Statement

In the United States, 100,000 people; across the globe, 350,000 people. All dead from the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit our country like a tsunami; that has devastated people across the globe. It is a time of cosmic sadness that calls us to pause, to reflect. At FCNL, we join with siblings from many faith communities in a time of mourning, a time of lament for the lives lost, the families in despair, the feeling of hope diminished.

On May 15, the Supreme Court heard arguments on two cases involving “faithless electors” to the Electoral College. One case is from Washington State (Chiafalo v. Washington) and the other Colorado (Colorado Department of State v. Baca).

The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) welcomes the declaration by Saudi Arabia of a two-week ceasefire to stop the spread of the coronavirus in Yemen. The Saudis should also suspend their air and sea blockade, which has cut off all commercial imports into and exports from the country. The blockade has prolonged and exacerbated the physical and economic suffering of millions of innocent Yemenis.

Like me, I know you are deeply concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our community and for people around the globe. I want to assure you that FCNL is in full operation – virtually – advocating for the world we seek, especially for those whose health and economic conditions make them even more vulnerable because of this pandemic.

As coronavirus continues to spread to new countries and new communities, our hearts go out to all those affected by this devastating illness.

The Friends Committee on National Legislation strongly opposes President Trump’s indefinite bans on nearly all travel from thirteen nations, unduly targeting Muslim-majority and African nations. These bans – in all their iterations – result in heartbreak and injustice for countless families across the globe.

The impeachment question before the Senate was a test of the power Congress and the American people are willing to give the president. The Senate’s vote to acquit Donald J. Trump of the impeachment charges cemented the reality of a profound partisan divide on this question. It sanctioned the president to use the power of the office to suit his needs, largely unchecked by Congress.

There was a time when the United States sought to portray itself as an honest broker for peace between Israelis and Palestinians; a seeker of solutions that would be acceptable to all sides. That role has virtually disappeared, as Congress and successive U.S. administrations sided unequivocally with Israel.

The foundation of our country is at stake—whatever the outcome is of the ongoing impeachment trial in the Senate.

As young adults, we only faintly remember what life was like before Sept. 11, if we remember at all. Since the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, we have made it through elementary, middle, and high school. We’ve applied to colleges, finished our degrees, moved away from home, and entered the workforce—and the entire time, the U.S. has been carrying out military actions halfway across the world.