-on-birthright-citizenship-nationwide/ Matthew J. Vaeth, Acting Director, Office of Management and Budget, "Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs" January 27, 2025: https://blog.researchadmin.asu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/omb-memo-1-27.pdf   National Immigration Project, Community Explainer: Laken Riley Act, January 27, 2025: https://nipnlg.org/work/resources/community-explainer-laken-riley-act  Martin Niemöller: "First they came for..." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-niemoeller-first-they-came-for-the-socialists Merriam-Webster Dictionary online page for "mandate": https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mandate Thomas Friedman, "Trump is Going Woke,"  New York Times, January 29, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/opinion/deepseek-ai-trump.html?searchResultPosition=3  Craig's article on the benefits of DEIB for an institution, "Facilitating Belonging: Ombuds as the Helpful Stranger," January, 2025, Journal of the International Ombuds Association, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5101487    REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE: Craig has worked with The Marjorie Kovler Center four decades and serves on its Leadership Council.  The Marjorie Kovler Center is one of the world's preeminent programs for specialized services for survivors of torture and severe trauma, including mental health care, medical care, and case management. Since its founding in 1987, the Kovler Center has served thousands of survivors, along with families and children experiencing forced migration. Today, the Kovler Center is facing an unprecedented emergency due to funding freezes from the Trump administration at a time when survivors need us more than ever before. We need your help to keep our doors open. Link: https://heartlandallianceinternational.org/donate/ (select Marjorie Kovler Center in the "I want to support" drop-down menu) INFORMATION ON IMMIGRATION AND IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS National Immigration Justice Center: https://immigrantjustice.org/  Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights:  https://www.icirr.org/  American Immigration Council: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/  Center for Migration Studies: https://cmsny.org/?s=Kerwin&view=list&perpage=6&sort=desc  National Immigration Project: https://nipnlg.org/work/resources     

  Today we talk about the 14th amendment and the executive order to change it signed recently. We also talk about Episcopal DC Bishop the Right Rev. Mariann Budde, and the new policies of ICE https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/21/politics/ice-can-arrest-people-at-churches-and-schools https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/01/21/republican-reaction-jan-6-violent-offenders-trump-pardon/?utm_campaign=wp_the_5_minute_fix&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/21/trumps-un-ambassador-pick-says-israel-has-biblical-right-to-west-bank https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/ag-brown-challenges-unconstitutional-order-birthright-citizenship     SHOW NOTES  1.      Peter L. Markowitz, "NYC's Sanctuary Law Helps Defeat Crime," January 22, 2025, Daily News:    https://outlook.office.com/mail/id/AAMkAGQ0OTc4Yzg3LWM1ZmQtNDk2My05MDE2LWJmMTQzNjBjN2EzZABGAAAAAAAuHa6nzIS9Q7wlj7bMjykXBwCucHtiDUopSpTFhKH4HVWkAAAAf4RCAAAv5SVIveJEQpbNf6pkO5iaAAKrTT0wAAA%3D/sxs/AAMkAGQ0OTc4Yzg3LWM1ZmQtNDk2My05MDE2LWJmMTQzNjBjN2EzZABGAAAAAAAuHa6nzIS9Q7wlj7bMjykXBwCucHtiDUopSpTFhKH4HVWkAAAAf4RCAAAv5SVIveJEQpbNf6pkO5iaAAKrTT0wAAABEgAQAFDIlJqE2AdHoPzJBUZmTOA%3D    2.     The case we quoted is from New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support   v. Donald Trump et al., https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2025/01/0176.pdf    3.     "Protecting the Value and Meaning of American Citizenship," Executive Order, January 20, 2025: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/    ACTION STEPS:  1.     Please support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and seek to end the Knesset's ban on its humanitarian activities:  https://www.unrwausa.org/hands-off-unrwa    2.     Please call your Senators and ask them to vote no on the nominations of Elsie Stefanik for United States Ambassador to the United Nations and Mike Huckabee for Ambassador to Israel. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senator's office.    

