A bit of poetry

Our approach might be called a la carte:
Mardi Gras to enhance our fresh start;
Double doors flocking in;
Front doors clocking out;
Leave your offering as you depart.

Sharon Whitehill

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Resolving Conflicts with Aubrey Sykes

Letters to the Editor

Oct 2, 2021

Dear White People

I am taking this opportunity to speak to my fellow white UUFCC congregants to highlight that, although we are all good and caring people, sometimes the racism that society has carefully inflicted on us rears its ugly head and we make mistakes that we later regret. We white people are good, but like all born into this society, we have been carefully taught, (sometimes obviously but most times very subtly) to believe that white people are superior to black people. Whether you know it or not, everyone receives this message and is so afflicted.

You might ask how this happens? Racism was the ideology developed to justify slavery and provide free labor to landowners. Today, racism helps to keep the industrial 1% in power by pitting natural allies against each other and diverting attention from their ill-deeds. But together, black and white people could legislate good health care, good schools, good jobs, good housing, just immigration policies, etc. They could form that “beloved community” we all dream about.

I am writing to you dear white people because I am still terribly disturbed about what happened a few months ago between our Fellowship and a black family. Whatever your view, this incident was a major upset in our lives. I cannot forget it and trying to forget makes it even harder. I think that without an open and honest discussion, we will never heal from that event. Our vigor, our energy, our faith, all have been damaged no matter which side you were on. Let’s take a fresh look at “that happening” and examine our hurts, our anger, our surprise that a usually passive person revealed so much vitriol.

The UUA has offered us a new principle for discussion It is the 8th principle and we can begin our discussion there. The 8th Principle affirms and promotes ‘“Journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.” What a place to begin! Let’s do it!

Myrna Charry

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Editor’s note
The above letter-to-the-editor is a revised version of Myrna’s original letter. This was done with her approval. Myrna would be happy to talk with you about these issues, and, if you would like, she would forward to you her original letter. You may contact her via email email.

Fred Parmenter

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Oct 2, 2021

Another loss

There was a very sad day last week. What happened? A bookstore closed. For good.

Why, you may ask would a store closing be sad? In the small city of Huntington, New York on Long Island, there were six bookstores in business for a long time, with each serving a different clientele and doing well.

Then came along Amazon and in a short time they were all out of business. All except one. “The Book Revue“, an independent book store. There you could find current new books, old and used books, a large children’s book section, books on any topic you might wish to pursue. They hosted authors, had a children’s reading time, a book group, and personnel who could intelligently help you find what you might want. If it sounds like I loved the place, you are correct. It was more than a store; it was a haven. Any community that has an independent bookstore will undoubtedly have intelligent, inquisitive and interesting people.

If you live in or near Punta Gorda, you are very lucky. You have the Copperfish bookstore which is as treasure for all. Please seek it out and buy your books there, even if they cost a little more than Amazon.

If you are a snowbird, please support any independent bookstore near you. We need to have and keep this business because once it is gone, we will all be sad.

Florence Martin

Florida heat

Jul 5, 2021

Charlotte County is going to warm up, notably – HI = 0.5 * {T + 61.0 + [(T-68.0)*1.2] + (RH*0.094)} And that’s the simplified formula for calculating heat index!

Heat index is a combination of temperature and humidity. So, for example, if in the shade it’s 90 outside, with 65% humidity, it would give us a heat index of 103.

In Florida, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists – “Historically, there have been 25 days per year on average with a heat index above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This would increase to 105 days per year on average by midcentury and 141 by the century’s end. Of the cities with a population of 50,000 or more in the state, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral and North Port-Port Charlotte would experience the highest frequency of these days. Limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would cap the frequency of such days at an average of 87 per year.”

Then they estimated the increase in the number of days we’ll have heat indexes over 105!

Of course, it may never happen, or may never happen in our lifetime, but it would make life here harder to tolerate at certain times of the year.

Comments are encouraged. Please email them to me.
Alan Searle

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ZOOM Security

Well I had something odd happen to me the other day. I was using ZOOM at a meeting. I left the meeting early.

The next day I received an email telling me that after I left the meeting the group could still hear me talking for a minute or two.

As I investigated this incident over the next couple of days I learned that my little ZOOM box (which held my photo) closed when I left the meeting, but they could still hear my voice. Just a voice without any box attached. And this lasted a minute or so.

Here’s something that makes the whole event even more remarkable. At this meeting I was an observer and, as a courtesy, I kept my microphone muted for the entire meeting. Even when I left I just left – I didn’t unmute and then say goodbye. So, somehow, ZOOM unmuted me and transmitted my voice after I left the meeting.

