Ever since the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida, on Ash Wednesday/ Valentine’s Day this February, I have begun writing letters. Lots of letters. Letters upon letters upon letters upon letters.

Frankly, up until then, I had thought writing to our government’s leaders to be a fairly futile exercise. But, in the disheartened grief of that horrible day, I realized that I had to do SOMETHING.

If we do not make our voices heard,
there will be no change.

Now, whenever something shakes my spirit to the core and I’m tempted to rant cathartically, but impotently, on Facebook or Twitter against the violence, the hatred, the cruelty and injustice and just plain old evil … I stop and write letters to people who, through the positions of power they currently inhabit, can make a difference.

So, even though it has been a loooooong time since my last post, I wanted to with you the text of the letters going out in today’s mail…

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June 20, 2018

President Trump:

As I read more and more stories about immigrant children being forcibly removed from their families and placed in bleak, frightening detainment facilities, my heart breaks. Regardless of where you stand on immigration issues, I pray that we all would agree that the lives of innocent, vulnerable children must be protected. The damage that is being done to their young minds and spirits through this policy will have long-lasting consequences — for them and for all of us.

As a nation we can do better. We must do better. It is deeply shameful that we have not done better.

Because God created us to be better than this! Jesus was clear about God’s concern for the smallest among us. He said, “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10).

As a clergyperson in The United Methodist Church, I look to our Book of Discipline, which clearly states our position on this matter: “We oppose immigration policies that separate family members from each other or that include detention of families with children” (¶162(H)).

As a citizen and taxpayer, I urge you — the President of the United States of America — to take full and immediate responsibility for the well-being and safety of vulnerable children and infants. As President Eisenhower stated: “The President — whoever he is — has to decide. He can’t pass the buck to anybody. No one else can do the deciding for him. That’s his job.”

Our nation has a moral responsibility to protect children, all children, regardless of immigration status.

I know you know all this. I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.

We are praying for you as you lead. The people of this country are counting on you.

Sincerely,

Hedy Collver

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I encourage you to write your own letters! Let your government’s leaders know how you feel about the issues most pressing on your heart. If you’d like a place to start, click here to visit the Fight Hate + Live Love site for a list of addresses to get you started.