This has been a tragic month. Our hearts are broken.
The children in Texas who were killed were of that magical age of 10. The age of impish smiles, intense curiosity, silly jokes, and really great hugs. Two teachers died protecting those children.
The men and women who were killed in Buffalo were active members of a caring community. One victim sang in her church choir. Another supported his family by giving rides to and from the local supermarket, always giving a break to people who needed a little help.
Life feels so heavy right now. It’s hard to know what we can do to help stop the violence. We thought we would share something about one of the victims in the Buffalo shooting that gave us hope and made the day just a little lighter.
Katherine Massey was a civil rights advocate. She loved the community and would “fight for anybody.” Ms. Massy often wrote letters to the editor, a very effective way to support or oppose an issue. One of her issues was gun violence prevention. Another was police-community relations. She cared for her community, and she used her voice in countless ways to make it a more caring and welcoming place.
Katherine’s work will live on in the generosity of the community working for healing in the wake of the shooting that took her life – a generosity she fostered in so many ways.
We’re taking our cue today from Katherine. We’re going to honor the victims of these shootings, and all victims of violence, by staying in the fight to create a criminal justice system that rejects extreme punishments like the death penalty and instead uses those costly resources to create policies that make our communities safer and that center healing for those who are impacted by violence.
And like Katherine, we’ll do it by having one conversation, asking one question, making one connection to someone impacted by violence – one step at a time.
With gratitude for your support,
The FADP Team