Council for Relationships’ Response to Mass Shootings in Buffalo, NY, Irvine, CA, and Uvalde, TX

May 26, 2022 | Grief feels very heavy at this moment in our country’s history. In the aftermath of a horrific racially motivated mass shooting incident in Buffalo, NY on May 14, 2022, we are reminded of the fact that to be a person of color in America means you are the target of shooters heavily armed with white supremacy and guns; waiting for these heinous attacks to end but having no end in sight. In the wake of another hate-crime shooting at a Taiwanese Church in Irvine, CA on May 15, 2022, we are reminded that minority communities continue to live with the mental health impacts of chronic trauma, loss of safety, and anxiety. The news of yet another mass shooting targeting elementary school children and their teachers in Uvalde, TX on May 24, 2022, leaves communities and parents holding their children closer, and again doubting if they can safely send their children to school. We are confronted with the vulnerable and marginalized populations among us, the unending pain they experience, and the lack of action by those in leadership.

Council for Relationships honors the memory of the victims; we grieve with the families, and we stand with the communities echoing the message: enough is enough. We join millions of Americans across this country in calling for strong measures to better protect our communities from the growing epidemic of gun violence. As a nation we grieve, while at the same time feeling the urge to protect the marginalized and vulnerable and prevent these atrocities from continuing. We see your pain, we are here to support you in your grief, and we stand with you for change. You are not alone. 

As we look to the future, we are encouraged by this excerpt from The Talmud: “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”