To Avoid Voting For A "Lesser of Two Evils"

How do we choose between flawed candidates?

I hear lots of concerned citizens, including many people of faith, who lean toward voting for a particular presidential candidate but who know that by doing so they are also supporting a lot of policies they find highly objectionable. 

For example, many of my fellow pro life friends believe they must vote Republican for the sake of supporting more restrictive laws limiting abortions. At the same time, they are appalled, among other things, at the prospect of millions of undocumented workers having their lives and their families disrupted through forced expulsions if Trump is elected.

Others strongly prefer the Democratic party's policies and candidates, but are equally appalled by how Harris favors the kinds of military aid that will result in thousands of even more people being brutally bombed in Gaza and in the escalating and dangerous Ukraine/Russian war.

Yet in spite of feeling highly conflicted, many see the privilege of voting as too important for them to simply refrain from taking part in an election, believing their vote might at least move the needle of justice in a slightly more positive direction. Yet they feel uneasy about having that same vote lend support to policies they strongly oppose.

One option, of course, is for individuals to simply avoid voting altogether and to exert their influence in other ways. 

But here's a third option I've been pondering:

What if every conflicted Democratic-leaning voter would find someone leaning Republican but with some similar misgivings about their party's candidate or platform, and then have the two pledge to abstain from casting a vote in the fall election? 

This could do several things:

1. It would engage caring citizens with opposing views in important conversations that may help them understand each other better in spite of their differences.

2. Neither could be accused of simply being passive and doing nothing about matters of national or local concern through not voting and thus simply accepting the will of the voting majority.

3. Since each person's unmarked ballot in this agreement would have the direct effect of canceling the vote of someone who would have voted differently, each will have exercised their civic responsibility in a significant way.

4. All of this could be worked out between any two individuals operating in good faith, and would require no special organizing or funding. 

5. Each agreement could be tailored to the two persons involved, as to whether it would involve every item on a ballot, for example, or just the persons at the top of the ticket. 

6. Followers of Jesus could use this as a way of demonstrating their commitment to policies they see as being accordance with the future and forever reign of God and at variance with short sighted politics of the present age. In other words, it would highlight choices involving above versus below rather than just left versus right.

Feel free to put your contact information and your voting preference in a comment below if you want to connect with an interested vote-trading partner. 

On The Revolutionary Reincarnation of God

God has no hands but our hands,

in which to feed them bread.

God has no feet but our feet,

to walk among the almost dead.

We say we are His and He is ours;

Deeds are the proof of this, not words;

And these are the proving hours.

- Author Uncertain

Have you ever wondered how God can offer personal attention to every one of the billions of human beings on earth, along with all of the other of earth's creatures? We are told that no sparrow falls without God's notice.

What if God's plan from the beginning was that each of us citizens of God's kingdom, blessed with two hands, two feet and a caring heart, would be a primary means by which God's care and compassion were to be shown? And what if we were to pray constantly as though everything depended on God, but live daily as though everything depended on us as bearers of God's image?

Note the following texts:

     God created humanity in God’s own image,

        in the divine image God created them,

        male and female God created them.

     God blessed them and said to them, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and master it. Take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, and everything crawling on the ground.”

Genesis 1:27-28 (Common English Bible)

When I look up at your skies,

    at what your fingers made—

    the moon and the stars

    that you set firmly in place—

         what are human beings

            that you think about them;

        what are human beings

            that you pay attention to them?

You’ve made them only slightly less than divine,

    crowning them with glory and grandeur.

You’ve let them rule over your handiwork,

    putting everything under their feet—

         all sheep and all cattle,

        the wild animals too,

         the birds in the sky,

        the fish of the ocean,

        everything that travels the pathways of the sea.

Psalm 8:3-8 (CEB)

     Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

     Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

I Thessalonians 5:12-14 New Living translation)

     Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT)

     Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (CEB)

Guest Post: A Mennonite Voters Guide?

William Higgins is on the staff of LMC, a
fellowship of Anabaptist churches formerly
known as Lancaster Mennonite Conference.

I post the following with the kind permission of William Higgins, a staff member at LMC who works in the area of theological education and Anabaptist Christian identity formation:

Some things to consider during an election season

1. We already have a Messiah. Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9). Because Jesus is the one, true Messiah, “the King of kings  and the Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16) there can be no other. This is why we must firmly reject political false messiahs who come and say they will save us and make our problems go away. Our King is more than able to take care of us.

2. We already have a political party. God’s kingdom has come, and we are submitted to God’s rule. As such we are a holy nation, citizens of heaven and God’s ambassadors (1 Peter 2:9; Philippians 3:20; 2 Corinthians 5:20). God has chosen to use us to change the world (1 Corinthians 1:26-30); to bring about the new creation. It is true that God uses governments to keep order. But it is the church that is a light to the nations of God’s better way of being and living (Matthew 5:14).

