Issued August 04, 2019
The following is a statement from SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry on the shooting attacks in Gilroy, California; El Paso, Texas; and Dayton, Ohio:
“SEIU members across the country stand together in sending our love and support to people harmed by the attacks in Gilroy, El Paso, and Dayton.
“Our SEIU family has also been directly affected.
“In California, an SEIU Local 521 member was injured and her six-year-old son was killed. Her mother, a retired SEIU Local 521 member, was also injured.
“In Texas, SEIU Texas hospital workers at Del Sol Medical Center and University Medical Center are doing everything they can to save the lives of people from their community.
“I feel a wave of despair hit me as I hear yet again about gun violence aimed at people going about their daily lives.
“Once again, early indications are that our sisters and brothers and other people who were shot were targeted because of the color of their skin.
“The fear and division some of the most powerful people in our country are fueling murderous hate. It is inflicting brutal, irreversible agony on the families of ordinary working people who simply want to live in peace.
“In the days ahead, we will do our best to help our sisters and brothers grieve and heal.
“And then we will rededicate ourselves to building a society rooted in justice and equality: a country where we are all respected and we are all included, no matter what our color or where we were born.”