The Intermountain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Minutes of Concern
Annual Gathering June 15, 2018.
GUN VIOLENCE MINUTE
As Quakers, we believe that every person has worth and dignity. It is essential to respond to the results of gun violence in our society with voices and action. We call on our legislators to stand with the Florida teens and youth throughout the country who are speaking out against certain policies of the National Rifle Association, specifically the NRA’s refusal to support a ban on the purchase and ownership by civilians of assault rifles. Begin by reinstating the ban on assault-style weapons. Continue with thorough background checks and close the gun-sales loopholes. Promote conversations, forums and discussions to bring about change in every community to combat the sources of violence we see today. Stand with our courageous high-school students who are urgently leading the way toward a safer, more peaceful society. Congress must act immediately to protect each sacred life. We will support lawmakers who will make the changes to the laws that we need. Too many lives have been destroyed by these terrible mass shootings. Join the many voices speaking out. The tide is turning. It’s time to come together and support life-giving change in our communities.
HUMAN RIGHTS ON THE BORDER MINUTE
Intermountain Yearly Meeting (IMYM) of Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) declares to our country, our government, and the world that we, as a Yearly Meeting and as Friends, stand on the side of equality, community, humanity and peace through justice. We condemn our government’s abuse of human rights on the border and in our communities. We call for an end to the policy of zero tolerance which denies migrants the right to apply for asylum at the border, as is required by U.S. and international law, which has forcibly separated children and infants from their parents, which detains immigrants and asylum seekers in prisons or internment camps, and which forces more and more migrants to choose dangerous routes into our country, causing many deaths and much suffering.
NORTH KOREA DIPLOMACY MINUTE
War with North Korea would impose disastrous costs in lives and treasure on the people of the Korean Peninsula, the United States and the world. We urge the Trump administration and our members of Congress to fully support a path of diplomacy with North Korea based on negotiation and dialogue. This process will require patience, give and take and a commitment to preventing war.
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