3. We already have a political platform. This is found in the Scriptures, for instance, Jesus’s inaugural sermon (Luke 4:16-21), the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), the two greatest commands (Mark  12:28-34), the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and Paul’s reflections on God’s purpose of joining together Jews and Gentiles in the Messiah (Ephesians 3:1-13). These and more guide us as we work for the spread of God’s kingdom on earth by inviting people to be a part of our alternative community ruled by Jesus.

4. We already have all the power we need. Jesus has all authority (Matthew 28:18). We have the power of the good news of Jesus (Romans 1:16) and the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). It is this power that transforms people’s lives. It also creates new communities that embody the way of Jesus. And these communities are to be a force for good in the nations where we live as exiles (Hebrews 11:13). Remember, the early church did not have worldly political power, and Greco-Roman culture was in a worse condition than ours. But God used them to change the world.

5. We already have a firm basis of faith and hope as we live in this world. God is sovereign and oversees all. We do not need to heed the voices that call us to fear; that say, “if our candidate isn’t elected civilization will collapse.” Scripture tells us, “Do not put your trust in princes, in a son (or daughter) of man, in whom there is no salvation” (Psalm 146:3). God is the one who raises up and brings down nations and rulers (Daniel 5:21b). And this regardless of how we might vote. And even if the worst happens, Jesus still reigns and watches over us.

As we engage with the world as representatives of God’s kingdom to address its problems and seek its well-being in love for our neighbors (Jeremiah 29:7), we should not be governed by fear. Rather we can have great faith and hope in God and the power God has given us, in our party and platform, and in our King, Jesus.

For those who choose to go beyond these Christian political commitments and actions to participate in the election, here are some further things to consider:

A. Are you factoring a candidate’s character into your political choices? Policies matter, but character also matters. The various parties may debate about whose candidates have been or are worse. Yet they have both put forward character-deficient contenders. And in all of these situations, Christians have voted for them. What does this communicate to the world when Christians give their support to people who lack basic decency? “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Corinthians 5:6). The morals of society are eroded by such candidates. And they are eroded as well by the seeming lack of concern by voters who empower these candidates.

B. Are you working to make sure the church is not torn apart by your political choices? Political participation can bring division into the church. Yet we are called to “be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:50; Ephesians 4:1-6). To oversimplify things, one party says we must support their candidate because they will lower the number of abortions. The other party says we must support their candidate because they will stand up for the weak and powerless. Both concerns are dear to God’s heart. When we are simply acting as Christians to engage the world in Jesus’s name, we can pursue these things together as fellow believers. When we are forced by the world to choose between our various convictions, it pulls us apart.

C. Are you considering those who feel deep pain because of your political choices? Political participation can wound fellow believers. When someone, out of deep conviction, votes for a candidate because of a concern for the widow, the orphan, the immigrant and the racial-ethnic minority, others will be distressed by this. “Where is the concern for the unborn child?” When someone, out of deep conviction, votes for a candidate because of a concern for unborn children, others will be distressed by this. “Where is the concern for the weak and vulnerable who are already born?” Both sides can say to each other, “How can you vote for . . .? That person is evil and offensive to me!”

D. Are you acting on behalf of the whole counsel of God? Paul says he declared “the whole counsel of God” to the Ephesian believers (Acts 20:27). If you are voting for one party, how are you addressing the other Christian concerns that are not addressed by your party? If we seek to represent Christian convictions through the American political process, how can we address the issues our candidate will not address or even opposes?

E. Are you thinking about how your political choices will affect your witness as a representative of Jesus? If you vote in ways that some communities see as clearly disadvantaging them, will they be able to hear you when you speak about your faith? If you have used worldly political power to force something on them, will they be alienated from Jesus?

F. Are your political statements consistent with your Christian faith and practice? If you spread gossip and slander about a candidate on social media, it is still gossip and slander. If you cheer on your candidate as they lie, you are approving of sin (James 3:6). Scripture calls us to “honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:17). This, even if the person is not honorable. We are to show respect to all people because they are loved by God and made in God’s image. We can disagree with them, dislike them and even be disgusted by their behavior. But this does not justify expressions of hatred, ridicule or scorn. If you count the person as an enemy, love them and pray for them (Luke 6:27-28).

G. Are you protecting yourself against idolatry? Political ideologies seek our complete allegiance. And sadly, for many, politics becomes their true religion, including some Christians. This is evidenced by how they believe that only their candidate and platform can make a difference in the world. They put their faith and hope in these and thus also their efforts, energy and finances. Yet we can’t serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). And we must beware of all worldly ideologies that seek to take us “captive” (Colossians 2:8). We need to keep political involvement in proper perspective. This is not how God is going to fix the world. Jesus is working through his people to bring true and lasting change.

Here's an election related piece I wrote in 2016 

https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2016/09/how-handful-of-florida-mennonites.html

HARDTIME VIRGINIA, Vol. 9, No. 2 Summer 2024

This is a little news sheet I send to some of the prisoners I've heard from over the years:

How Can Communities Help Returning Prisoners Succeed?

