WASHINGTON, DC — “We are at a tipping point in America. In a country that has represented tolerance and hope for so many, the 250 shootings this year – on top of so many more in recent memory – have shown no place, not schools, houses of faith, recreational centers, or places where we shop and meet, is safe from hate in the form of a bullet from a gun. Who will be the next victims of hate crimes and gun violence? Haven’t we lost enough innocent souls? Our communities are being terrorized, stoked by words of hatred and division from none other than the president himself. We are a nation in distress, and we must come together to repair what has been broken.
“Ninety-seven percent of Americans support stronger background check laws. Year after year, the data tells us the same thing: Stronger gun safety laws lead to fewer gun violence deaths, yet our hearts tell us that we must do more as the people responsible for caring for others in our community. We must stand up to this cruelty and defend our democracy by getting to know our neighbors and working toward a safer and more just society.
“It is time to name those who stand in the way of that safety: those who put people in harm’s way; those who incite hatred and violence with their reckless words and demonization of immigrants, African Americans, Muslims, women, the LGBTQ community; and anyone who stands united for a more diverse, pluralistic and accepting world. Their actions are complicit here, and their failure to move on gun safety measures is tacit acceptance of the danger Americans face from gun violence, and the terrorism of white supremacy that threatens the very ideals of this nation. This cannot be the new normal. We are better than this.”
