Jan. 23, 2020
I am writing to oppose proposed amendments to procedural requirements and resubmission thresholds under Exchange Act Rule. I am a small investor and will only be such in my life since I make a small salary as a minister of a small church. As you can see the emphasis here, there are entities and parties that remain for a lifetime small. As such investors we have a right to a voice, though small. A voice is gained in multiple ways including corporate actions, many voices working together. Do not, please, institute more patterns of governance that strife to block the varied forms of speech of voices belonging to those that are small. I am part of the Presbyterian Church USA and our Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was created almost 50 years ago to engage corporations on issues that promote the church’s mission goals and ethical values. Since then, MRTI has played a pivotal role in helping corporations mitigate longer-term emerging risks with the potential to negatively impact millions of people. Through shareholder engagement, MRTI, as well as other faith- and values-based investors, have been able to detect issues and present solutions that benefited hundreds of companies, the health of the environment, and the welfare of communities across the globe. This is one of the ways multiple voices gain greater presence and are able to speak to many who otherwise constitute in our circles of governance an absence. Please, do not prevent this speech. It is essentially part of our governance of free speech and must continue to be empowered. Thank you, Mark Meeks, Minister of Capitol Heights Presbyterian Church, 1100 Fillmore St., Denver, CO 80206