UUSC Responds to Ralph Yarl Shooting

In response to the shooting of teenager Ralph Yarl in Kansas City, Missouri by retiree Andrew Lester, UUSC President Mary Katherine Morn released the following statement: 

“It is unconscionable that a young Black male would be shot merely for knocking on the wrong door. And yet the racism that precipitated this shooting is clear and reflects a reality many must face in the simplest acts of living, like picking up siblings from a friend’s home or driving to visit neighbors.

“While we share the view that the people taking up arms against strangers doing ordinary things must be held accountable, as important is the work of eliminating narratives of fear and hatred perpetrated by right wing media and political leaders. At UUSC, our work with partners advancing human rights for all is a constant reminder of our own accountability to resist racist narratives and build systems that ensure the safety and flourishing of all people.

“May this moment call us again into reflection. And from broken hearts may yet more courage and commitment to justice be born.” 

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The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is a human rights and solidarity organization founded as a rescue mission in 1940 during the Holocaust. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and with a membership of more than 35,000 supporters across the United States, UUSC’s programs focus on the issues of climate and disaster justice, migration justice, and international justice and accountability.