     According the US Bureau of Justice statistics, at least 95% of all state prisoners will eventually be released, ready or not. Due to Virginia's Earned Sentence Credit (ESC) bill that went into effect in July, the Commonwealth will see up to 2000 prisoners released early over the next two years, with 870 already having been granted their freedom on July 1.

     Some people, including Virginia's Attorney General, fear this will make communities less safe, given the fact that 82% of those currently being released from prisons are rearrested at least once within 10 years, and 43% within their first year of freedom. 

     There is reason to believe, however, that those released through the ESC bill will prove to be an exception to those numbers. All will have completed certain required reentry programs, have proven to be dependable workers at their prison jobs, and have been infraction free for an extended period of time. In other words, they will all have demonstrated hard work and responsibility in meeting goals that contribute to their success. 

     The other vital factor affecting their success will be the support of caring and engaged communities. In the state of Washington congregations have offered mentoring and support to returning prisoners through a One Prisoner, One Parish program, in which communities of faith adopt someone with whom they correspond and visit while in prison, then offer care, friendship and practical help as needed when they return to their communities. 

     According to the Harvard University Criminal Justice Policy Group, seven factors are critical for successful outcomes, adequate healthcare, gainful employment, affordable housing, necessary skill development, one on one mentoring, and supportive social networks. Caring communities can be a vital part of helping individuals access all of these.                       

- Harvey Yoder, editor

Is The Virginia Parole Board In Violation Of SB 1361?

     What follows is from the text of a bill enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia May 12, 2023 that gives specific directions about how they are to make and report their decisions, as in “An Act to amend and reenact Section(s) 2.2-3703, 53.1-136, 53.1-154, and 53.1-154, and 53.1-155 of the Code of Virginia…”

     In addition to the other powers and duties imposed upon the Board by this article, the Board shall:

     9. Ensure that each person eligible for parole receives a timely and through review of his/her suitability for release on parole, including a review of any relevant post-sentencing information. If parole is denied, the basis for the denial of parole shall be in writing and shall give specific individualized reasons for such denial to such inmate, and

     10. Convene a public meeting, either in person or via video conference, when conducting the final deliberation and vote regarding whether the Board will grant parole to a prisoner. The prisoner being considered for parole or his attorney shall be permitted to attend such meeting either, in the Board's discretion, in person or via video conference. The victim shall be permitted to attend and participate in such meeting either, in the Board's discretion, in person or via video or phone conference or to provide written or recorded testimony. No decision to grant discretionary parole shall be made by the Board unless such decision was discussed and debated at a meeting at which a majority of the Board members were present. Whether the Board grants or denies discretionary parole to an inmate, each Board member shall identify his/her reasoning for such decision at the time such member's vote is cast.

A Survivor of Childhood Abuse Shares His Story

     

     My name is Richard “Rick” Webb, and I am serving a life sentence without parole in Virginia. I am a survivor of childhood sex abuse and of being bullied when I was a child. I know that I am not alone and that most never take things to the extreme that I did. I understand, and for anyone hearing my story for the first time, I own my crimes, acknowledge the terrible harm I caused, and I am truly sorry for what I did.

     For years I didn't know how to talk about what I went through nor did I know how to handle hearing that the reason I went through some of what I did was because my aunt and my mom were also both victimized as children by the people I shot, their parents (my grand parents).

     These were among the very people who didn't try to help me when the one and only time as a five year old I tried to let them know I was being molested, nothing was done but to tell me to be quiet. Over the next several years I would deal with other sexual traumas from outside of the family, and all of these went unreported and were left unchecked. They finally boiled over after over 12 years of pain and depression.

     I committed my crimes when I was 18 years old, still young and immature in so many ways. Emotionally I was still a little boy with no clue as to the longterm ramifications of my actions.

     I hit rock bottom in prison. But without any hope for freedom I set out to help people who have been, or still are, dealing with trauma. I became a mentor to my peers, creating and teaching my own version of a conflict resolution class as well as a communication class. I've completed just about all classes offered to prisoners over the years.

     I've remained institutional infraction free for the better part of the past 23 straight years. I've been in honor pods at multiple institutions, I've had the sensitive area jobs in prison that are normally reserved for those of us who are not trouble makers.

     There is so much more. but I'm trying to keep this as short as possible. Should people be willing to help me and others like me in our fight for freedom, it would be deeply appreciated.

Richard "Ric" Webb 1174188, Buckingham Correctional Center

The Virginia Parole Board Released No One In July

     In light of the Virginia Parole Board’s mission “to grant parole or conditional release to those inmates whose release is compatible with public safety,” one wonders what the current members of the Board are being paid for. They approved two persons being continued on parole, but no one was granted either a discretionary or a geriatric release in July. 

     Here are the total numbers so far for 2024: Continued on Parole: 11, Discharged Sentence: 1, Geriatric Release: 4. Discretionary Release: 2, Dual Discretionary and Geriatric Release: 2, Terminally ill: 3, Total Grants Released on Parole: 11.

