KAPPA THETA EPSILON SORORITY, INCORPORATED FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 15th, 2018
CONTACT: Kay Edwards, Director of Communications press@kappathetaepsilon.com
Kappa Theta Epsilon Calls for Action in Response to Increasing Number of Mass Shootings across the United States ATLANTA – Countless lives changed forever yesterday, when a heavily armed young man barged into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, about an hour northwest of Miami. Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old who had been expelled from the school, opened fire on terrified students and teachers, leaving 17 dead and five more fighting for their lives. The Parkland shooting joins the Pulse nightclub shooting of 2016 among the ten most deadly in American history. These stories are all too common. The deaths of Americans in mass shootings - young and old, from every race, socioeconomic background, and religion, are now commonplace in the news cycle. According to the Washington Post, there were 146 mass shootings from 1966 to 2017. Recently, that total has risen to 167. 1,065 people lost their lives in these tragedies; of those deaths, more than 150 of them were children. F.B.I. and news reports state there have been more than 40 “active shooter” episodes in schools since the year 2000. We are issuing a call to action to our family, friends, and allies. We ask that you join us and stand up for legislative action to protect our communities from this senseless violence. Every member of our society deserves the right to feel safe – whether at school, work, social events, or their place of worship. Kappa Theta Epsilon is committed to ending this epidemic and helping our society thrive. We believe that individual and group grassroots action can positively impact communities across the nation. Please take action by:
Memorializing those lives that were lost Advocating for improved and more accessible mental health treatment Promoting tolerance and anti-bullying programming in our education system Lobbying for effective gun control laws, including the prohibition of AR-15 type weapons and gun stops
____________________________________________________________________________________ Kappa Theta Epsilon Sorority, Incorporated
Sisterhood. Fidelity. Accomplishment. Service.
We encourage other LGBT sororities, fraternities and civic organizations to join our efforts by developing programming that addresses these issues. If you or your organization would like to partner in this effort, please contact Kappa at philanthropy@kappathetaepsilon.com. Let’s work together to end this violence and create a better future.
*** Founded in Houston, TX in 2009, Kappa Theta Epsilon is a non-profit social service Sorority for lesbian professionals, collegians, and entrepreneurs. The mission of the Sorority is to promote a spirit of fraternity among professional women; to develop leaders in the global effort to eliminate societal ills affecting all women; and to impact communities through charitable efforts. To learn more about Kappa Theta Epsilon, visit the Sorority’s national website at kappathetaepsilon.com.
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____________________________________________________________________________________ Kappa Theta Epsilon Sorority, Incorporated
Sisterhood. Fidelity. Accomplishment. Service.