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Yesterday afternoon Sargent Shriver, a man of God and dedicated public servant, passed away at the age of 95.
Please keep in your prayers those who are fasting and praying at the U.S. capitol between January 11 to 21, keeping vigil for the closing of the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo. As an opening to their prayer vigil Wednesday, they engaged in a little prophetic street theater in front of the Justice Department.
In August 2007, candidate Obama promised to close Guantanamo, saying, "As President, I will close Guantanamo, reject the Military Commissions Act and adhere to the Geneva Conventions. Our Constitution and our Uniform Code of Military Justice provide a framework for dealing with the terrorists."
In January 2009, one of President Obama's first official acts was to sign an executive order promising to close Guantanamo within one year. "This is me following through on not just a commitment I made during the campaign, but I think an understanding that dates back to our founding fathers, that we are willing to observe core standards of conduct, not just when it's easy, but also when it's hard," he said.
A local Connecticut race for the state Senate seat has shown two candidates from opposing parties running a unique campaign of civility. The race between incumbent state Senator Andrew Maynard and Republican challenger Stuart Norman is what Sojourners has been urging in our Truth and Civility campaign.
The Institute for Civility in Government was founded in 1998 by two Presbyterian pastors, the Rev. Cassandra Dahnke and the Rev. Tomas Spath. They began by taking groups of adults to Washington, D.C., to listen and learn about how to speak with one another and their elected officials in civil, courteous ways. They branched out to college campuses, bringing elected officials to campuses to meet with students. These gatherings are not about positions or sides of a debate, but about discussing ideas in a respectful manner.