     This is unbelievable.

****************************************

"Remember those who are in prison, as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as though you yourselves were suffering." Hebrews 13:3

Harvey Yoder, editor, Valley Justice Coalition, P.O. Box 434, Harrisonburg, VA 22803

I may not always be able to respond promptly to every correspondent but I do value hearing from readers.

Which Reaction To The Hamas Attack On Israel?

Over 40,000 Gazans have been killed, and
many more injured, among the over 800,000
who live in an area much smaller than
Rockingham County.

I see four Torah-based responses Israel could have considered in its response to the October 7 terrorist attack:

1. Choosing to simply show love for their fellow Semitic neighbors, treating them and other sojourners among them the way they would want to be treated.

You shall not hate your brother or sister in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbors, lest you incur sin because of them. You shall not take vengeance or bear grudges against the offspring of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:17-18

God ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.   Deuteronomy 10:18-19 

2. Letting God take revenge on evildoers. 

It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them. The LORD will vindicate his people and relent concerning his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.   Deuteronomy 32:35-36

3. If meting out justice, never exacting more than an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth, whether an offense involving an alien or a citizen.

Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a human being is to be put to death. You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.  Leviticus 24:19-22

4. Taking vengeance in their own hands, as in the story of the ancient Midianites. 

So Moses said to the people, “Arm some of your men to go to war against the Midianites so that they may carry out the Lord's vengeance on them." Numbers 31:1-3

******************************

Here's the perspective of one Jewish writer Naomi Klein: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/24/zionism-seder-protest-new-york-gaza-israel

Is The High Cost Of Living Our Main Problem Or The Cost Of High Living?

Costs of housing, child care, health
care and college are indeed rising.

We hear a lot of lament these days by those who say they are "living from paycheck to paycheck" in spite of having incomes that are far above the poverty level, and multiple times higher than billions of their fellow human beings around the world.

But is the problem only one of rising costs or is it also a result of our ever rising expectations for the kind of lifestyles to which we feel entitled?

Here are some examples:

1. Most of us assume the right to own at least one expensive, state-of-the-art vehicle, and often one for every licensed driver in the household. Fewer than one in five people around the world ever enjoy kind of convenience. 

2. In contrast to earlier generations, few households grow and preserve any significant amount of their own food. They eat out regularly (and recreationally), and rely on local supermarkets for overpackaged, overpriced and over processed food products that are convenient and tasty, but often unhealthy.

3. Most middle class Americans benefit from exceptional dental and medical care, but as a art of a healthcare system that is far more expensive than in most parts of the world.

4. According to Global Apparel Industrial Statistics,  the average American buys an article of clothing every five days, adding to their already overstocked wardrobes.

5. In my lifetime rentable storage units have popped up everywhere for our excess possessions, in spite of the average square footage of space per person in our homes having quadrupled over the past century. 

Your comments?

What On Earth To Wear--Catching Up To Slow Fashion

Jane Milburn is one of numerous authors advocating
for fair, just and environmentally sustainable apparel.

"Why worry so about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they flourish: they neither toil nor spin; yet even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

- Jesus (Matthew 6:28-9, paraphrased)

According to an article in Forbes magazine by Christopher Marquis, the average American buys a new article of clothing every five days. And the writer cites a McKinsey study finding that 90% of what is in our closets is discarded well before being worn out.

Marquis further notes , "The rise of this fast fashion has created large-scale environmental and social side-effects...  In China, India and Bangladesh, once prosperous rivers have been destroyed by factory wastewater discharges; they have now become biological dead zones full of carcinogenic chemicals. Additionally, the tiny plastic microfibers that fall from synthetic clothing during the laundry process are flooding our water supply and food chain.”

According to current Global Apparel Industrial Statistics the US ranks the highest in the world when it comes to money spent on apparel, $351.35 billion annually. China, with over four times as many people, is second with $313.82 billion, and India is third at $101.39 billion. It is estimated that the total amount spent in the global apparel industry in 2024 will reach $1.79 trillion. 

A counter Slow Fashion movement, a takeoff from the slow food movement, recognizes the environmental and human costs involved in the manufacture of cheap, mass produced clothing, and has been advocating for an alternative mindset and lifestyle. They urge consumers to focus on timeworn values like creativity, durability, sustainability and justice when it comes to their clothing choices.

More and more voices are urging us to take an inventory of what's in our wardrobes, noting both the excessive number of garments we own and all of the impoverished countries identified on our clothing labels. And then to begin practicing more repair, refurbishing and reusing of our clothing, along with buying more sparingly and only from sources that reflect our values.

Some may argue that having clothing manufactured in far off places like Bangladesh and Pakistan and in nearby impoverished countries like Guatemala and Honduras, at least provides employment for people in poverty, in spite of it often being produced in unsafe factories and under sweatshop conditions. But wouldn’t additional investments in the production of goods needed by their own citizens be far better? And ironically, huge quantities of our castoffs end up being baled and shipped for resale in some of these same countries, further devastating their economies.

