COMBATING BIGOTRY & HATE | NOVEMBER 6, 2017

On the Sutherland Springs Tragedy—“We Can Only End This Together”

While Texas and America at large suffers through shock and grief, struggling to come to grips with Sunday’s tragedy—the deadliest mass shooting in Texas history and the deadliest at a place of worship in U.S. history—International STAND Director Edward Parkin offered his deepest condolences.

USA Today coverage of a vigil held in Sutherland Springs — USA Today covers the vigil held in the wake of the Sutherland Springs church shooting. Photo by Courtney Sacco, Caller-Times-USA TODAY NETWORK

“My heart goes out to the victims and survivors of Sunday’s shooting as well as their grieving families. I can only imagine the pain the people of Sutherland Springs must feel right now, and the profound sadness and sense of betrayal that follows in the wake of such a horrible event.

Be the beautiful community that you are. Hold true to your faith. Win back another Sunday.

“Words are inadequate in times like these. It is love, compassion and purpose that will pull us through.

“This is why I want to encourage the people of Sutherland Springs to keep praying, keep believing and keep pulling together. Never let a single madman succeed in his efforts to destroy and intimidate the faith and unity of the greater group. Be the beautiful community that you are. Hold true to your faith. Win back another Sunday.

“While we may never know what motivated Devin Patrick Kelley to perform this insane and depraved act, one thing we do know is that the anti-religious campaign in this country—whether in the form of physical, verbal or written attacks on Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, or faith in general—is destructive, un-American and must end.

“We can only end it together.”

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