By Candy Czernicki of the Catholic Herald Staff

MILWAUKEE — Nearly 4,000 people from seven faith-based social justice organizations across Wisconsin gathered at the U.S. Cellular Arena in downtown Milwaukee on Saturday, Sept. 18 for prayer and calls to action.

The Milwaukee gathering of the Gamaliel Foundation’s nationwide voter education drive, Rolling Thunder, followed similar events in Oakland, Calif., and northwest Indiana. The traveling “Zulu stick” — passed from leaders of one event to the next — will make its next stop in Detroit, one of 26 cities holding these events. Rolling Thunder takes its name from a grassroots anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.

Each Wisconsin organization takes its name from the Bible. Milwaukee was represented by MICAH, Milwaukee Innercity Congregations Allied for Hope, whose membership includes 43 interfaith congregations. Lutheran pastor the Rev. Dennis Jacobsen, speaking for the group, announced a grant of $23 million to be used for alcohol and other drug addiction treatment among Milwaukee County uninsured and nonviolent offenders. “This shows what happens when Democrats and Republicans rise above partisan politics,” the Rev. Jacobsen said.

The Kenosha coalition, called CUSH — Congregations United to Serve Humanity — the Racine Interfaith Coalition, and Waukesha County group SOPHIA — Stewards of Prophetic, Hopeful, Intentional Action — also represented southeastern Wisconsin.

Immigration and education reform were key themes throughout the day. Tim Brown, a Canadian immigrant on the immigration committee of WISDOM, the state umbrella organization covering the seven regional organizations, spoke of his difficulty in renewing his and his family’s green cards. Brown said he was informed of the need for a number for each member of his family, not one for the whole family, only after waiting in line for five hours. He advocated passage of the DREAM Act, which would allow all state residents, if they meet residency requirements, to pay in-state tuition at colleges and universities across the state. Currently, undocumented aliens or those without permanent residency status who want to go to college in-state must pay the out-of-state tuition rate.

Brown also spoke of the SOLVE Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin), which would “expedite the path to citizenship” and reunite families with workers who come to the United States but cannot afford to bring their families.

In a statement read by Fr. James Dammeir, pastor of Prince of Peace/Principe de Paz Parish in Milwaukee, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan said that he was “heartened by (their) concern for the refugee” and “eager to add my voice ... in speaking on behalf of those lost, dispirited people who are forced to leave their cherished homes because of hunger, war, persecution or poverty, and come to America for hope.

“We must embrace these people as our brothers and sisters,” Archbishop Dolan said. “We must treat them with respect and defend their basic rights and human dignity as God’s favored children.” The archbishop said “I say this, not because I am a Democrat or a Republican, but because my father was ‘a wandering Aramean’ and our spiritual ancestors, the people of Israel, were once refugees and exiles. ... because my savior was born in a stable, without a home, to parents who were forced into exile as refugees ... because my great-great-grandparents on both sides came here starving from famished Ireland, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and faith in their hearts — and they were welcomed.”

The archbishop said, while proud of a country which has historically welcomed refugees and exiles, he was “worried that the open hand of greeting — ‘give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free’ — is now being clenched into a fist of hostility.”

For Archbishop Dolan’s complete remarks, visit this link.

Treatment instead of prison for nonviolent addicts also was highlighted throughout the day. The Rev. Tom Bentz, of the southeast Wisconsin association of the United Church of Christ, compared Wisconsin to Minnesota. The states have similar levels of violent crime, but Wisconsin has 22,000 people in prison, while Minnesota has 7,000. Minnesota also has half the people in county jails that Wisconsin does, and spends about $600 million less than Wisconsin on corrections.

Bentz said that Minnesota’s philosophy is to “imprison those we are scared of, not those we are mad at. It’s a philosophy of justice we should adopt in Wisconsin.”

In introducing about a dozen candidates for political office, who were given two minutes each to speak to the assembly, WISDOM president Lois Glover said that “here’s the message we want everyone who holds public office or wants to hold public office to hear: We, the people of faith, vote. We care about more than gay marriage and where they put the Ten Commandments. We care about taking care of our communities. We care about taking care of the addicted. We care about all of our children. We care about our brothers and sisters who are poor.”

“Today we gather to educate ourselves to vote so that on Nov. 2 we can vote to educate,” said Bishop Paul Stumme-Diers, of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. “Education is rooted in our faith story,” he said, noting Jesus was called Rabbi. “He taught the powerful of their responsibility. He taught the lowly of their power. He called the disciples to learn,” Bishop Stumme-Diers said.

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