Over these last two weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a Uniter. I’ve also thought a lot about what it means to be the leader of a political party—to be a partisan—in a time when hyper-partisanship is poisoning our nation. One of my conclusions is that the paradigm shift we bring to politics is very much needed. We are needed, now more than ever.

We Uniters are uniquely positioned to work toward both justice and peace. We stand in the ideological middle, in the space where unity and reconciliation is most possible. It’s a space we can and must hold open.

We cannot change what those on the extremes do. We can’t control what anyone else does. All we have within our control is our own choices and our own actions. So let us choose to be wise with our words and deeds. Let us hold open the middle and welcome anyone of good will who genuinely wants to work for solutions.

This week we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As he and many others in the Civil Rights movement taught, let us be mindful of and acknowledge the humanity of everyone we encounter. Even those who aren’t willing to meet us in the middle still share with us a common humanity, however deeply and emphatically we might disagree.  As Dr. King famously said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” 

As Uniters, let us spread more of that light.

This week we also host the Moving UUP Summit (more information is below). It is an open invitation for anyone who wants to help the party move forward. In this time when so much seems difficult or uncertain, let us build each other up, work for solutions, and share a little light.

 —Hillary Stirling, Chair