Message on Behalf of Dr. David J. Lee on Recent Mass Shooting Events

The tragic shootings in Boulder, Colorado, and in the greater Atlanta area have led to the senseless deaths of 18 people in the span of just seven days.

Solutions to the epidemic of firearm deaths in the United States—which is greater than in most industrialized nations—are complex and include the intersecting mental health treatment crisis we are facing. Passage of common sense Federal and State legislation designed to lower the unacceptably high rates of firearm injuries and deaths can and should be one immediate response to this problem.

• See:
  • https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2582989
  • https://www.pnas.org/content/117/26/14906.long

Coinciding with these mass shooting events is the well-documented increase in acts of violence committed against Asian-Americans in the U.S. These racially motivated hate incidents are unacceptable and must be condemned and resisted by all of us. This Wednesday, March 31, the University of Miami's Courageous Conversations initiative will host a discussion on how we can all join together to raise awareness and to build community (register here: https://bit.ly/3w1f6JR).

The Miller School of Medicine’s Office of Student Services led Brave Spaces on March 29, an event presented by Multicultural Student Affairs. The event, led to combat violence in Asian and Pacific Islander communities, provided a virtual space for student support, dialogue, and community building. On Saturday, March 26, the University's Asian American Student Association and Filipino Student Association hosted a philanthropic event on the Coral Gables campus to raise awareness and donations for the nonprofit organization Hate is a Virus (read more on the event here: https://bit.ly/3rz14vp).

Let us all stand together against all forms of xenophobia and violence that seek to diminish friends and colleagues of Asian descent and celebrate their contributions to a more diverse and vibrant United States. 

Sincerely,

David J. Lee, Ph.D.
Interim Chair and Professor, Department of Public Health Sciences
Chair of Graduate Programs, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
305-243-6980
dlee@med.miami.edu