A related issue that merits attention is the jewelry industry, which according to Jewelry Market statistics is valued at $69 billion in the United States, around 20% of the total global jewelry market. As someone who grew up in a faith community that avoided this kind of ornamentation, and supprted values like simplicity, modesty and economy, I can appreciate this expression of a simpler "slow fashion" life choice, and find myself asking, “What would a 21st century Jesus wear?"

In a 1927 rally for independence in India, Gandhi raised over 90,000 rupees from a gathering of poor citizens of that country who contributed some of the few treasures they had, their prized jewelry, for a cause they believed in, the liberation of their people from colonial rule. 

This kind of generosity could be liberating for us all, an example we should all pay attention to.

Is The Virginia Parole Board In Violation Of SB 1361 Passed By The 2023 General Assembly?

Jonathan White, a model prisoner for 43 years, is appealing 
his recent parole denial.

I have corresponded with Jonathan White for over a decade and visited him twice when he was at Augusta Correctional Center, which was recently closed. He is now at the Lawrenceville Correctional Center, recently taken over by the Virginia Department of Corrections after having been Virginia's only privately run prison.

With his permission, I post his appeal for reconsideration of his recent parole denial:

A STATEMENT OF APPEAL/RECONSIDERATION OF NOT GRANT DECISION

On July 24 I was notified of the July 17 decision of the Virginia Parole Board to "Not Grant" my release.

The reasons stated were:
* Serious nature and circumstance of your offense(s).
* The Board concludes that you should serve more of your sentence prior to release on parole.
* Release at this time would diminish seriousness of crime.

On April 18 parole board examiner Ms. Tina Bowen conducted a video conference parole interview to review my case for discretionary and geriatric conditional parole.

 
In the course of this interview Ms. Bowen noted that in accordance with the current Virginia Parole Board Recommendation Scale for Parole Examiners I scored a "highly" recommended assessment score rating of +5 and/or 6 on the recommendation scale, with 5 meaning "Leaning towards a Recommend" and 6 meaning "Recommend." Also my Compass Risk Assessment Score indicated a LOW risk for recidivism or violence, and that there was no noted opposition of my release to parole on file.

Ms. Bowen felt strongly that I should be granted a second chance this time and her recommendation to the Board was to "grant" parole. She stated she was proud of a) my accomplishments and my accountability, b) my remaining infraction free and having a community support network and home plan, and c) my continued vocational training while incarcerated and the pending opportunity to advance my vocational skills upon release. Also that in the forty-three years of my incarceration as a first offender I have been an exceptionally model citizen. 

It is clear that the Board's primary mission is to release those candidates for parole those "whose release is compatible with public safety." It is also clear that the impressions gained by the parole examiner during the interview and the resulting examiner's recommendation are extremely important in the decision-making and voting process of the Board, especially since I have not been afforded a in-person or virtual video conference parole hearing interview by a current Parole Board Members in accordance with the Virginia General Assembly's passage of Senate Bill SB1361 and in accordance with Virginia Code 53.1-136 and Virginia Code 53.1-155.

This legislation, enacted in May 2023 requires parole review hearings to include a live interview of the prisoner, conducted in-person, by video conference or by telephone, and prohibits the Board from granting or denying parole to any prisoner who has not had such an interview by a Board member within the prior year. It also requires the Board to discuss and debate each decision at a meeting at which a majority of the Board members are present. It further requires that each board member identify the reason(s) for their decision. The petitioner is then to be provided a written statement of the reasons behind each board member's vote, according to this bill, which went into effect July 1, 2024.

The decision to not grant my parole was decided on July 17, 2024, so the Board's failure to provide me the due process required constitutes a violation of Virginia Code 53.1-136 law.

Therefore I ask the Board for an appeal of reconsideration of their "not grant" decision and to allow me my due process rights to a fair consideration for my parole release. I respectfully acknowledge the concerns of Board members and will fully observe the conditions of my parole.

Respectfully submitted,
Jonathan Darryl White
VaDOC No. #1161021

Here is the text of the amendment as passed last year:

Senate Bill: SB 1361

VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY -- Approved: May 12, 2023

Virginia Parole Board / Commonwealth of Virginia.

An Act to amend and reenact Section(s) 2.2-3703, 53.1-136, 53.1-154, and 53.1-154, and 53.1-155 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Parole Board; eligibility determinations; reports.

Enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: May 12, 2023.

Code of Virginia, Section 53.1- 136. "Powers and duties of Board; notice of release of certain inmates."

