Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed that flags on all state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Monday, October 29 until sunset on Sunday, November 4 in honor of the victims of the shootings at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and at a supermarket in Jeffersontown, Kentucky and issued a call for peace and civility following a week of horrific shootings and attempted bombings.
“The hate in this country has reached a fever pitch and it is bubbling over into violence. This past week, the entire nation was shaken by targeted attempted political bombings, by the racist attack in Kentucky and by the anti-Semitic shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
“In New York, we mourn for the victims and their loved ones, and we stand together with the African American and Jewish communities and all communities that make up our diverse social fabric. As the Governor of the state with the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, I will do everything in my power to ensure our religious institutions will be free from violence and intolerance. Anyone, no matter their beliefs, deserves to be able to worship in peace.
“The events of the past week do not represent who we are as a nation. Our diversity is our greatest strength and to vilify our differences and provoke division undermines the founding principles of this country. The hateful rhetoric and violence are ripping at the fabric of America, and it must stop. In this hour of darkness, we must unite and not divide — and we must stand together against the corrosive and destructive forces of hate.
“In the wake of these attacks, New Yorkers from all backgrounds condemn these assaults that are contrary to the proud history of our state and our nation. I am directing that flags be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims of the recent horrific shootings, and I join with all New Yorkers to call for peace and civility and to denounce hate in all its forms.”
