The Atlanta and Boulder Tragedies : Anguish to Action

gun safety legislation

"There is no such thing as being non-political. Just by making a decision to stay out of politics you are making the decision to allow others to shape politics and exert power over you. And if you are alienated from the current political system, then just by staying out of it you do nothing to change it, you simply entrench it."

- Joan Kirner (former Premier of Victoria, AU)

We are sad. We are outraged. Before we could truly start to process the Atlanta shootings, where 8 people were killed, including 6 women of Asian descent, we were hit hard in our home town of Boulder, Colorado by more violence on Monday, March 22. 

“Thoughts and prayers” are nothing more than a salve for our aching hearts. The terrorism in Atlanta was clearly fueled by anti-Asian sentiment, and we stand with the Asian community against violence and hate. We must take action and honor our AAPI and Boulder communities by reforming gun control and hate crime laws.    

For some of our team members and volunteers, the South Boulder King Soopers is their neighborhood grocer; a few were there the day before. Many friends were almost there the day and time when the gunman opened fire - some last minute twist of fate kept them away. It’s heartbreaking to see the place police-taped off and the windows blown out, and to think of the grocery workers we’ve known for decades - now gone. 

Thinking about all those who’ve lost their lives to not only these horrific shootings, but those in years past, is intolerable. Domestic terrorism and violent hate crimes have got to be addressed with strong legislation and sane leadership. If you’ve been affected by these devastating tragedies, our broken hearts are with you and your loved ones. 

Our Congress has been paralyzed and unable to function for the good of its citizenry. The time for us to stop this gun violence is long past due. We are turning our anguish into action, to protect and enhance our democracy, and to ensure that a Jim Crow-era minority rule won’t perpetuate itself and prevent widely-supported legislation like common-sense gun control from passing in the Congress. Reforming the filibuster and ensuring that H.R.1/S.1, the For the People Act, passes is crucial to pass the laws we need to keep our communities safe. 

We will continue to fight for our country, for our communities, for our loved ones. And we will honor these lives with everything that we’ve got.

Atlanta, in our hearts: 
Soon Chung Park, 74
Hyun Jung Grant, 51
Suncha Kim, 69
Yong Ae Yue, 63
Delaina Ashley Yaun, 33
Xiaojie Tan, 49
Daoyou Feng, 44
Paul Andre Michels, 54
Elcias R. Hernandez-Ortiz, 30 (seriously injured)

Boulder, in our hearts:
Officer Eric Talley, 51
Denny Stong, 20
Neven Stanisic, 23 
Rikki Olds, 25
Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
Suzanne Fountain, 59
Teri Leiker, 51
Kevin Mahoney, 61
Lynn Murray, 62
Jody Waters, 65

 

In solidarity,

-The Blue Wave Team

 

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