Sample Letter on Immigration Reform
Dear [Member of Congress]
I write today to encourage you to work toward timely passage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation. The current system, which relies on harsh enforcement measures, is ineffective and unjust. Long wait lists keep families separated for years and encourage efforts to circumvent the system. Workplace raids create a culture of fear. Lax oversight of guest worker programs leaves a system ripe for exploitation.
The biblical tradition says that as we welcome the stranger, we welcome Jesus himself. Instead, immigrants to the United States, whether documented or undocumented, often face a culture of unwelcome: suspicion, isolation, militarized borders, workplace raids and visa backlogs.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation should include a legal pathway to citizenship for immigrants currently living in the United States; maintain the current family-based immigration system; create just and fair guest worker programs; ensure access to basic benefits and services for those lawfully present; contain border security strategies that protect community rights; human dignity, and the natural environment; and address political instability and economic disparity in migrants’ home countries.
Sincerely,
Name and address
A longer version of this letter is also available.
Gaza
Israel’s military offensive on the Gaza Strip was launched on December 27, 2008 with airstrikes and a ground assault. On January 13, a ceasefire was reached. The conflict resulted in the death of 1,300 Palestinians, with more than 5,300 injured, according to the Gazan Health Ministry.
Kara Lofton, a junior at Lancaster Mennonite High School, was horrified by the effect the Israeli attack had on civilians, particularly children. She responded by writing a letter to the editor of the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal, protesting U.S. support for Israel as well as the indiscriminate effect the fighting had on innocent civilians:
I am still young, but that just means it is I who will be living in the world with the shattered aftermath of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. What I plead for is an end to the violence and an end to U.S. support for the carnage. Without U.S. support the Israeli government would not have the resources to conduct aggression at their current scale of attack . . . Whether Palestinian or Israeli, all have the right to life.
Dorothy Jean Weaver of Harrisonburg, Va. was also outraged by the loss of innocent life in Gaza. In a letter to Thomas Goldberger, a State Department official, Weaver explained:
The people of Gaza have nowhere to go. They cannot escape the violence all around them . . . The Gazans have little or no electricity, little or no food, little or no medicine, little or no heat, and absolutely no comfort. The actions of the Israeli military are only building up further hatred that will last for yet more generations of Gazans, Palestinians, and no doubt Islamic radicals all around the world. I plead with you to take every possible step to urge an immediate ceasefire, to stop the horrendous bloodletting, and the horrific destruction in Gaza.
Even though a ceasefire was declared in mid-January, significant humanitarian needs remain unmet. Further, the U.S. and Israel need to diplomatically engage Hamas to ensure a sustainable peace in this troubled region.
Cluster Bombs
Cluster bombs have killed and maimed up to 100,000 people around the world. This weapon was used during the conflicts in Laos, Lebanon, and Afghanistan.
Cluster bombs scatter dozens of smaller explosives across areas the size of football fields. The bombs often fail to explode on impact, invariably affecting civilians who encounter these weapons long after a conflict ends. According to Handicap International, 98 percent of cluster bomb victims are civilians, and 27 percent of those are children.
In Laos, MCC has worked with primary schools to raise awareness about the dangers of cluster weapons.
Members of Central Mennonite Church (Bluffton, Ohio) recently wrote letters to Senator George Voinovich (R-Ohio), urging him to co-sponsor the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act (S. 416). Associate Pastor Wanda Stopher noted, “I wanted to provide a concrete way for the congregation to join God, and act for peace and justice . . . We also invited the surrounding community and churches to view the MCC photo exhibit [about cluster bombs], further shedding light on the injustices of this weapon and inviting conversation with our neighbors.”
MCC hopes that Senator Voinovich, along with Senators Brownback (Kan.), Lugar (Ind.), and Specter (Penn.) will co-sponsor this important bill. More information about cluster bombs can be found at mcc.org/clusterbombs.
