Dear Lucas-
As Borough President I am fortunate that most of what we are trying to
accomplish to make Queens the best possible place to live, work and raise
a family has little to do with partisan politics. My time is spent fighting
for our schools, libraries, transportation infrastructure, cultural institutions,
and neighborhoods.
I am a proud Democrat, and I was particularly proud yesterday to hear
that Senators from my party held the floor for 15 hours to force action
on gun safety legislation. Nothing can ever bring back the beautiful lives
that were tragically lost in Orlando, but maybe, just maybe, we can finally
agree to universal background checks, even at gun shows, as a start.
In the wake of Sunday’s horrific attack I have been reflecting on
how much there is to be proud of in Queens. Our borough is a place where
every country, language, faith, sexual preference and gender identity
live proudly side by side.
Our pride cannot lead us to be complacent. Each life lost in Orlando must
be paid an homage by creating the space where we can come together to
talk honestly and openly about the complex intersection of homophobia,
Islamophobia and xenophobia. Together, as one borough of over 2.3 million
people, we don’t deny it – we condemn this heinous act of
hate and of terror that reverberates in the scales of both lives lost
and utter senselessness.
When an awful tragedy like this happens we must join hands and stand strong.
Thank you very much for all you do and for being a part of this community
of which we are all proud.
Sincerely,
Melinda Katz
Queens Borough President