Heartland Unitarian Universalist Ministers’ Statement on Trayvon Martin Case

Heartland Unitarian Universalist Ministers’ Statement on Trayvon Martin Case

March 29, 2012

Unitarian Universalist ministers from the Heartland District (covering parts of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky) gathered in Lansing, Michigan today and, joining with our Florida colleagues, issued the following statement regarding last month’s tragic killing of Trayvon Martin in Central Florida.

Whereas serious questions remain about the events of February 26 and the investigation into those events; and

Whereas the public outrage surrounding this case is reflective of deeper issues in our society and the lived experience of many of its people of color; and

Whereas these individual incidents are not isolated occurrences but rather are fueled by consistent messages of fear and division in our national and political discourse; and

Whereas all people deserve the full blessings of justice, equity, and compassion in our society and in our justice system;

We therefore call for a thorough investigation into the death of Trayvon Martin.

We, as Unitarian Universalist clergy, commit ourselves, personally and professionally, to continue the hard work of transforming ourselves and our congregation, as well as our society and its institutions, by:

Moving beyond tolerance to deeper understanding and appreciation of our differences; and

Fostering an atmosphere of compassion, understanding, and hope rather than one of hate, judgment, and fear; and

Fostering healthy relationships between and among diverse communities; and

Fostering connection rather than division; and

Finally, we, the undersigned, commit to face these challenges by standing together on the side of love.

The Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Landrum, Universalist Unitarian Church of East Liberty, Clarklake, MI
The Rev. Dr. Gretchen L. Woods, All Souls Unitarian Church, Indianapolis, IN
The Rev. Kathryn A. Bert, UU Greater Lansing, MI
The Rev. Joan Kahn-Schneider, Northern Hills, Cincinnati, Ohio
The Rev. Lynda Smith, All Souls Community Church of W. Michigan, Grand Rapids, MI
The Rev. Yvonne Schumacher Strejcek, Community UUs in Brighton (CUUB), Brighton, MI
The Rev. Dawn Cooley, First Unitarian Church Louisville, KY
The Rev. Daniel Charles Davis, Unitarian Universalist Church, West Lafayette, IN
The Rev. Shelley Page, Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church, MI
The Rev. Leonetta Bugleisi, Paint Creek UU Congregation, Rochester, MI
The Rev. Cathy Harrington, People’s Church, Ludington, MI
The Rev. Amy Russell, Miami Valley UU Fellowship, OH
The Rev. Elwood R. Sturtevant, Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church, Louisville, KY
The Rev. Mark Evens, Associate Minister, First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, MI
The Rev. Dr. Claudene F. Oliva, Unitarian Universalist Church of Flint, MI
The Rev. Barbara Child
The Rev. Gail R. Geisenhainer, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Ann Arbor, MI
The Rev. Cynthia Cain, Unitarian Universalist Church of Lexington, KY
The Rev. Dr. Nana' Kratochvil, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan, Mt. Pleasant, MI
The Rev. Andrew L. Weber, YRUU Advisor, First Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Ann Arbor, MI
The Rev. Kimi Riegel, Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church, Southfield, MI
The Rev. Bruce Russell-Jayne
The Rev. Mary Ann Macklin, Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, IN

For more information,
About Unitarian Universalism, see www.uua.org
About Unitarian Universalism in Florida, see www.floridadistrict.org
About Unitarian Universalism in the Heartland, see www.heartlanduu.org
About the Standing on the Side of Love Campaign, see www.standingonthesideoflove.org

Comments

More of our Heartland colleagues who were either not at the meeting or didn't get over to the list are signing on, and I'll continue to post their names as I get them.

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