Statement from The Carter Center on Atlanta-Area Attacks

The founders, leadership, and staff of The Carter Center extend their heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the victims of this week’s mass shooting in the Atlanta area. This attack was directed principally against women of Asian American Pacific Islander heritage. The Carter Center condemns the objectification of, and violence against, human beings on the basis of gender, nationality, ethnic identity, or any other personal characteristic. America is a pluralistic society where all deserve equal protection under the law and equal rights to live and work free from discrimination and threats or acts of violence. We call on our political leaders to enact and enforce laws that guarantee those rights, and on all Americans to support and defend actual and potential victims.