In addition to the other powers and duties imposed upon the Board by this article, the Board shall:

9. Ensure that each person eligible for parole receives a timely and through review of his/her suitability for release on parole, including a review of any relevant post-sentencing information. If parole is denied, the basis for the denial of parole shall be in writing and shall give specific individualized reasons for such denial to such inmate, and

10. Convene a public meeting, either in person or via video conference, when conducting the final deliberation and vote regarding whether the Board will grant parole to a prisoner. The prisoner being considered for parole or his attorney shall be permitted to attend such meeting either, in the Board's discretion, in person or via video conference. The victim shall be permitted to attend and participate in such meeting either, in the Board's discretion, in person or via video or phone conference or to provide written or recorded testimony. No decision to grant discretionary parole shall be made by the Board unless such decision was discussed and debated at a meeting at which a majority of the Board members were present. Whether the Board grants or denies discretionary parole to an inmate, each Board member shall identify his/her reasoning for such decision at the time such member's vote is cast.

The provisions of this act shall become effective on July 1, 2024.

Note: The Virginia Parole Board is not above the law, and must obey the letter of the law regarding parole policies just like any other citizen, resident, person, or parolee in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

These are the conditions governing persons released on parole as established by the Code of Virginia Section: 53.1.157.

1. I will obey all Municipal, County, State and Federal laws and ordinances.

2. I will report any arrests, including traffic tickets, within 3 days to the District Parole Office.

3. I will maintain regular employment and support myself and legal dependents to the best of my ability. I will notify my Parole Officer promptly of any changes in my employment.

4. I will obtain the written permission of my Parole Officer before buying or operating a motor vehicle.

5. I will submit in person or by mail a written report at the end of each month to my Parole Officer on forms furnished by him/her and will report as otherwise instructed.

6. I will permit my Parole Officer to visit my home or place of employment.

etc.

Let's Help Newly Released Prisoners Succeed

This is one of numerous programs designed to help support prisoners in their reentry.

According the Bureau of Justice statistics, at least 95% of all state prisoners will eventually be released from prison, ready or not. 

Due to Virginia's Earned Sentence Credit (ESC) bill that went into effect this month, the Commonwealth will see up to 2000 prisoners released early over the next two years, with 870 already having been granted their freedom on July 1.

Some people, including Virginia's Attorney General, fear this will make our communities less safe, given the fact that according to the Department of Justice 82% of those currently being released from prisons are rearrested at least once within 10 years, and 43% within their first year of release. 

There is reason to believe, however, that those released through the ESC bill will prove to be an exception to these statistics, partly because violent offenders and sex offenders are ineligible to participate in the program and also because those released will have completed certain required reentry programs, have proven to be dependable workers at their prison jobs, and have been infraction free for an extended period of time. In other words, they will all have demonstrated hard work and responsibility in meeting requirements in support of their rehabilitation.

The other important factor affecting their success will be the support of caring and engaged communities like ours.

In the state of Washington congregations have offered mentoring and support to returning prisoners through a One Prisoner, One Parish program founded on the fact that there are roughly the same number of congregations in the state as there are individuals in state prisons. So the idea is to have communities of faith adopt someone with whom they correspond and visit while in prison, then offer love, friendship and practical help as needed when they return to their communities. 

According to the Harvard University Criminal Justice Policy Group, seven factors are critical in contributing to successful outcomes, adequate healthcare, gainful employment, affordable housing, necessary skill development, one on one mentoring, and supportive social networks. Caring congregations can be a vital part of helping individuals access all of these.

The First Church of the Nazarene, the Mt. Clinton Mennonite Church and Grace Mennonite Fellowship have been among the numerous local congregations involved in ministries to ex-offenders, and more are expressing interest.

Together we can make ours a more welcoming and safe community.

We Can't Take Our Water Supply For Granted

Harrisonburg's Water Treatment Plant on Grandview Drive
(photo by Daniel Lin, Daily News-Record)

While much of the earth's surface is covered with water, 97.5% of it is saline, and just 1 percent of that 2.5% of fresh water is readily accessible to meet the needs of the earth's 8.2 billion people, according to a 2023 article in the National Geographic magazine. 

Citing a United Nations report, the article states that "water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change."

Neighboring Mexico City, with a population of 23 million, is already facing the prospect of having its reservoirs depleted this summer, and having to rely on a shrinking and finite amount of available underground reserves. Multiple other major cities, many in the global south, are facing similar grim prospects. 

The area served by the Harrisonburg Department of Public Utilities has for many years been blessed with a good supply of water from the Switzer Reservoir, the Dry River and the North River. Now there are plans to extract water from the Shenandoah River to the east as well, due to growing water use that has reached a total of 7 to 8 million gallons a day. That amount will increase significantly when JMU and EMU students return this fall.

Meanwhile, our area is projected to experience ongoing drought conditions throughout the summer, and we are already being encouraged to conserve water in light of increased demand and reduced supply.

As someone who grew up on a dairy and poultry farm, I'm especially aware of the effects of drought on crops and of the significant and constant need for tons of water for agriculture production. The prospect of lower water levels and shrinking streams and creeks in Rockingham and surrounding counties is a source of constant concern for farmers who rely on weather patterns that are increasingly less predictable on anever warmer planet.