Recently I heard a somewhat similar incident regarding Skype. A couple was using Skype to chat with their daughter. Eventually they signed off Skype (but left their laptop open). Eventually their daughter had to call them on the their cell phone to tell that that even though they had signed off Skype she could still see what was going in their house.

This is all very worrisome. On my computer the microphone and camera have to be plugged in. So every time (if I remember) when I am done using ZOOM I unplug them. But a laptop’s camera and microphone are built in. What do you do then? On our laptops I scotch tape a small piece of paper over the camera. That way a hacker cannot possibly see anything. But physically disabling the microphone is more difficult.

So that’s my tale of the dangers of using Skype, ZOOM and maybe other social media applications. Please email me if you have a story or a suggestion that I could pass on.

Fred Parmenter

Immigration Justice

The Immigration Justice Committee has been very busy these last few months. We brought Andrea Morris Rudnik, president of Team Brownsville (TB), (Texas organization helping asylum seekers at the border) to speak to the Fellowship in August. Since the shut-down of the refugee camp in Matamoras, TB has been assisting released refugees at the Brownsville bus stop with packages of toiletries, clothing, food and welcome smiles. They service about 200 people each day. Because of this shift in services, regular contributions (for food, water, tents, etc.) have slowed and the number of regular contributors has seriously declined. The IJC urges all UUFCC members and friends to continue donating funds to TB. (See Betty Barriga, chair of the IJC, for more information.)

The IJC continued to pursue avenues of funds for Team Brownsville. They are currently finalizing a grant for $10,000, written to the Endowment Committee of the Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church, Cedar Park, Texas, asking for funds for children’s clothing. With winter approaching and the numbers of released families who are traveling to sponsors where they will seek housing and employment on the rise, the need for children’s clothing is great (according to Andrea Rudnik). Plans for showing movies (on zoom) followed by discussions are also on the agenda of the IJC. A movie is planned for late October – more information will be forthcoming.

Myrna Charry

Remember, the Immigration Justice Committee meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday, of every month, 5-6 pm. Please join us in doing this important work. (Contact: Betty Barriga via email.)

Immigration Justice

The Immigration Justice Committee has been very busy these last few months. We brought Andrea Morris Rudnik, president of Team Brownsville (TB), (Texas organization helping asylum seekers at the border) to speak to the Fellowship in August. Since the shut-down of the refugee camp in Matamoras, TB has been assisting released refugees at the Brownsville bus stop with packages of toiletries, clothing, food and welcome smiles. They service about 200 people each day. Because of this shift in services, regular contributions (for food, water, tents, etc.) have slowed and the number of regular contributors has seriously declined. The IJC urges all UUFCC members and friends to continue donating funds to TB. (See Betty Barriga, chair of the IJC, for more information.)

The IJC continued to pursue avenues of funds for Team Brownsville. They are currently finalizing a grant for $10,000, written to the Endowment Committee of the Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church, Cedar Park, Texas, asking for funds for children’s clothing. With winter approaching and the numbers of released families who are traveling to sponsors where they will seek housing and employment on the rise, the need for children’s clothing is great (according to Andrea Rudnik). Plans for showing movies (on zoom) followed by discussions are also on the agenda of the IJC. A movie is planned for late October – more information will be forthcoming.

Myrna Charry

Remember, the Immigration Justice Committee meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday, of every month, 5-6 pm. Please join us in doing this important work. (Contact: Betty Barriga via email.)

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Congregational Covenant 2011

The term “covenant” is Latin for “walking together.” This covenant is a living, dynamic document describing how we intend to live the Principles we value in our religious community.

We, the members of UUFCC, covenant to support and cherish all our members and friends and encourage each other to honor these high standards of relationship.

We value a free, open, and mutually respectful exchange of ideas. We honor all voices and encourage thoughtful freedom of expression.

We respect each other’s views, backgrounds, and spiritual ideas. We listen to each other without judgement or interruption and speak directly with a person instead of about a person. We will address issues and behaviors, rather than people and personalities.

We will be considerate but courageous in naming behavior that diminishes our community. We offer forgiveness and understanding and expect that from each other. In all situations, we strive to honor everyone’s dignity and well being.

We trust this covenant will help us work well together to make decisions, solve problems, and express differences of opinion in a considerate, respectful, and genuinely caring way.

Adapted from the Covenant of Right Relations from the Unitarian Fellowship of Ontario, Canada

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Mardi Gras Party Cancelled

Aug 22, 2021

Due to the wide spread of the COVID virus and Delta variance, the Mardi Gras event that was scheduled for October 22nd, 2021 is cancelled. We hope to revisit the idea sometime after the first of the year, hopefully the COVID epidemic will be just a bad memory by then. Please stay safe and uninfected.

Roxann Luning

The light touch

Aug 14, 2021