Written by Ariel Rojas, TDN President & Founder. June 13, 2016

The face of a killer may change at any mass shooting in the United States of America, but in my humble opinion, I do believe that the National Rifle Association (NRA), along with many Republicans in the U.S. Congress, should be held accountable not only for the death of Latino members of the LGBTQ community in Orlando, Florida. They should also be liable for the death of innocent children in Sandy Hook Elementary School, for the death of black prayers at a church in Louisiana as well as for the death of Planned Parenthood’s workers who support women’s free choice. To our deepest concern, this American institution, in the recent past, has threaten the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has blocked research efforts to study the causes of gun violence, which is putting at risk the safety of our culturally diverse communities. We all know what are the roots of such decrying behaviors, but some elected officials are not totally convinced to treat gun violence as a public health issue.

Here at Transdiaspora Network we will keep embracing cultural understanding and positive communication. As a leading organization advancing preventative strategies against risk behaviors at any level, we will keep committed, more than ever, of ensuring healthy lives and promoting the well-being for our young people regardless of their faith, sexual orientation and ethnic background. As U.S. General Surgeon Vivek Murthy points out, gun violence is a preventable health problem.