As I write, election results are becoming clearer. Despite early returns, the Democratic challengers will likely secure an electoral college victory. The drama that seems always to be generated by our current President continues to swirl. He declared himself the winner late Tuesday night and his campaign has filed suit in three states to stop the counting of ballots (a truly bizarre demand in a nation that claims to be a democracy and an even more bizarre demand in at least one state where the President is currently behind).
The final counts are promised within days and we will learn just how far the current occupant of the White House will go. I know you join me in praying for and urging a peaceful transition.
But even as this unprecedented leadership transition moves forward, the work of First Unitarian goes on. I want to update the congregation on developments in the suit the church joined to place limits on the ability of federal officers to police Portland’s streets.
The injunction promised by Judge Mosman was issued Monday afternoon. It defines a very narrow geographic area around the Hatfield Courthouse within which federal law enforcement officers may exercise general policing activities. This is what the plaintiffs (we) requested of the court. This is a victory that begins to place limits on the federal presence on our streets.
The judge found that the church clearly had standing to sue and, by that decision, necessarily concluded that the church had demonstrated that federal forces had harmed the church’s religious mission. This decision becomes a template which other communities can use, as the need arises. That template includes the recognition of our religious rights in the public square.
Whether this injunction applies to Portland Police Bureau officers deputized as federal officers is not made explicit in this injunction. The role of these deputized officers is an active issue, about which Dana Buhl testified before Council last week. The language of the injunction (“all persons working at their direction”) seems intended to suggest that they might be covered. That would need to be litigated, I believe.
As expected, the government has appealed the judge’s decision. The appeal does not lift the injunction.
Demonstrations continue on our streets, now including support for our democracy. The largest, with First Unitarian congregants participating, remained peaceful. But there was property damage by smaller groups, the National Guard was mobilized, and arrests were made.
We do not know all that we may be called to bear witness to in the days ahead. A final decision in the election, with recounts already called for, will take many weeks. Beyond those legal challenges, how the current President may react to his likely defeat is yet to be revealed.
But there are some things that are crystal clear. The need for a new imagination for public safety has not been reduced one iota by the national election. The need for revision of our election process is also clear, even if divided government makes significant change difficult.
The tribal divisions within “we the people” threaten our safety and ability to address the very real challenges we face as a society.
We appreciate the court’s recognition of the centrality of witness, protest, and social justice to our faith. We rededicate ourselves to those religious practices as we work toward a community worthy of being called Beloved for all of us. Our success in that suit is important, but our challenges are far from over.
I will be in the pulpit on Sunday, and my message will point toward our calling and our spiritual practice in the days ahead.
Blessings,
Bill