John –
Last Wednesday, a gunman opened fire in a Korean-American-owned hair salon in Dallas, hospitalizing three women of Korean descent as part of an apparent string of anti-Asian hate crimes.
On Saturday, another gunman killed ten people and wounded three more in a self-declared act of white supremacist hate. He intentionally traveled to a grocery store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo to commit violence, live-streamed it, and broadcast his racist beliefs online.
Then, on Sunday, we learned of yet another gunman who opened fire on a Taiwanese congregation in Orange County, killing a doctor and wounding five other congregants – all motivated by the gunman’s anti-Taiwanese sentiment.
Charlottesville. Charleston. El Paso. Atlanta.
These are not random acts of violence, John. They are a clear pattern of racist hate crimes across our country inspired by rampant white supremacist conspiracy theories that are promoted on television networks and media platforms to foment fear, hate, and violence.
As a Black and Korean woman, I'm acutely aware that the default position is to sweep blatant examples of racism under the rug and deflect to economic anxiety or mental health issues.
I’m fighting hard in Congress to curb gun violence across the board so that
all of our communities are safe.
But we must also dedicate ourselves to coming together to stop the spread of racist rhetoric that incites these acts of hate.
Will you join me in calling on ALL of my colleagues in Congress to condemn the white supremacist conspiracy theories that are spreading like wildfire?
My heart goes out to all of the victims and families affected by these and other violent hate crimes in recent days.
Thank you for standing with me,
Marilyn
