Together We Remember

Today marks the first anniversary of the El Paso shooting when we lost the lives of 23 beloved Paseños. Since that day a year ago, we have come to know the lives of the people we lost. There’s the gentleman who died protecting his wife and granddaughter, the young mother and husband who protected their 2-month old son, the Army Veteran and Sun Metro bus driver, the beloved soccer coach, and several Mexican nationals, among many other lives.

We have also come to know one important thing: that El Pasoans stand up for one another. In the days immediately after the shooting thousands of El Pasoans donated blood, showed up at the memorial to offer condolences, and a year later, we continue to see the generosity of our city. Our spirit cannot be broken. This is what makes me proud to be from El Paso.

Tonight, I will join thousands of El Pasoans across our city in lighting luminarias on our front porch. And while I know how important communal grieving and collective remembrance are for the healing process, we must also not forget that we have a shared responsibility to demand for action. We must continue to stand up against hate and bigotry; and recognize that this act was racially motivated, intended to target Latinos. We need comprehensive gun control legislation. And we must continue to show love and support for another.

We need to ensure that senseless acts of violence such as the one we witnessed never happen again. This is one way to dignify the memory of the 23 lives we lost — not just on August 3rd — but every day of the year.

I hope you are safe and well today.

In Community,
Carlos Gallinar