State and Local Issues
First Unitarian Church is proud of its place and its role as a historic, urban congregation, and strives to be more than a passive "good neighbor." Instead, it is our hope that we can actively lend our support to efforts within the community and to incorporate local and state issues within our vision of social justice.
From advocating for the homeless in partnership with our Islamic neighbors' annual "Day of Dignity" to participating in events organized by UUPLAN, which seeks to build a coordinated Unitarian-Universalist force for legislative action, we hope to learn from the old adage that advises us to "think globally, act locally."
Most recently, members of First Church took part in a witness to help end gun violence in Philadelphia. Read more below...
A Good Friday Witness Against Gun Violence
April 10, 4:00 PM
We [the undersigned] are writing to urge you to join us in a Good Friday
witness against the gun violence that has taken far too many lives in
Philadelphia and throughout the Commonwealth.
The linchpin of the illegal trade in handguns that causes the reign of
death we witness against is straw purchasing, whereby a person without
a criminal record or other impediments purchases weapons on behalf of
a gun trafficker, who in turn sells them to others who lack “clean”
records.
Colosimo’s Gun Center, where our witness will be located, has been
identified by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence as among the
top ten sellers of weapons involved in crimes in the country.
Furthermore, according to federal data published by the Inquirer, guns
sold by Colosimo’s accounted for nearly ten percent of all crime guns
recovered by Philadelphia law enforcement in a recent year.
Our effort and our invitation is to mobilize people of faith to become
part of this work. Good Friday involves powerful symbols for
Christians. Our choice of Good Friday is not a slight of any faith
tradition. People of all faiths abhor violence and death, with which
we, our communities and our children live, and all traditions affirm
life. Muslim and Jewish brothers and sisters are part of our effort,
and we hope you and your congregation will join us for this witness at
9th and Spring Garden, 4:00pm on April 10.
Signed,
Bishop Kermit Newkirk, Harold O Davis Memorial Baptist Church, Logan
Rev. Mary Laney, St Christopher’s Episcopal Church, Gladwyne
Rev. David Tatgenhorst, St Luke United Methodist Church, Bryn Mawr
Rev. Isaac Miller, Church of the Advocate, North Philadelphia
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