Time is running out to save the USPS. Help AMM defend this American Institution!

It’s not our job to tell you how to vote. We’re a church that actually believes in the separation of church and state.

That said, the goal of democracy is to have leaders that share the values and interests of the electorate, and when that's not the case, our obligation is to speak out. The current administration’s destruction of the United States Postal Service must be opposed because it will destroy small businesses and push even more Americans into poverty. This has nothing to do with party or ideology, it's about what's best for working-class Americans. 

This week, we learned that the Trump administration has stepped up its efforts to undercut the USPS, which is a lifeline for millions of small businesses. When so many of our friends and families are struggling to make rent and pay for groceries, killing this low-cost and effective service is a profoundly cynical and misguided move. 

The United States Postal Service is one of the few government institutions that Americans actually like and trust. If you care about this critical government service, now is the time to raise your voice. If the Trump administration is successful, many small businesses that are currently hanging on by a thread will fail, financially crippling untold numbers of our neighbors. 

Operating under the guise of “cost-cutting,” plans being imposed by the new postmaster general are already causing delays and bigger problems. While Wall Street is getting billions in handouts, the Post Office is being starved to death. The plan cuts overtime for hundreds of thousands of workers and says employees must adopt a “different mindset,” which boils down to overextending already maxed out workers. 

Other rules seem designed to make the organization fail. Late trips will no longer be authorized, meaning that millions of packages will be delayed or not delivered. If postal distribution centers are running late, “they will keep the mail for the next day,” USPS leaders say in a document obtained by the Associated Press. “One aspect of these changes that may be difficult for employees is that — temporarily — we may see mail left behind or mail on the workroom floor or docks,’’ another document says.

The USPS is already operating under incredible duress, and acting as a lifeline during these chaotic times. The services of our hard-working friends at the USPS have helped thousands of ministers to serve their communities with their timely delivery of documents, and we owe them our gratitude.

We cannot let the Trump administration kill this critical service that has been a critical part of our country’s economy for longer than any of us have been alive. So, while it’s not our role to tell you how to engage politically, we encourage you to stand up for the USPS.

Let others know what’s at stake, and next time you see one of our hard-working compatriots delivering your mail, thank them for their service!