Here are some suggested ways of conserving water from the Ecolife Conservation website:

1. Wash your fruits and vegetables in a pot of water.

2. Designate one glass or water bottle to drink water out of so you don’t have to continue washing new cups throughout the day

3. Compost vegetables and fruits instead of using the garbage disposal. It will power up your plants and save water.

4. If you accidentally drop ice, don’t throw it in the sink – put it in a house plant. If there’s any ice left over from a drink do the same thing.

5. Try to use fewer pots and pans when cooking, you’ll have less to wash.

6. Leave a tub in the shower to get the excess water while it warms up. You can use this water for your plants!

7. Take a shower right after someone gets out so you don’t have to wait for it to warm up.

8. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save 100+ gallons a month!

9. While washing your hands or brushing your teeth, turn off the sink when you’re not using the water.

10. Plug the sink while shaving to save water when rinsing your razor

11. Use a tub of water to shave instead of letting the shower run

12. When washing clothes make sure you’re washing a large load instead of half a load

13. Only wash your clothes after a few uses

14. Harvest rainwater to save water and have it for later use. 

15. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean patios, sidewalks, and driveways

16. When giving your pets a fresh bowl of water, use the leftovers to water plants and trees around the house or yard.

17. Only order water at a restaurant if you’re going to drink it.

Here are some random tips from other sites:

18. Flush urine waste from commodes intermittently rather than after each use.

19. Water garden plants and flowers at their base rather than using a sprinkler to cover an entire area.

20. Irrigate in the evening or early morning (and not when windy) in order to reduce evaporation.

21. Keep a supply of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting water run until it is cool.

22. Make sure to repair leaking faucets.

23. Mulch your garden with newspaper, leaves, and/or grass clippings to help preserve moisture.

24. Don't pour water down the drain that could be used for watering plants, etc.

25. Reduce purchases of food and clothing that require excessive amounts of water to produce. According to the National Geographic article cited above, "The average hamburger takes 2,400 liters, or 630 gallons, of water to produce, and many water-intensive crops, such as cotton, are grown in arid regions."

Guest Post: A Survivor Of Childhood Sexual Abuse Speaks Out

According to Dr Lawrence Steinberg, 18-year-
olds display similar characteristics of immaturity
and impulsivity as juveniles.

I share the following as one of many heartbreaking stories of individuals I have grown to appreciate and trust over years of correspondence. Had Ric committed his crime prior to his 18th birthday, he would have been tried as a juvenile, based on widely accepted research that shows that the part of the brain that has to do with impulse control, especially in males, doesn't fully develop until in the early to mid-twenties. 

Ric was 18. 

My name is Richard Webb. My friends and loved ones refer to me as Ric. I am serving a life sentence without parole in Virginia.

I am a survivor of childhood sex abuse and of being bullied when I was a child. I know that I am not alone and that most never take things to the extreme that I did. I understand, and for anyone hearing my story for the first time, I own my crimes, acknowledge the terrible harm I caused, and I am truly sorry for what I did.

For years I didn't know how to talk about what I went through nor did I know how to handle hearing that the reason I went through some of what I did was because my aunt and my mom were also both victimized as children by the people I shot, their parents (my grand parents).

These were among the very people who didn't try to help me when the one and only time as a five year old I tried to let them know I was being molested, nothing was done but to tell me to be quiet. Over the next several years I would deal with other sexual traumas from outside of the family, and all of these went unreported and were left unchecked. They finally boiled over after over 12 years of pain and depression.

I committed my crimes when I was 18 years old, still young and immature in so many ways. Emotionally I was still a little boy, and had no clue as to the longterm ramifications of my actions.

I hit rock bottom in prison. But without any hope for freedom I set out to help people who have been, or still are, dealing with trauma. I became a mentor to my peers, creating and teaching my own version of a conflict resolution class as well as a communication class. I've completed just about all classes offered to prisoners over the years.

I've remained institutional infraction free for the better part of the past 23 straight years. I've been in honor pods at multiple institutions, I've had the sensitive area jobs in prison that are normally reserved
for those of us who are not trouble makers.

There is so much more. but I'm trying to keep this as short as possible.

Should you be willing to help me and many others like me in our fight for freedom, it would be deeply appreciated.

Thank you for you for taking time to read this.

Respectfully submitted,

Richard "Ric" Webb 1174188

Buckingham Correctional Center

P.O. Box 430

Dillwyn, VA23936

We're All "Drinking Like Fish"

For a mere $3.99, you can get three liters of this form of
liquid junk food at your nearest supermarket.  

"It's OK to drink like a fish," someone has quipped, "if you drink what a fish drinks." 

I'm told fish actually absorb the water they need rather than drinking it, but that being said, there's clearly no good substitute for our consuming lots of good, plain H2O, especially in the increased heat we're experiencing on our planet these days. And it doesn't need to be purchased in environmentally awful plastic bottles, either, at a cost that's a thousand times higher than tap water, while normally being neither better nor safer.

