December 28, 2025

Greetings!

We sincerely wish all a happy and safe holiday seasson. This newsletter shares upcoming SWWAP events, an excellent historic essay on separation of church and state, and some good news you can use.

THREE EVENTS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ⤵️

SWWAP EVENT WITH AUTHOR & ACTIVIST

DICK CATES

WHEN: SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 6 PM

WHERE: BRIX CIDER 🍎 119 S.SECOND STREET

In A Creek Runs Through This Driftless Land, Dick Cates reflects on the 30-year process of transforming his family farm from a “110-acre thistle patch to a beautiful perennial grassland.” He recounts the history that predates his family’s residency, from the indigenous peoples who first called the valley home to the European settlers who displaced them, before delving into the Cates family’s commitment to conservation and the philosophies that guide their stewardship.

As a result of their efforts, the Cates Family Farm is decorated with eco-friendly accolades. In 2006, they were the first beef farm in the country to receive certification from the Animal Welfare Institute. In 2013, they received the Leopold Conservation Award from the Sand County Foundation and Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation. They are founding members of two local watershed protection groups, and in 2020, Lowery Creek, which flows for three-and-a-half miles through the Cates farmland, was elevated to a Class 1 trout stream. Dick Cates is a lifelong Wisconsin resident, farmer and environmentalist in Spring Green. He has spoken out about the impact of tariffs.

Dick will have copies of the book for sale and will gladly sign purchases.

This special event is sponsored by SouthWest Wisconsin Area Progressives, (SWWAP), Mount Horeb Area Progressive Trolls, and Brix Cider.

ANOTHER WORTHY EVENT ON JANUARY 11

Gather at Holy Wisdom Monastery, 4200 County Road M, Middleton, WI, on Sunday, January 11, 11 am, for conversation on resisting Christian Nationalism, featuring Rev. Dr. Kerri Parker, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches.

Our ability to effectively resist Christian Nationalism depends on knowledge, understanding, and commitment to building meaningful alternatives. The Wisconsin Council of Churches has been involved in work at the intersection of faith and civil society for decades. We will begin our time together by beginning to better understand what Christian Nationalism is and how it functions among us. The presentation will discuss the relationship between religion and government and how deeply CN is embedded in our understandings. Participants will learn more about the roots of Christian Nationalism and how various movements are engaged in securing theocratic leadership in US society. There will be brief discussion of alignment between religious nationalist movements worldwide. In addition to responding to questions, our speaker will discuss the long work of shifting culture and offer the audience an opportunity to engage in holy imagination regarding alternative futures. Everyone present will have a chance to develop specific pathways for action before they leave.

Holy Wisdom is grateful for the sponsors who make it possible to offer this event at no cost to participants: Wisconsin Poor People's Campaign, Interfaith Peace Working Group, and Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice.

Learn more and register HERE.

WHAT YOU DID NOT SEE ON C.B.S

Canadian Broadcast Corporation "accidentally" aired the segment. The following is a post of the episode shared by Senator Cory Booker with the following notation.

This is a 60 Minutes Story about how the Trump administration violated our constitution and people's basic human dignity. Acting like this does nothing to make us safer, and in fact only makes it more likely that American citizens are put at riskl

AN IMPORTANT POST BY HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

A Year In Review from the Contrarian

TOGETHER WE ARE CREATING GOOD NEWS

CELEBRATE OUR WINS !

Contributions to SWWAP are appreciated but not tax deductible.