LETTER TO THE EDITOR TEMPLATE

[Most letters are between 200 to 250 words] 

To the editor, 

I/WE AM/ARE writing as a Unitarian Universalist[S] [IF WRITING AS A CONGREGATION, INCLUDE NAME] to express MY/OUR serious concerns about the recent action by the Department of Defense to revise its Religious Affiliations Code List. 

While this will not impact the official status of Unitarian Universalist (UU) ministers currently endorsed and serving as military chaplains, it does hurt UUs in the military. They will not be able to select their specific religious identity in their personnel records, which may make it more difficult for uniformed UUs to access the spiritual care they need. 

The first Universalist chaplain – Rev. John Murray - was commissioned into the Continental Army by General George Washington in 1775, a year before the Declaration of Independence was written. Several Founding Fathers, including John Adams and Benjamin Rush, were either Unitarians or Universalists, and Thomas Jefferson espoused Unitarian views. There have been four Unitarian presidents. UUs can claim ancestors who served - including Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, who commanded one of the first Black regiments – and current UU veterans, like James Clayton Flowers, the oldest veteran in the United States, who was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen.   

No government action can erase our faith nor lessen the powerful guidance it provides for those who serve. We urge the Department of [WAR/DEFENSE] to reverse this decision. 

Sincerely, 

[NAME OF PERSON OR CONGREGATION]