Imagine growing up in an environment where you are taught to remain silent in the face of abuse. My wife lived that nightmare. Brought up in the Jehovah's Witness community, she experienced physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Helpless and muted by the doctrine she was raised with—encouraging her submission and silencing any outcry against injustices done to her—she suffered immensely. When we speak of freedom in the United States, it should extend to all aspects of an individual's life, including the freedom to speak up against and escape from abuse. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case for my wife, and it continues not to be the case for many others.

Sadly, my wife's experiences aren't isolated incidents; they're indicative of a broader, horrifying pattern. While there are no official statistics showing the extent of abuse within the Jehovah's Witness community, numerous lawsuits, investigations, and personal accounts have highlighted a systemic issue of covering up abuse within the community rather than addressing it (Pew Research Center, 2019). According to the findings of a grand jury in Pennsylvania (2018), the organization instructs its elders to keep accusations of child abuse secret to prevent lawsuits and scandal. This policy not only facilitates more abuse but also indicates a deep-seated issue with the organization's operating principles.

We call on the United States government to ban the Jehovah's Witness community for its role in covering up abuse, as a necessary measure to protect vulnerable children and teens from further harm and to uphold the fundamental human rights of these individuals. We believe that every voice deserves to be heard, every abuse victim deserves justice, and no organization should facilitate harm to its members under the guise of faith. Today, I ask you to stand with us, to give voice to those suffocated into silence, and show that you, too, believe in their right to safety and justice. Please, sign this petition.