50 signatures reached
To: Nancy Pelosi
Congress Shall Declare a National Day of Mourning in Memory of Citizens Lost to COVID-19
Our nation has already lost thousands to the Corona virus, also known as COVID-19. Before the virus is slowed, it will claim many more. We call upon congress to declare a one-time national day of mourning at a date of their choosing after it is safe for citizens to gather again.
Why is this important?
As an ordained clergy person and seminary professor, I am witness to the stories of many colleagues in ministry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clergy of many faiths have shared stories of mourning that has been interrupted by isolation and disrupted by distancing. Clergy are doing their best to provide funerals when no one can gather, and comfort families who have had to let their loved one die alone. Still, it is becoming more clear all the time that our country as a whole will need an opportunity to grieve the losses we have all felt. We especially need to honor those whose lives were taken by the virus while they were serving the common good as doctors, nurses, first responders, and other public servants.
We call upon congress to provide leadership, making time and space for the nation to grieve together when the time is right. We call upon congress to close all government offices on that day, and ask other institutions to close as well. Let us be a nation that mourns together, even as we affirm the value of serving the common good.
(photo: Mark Zastrow - creative commons)
We call upon congress to provide leadership, making time and space for the nation to grieve together when the time is right. We call upon congress to close all government offices on that day, and ask other institutions to close as well. Let us be a nation that mourns together, even as we affirm the value of serving the common good.
(photo: Mark Zastrow - creative commons)