As a 9/11 family member, whose sister died in the North Tower of the World Trade Center, my first response to yesterday’s tragedy at the Pulse Club in Orlando can only be profound grief and compassion. Fifteen years ago, I lived through the shock, horror, and uncertainty that you and your families are experiencing.
As a nation, we need to grieve together – again. Together, all of us should demand truth about why we continue to experience acts of violence that claim the lives of innocent people – our deeply loved and mourned family members. And, we must seek justice.
But most importantly, all of us deserve the best efforts to ensure that the policies and beliefs that allowed the events of 12 June 2016 in Orlando to occur are ended.
As a national community, we must commit to reducing violence in all forms:
- The United States needs to adopt universal gun control legislation that is truly meaningful.
- We must stop selling weapons to nations that use weapons to commit human rights violations.
- We must affirm the rights and humanity of all individuals – regardless of sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, or ability.
As Americans, we face difficult yet vital discussions in which we need to invest. We can. And, we must.
Terry Kay Rockefeller
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
National Co-Convener of UFPJ
