Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Today we join with people everywhere in mourning, anguish, and disbelief in the wake of two more horrific, senseless acts of violence in our country. Even as we continue to mourn the loss of life in Gilroy a very few days ago, we must now open our hearts even further to support and offer condolences to the friends, family, and colleagues of those who were slaughtered over the weekend in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.
At the same time, we cannot and must not, turn a blind eye to emerging evidence suggesting that at least one of these despicable acts was motivated by hatred and loathing for immigrants. We cannot be satisfied with words of sympathy and remorse from our political leaders. Now, more than ever, we must demand concrete steps to remove weapons of war from our midst. Now, more than ever, we must unite and confront with determination and resolve the forces of hatred, intolerance, and division. Now, more than ever, we must as a campus community unite in support of each other, and our Principles of Community, in order to embrace and model the values we share and hold dear.
If you need support, the campus has several resources, including counseling services. For students needing help navigating these resources, please contact: deanofstudents@berkeley.edu, or visit deanofstudents.berkeley.edu/well-being. For staff and faculty our Employee Assistance program offers a wide range of services.
