A STATEMENT AGAINST THE RHETORIC OF FEAR AND INTOLERANCE

We the undersigned take seriously the lessons painfully learned from the Nazi Holocaust and because of those lessons, encourage resistance in our own time to circumstances like those which led to the Holocaust. Being people of many faiths and traditions, we affirm that our shared values call upon us to show compassion for the afflicted and appreciation for those of other religious and ethnic backgrounds or sexual orientation. It was the absence of these values in much of Europe and the United States during the 1930’s that led to the Holocaust in the first place – and to the senseless death of millions of innocent children, women, and men from 1933 to 1945.

Given these values, we vigorously condemn a growing attitude of intolerance and hatred aimed at those seeking refuge in the United States – often based primarily on the religion and/or ethnicity of those refugees. We find it disturbingly reminiscent of the attitudes in our country and in other nations which resulted in the slamming of the doors of escape to those attempting to flee the Nazis.

America is a nation of immigrants. We have grown and prospered over the last 240 years through the talents, experiences, as well as cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity of those, who – often at great personal peril – have come to our shores to make America what it is today.

To bar or substantially obstruct any group primarily on the basis of their ethnic background and/or religion is therefore hostile to the very idea of America. It likewise could sow the seeds of intolerance and fear that led to the terrible events in Europe 70 years ago.

Accordingly, we encourage our fellow Quad Citians to reject the rhetoric of fear, intolerance, and any stereotyping based on religion and/or ethnicity or sexual orientation. Instead, we encourage our fellow citizens to advocate principles of compassion, understanding, and courage that collectively make up what Abraham Lincoln referred to as “the better angels of our nature.”

 

Coordinating Committee

Dr. Marrietta Castle                      Janina Ehrlich                                         Linda Golden

Rev. Richard Hendricks               Cantor Gail Posner Karp                        Rabbi Henry Jay Karp

Lisa Killinger                                Most Rev. Dr. Bruce D. LeBlanc          Rev. Richard Priggie

Rev. Dr. Mary N. Pugh                 Dr. William Roba                                   Rowen Schussheim-Anderson

Mark Schwiebert                           Kai Swanson                                          Rev. Jay Wolin

 

 

Supporters

Rev. Charles Adam                       Christine Aden                                       Ferdaus Ahmad

Robin A. Anderson, PhD             Steve Anderson                                     Dr. Amir Arbisser

Dr. Lisa Arbisser                           Stacy Astrove                                        Steven Bahls

Maureen M. Baldwin                    Michael Beaderstadt                              Allen Bertsche

John Bowman                               Kathy Bowman                                      Elizabeth Brook

Rev. Elder Pat Bumgardner          Sheri Carnahan                                       Tom Carnahan

Jane Cassidy                                 Joe Chambers                                         Shelly Chambers

Linda Clewell                               Richard A. Clewell                                Rev. Dr. Matthew J.M. Coomber

Jeff Coussens                                Judith Crompton                                    Michelle Crouch

Daniel Culver                                Deborah Dakin                                       Rev. Becky David

Dr. Traci Davis                              Kirsten Day                                            Carol DeVolder

Richard M. Dienesch                    Sharon Dodd                                         Marcy Doyle

Brenda Drew-Peeples                   Lucia Dryanski                                       Nora Dvorak

Dr. Dan R. Ebener                        Dr. Janet Abbott Eckhart                       Bill Estes

Jim Farber                                     Paul-Thomas Ferguson                           Barry Ferm

Pastor Stacie Fidlar                       Gale Francione                                       Marjorie Froeschle

Alan Garfield                                Phyllis Garfield                                      Ann S. Garton

Richard E. Geiger                         Samuel M. Gilman                                 Rita Oetkin Gustafson

Wilma Hauser                               Cheryl Heimberger                                 Wendy Hilton-Morrow

Nancy Hines                                 Loxi Hopkins                                         Aaron Humble

Bea F. Jacobson, PhD                   Paul K. Jacobson, PhD                          Kathy Jakielski

Georgia Jecklin                             Michael J. Jerin, PhD                             Christopher M. Jones

Dr. Andrew Kaiser                       Dr. Judy Correa Kaiser                          Brian Katz

Linda C. Kelty                              Richard N. Kennedy                              Mary Kilbride

Peter Kivisto                                 Sydney Anderson Krispin                     Emil Kramer

Elaine Kresse                                Sam Kresse                                            Marion Lardner

Pareena Lawrence                         Bob Lee                                                 Rev. A. Parker Lewis III

Gina L. Livingston                        Pamela Carlson Long                             Patricia Madden

Rev. Mariah Marlin-Warfield       Henry F. Marquard                                Eric Mathis

Denise Mattes                               John Mattes                                            Kathryn McKnight

Craig Mekow                                Juleann Miller, RN                                 Carol Mizeur

Dr. Julia Moffitt                            Margaret Morse                                      Rev. Katherine Mulhern

Ann Ney                                       Long Nguyen                                         Sue Normoyle

Rev. Kristen Glass Perez              Woody Perkins                                      Clayton C. Peterson

Dan Portes                                    Rebecca A. Pracht                                 Megan Quinn

Rev. Kathy Remley                      Margaret Ristau                                     Jennifer Robb

Beth Roberts                                 Lori Roderick                                         Jayne Rose

Barbara Roseman                          Nimala S. Salgado                                 Bill Schmidt

Art Searle, MD                             Dr. Rachel Serianz                                 Judy Shawver

Maynard Siegel                             Jeffrey B. Simpson                                Joyce Singh

Marsha Smith                                Dr. Keith Soko                                       Deborah A. Soodhalter

Andrew Starenko                          Steven Stickle                                        Chris Strunk

Vince Thomas                               Paula Tigerman                                      Mary M. Todtz

Jeff Transou                                  Bill Tubbs                                               Sharon M. Varallo

Jeanneth Vázquez-Valarezo          Anne Wachal                                         Richard Weinstein

Rachel Weiss                                 Joyce Wiley                                            Rev. Dr. Randy Willers

Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson             Dr. Corinne Winter                                Dr. Michael B. Wolf

Susan Wolf                                   Maggie Woods, NBCT                          Peter T. Xiao

Michael Zemek

 

 

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