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US President Joe Biden spoke directly with Asian leaders on the 19th (local time) and urged the American people to speak out and act on hatred and violence.
In a speech at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, President Biden said, “I had the opportunity to meet Asian leaders and it was heartbreaking to hear.”
“Whatever the motive (of the shooter), we know this. Too many Asian Americans walk the streets worried. They were attacked, criticized, victimized and harassed. They were verbally and physically attacked and killed.” He said Asian women suffered twice as much as men.
President Biden said, “Hate and violence are hidden in sight and often encountered with silence. This has been true throughout our history,” said President Biden. “But this has to change. We have to speak out and act.”
“The United States cannot be a refuge for hatred. It must be stopped. It is up to us all. We must all stop together.”
At the same time, he accused hatred and racism of being a “ugly poison” that followed and harassed the United States for a long time.
In all of his speeches, President Biden said, “I originally tried to open a motor vehicle campaign and express my gratitude to the supporters, but given recent events, I thought it was not appropriate. So I canceled the campaign. I want to talk about something else today.” It describes the situation that led to an urgent schedule change due to the Atlanta shooting.
Before his speech, President Biden met privately with Asian leaders to hear about discrimination and violence against Asian Americans.
Earlier in the United States, on the 16th, a series of shootings occurred in three places, including massage shops and spas in Atlanta and suburbs, killing eight people, including four Korean women and six Asian people.
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