LSV Statement About Thanksgiving Weekend Shooting in Burlington

Legal Services Vermont is deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the shooting on November 25 of three young Palestinian men in our neighborhood, only blocks away from our office. While we do not yet know all the details of the shooting, we can state unequivocally that violence has no place in our community, especially gun violence. Our wishes for a speedy recovery go out to the victims and their families.

We live in complicated, fraught times, with many political conflicts that are hard to untangle. As legal advocates for low-income Vermonters, we are not in a position to resolve these national and international issues. It most emphatically is our job, however, to strive to make the words carved over the U. S. Supreme Court — “Equal Justice Under Law” — come closer to reality.

We at Legal Services Vermont want to take this opportunity to renew our commitment to provide legal assistance to all low-income Vermonters, regardless of national original, race, skin color, religion, language, sex or gender identity, ability or medical condition, or any other situation that creates a barrier to accessing our legal system. Everyone deserves to feel safe and be a part of our community. We can do better. We must do better.

Sam Abel-Palmer
Executive Director, Legal Services Vermont