This is why it is so important not only that people promote the Just Third Way by opening doors, but that they first study and internalize the basic principles of the Just Third Way so as to open doors effectively. We can't, for example, allow our natural inclination to get disheartened about the increasingly depressed economic and political situation, or take cold and illusory comfort in assuming that "they" (whoever "they" are) somehow — without being tested — won't allow it, go for it, support it, or whatever.
We need to keep in mind at all times (as Father Ferree reminds us in Introduction to Social Justice) that in social justice terms, nothing is impossible. Even understanding that, in social justice terms, nothing is impossible takes a great deal of effort; it's too easy to assume that what needs to be done can't be done for some reason or other. We need to ask ourselves whether we believe something is true, is right — and then whether God would somehow allow that which is not true or not right to continue without giving us the means to correct it. As Father Ferree explains, we have been given the means. It's up to us to use it.
• CESJ had its monthly executive committee meeting on Wednesday. An important initiative was the formation of a CESJ Mass Media Committee to study how best to communicate the message of the Just Third Way using the best available technology and techniques.Those are the happenings for this week, at least that we know about. If you have an accomplishment that you think should be listed, send us a note about it at mgreaney [at] cesj [dot] org, and we'll see that it gets into the next "issue." If you have a short (250-400 word) comment on a specific posting, please enter your comments in the blog — do not send them to us to post for you. All comments are moderated anyway, so we'll see it before it goes up.
• Harriet Epstein reported briefly on a connection with a new political organization, "Smart Girls Politics," who have taken Sarah Palin as an exemplar representing the effect politically conservative women can have in the public arena. Harriet was instrumental in helping to set up a meeting with CESJ and a representative of the group, to take place early in June.
• There was a brief overview of the CESJ annual celebration and the subsequent Rally at the Fed. The consensus was that the celebration was an outstanding success, especially through the efforts of O'Connor Catering. The emphasis on East St. Louis was strengthened and given a greater focus.
• The Rally at the Fed, despite the bad weather, was a success, bringing together many disparate elements into a "Coalition for Capital Homesteading," and conveying the Declaration of Monetary Justice to Federal Reserve staff, who received the annual presentation with openness and friendliness, although honestly expressing uncertainty as to whether the "higher ups" were giving the document sufficient attention.
• On Thursday, members of the CESJ core group met with people in the Pro Life movement to discuss the feasibility of incorporating a Just Third Way-based economic agenda into the Pro Life movement's goals. The group responded favorably, indicating that future discussions would be valuable.
• As of this morning, we have had visitors from 31 different countries and 45 states and provinces in the United States and Canada to this blog over the past two months. Most visitors are from the United States, the UK, with Canada, Brazil, and Venezuela rounding out the "top five." People in Venezuela and Malaysia spent the most average time on the blog. The most popular postings are these news reports, with the posting on Lincoln's Homestead Act, Judge Posner, and the flaws in Keynesian economics rounding out the list.
