By Robert McAdams and Susan Oberman

TWO CCPJ SALONS WERE HELD IN FALL 2007. In October the topic was “War Profiteering: The Impact on You.” We showed Robert Greenwald’s film Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers, which is available through the CCPJ film library. As we all subsequently saw in the news, Blackwater (one of the companies including Titan, CACI, Halliburton, and KBR, that have amassed huge sums of money from no-bid and cost plus government contracts), is suspected of violating
the Geneva Conventions regarding treatment of civilians during a war, resulting in the deaths
of innocent Iraqi citizens. It appears at present, that they may never be held accountable.

In December the salon topic was “Dying To Live: A Migrant’s Journey,” named for the
film we showed that portrayed the innumerable
dangers to those who risk their lives coming into
the U.S. illegally across our southern border.
Rhonda Miska, Peace and Justice Minister at the
Church of the Incarnation and some members of
the Immigrant Solidarity Group that meets at the
church, spoke to us about their personal experi-
ences and made it clear how important it is for
U.S. citizens to speak out against the targeting
of immigrants for minor criminal offenses, that
then open the door for deportation.

The Salon Committee determined that this issue
encompasses many of the peace and justice is-
sues we need to address, and therefore decided to
continue to focus on the current groundswell of
anti-immigration sentiment sweeping the coun-
try, and in particular, Virginia. For example the
Board of Supervisors of Prince William County
Virginia, on July 9, 2007 passed one of the most
far-reaching anti-immigration laws of any state.
The February 9, 2008 salon topic was “Stop
Criminalization of Immigrants in Virginia.”

Jeff Winder from The People United, one of the
groups working to educate the public and our leg-
islators about the injustices of this anti-immigra-
tion campaign, spoke about the bills now being
considered by the Virginia Legislature. Original-
ly over 100 bills restricting rights of and services
for immigrants were proposed in the 2008 leg-
islative session. To date, about 50 remain under
consideration. Any one of these bills on its own
may seem too narrow in scope to be of concern.
All of them are intended to do harm and togeth-
er they clearly indicate a climate of persecution
and scapegoating. These
tactics are all too familiar,
used throughout history
to blame one group for
the economic and politi-
cal problems of the whole
society…as eloquently ex-
pressed by Pastor Martin
Niemuller on a wall in a
Nazi concentration camp:
They first came for the communists
and I didn’t speak up
because I wasn’t a communist
Then they came for the Jews
and I didn’t speak up--
because I wasn’t a Jew
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I didn’t speak up
because I wasn’t a trade unionist
Then they came for the Catholics
and I didn’t speak up
because I was a Protestant
Then they came for me
and by that time
no one was left to speak up
Thus, the “immigration issue” is about all of us.
We invite you to join us at our upcoming salons
(see center of page). Call Susan at 244-0374 or
e-mail susan.oberman@gmail.com [1] for location
and directions.

Upcoming CCPJ Salons
April 12,
2008
“Your Federal Tax Dollars at
Work: Tax Day Freak Show”
May 17,
2008
“Sanctuary City:
Charlottesville Can Be A Safe
Haven for Immigrant Families”