March For Our Lives Statement on the Mass Shooting in Monterey Park, California: “Safe Spaces Do Not Exist.”

NEW YORK, NY — “Once again, the nation wakes up to a despicable act of violence and a reminder that safe spaces do not exist—not to celebrate, not to gather within our communities, or to live without fear. We are wrenched by the loss of so many lives in Monterey Park, CA and are praying for the full recovery for those who have been injured. We will cherish the memories of those who passed and honor their lives with action.

Details are still emerging but we know that we live in a time of rising racism and hate-fueled bias towards Asian Americans. And, we live in a nation with near unfettered access to high-powered weapons making it all too easy for hateful people to act on that racism. This isn’t a talking point, it’s a crisis. The time has passed for our leaders to take action. Their failure to even consider a federal ban on assault weapons is more than cowardice—it’s a dereliction of their sworn duty to protect people in this country.

Will they act now?

There is no corner of America untouched by the trauma of our worsening gun violence epidemic. Like so many joyous occasions in America, this Lunar New Year has been poisoned by gun violence. Young Americans don’t know any other world, but we know that this isn’t normal. We won’t just grieve, we will fight like hell for the living. Rest In Power.”

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