So just draw plenty of good fresh water from your tap, add a bit of ice if needed, and enjoy.

The huge volume of alternative drinks we consume are of course mostly water mixed with added flavors and excessive amounts of sugar. Even real fruit juice, or real carrot, apple or grape juices, consist mostly of water. Real orange juice, for example is just under 90% H2O. So based on sources I've read we'd all be better off drinking pure, plain water and then simply eating real oranges and real grapes, carrots or other fruit or vegetables we grow in our gardens or purchase from the outer aisles of the supermarket.

Understandably, the production, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages has gotten most of our attention due to the potential harm they cause to personal and community health, but we've paid little attention to the health and other costs associated with sugar-laden soft drink and other non-alcoholic beverages. A 20 oz. can of Coca-Cola, for example, contains 39 grams of sugar, exceeding the total daily recommended limit of sugar, which is no more than 9 teaspoons for men and 6 teaspoon for women.  According to Hartford Healthcare much of that sugar and many of the calories we consume in processed food and drinks are in the form of high fructose corn syrup, known to contribute to weight gain and to other health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and liver disease. This widely used sweetener also tends to increase our appetite, leading to overeating and obesity.

Are diet drinks better? According to the Mayo Clinic,"Although switching from regular soda to diet soda may save you calories, it's not yet clear if it's effective for preventing obesity and related health problems in the long term. Healthier low-calorie choices abound, including water, skim milk, and unsweetened tea or coffee."

So let's drink lots of fluids to stay healthy, but make good plain water our primary choice.

The US produces and consumes more soft drinks than any other economy on the globe, and the total amount spent is on the rise. 

Ex-Amish Alaskan Homesteader Affirms Her Upbringing, Becomes An Internet Sensation

Elise Matson was never baptized in the faith that
nurtured her, so is not under the Amish ban. 

Elise Matson left her Amish community as a teenager, choosing to live off the grid in a remote area of Alaska in much the same way her family and her Amish neighbors still do in the rural Tennessee community in which she grew up. She still maintains ties to her family and continues to practice a simple lifestyle in spite of the notoriety of having gained over 1.2 million followers on Tic Toc, with many of the posts about her chosen lifestyle having gone viral. 

Aware of the many misconceptions people have of the Amish, she chose to use social media as a way of correcting some of the stereotypes that persist about the community of faith for which she still has a deep appreciation. Not all Amish are the same, of course, since there is no central authority that dictates their practices, and each Amish district is essentially self governing.

I'm sure the fact that her posts have generated so much interest is based on the realization of many that the technological and other innovations they have embraced have taken a heavy toll on the quality of their personal lives and their relationships with others.

Like any community of faith the Amish are far from perfect, but we would all do well to emulate some of the values of modesty, simplicity and peaceableness that many of them have maintained in their close-knit, community-based way of life. More of their kind could help save the planet and help ensure the survival of the human family.

Here is a link to some of her posts. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@elisematson/video/7114430356467518766

 https://www.instagram.com/p/C54krB9Jstg/?img_index=1

Seven Reasons Not To Fast As A Part Of Fundraising For The Hungry

I recently posted a blog proposing a modest  fundraising and consciousness raising idea, as follows: 

• That in the face of incredible levels of hunger and homelessness in Gaza and elsewhere that congregations take up a special offering on a Sunday prior to the annual Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale to raise some additional support for Mennonite Central Committee's relief work, especially for the sake of those unable to attend the Sale.

• That churches encourage people to fast from Saturday dinner to the following Sunday noon (in other words, simply skip Sunday breakfast).

• That some person or persons who have served in an MCC or similar assignments in a needy part of the world share their stories in that Sunday service.

• That the youth of the church or some other willing group prepare a simple Sunday noon congregational meal of rice and beans or some similar fare of the kind that millions of the less privileged subsist on every day.

• That in these ways we help raise a record half million dollars this year for MCC's ministry to the hungry and homeless (last year's Relief Sale total was over $400,000).

Much to my surprise, I've gotten almost no positive responses to this proposal so far, but plenty of reasons why the above idea may not fly. 

Here are some examples, and maybe you'll want to add your own as a comment:

1. "People are already overwhelmed with so many fundraising and other projects they're asked to support."

2. "A lot of our people are already deeply involved in efforts like the Relief Sale, and may not feel like they can take on one more thing."

3. "Some of our members have health issues that make missing a meal a problem."

4. "Our Hospitality Committee is already overwhelmed with the number of Sunday meals they're asked to prepare."

5. "As a pastor, skipping breakfast on the day I have to preach doesn't feel like a great idea."

6. "I don't like making people feel guilty as a way of getting them to give more than they're already giving."

7. "The Relief Sale has always been associated with enjoying lots of good food, not doing without it."

Here's the recent blog post referred to above:
https://harvyoder.blogspot.com/2024/06/fasting-and-feasting-to-raise-half.html