Write to your Senators and Representative
Write to your members of Congress. A sample letter follows, but if you use this letter you will want to adapt it to reflect changing daily realities. Our national leaders are being called on to act with incredible speed – making decisions that will affect our lives and the lives of people throughout the world for years to come. We need to make our voices heard. These leaders need to hear whatever wisdom we have to offer. You may also contact your members of Congress by accessing the web at http://www.house.gov/writerep to find your US representative or http://www.senate.gov/senators/ contact your Senator.

Reach out
Reach out to those directly affected by the events of September 11th by supporting the work of agencies like Church World Service www.churchworldservice.org and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) at http://www.gbgm-umc.org.

Educate
Invite a speaker to your chapter meeting or church to speak about the Islamic faith. Learn more about Islamic and Arab groups in your immediate community. Contact your local mosque and find out what actions are being planned or how to be in coalition ecumenically. Plan a chapter meeting to discuss events and share information.

Pay attention
As we all know, what we see and hear in the media is not always accurate. Participate in a media watch group, write letters to the editor and call to task inaccurate statistics that are skewed. Media watch groups to consider include FAIR, Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting, that highlights minority and dissenting viewpoints. FAIR can be found on the web at www.Fair.org. Also AlterNet.org is a project of the Independent Media Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening and supporting independent and alternative journalism. Both are great resources.

Support Palestinian crafts and business
Support people whose livelihood is directly impacted by US policy in the Middle East by purchasing crafts. Ten Thousand Villages www.tenthousandvillages.com, for instance works with artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed. The income generated form craft sales helps pay for food, education, health care and housing.

I am concerned, however, that in our concern to show national unity, we not lose sight of other key national priorities.

First, I hope that you will oppose any weakening of civil liberties in the current rush to authorize various types of surveillance. History teaches us important lessons in this regard. The grossly unfair internment of Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor serves as a painful reminder in this regard.

Second, the recent terrorist attacks make it clear that spending $100 billion plus on an untested missile defense system amounts to creating a defense against the wrong threat. I urge you to oppose any movement forward in funding and/or implementing the National Missile Defense Program.

Third, our emphasis in a time of economic recession should be on providing help to the poor, the unemployed and to those thrown out of work as a result of the attacks in New York City and Northern Virginia/Washington, DC. I urge you to work for more generous unemployment benefits, an extension for those facing termination of welfare benefits, public sector job creation and an increase in the minimum wage.

Finally, I urge the Congress to counsel restraint in the use of military measures against civilian populations, which will only further inflame anti-American feelings in the Islamic world. I urge you to support judicial processes to bring the terrorists to justice, to work through the Untied Nations in building a coalition and to address the root causes of the anger against the United States in many parts of the world.

Sincerely,

(Your name)

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