Disappointed In Chris Perry's Column On Unitarian Church

To the editor: It is easy to feel uncertain when the subject of white supremacy is raised. What does the term really mean? Who does it describe? How has it shaped both our nation's history and our present? Why should we care? As a longtime member of the Second Congregational Meeting House Society Unitarian Universalist congregation on Nantucket, I am grateful to Rev. Erin Splaine for inviting us to wrestle with these questions. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation, this is an especially fitting moment to reflect on who we are - and who we aspire to be - as citizens.

For 27 years, our congregation hosted a community celebration of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, featuring public readings and musical performances. That tradition reflected our church's longstanding commitment to social awareness, moral reflection, and civic engagement. Our ministers - from Ted Anderson and Linda Simmons to Dr. Althea Smith and Rev. Erin Splaine - have each challenged us to live our faith with integrity, and we are deeply grateful for their leadership.

Our congregation's commitment to justice reaches back much further. We have historical ties to the abolitionist movement and to Frederick Douglass. Our pamphlet, High Moral Courage, available on our website, chronicles our role in the Anti-Slavery Conventions and in the effort to desegregate the Nantucket public schools. It is one chapter in a much longer story of Unitarian Universalists striving to honor the inherent worth and dignity of every person.

When we encounter a principled position that is unfamiliar or even unsettling, our first response should not be dismissal but curiosity. If a conversation leaves us with more questions than answers, why not undertake the work of learning? Why not read, listen, and seek to understand before forming conclusions?

I found Chris Perry's recent column disappointing because it seemed to dismiss Rev. Splaine's perspective rather than engage it. His description of seeking her out for a conversation came across less as an effort to understand than as an attempt to challenge a conclusion he had already reached. That was my impression as a reader. Meaningful dialogue begins not with certainty, but with a genuine willingness to learn from one another.

History is easily forgotten - or rewritten to suit our own assumptions - unless we are willing to examine it honestly. Understanding our past is not about assigning guilt; it is about recognizing how history continues to shape the lives of all Americans, especially those whose experiences have too often been overlooked or marginalized. If we fail to acknowledge those realities, the cost will be measured in the strength of our communities, the health of our democracy, and the quality of our common life.

Our nation's highest ideals have always called us to become something better than we are today. They remain worthy of our effort. Let us continue the work of learning, listening, and striving toward those ideals together.

Happy 250th and 4th of July to all,

Barbara Elder