A letter from CIC Founder & CEO, Tim Rowe
Hi all,
I wanted to share my thoughts regarding the horrible event that took place in Buffalo, New York last week. I posted similar comments in a thread on Twitter a few days ago.
On May 14th, 2022, an 18-year-old walked into a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and killed 10 people, all of whom were black, motivated by a radical racist ideology. As if this wasn’t terrible enough, a group of people signed on to watch the stream of this horrific event.
Today many people don’t feel safe in our country, and many have never felt safe. Sometimes we fear things will never change, but I do believe things can change. In moments like this it seems our society is rigid, but it is not. Think back to our history: In the U.S. slavery was legal; being gay was illegal; and women couldn’t vote. We even locked up Japanese American citizens. But we fought these oppressions. We have overcome a great deal and are capable of overcoming more. Sometimes we underestimate what we can accomplish. With our voices and our actions, together, we can get to a better place for all.
There is a roadmap to prevent mass shootings. I suggest you read Mark Follman’s new book “Trigger Points,” recently written up in the NYT. I’m proud that many ideas in the book came from my step-dad, psychologist Robert Fein, an expert on preventing violence.
I believe in America. We are a nation of good, caring people. We know evil when we see it. We can make our home, as Lincoln said, and Obama often repeated, a “more perfect union.” I invite everyone reading this to find ways to eradicate racism in their midst. Let’s do it, people.
Warmly,
Tim
