Amid the political clamor on today’s news, we cannot lose sight of two important truths:

There is no place for hate in America. We condemn hate of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex Latinx people who were the targets of the attacks in Orlando; hate of the millions of Muslims who are among us as residents and citizens and will be blamed in the days to come; or, even, hate of the haters. Hate is corrosive. It transformed a place of sanctuary and liberation into a place of violence. It turns us on each other, when what we most need is to unite.

And, we can never give up the fight for reasonable and effective gun regulation in this country. There is simply no reason for citizens to own military grade firearms that have no purpose other than to render horrific damage to human flesh. It is time–it is past time. In this moment, we need to dismantle the militarization of our neighborhoods and communities, not ramp it up. Our hearts are with Sunday’s victims and those who hold them dear. May this be the straw that finally compels us to change our public discourse. May this bolster the courage of our elected officials to stand up and do their jobs: give power and meaning to the Second Amendment’s prescription of a “well-regulated” right to bear arms.

Join a vigil in memory of the victims of the Pulse Massacre tonight 6:30-9:30 p.m. at City Hall Philadelphia For Orlando: A Vigil for the victims of the Pulse Massacre

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