Norwich Bulletin : Owner Linked to Anti-Muslim Hate Group

The Greater Putnam Interfaith Council fights prejudice of all kinds. We do not condone this organization.

Please be aware of this effort to fight religious prejudice that is festering in Norwich, but affects all of us. Below is a link to an article in the Norwich Bulletin that gives some background.

CT Tigers Owner linked to organization branded Anti-Muslim Hate Group.

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A Great Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast

Yesterday, January 16th at the Putnam Elks Lodge, The Living Faith Methodist Church, Putnam Elks, and The Greater Putnam Interfaith Council put on a breakfast to celebrate Martin Luther King Day. The Tourtellotte Modern Music Ensemble played a great rendition of "Imagine" by John Lennon. Fellowship was had by all.

Our guest speaker, Dr. Matthew Hughey inspired and challenged our assumptions about race and inequality in America today. Martin Luther King Jr. used the science of Sociology with Theology to drive people to become active in the fight for social justice during the civil rights movement. Dr. Hughey challenged us to first be knowledgeable about racial issues, to challenge our own faith's activism and then to get involved in actions that are happening today. He said there is no point in having religion if it is not working toward social justice.

We ended the event with a rendition of "We Shall Overcome". This is our calling as people of faith.

Letter to Government Officials about Private Prisons

Please paste this letter into a document or email to your State Senators or Representatives:

Dear  

    I’MSHOCKED, and I hope you are also … !!

Our government prides itself for being a democracy of the people, for the people and by the people.  I am learning more and more about a private prison industry that we – the people, the taxpayers – are paying for, and I am appalled by its injustice, its inhumanity, and its cost!

  • Since 2007, Congress has approved federal funding for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to detain at least 34,000 persons per day in detention facilities.  This number includes men, women and children - most of whom are certainly NOT violent offenders.
  • The 2 largest private prison companies – the GEO Group and Corrections Corporation of America – have spent millions of dollars in lobbying efforts and campaign contributions, and these efforts have “paid off” for THEM!  In 2014, CCA made $195,000,000 and the GEO group made $143,800,000 in PROFITS!!
  • While these private prisons make outlandish amounts of money each year, immigrant detainees and other prisoners are NOT benefitting from improvements in these facilities.  Overcrowded and unsanitary conditions abound, rampant corruption, mistreatment of inmates and inhuman conditions are all too often daily realities of life for those who are detained.   
  • Many private prison contracts mandate that federal, state and local governments maintain a certain occupancy rate – usually 90% or more – and even require payment (at the taxpayers’ expense!) for empty beds.

As one of the people in our American democratic system, I do NOT want to support this travesty of justice that supports the private prisons industry.  I DO want our tax money to be used for programs of community support, education, health and well-being of ALL those people who find themselves on American soil.  I ask you and your office to participate in further education on this issue of private prison systems, to join us in our efforts to eradicate it, AND to support more humane and just efforts for comprehensive prison reform as well as comprehension immigration reform.  As a person of faith, I believe that this will benefit all the people of this country which we love!  Please join efforts by Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Adam Smith (D-WA) and others who seek to abolish the bed mandate and private prison injustices that presently plague our country.  Thank you for your attention and your action on this issue!

 

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Immigration Reform NOT Private Prisons. An Event.

We are getting close to our event in collaboration with the Daughters of The Holy Spirit in Putnam. The Daughters of the Holy Spirit Justice Council has been working on bringing light to the current trend of immigration and private prisons. We believe that as an Interfaith Council, Human Rights Justice is a priority as we acknowledge the Rights of everyone and everything in God's or the creator's creation. We are very happy to work in collaboration with the Daughters of the Holy Spirit Justice Council to bring awareness of this injustice within the United States. Our event will take place on Thursday, September 10th at 7pm at the Daughters of the Holy Spirit Provincial House Auditorium in Putnam, CT. We hope our community will come out and become informed of this issue.