This letter-writing campaign began as an effort by Mormon Women for Ethical Government. After closely following the impeachment hearings in the House, we realized that a majority of our members, like a majority of Americans, wanted to know more from people with firsthand knowledge of the events. These witnesses would be crucial to understanding the nature of President Trump’s request to withhold foreign aid from Ukraine, and it would be up to Senate leaders to make that happen. So we decided to become the messenger, offering to print and hand deliver any letter that peaceably petitioned senators to push for a full and fair impeachment trial.

After our open call for letters, we were overwhelmed by not only the quantity of responses but also the thoughtfulness and patriotism they embodied. All told, more than 1,000 women and men from nearly every state submitted letters. As we read their words, we witnessed a nation both refusing to be torn apart by personal ideologies and petitioning Congress to do likewise. This display of devotion to democracy buoyed us up, and we felt a duty to share their words as additional witnesses.

With their permission, we’re reprinting them here.