By Mike Wilson

The very ideas that form the basis for the United States of America are currently under attack, which means our country is in the throes of an existential crisis. In these times, we must ask ourselves whether we are prepared to participate in activities that counter these attacks and ultimately forge a union that is firmly behind the cause of freedom for all Americans. We must ask ourselves, as Unitarian Universalists who stand on the side of love, whether to allow hate to rule, autocracy to overcome democracy, and the world to become much less loving.

We must ask ourselves whether freedom and the ideals of love are worth our time, energy, and strength. If we are to reject those who would destroy our Constitution and deny the freedoms Americans have been pursuing for over 200 years, we must spend time, energy, and strength to make this happen. If we do not invest in a loving America, we will have no one to blame but ourselves as it disappears, because we, as Americans, bear the responsibility for the condition of America. It is only we who can reject those who would turn this country into one that discards freedom for all and chooses tyranny instead.

I believe the only question at this juncture is not whether we will respond but how. We must develop and utilize tools to ensure that love prevails over hate and reject any notion that autocracy is preferable to democracy. We must be willing to use and continually improve these tools until they benefit all Americans. We must find a way to ensure that love and democracy are part of every community in America to the extent that freedom is no longer endangered.

I invite you all to join me in creating these tools and ultimately be part of the wave of effort needed to preserve our ideals and ensure that love and democracy continue to be America’s guiding principles. We will work on developing citizens’ personal motivation, which will be necessary to ensure consistent involvement in democracy. We will focus on the kind of power building that ensures all Americans understand how and why working in community with others ensures that our voices will be heard and needs met. Overall, we will develop the tools essential to ensure that Americans readily connect our freedom to the power in our democracy through a unified, community-oriented work to preserve America’s ideal of freedom.