I am shocked, angered and saddened that once again our country is faced with more hate-inspired violence, this time in Georgia. The murder of eight innocent people, six of whom are women of Asian descent, is just the most recent occurrence of horrific violence against members of the Asian American community.
One violent act is one too many. This most recent violence is sadly one of multiple occurrences in our country and in our own City. We have all seen the unspeakable images of people – young and old – who have been beaten, slashed with box cutters and dragged to the ground. This is part of a terrifying increase in hate speech, harassment and physical assault toward Asian Americans.
These acts of violence and words of hate hurt the Asian American community and our country as a whole. They create fear, they feed intolerance, and they stimulate more violence. They are an affront to all that we hold dear.
Simply put – intolerance, hate and violence must stop, and it must stop now.
The firm strongly encourages each and every attorney and staff member to do their part. Take a stand, become an advocate, and be a leader in fighting discrimination, hate and violence.
As individuals, we must provide support and comfort to our Asian American colleagues, friends, neighbors and members of our community. Check in with them – not once, but often. Show them that you care. Provide real care and assistance.
Our attorneys will continue focus on using their professional skills and training to help those groups and organizations that are fighting discrimination and supporting the American Asian community.
For those looking to find ways they can get involved, a wonderful resource has been created by the Mayor’s office and the NYC Commission on Human Rights: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/cchr/community/stop-asian-hate.page#isbioc
Another actionable way to get involved is to complete a bystander intervention training to learn how to combat racism in real time available through Asian Americans Advancing Justice:
https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/covid19
Our firm stands in full support of the Asian American community. As individuals, we will all do our part in taking a stand, supporting and advocating on behalf of our Asian American community.
Ron
Ronald Urbach, Chairman
Davis+Gilbert LLP