Former Unitarian Church Trustee Speaks Out Decision To Cancel July 4th Event

To the editor: I am a long-time congregant and former Trustee of the Unitarian Meeting House and, germane to this conversation, the volunteer coordinator for the Reading of the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights in years past.

To date, among the comments published, there have been none expressing thanks or gratitude for the 27 years during which our church supplied the venue, talent, volunteer staff, and facilities for this event. As it grew, we hired NCTV's video and sound technicians to simulcast the program in our lower level and record it for viewing on their network. In recent years, we sought help underwriting the event and even applied for grants, with little support from the community.

Everyone has been welcome at this free event, held in the same room where Frederick Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Lucretia Mott, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to name just a few, spoke to packed houses. Their voices challenged Americans to think deeply about democracy, citizenship, and justice - conversations that remain as relevant today as ever.

Many things have changed during the 27 years we have hosted this event, most recently the crowd, both in size and demeanor. We began to ask why the attendees did not reflect what our actual community looks like? How could we, as a congregation, be more inclusive? To that end, we decided to pause the program we present on July 4th this year. When we share our spiritual home with visitors, it is important to us that whatever brings people through our doors reflects our mission and principles. I encourage anyone interested to visit our website and learn more about our beliefs.

Our Reverend, Erin Splaine, is weathering abusive comments from around the country as right-wing blogs and news sources amplify the fact that she is a lesbian to rile up their audiences. As well, only a few individuals have accepted her offer for further discussion. Locally, if one good thing comes from this decision, it is that the conversation surrounding the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights has been amplified well beyond the fortunate 400 people who can fit in our building for this beloved event. Please download, read, and share these historic documents with your July 4th household and beyond. Talk about why they were written, what democracy means today, and what each of us can do to preserve it.

The talented readers who have been so inspirational in past programs at the UU will be at St. Paul's Church on Fair Street on July 4th. There is also a rumor that the Sconset Chapel will host a reading. The doors of the Unitarian Meeting House will be open from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., and Rev. Splaine will be in the sanctuary should anyone wish to talk or engage further.

Let's all please talk about the future of our country.

Alison K. Forsgren