We Must Continue to Speak Up and Speak Out

The eighth amendment to the United States Constitution, one of the first ten amendments that elucidate the Bill of Rights, states "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, NOR CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENTS INFLICTED.”

Now here we are with policy changes being made in Washington that are effectuating cruel and unusual punishments on many of the most vulnerable individuals in our country.

As a case in point, I read today a March 25 email from Rob Gurnee, Executive Director of Lutheran Community Services, who details the impact some of the current policy changes are having on the ability of LCS to carry out its mission.  Rob cites the following issues:

• Pending termination of the Local Food Purchase Assistance farm to community program that will impact negatively not only those who receive food through the LCS food pantries, but also the livelihood of the Delaware farmers who now produce food for the program. Less food produced means less food to distribute to those in need.

• Suspension of The Emergency Food Assistance Program that places uncertainty into how many truckloads of U.S.D.A. food the Food Bank of Delaware will receive.  Again, less food received means less food to distribute to those in need.

• Uncertainty over the continuation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and of Medicaid that LCS clients depend on.

In my blog at the end of February, I focused on a new policy from the current administration to eradicate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and the humanitarian principles they stand for. I wrote of my concerns over the impact of this policy on our congregation’s ability to carry out its mission safely as a Reconciling in Christ congregation. I urged readers who share my concern to reach out to their elected representatives to voice their opinions. I recommended a phone app like 5 Calls that makes it easy to make those phone calls in just a few minutes.

I continue to urge everyone to contact their elected representatives, this time to speak out against the changes listed above that will impact negatively many people who benefit from the programs LCS manages. As I said last month, I cannot continue to be silent. I hope more of us who call ourselves Christians, who understand what Jesus meant, as written in Matthew 25:40, when he said, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did to me" will speak up and speak out as well.

Bob Linderman