UUA petitions ready to be delivered.
Rev. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister for Justice Ministries (UCC), Rev. John Thomas, General Minister and President (UCC), Rev. William Sinkford, President (UUA), with staff members from Speaker Pelosi's office and Senate Majority Leader Reid's office.
Rev. Sinkford with Adam Gerhardstein, Legislative Assistant for International Issues.
UUA President Sinkford Delivers Petitions for Peace
October 10, 2007
Just after 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 10 2007, a delegation of clergy from the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA) and the United Church of Christ (UCC) delivered a combined total of more than 73,000 signed petitions for peace to Congressional leaders. The United Church of Christ, represented by Rev. John Thomas, General Minister and President, and Rev. Linda Jaramillo, Executive Minister for Justice Ministries, presented the 60,000 signatures they gathered over the last few months. Rev. William Sinkford, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association, presented the 13,006 signatures gathered by the UUA's Washington Office for Advocacy over the last three weeks.
The cover letter accompanying the petitions reads:
On September 6, I sent a message to every member of Congress saying, “Not another dollar. Not another life.” Today, I have come to Washington personally—and I am not alone. Together with my colleagues… we are here with tens of thousands of signed petitions from members and friends of Unitarian Universalist and United Church of Christ congregations calling for an end to this war—and to the arrogant unilateralism that created it.
The 13,006 names on the following pages represent what is arguably the largest single advocacy action ever taken by Unitarian Universalists. That so many of us—with our colleagues in the United Church of Christ—have chosen this issue, at this time, demonstrates just how frustrated we are by the ongoing violence in Iraq and the lack of substantive policy change here at home.
I urge you, together with these thousands, to end the war in Iraq. The time has come for the United States, in the words of our petition, “to acknowledge failure and error…accept the futility of our current path… and seek new paths of peacemaking in the Middle East, through regional engagement and true multinational policing.” It is time to change the mission.
In Faith,
William G. Sinkford
President
The petitions were delivered to representatives from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and House Republican Leader John Boehner. Staff from the UUA and UCC Washington offices will deliver the petitions to the office of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell next week.
“All three offices seemed moved that religious organizations had not only gathered so many signatures, but had sent their leaders to Washington to deliver them. Whatever they may be hearing from other groups, they at least know there's a large religious constituency that wants to see more action to bring this war to an end,” said President Sinkford, commenting on the morning's activities. “Equally as important, though, is what this effort has done within our community. I am reminded of words said of Eleanor Roosevelt, ‘you have chosen to a light a candle rather than to curse the darkness.’
“This petition may not end the war, but by bringing our candles together, they certainly grow brighter. As I see that light growing, I pray for a rebirth of hope.”
For more information contact la_international @ uua.org.
Last updated on Thursday, October 11, 2007.
