Skip to main content
Statement

Moms Leader: ‘As Our Hearts Break, We Resolve Not to Stand Silently By as Hate and Violence Rise’

October 27, 2018
Gun Control

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Statement from Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, CEO and executive director of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg today and near the First Baptist Church in Kentucky earlier this week::

“We are horrified and saddened by the shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue this morning in Pennsylvania and near the First Baptist Church in Kentucky earlier this week. Everyone in our nation should be safe in their place of worship, their home, their workplace and their community. Full stop.

“We commit to not standing silently by as antisemitism rises; to speak out against racial violence, gender-based violence, Islamophobia, xenophobia, homophobia and misogyny; to work to stop the spread of hate of every kind; and to keep marching for justice.

“Hate crimes and hate speech are rising in our nation – and lives are being lost, communities are being harmed, and our democracy is being damaged. The Washington Post reports: 'Hate crimes motivated by hatred of a religion increased last year, with a rise in the number of crimes targeting Jews and Muslims. Of the incidents spurred by hatred of a particular religion, anti-Semitism was again the leading cause, motivating about 55 percent of those episodes, followed by anti-Muslim sentiment, which spurred about 25 percent. The number of hate crimes targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people also went up last year.’

“Hate is particularly deadly in a country where there are more firearms in civilian hands than there are people. We must turn this around, work tirelessly to stamp out hate, and reject all rhetoric and actions that inflame our public discourse.

“As our hearts break, we resolve not to stand silently by as hate and violence rise.”

# # # #

MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.