SHOW NOTES We talk about the confirmation hearings, the release of the special counsels report and the vote in Chicago to help protect immigrants.  https://news.wttw.com/2025/01/15/chicago-city-council-votes-39-11-reject-push-scale-back-protections-undocumented https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-background-defense-secretary-confirmation-hearing-e160e10c86385a8beff110d9190fb34e https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-announces-israel-hamas-ceasefire-deal-2025-01-15/  https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/14/politics/takeaways-jack-smith-report-donald-trump/index.html For more information on Pete Hegseth's connection to the Crusades, see Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite's Substack, "Hegseth; The Tatooed Crusader."  https://susanthistlethwaitewaite.substack.com/p/hegseth-the-tatooed-crusader?publication_id=1360431&post_id=154832528&isFreemail=true&r=4pgnh9&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email  See also, Ben Samuels, "Trump's Defense Secretary Pick Supports Israel 'Killing Every Last Member of Hamas'," https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2025-01-14/ty-article/.premium/trumps-defense-secretary-pick-supports-israel-killing-every-last-member-of-hamas/00000194-65d5-db9d-a1b5-7fd7b4b20000  The quote from Diarmaid MacCulloch on the Crusades came from his book, Christianity, The First Three Thousand Years, (N.Y., Viking, 2010), p. 387.  In addition to his criticism of the Crusades and the Knights Templar (p. 386), see also, Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, Vol. I of, (N.Y., Harper One, 2010), pp. 345-56) For information on his support of soldiers alleged to have committed war crimes, see:  Nik Popli, Pete Hegseth's Role in Trump's Controversial Pardons of Men Accused of War Crimes." https://time.com/7176342/pete-hegseth-donald-trump-pardon-war-crimes-military/    ACTION STEPS Please support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and seek to end the Knesset's ban on its humanitarian activities:  https://www.unrwausa.org/hands-off-unrwa Please immediately contact your Senators to vote no on the Laken-Riley Act.  The vote may come as early as Saturday, January 18.  For more information on the Act, see the National Immigration Law Center's five points against the Act.  https://www.nilc.org/articles/nilc-opposes-the-h-r-29-the-laken-riley-act/  Detention Watch Network asks you to call or email your Senator and ask them to vote no.  https://actionnetwork.org/letters/no-to-s5-laken-riley  You can call the Capitol Switchboard at: 202-224-3121.  They suggest the following call script: "Hello, I am a constituent, and I urge the Senator to vote NO on the Laken Riley Act."

SHOW NOTES  House Passes 'Laken Riley Act' to Deport Unauthorized Immigrants Charged With Minor Crimes - The New York Times AG Merrick Garland intends to release special counsel report on Trump's Jan. 6 case, DOJ says Justice Dept. to Hold Off Releasing Report on Trump Documents Case - The New York Times Trump Seeks to Halt His Criminal Sentencing in New York For information on the Laken Riley Act, see the National Immigrant Law Center fact sheet     CALL to ACTION    Laken Riley Act:  Although the Senate has passed a motion on Thursday, January 9, to let the Laken Riley House Bill proceed to debate in the Senate, you can still email your Senators to vote no on the final bill.  You can also review the letter the American Immigration Lawyers Association sent to all Senators opposing the bill.  You can forward that letter to your Senators and add your voice to opposed the bill.     B. Ravi Ragbir    1. Please sign & share this petition urging President Biden to grant Ravi Ragbir a presidential pardon. For those in the New York City/New Jersey area, please join Ravi's family, defense committee, faith leaders, and other supporters as Ravi reports to ICE in NYC on January 13 at 7am for his first check-in since his deferred action expired. As in years past, his defense committee is gathering with faith leaders and other supporters to hold a peaceful Solidarity Vigil in Foley Square in NYC while Ravi is at this appointment. Please RSVP for the vigil or or read about Ravi at this website.     A.    Leonard Peltier:  Call or email the Biden administration seeking to free Leonard Peltier through executive clemency:  https://freeleonard-peltier.com/act-now/    B.     Request President Biden to pardon the DREAMERS or other undocumented, such as parents of unaccompanied minors:  [email protected]  In addition, you can sign this National Immigration Law Center petition to President Biden to take other steps to protect immigrants from the threat of mass deportation.     

Today Craig answers several listener questions about religion and morality. Cecil chimes in with his thoughts. They both chat about the death of former President Jimmy Carter.      The idea of a trial of innocence asking each human whether to do well or not do well comes from André LaCocque, Onslaught Against Innocence, Cain, Abel, and the Yahwist.  (Eugene, Or., Cascade Books, 2008), p. 1.  See also, André LaCocque, The Trial of Innocence, Adam, Eve, and the Yahwist. (Eugene, Or., Cascade Books, 2006).  Rachel S. Mikva provides multiple interpretations of holy writings in Dangerous Religious Ideas, The Deep Roots of Self-Critical Faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, (Boston, Beacon Press, 2020).  Marilynne Robinson discusses Jonathan Edwards' sense of biblical generosity in When I Was a Child I Read Books, (N.Y., Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2012), pp. 81-83.    Susan Thistlethwaite briefly discusses President Carter's work to end violence against women and support women's rights while noting that President Carter also read the Bible literally in No Fear Religion and Politics "Thank You, President Carter, You were a decent Christian and the world's peacemaker,"     https://susanthistlethwaitewaite.substack.com/p/thank-you-president-carter?publication_id=1360431&post_id=153777616&isFreemail=true&r=3ag8ix&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email  Linda K. Williams' song, "When Jesus Said Love Your Enemies" and a photo of the bumper sticker can be found at:  https://betterworld.bandcamp.com/track/when-jesus-said-love-your-enemies-the-original-bumpersticker-song-2