Urgent Message from Rev Gordon JUUstice LA, Now Is the Time Defend Democracy, Defend Los Angeles

Rev Gordon Clay Bailey

10 June 2025

Dear JUUstice-LA Family,

As the city of Los Angeles and surrounding communities reel from the unthinkable events of these past days, I find myself reflecting deeply on the meaning of freedom.

I am the great-grandson of a Civil War veteran, one of the valiant colored troops from Louisiana who fought for a vision of liberty that this country promised but had not yet fulfilled. My great-grandfather battled not only for his own freedom, but for the future—for me, for us. And most of my life, I have been blessed to enjoy the fruits of that hard-won struggle.

But today, that promise feels fragile.

What we are witnessing now is a sitting president threatening the arrest of a state governor, and the deployment of American troops on American soil—is not merely unthinkable. It is dangerous. It is authoritarian. And it is antithetical to everything the democratic experiment of this country claims to stand for.

To our leaders: Do your jobs. Honor your oaths. Protect the Constitution.

To our community: Now is the time to speak, to act, to resist.

As Unitarian Universalists, we are bound by a covenant that affirms “the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.” This is not a vague ideal. This is a call to action.

As Rev Susan Frederick-Gray, our UUA President, has said:

“This is no time for a casual faith, no time for a shallow hope. This is a time for deep listening, fierce advocacy, and prophetic imagination.”

And we must remember the words of civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer:

“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”

This is JUUstice the Unitarian Universalist way—rooted in love, driven by action, and grounded in a vision of collective liberation. We must organize. We must activate. We must protest, proclaim, and yes, act out, if that is what it takes to hold this country together before it fractures beyond repair.

So let’s do it, together.

Join us this Thursday evening from 5:00–6:30 PM on Zoom for a Critical JUUstice-LA community gathering. I have some vital updates and reflections to share, and I want to hear from you: What are you, what are your congregations doing? What is stirring in your hearts? What actions can we take now to defend democracy, protect the vulnerable, and uphold our shared values?
We are not powerless. We are not voiceless. We are Unitarian Universalists.
Let us rise together.
With fierce love and righteous resolve,

 Rev Gordon Clay Bailey,  On behalf of JUUstice-LA
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice—if we bend it.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Rev Gordon Clay Bailey
Minister (he/his/him)
Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society
17622 Chatsworth St
Granada Hills, CA 91344

Email: Rev Gordon
Cell Phone: 818-856-7848
Office Phone: 818-724-4260

Note: We will also be having our regularly scheduled JUUstice-LA meeting on Saturday June 28 at 10:00am. 

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