UUSC Responds to Gun Violence at Rally and the Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump

UUSC wholeheartedly condemns the actions of the shooter who killed Corey Comperatore, injured several others, and attempted to take the life of former President Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 13. Violence will not advance democracy.

“While the motives behind this shooting are as yet unknown, the central thread of so many tragedies worldwide is the senselessness that happens when we choose to put aside the humanity of others. This kind of violence happens in communities when people act from religious bigotry, power grabbing, ideological differences, or the banal malignancy of hatred and ignorance, particularly those acting on behalf of militarized interests.

Around the world, we see these instances of violence, degradation, and dehumanization: 

• In Burma, the military junta began a campaign of genocide against the Rohingya ethnic minority group, which is now an all-out war against all people in the nation; 
• In Sudan, military factions, in a bid for power, have launched a civil war that has taken the lives of thousands and displaced millions; 
• In Haiti, gang violence has overtaken parts of the nation, putting the lives of many at risk, leading to foreign intervention; 
• In Ukraine, Russian imperialism has killed and displaced thousands of civilians; 
• And so many other instances of senseless violence and chaos, many of which are state sanctioned. 

UUSC’s work to advance human rights is guided by our commitment to realize and respect the inherent worth and dignity of every single human being. Our work is based in community togetherness and building our collective power while we seek to dismantle economic, social, and political systems of oppression. We recognize that political violence is a part of fascist worldviews and strategies and we will continue to oppose this and support movement-building towards our interdependence, truth, justice and a thriving and peaceful multi-racial democracy.