National Nurses United joins with millions of Americans across the nation who are saddened and horrified by the ongoing shootings of African Americans by police officers, and welcomes the voices of those urging systemic change.

The tragic and apparent senseless killings in Tulsa and Charlotte are a reminder of a terrible problem that our nation must confront and bring to an end.

To that end, we applaud those from the athletic field to the fields of journalism, the labor movement, and politics who are speaking out and encouraging others to work for lasting reform. In this time of national crisis, no one should be silent, and none of us should settle for a status quo that hurts so many of our neighbors and communities.

The national dialogue recently inspired by the silent protests of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, is encouraging. More is needed.

Nurses have long stressed that personal safety is also a health issue, as is the effects of racially motivated shootings and violence on families. In addition to the loss of life and injury, there are also long term consequences that can erode the mental and physical health of affected family members for years.

As nurses, we are dedicated to healing and preventing all forms of illness and alleviating human suffering. We are also alarmed at the infringement on the human rights of those affected and how it undermines American democracy.

The latest shootings are also a clear reminder of our national obligation to contest and eradicate the persistence of systemic racism that can be found in every corner of our society, with racial disparities in healthcare, housing, job opportunities, education, and criminal justice. Political rhetoric that fosters racism and Islamophobia only exacerbates this crisis and should be universally condemned.

At a minimum we must insist that our law enforcement agencies and criminal justice system are responsive and held accountable and dedicate ourselves as a nation to finding and implementing immediate, effective reforms.

And let us pledge to take the additional steps we need to combat structural racism throughout our nation to secure, once and for all, the health, the security, and the rights of all Americans.