View from the Pew
A look inside Hawaii's houses of worshipBy Mary Adamski
A grassroots churches’ group wants isle
candidates to sign on to their social prioritiesMany students have to hold it all day, or make an excuse to go off campus," said teenager Talia Tupua. There's no toilet paper or hand soap, no doors on the stalls and "it stinks. It's not safe ... students are dealing drugs in there."
The subject was toilets in Hawaii public schools, not your average political issue.
It wasn't your average political candidates' forum last Saturday at First United Methodist Church, where representatives of 24 churches sought pledges from politicos.
The politicians weren't allowed to ramble through their own lists of priorities and promises, no wondrous designs for the future of the environment or the big economic picture.
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
The First United Methodist Church was the site of the Faith Action for Community Equity rally last Saturday. Members of the Trinity Samoan UCC stood and cheered as they were introduced.
What the 600-plus delegates wanted to hear were answers to these most basic questions:
>> Will you promise to make public school restrooms safe for teenagers?The Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist congregations -- most from the less affluent neighborhoods of urban Honolulu -- are united in the effort to force grassroots social justice issues to the attention of people who seek public office.>> Will you promise to ensure that school campus security lives up to its name?
>> Will you agree to make businesses with city government contracts pay their workers a living wage?
The meeting was the annual "Accountability Assembly" of Faith Action for Community Equity, an interfaith group that is better known by its acronym FACE.
The delegates represent about 42,000 church members, according to president Neal MacPherson, and that was enough of a voter bloc to bring out five City Council candidates and gubernatorial candidate Linda Lingle.
Another youth leader, Rona Tipoti, told the adults that school security isn't all it's cracked up to be. "Security guards play favorites, they are soft on their friends and come down hard on the rest."
"Keep me poor and you end up supporting me for life," was the handwritten text on a Make Ends Meet banner that was as eloquent as speakers. "Love your neighbor as yourself doesn't mean getting richer by paying them the lowest wages."
The atmosphere was that of a political convention, with each church gathered under its identifying banner, rising with a rallying shout during roll call. Hymns by several church choirs and chanting by Mu-Ryang Sa Buddhist Temple members provided spiritual relief amid the rhetoric.
Top church leaders who participated included the Rev. Barbara Grace Ripple, Hawaii district superintendent of the United Methodist Church; Jean Coffman, chairwoman of the United Church of Christ Hawaii conference board, and Honolulu Catholic Bishop Francis DiLorenzo.
"Help us put our faith and words into action for all those who are poor ... frail," the bishop said in the prayer finale, "and prompt all eligible voters to get out there and vote."
The dramatic highlight at these annual events is the "covenant" signing. Lingle complied with the format, saying she gave "my passionate yes" to the school health and safety issues.
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Several hundred people from different congregations, many of them crowded into the pews below, attended.
She also pledged to another resolution, that the currently stalled $46 million renovation of Kalihi Valley Homes will be cranked up to completion if she is elected.
Unitarian Church pastor Mike Young was one of the longtime activists and advocacy clergy present who were bemused to find the Republican on board and the Democrat missing at a rally on poor folks' issues.
Council candidates Donovan DelaCruz, Barbara Marshall and Robert Fishman also signed on the line, backing the concept of mandating a contractor with 50 or more employees to pay workers at least $12 an hour, in order to qualify for a city contract or to receive tax subsidies.
Two candidates balked at signing.
Mike Gabbard told the crowd that he had reservations that such a requirement would "put a burden that could ruin small businesses and potentially raise taxes."
John Steelquist said he supported the idea "in the greater context. This is a tool, there are other tools. We cannot put other people out of a job to give someone a job."
MacPherson, pastor of Church of the Crossroads, made a point of reading the roll call of politicians "who have chosen not to be here today." The message was clear -- remember them in the voting booth. "We believe we have a stake in shaping policy," he said, "because we are the government."
RELIGION CALENDAR
Mary Adamski covers religion for the Star-Bulletin.
Email her at madamski@starbulletin.com.
