For Immediate Release

May 25, 2022

ALBANY, NY – Today, Dr. Frederick E. Kowal, Ph.D, president of United University Professions, the nation’s largest higher education union, issued the following statement in response to the terrible act of violence perpetrated in Uvalde, TX:

“As I said just one week ago after the racist attack that took place in Buffalo, what happened yesterday in Texas demands all of us to consider the nature of our society, where mass murder is committed with such regularity and disdain for human life. As educators and healers, we are called upon to sustain life and to support the growth of every individual in our society. Actions like those in Buffalo, Uvalde, Las Vegas, Orlando, Sandy Hook and too many others to count are a direct assault on that work, as well as an assault on the values of equality and justice that we hold dear.

“But we cannot allow ourselves to become numb to all of the violence. Instead, we must redouble our efforts, and create a political system that promotes a safe learning environment for our children above all else. Nobody is safe from this kind of gun violence, and so it is the responsibility of all of us to work to solve the problem.

“And the first step toward that solution must come from our political leadership in Washington, which must take action and bring an end to unwarranted and unrestricted access to battlefield weapons.

“The entire United University Professions family mourns the constant and senseless loss of life that we collectively endure far too often. We extend our sympathies to those who have lost loved ones. We demand those in power act. And we join our colleagues, their families, and the families of the victims in solidarity and sorrow.”