The SELA Votes! initiative, in solidarity with our community, expresses deep concerns about the recent shooting in Southeast Los Angeles.
First, our hearts go out to the affected families and we mourn the tragic loss of community members Kevin Parada, Josue Ramirez, Javier Pedraza Jr., and Omar Alexander Mora.
The severity of the issue extends far beyond Southeast Los Angeles; in the past two months, the country has witnessed a staggering 50 mass shootings. Shockingly, there seems to be a collective inertia, a reluctance to engage in meaningful discussions—both socially and politically—regarding this alarming trend. The fear of discussing the issue has reached a point where any dialogue is misconstrued as an attempt to strip away gun rights. But while we hesitate, questions loom: How much longer will we accept this violence as part of daily life? How much longer will we accept the deafening silence and inaction of our representatives?
The recent tragedy is another stark reminder that our current approach is not working. It’s simple, Congress must pass gun control so that firearms are kept out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others.
“We stand with our Southeast communities, we grieve with families, and we call on our representatives to ACT. We are committed to working in alliance with our partners to heal and to address socioeconomic inequality, all types of discrimination, and a lack of access to education and employment opportunities. ” says Vanessa Aramayo, Executive Director of Alliance for a Better Community
“We can’t deny what has happened and we can’t dismiss the fear that has gripped the SELA community. We must foster spaces for healing while driving action and policy changes.” says Emma Hernandez, Chief Executive Director of Southeast Community Development Corporation
About SELA Votes!
The SELA Votes! Initiative is a peer-to-peer voter outreach program engaging Latino/a voters in communities across Southeast Los Angeles that unites local community-based organizations to build voter power in the region. This initiative includes Alliance for a Better Community (ABC), AltaMed, Council of Mexican Federations in North America (COFEM), East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ), Innovate Public Schools, Latino Equality Alliance (LEA) Newstart Housing Corporation, Southeast Community Development Corporation (SCDC), and the SELA Collaborative.