Media Activism Tools: Archive

Welcome to the first installment of the Catholics in Alliance Media Activism Tool (MAT). This weekly message will provide opportunities for you to get involved and raise your voice to the media about important issues affecting the Common Good.

We are inaugurating this week's message with a groundbreaking study that reveals specific ways in which we can prevent and reduce the number of abortions in America. This is part of our ongoing efforts as a Catholic organization committed to promoting a consistent culture of life rooted in human dignity.

As part of our effort to promote the common good in both traditional media outlets and online, we are revving up our blog and encourage you to add your voice.

This week's blog by Catholics in Alliance supporter Bob Beezat reminds us that Christmas is not about shopping for the latest and greatest gifts, but rather about faith, hope, and charity -- particularly for the poor in the darkest time of the year. Please browse here -- http://www.catholicsinalliance.org/node/20333 -- and share your stories about how you are applying the spirit of the common good this season.

Congress is currently considering the multi-billion-dollar economic stimulus package and deciding how much, and what, to fund. As Catholics committed to social and economic justice, we need to ensure that our elected officials remember those living in poverty, not just a privileged few. Browse here -- http://www.catholicsinalliance.org/files/CWM_Stimulus.pdf -- for a sample open letter to Congress and President-Elect Obama that you can customize to use in one (or several!) ways:

* Send it to local reporters at daily, weekly, and Catholic newspapers

This week's Media Activism Tool (MAT) is focusing on a Write-the-Writer campaign about the Catholic view on the injustice of immigration raids.

This week, we are asking you to respond to the following article in the Cincinnati Enquirer: "Sheriffs warn on border security." The suggested wording for the letter to the editor is below.

Please click here to see an important article in The New York Times about the Catholic vote and abortion. After reading it, we encourage you to weigh in by selecting a blog to respond to that is posting comments on the NYT article.
Possible Talking Points

Have you ever wondered if people really understand what you mean when you talk about the Common Good? Use the flyer below to help connect this principal aspect of Catholic social teaching with modern-day concerns. Print it out and give it to your friends. Or, take up a collection and place an ad in your local paper. It's time to get the word out about the Common Good. If you place an ad, let us know about it!

Click here to download flyer.

Thanks!

Though articles are appearing daily about the economic crisis, few examine the issue from a moral, common good perspective. Yet, the financial disaster resulted in large part from the neglect of essential values of the common good, and an overemphasis on materialism and self-interest above basic human rights.

In these challenging economic times, it's important to remember the broad range of issues that affect the common good--such as war, people losing their jobs and homes, lack of health care, the national tragedy of abortion, racism, and the devastating effects of climate change. Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good has created a video that highlights these issues as pressing concerns, which our faith demands that we consider.

Election Day is only one week away. This week, we are asking you to write a letter to your local editor about the Catholic vision of the common good. Browse here -- http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1223/t/7782/letter/?letter_KEY=1056 -- to visit a web-page we've set up to make it easier for you to draft and send the letter to one of your local papers.