Pastoral Letter
From the Rev. Frank Rivas
First Universalist Church
Minneapolis, MN
On Monday, March 17, the President of the United States issued a statement
that makes war with Iraq almost inevitable.
War, even under the clearest of circumstances, is a painful decision, but many
of us approach this particular war with cognitive dissonance. On the one hand,
we know that Saddam Hussein must be disarmed and that the United Nations has
the authority and the responsibility to enforce disarmament. On the other hand,
we know that if the United States declares war unilaterally, against the will
of the United Nations, a dangerous regime will be stopped by a superpower that
acts independently, without appropriate consultation with the United Nations.
This is a frightening precedent.
These are troubling and difficult times. We feel powerless to make things right.
Like many of you, we've tried to discern right action amid conflicting values.
Like many of you, we've prayed, demonstrated, and participated in vigils. But
these actions alone don't have the desired effect.
We invite you to consider one more option. Lawyers at the Center for Constitutional
Rights (www.ccr-ny.org) have drafted a resolution that governments can submit
to the General Assembly of the United Nation. Resolution 377A, the Uniting for
Peace Resolution, empowers the General Assembly to meet in emergency session
in order to address a breach of the peace when the Security Council has been
unable to act.
If you believe, as we do, that the United States should not declare war on
Iraq, but should encourage the United Nations to enforce its own resolution,
please call on the UN General Assembly to respond. Ask that the Uniting for
Peace resolution be invoked and that the United Nations takes responsibility
to enforce the disarmament of Iraq.
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