Connecticut Interfaith Clergy Bear Witness Against Legislators Supporting Military Commissions Act

Participants in the Oct. 16 press conference announcing two billboards with the title, "They Voted to Allow Torture" are pictured in Stratford, CT: (Left to right) Patricia Duff, member, Unitarian Society of New Haven; Rev. Shelly Stackhouse, Church of the Redeemer (UCC), New Haven; Rev. Dennis Calhoun - Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice (RTPV) Steering Committee and Senior Minister, Middlebury United Church of Christ; Ken Silberman-Bunn, UU Church of Greater Bridgeport; Rev. Marion Visel, Unitarian Society of New Haven; Rev. Julie-Ann Silberman-Bunn, UU Church of Greater Bridgeport; Brian Vaugh, New International Buddhist Temple, New Hartford; Rev. Kathleen McTigue - RTPV Steering Committee and Senior Minister, Unitarian Society of New Haven; Badr Malik - Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations of Connecticut; Bruce A. Barrett - IWagePeace.org and Partner, Barrett Outdoor Communications, Inc.; Rev. Joshua Pawelek, UU Society, Manchester. Photos courtesy of Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice.

Billboard: "They Voted to Allow Torture. Lieberman; Johnson; Simmons; Shays"

An interfaith group of Connecticut clergy, with strong representation from Unitarian Universalists, gathered alongside I-95 in Stratford on October 16, 2006, to unveil a highway billboard which protests the support of four Connecticut legislators—all of whom are running for re-election—in bringing the Military Commissions Act of 2006  to President Bush's desk for signature on October 17.

The highly controversial bill will, in their view, allow torture and in so doing, puts "America's soul at risk." Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice , a statewide interfaith network of religious leaders and people of faith established in 2002, launched the publicity campaign to make sure Connecticut residents know which members of the state's congression al delegation voted for the bill.

The billboard is expected to be seen by 100,000 motorists a day. A second billboard has been placed on I-84 in another heavily-traveled area of the state.

Unitarian Universalist clergy participants included Rev. Kathleen McTigue, Unitarian Society of New Haven; Rev. Julie-Ann Silberman-Bunn, Unitarian Universalist Church of Greater Bridgeport; Rev. Joshua Pawelek, Unitarian Universalist Society, Manchester; Rev. Marion Visel, Unitarian Society of New Haven; and Rev. Carolyn Patierno, All Souls Unitarian Universalist Congregation, New London.

Read Kathleen McTigue's statement from the press conference .

For Further Information :

• Read information from the UU Service Committee on their opposition to the Military Commissions Act.
• Read UUSC staffer Shelley Moskowitz's post, "Day of Mourning - Stop Torture Now!" on HotWire, the UUSC weblog.

Media Coverage :

• 10/24/06: "Torture and the Nation's Soul" by the Rev. Kathleen McTigue and Rabbi Donna Berman, The Hartford Courtant
• 10/20/06: "Unitarian Universalists condemn 'torture' law" by Jane Greer, uuworld.org
• 10/19/06: "Faith Leader Takes on O'Reilly on Torture" as shown on "The O'Reilly Factor," Fox News. Note: The UUA has requested a copy of this interview video from Fox News.
• 10/17/06: "Area peace activists unveil billboard naming 4 who voted for 'torture bill'" (registration required) by Brian McCready, New Haven Register
• 10/17/06: "Clergy Group's Billboard Airs Torture Issue" by Michael Puffer, Waterbury American
• 10/16/06: "Religious Activists Accuse Officials of Supporting Torture" by John Christoffersen, The Associated Press (as published in Stamford Advocate)
• 9/19/06: "The War on Torture" by Katrina Vanden Heuvel, The Nation

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