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HF Statement on Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

October 27, 2018 (New York, NY) — Hispanic Federation President José Calderón has issued the following statement regarding today’s Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

“Today’s shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh is a heartbreaking violation of the peace and safety that should characterize our houses of worship. The Board of Directors, staff, and network of 100 Latino community-based organizations of the Hispanic Federation share in the grief and sorrow of those who were injured and the family and friends of those who have been killed.

"Our nation is grappling with a terrible moment of resurgent nationalism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance. Sadly, some of our political leaders seem to believe that they can spew hatred and vitriol without consequences. As we have seen all too clearly this past week, that isn’t the case. Words have power. They can be used to hurt and threaten. They can be used to silence and terrorize. Claiming otherwise is either ignorant or duplicitous. Whatever the case, hateful rhetoric is beneath the dignity of our nation and it must come to an end immediately.

"Of course, tragedies such as the one visited on Pittsburgh today are abetted by easy access to firearms. From Newtown to Orlando, from San Bernardino to Charleston, deranged and hateful people wreak havoc on our communities because they have ready and easy access to weapons of war. Despite the national outrage at these events and the calls for stricter federal gun-control laws, our political leadership does nothing. No laws will bring back the men and women killed today, but we owe it to the victims and their families to redouble our efforts to end this endless cycle of shootings, expressions of sorrow, and handwringing by enacting meaningful federal gun-control legislation. We know how to make events like today’s less likely and less deadly, and the fact that we have yet to enact meaningful gun control should be a source of national shame.

"Finally, to our friends and colleagues in the Jewish community, the ties between Latinos and Jews run long and deep. Your suffering is our suffering. Your mourning is our mourning as well. We stand in solidarity with you today and every day against the forces of hatred and violence.”