President Biden held the United We Stand Summit to "counter the destructive effects of hate-fueled violence on our democracy and public safety, mobilize diverse sectors of society and communities across the country to these dangers, and put forward a shared, inclusive, bipartisan vision for a more united America."
According to the National Gun Violence Archive, there have been 485 mass shootings nationwide this year. A mass shooting is defined as any time four or more people, not including the shooter, are shot in the same incident. Since May 14th, there have been 288 mass shootings including Uvalde, Tulsa and Highland Park.
CEO of the Community Health Center of Buffalo, Dr. LaVonne Ansari was invited to represent Buffalo a the Summit on Thursday. Ansari spoke on the challenges the Buffalo community faced following the mass shooting at Tops in May.
"We're only four months out from 5/14 and if you don't know where Buffalo is, we're the second largest city in New York State, " said Dr. LaVonne Ansari. "We're the third poorest in the country and the sixth most segregated in the country. But we're known as the city of good neighbors. But the shooter came 200 miles to massacre us. How do we rebuild?"
Ansari was one of several panelists at the summit to speak on efforts to address systemic discrimination and inequity. Mayor Byron Brown also in Washington D.C. to be a voice for the Buffalo Community.
"Family members who have lost loved ones, family members who's loved ones have been injured, their voices are critical to this discussion," said Mayor Byron Brown. "Law makers in Washington need to hear the voices of real people."
One real voice that was amplified at the Summit was Susan Bro. Bro expressed the loss her family faced after her daughter was killed at the Charlottesville rallyin 2017.
"The driver admitted in court that it was a crime of hate," said Susan Bro. "An attempted mass murder that only killed one person and that person was my daughter Heather Heyer. The car that struck her ruptured her abdominal aorta in four places at once."
Bro was invited to the Summit to introduce President Biden. President Biden addressing that act of white supremacy and several others that plagued our nation.
"Our own intelligence agencies in the United States of America have determines that domestic terrorism rooted in white supremacy id the greatest terrorist threat to our homeland today," said President Biden. "I've been around a while and I never thought that I'd hear that or say that. Enough. We need to say clearly and forcibly that white supremacy, all for of hate fueled by violence have no place in America."
The White House announced a package of new actions they plan to take to address these crimes around the nation.
