Emma Hardy: “I would like to thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his efforts to host us here this evening and for the…”

“I would like to thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his efforts to host us here this evening and for the opportunity to speak. As the events of Paris unfolded over the weekend, I watched in horror with the rest of the world as violent terror once again touched the soil of America's oldest allies. I echo the cares and concerns of the world that terror is growing. And we must stand united against it. Terror does not respect borders or nationalities. Its effects are felt in the smallest village and in the world's most recognizable cities. Nearly 500 innocent people were killed or injured in Paris this weekend, only 10 months after the extremists attacked the Charlie Hebdo offices, murdering 17. Last week, 43 people were killed and 239 were injured by a suicide bomber in Beirut. Mounting evidence shows that terrorists were likely involved in the deaths of 224 people aboard a Russian jet that went down in Egypt last month. In Israel, our friends have been battling this increased violence for weeks, with no predictable end in sight. Each of these events happened in the last 2 months, and there are countless other victims of hate around the world whose loss too often goes unnoticed. Those losses have continuously happened over the past 6 to 7 years, and some of them seem to fall on deaf ears and unseeing eyes. No matter the location, the fact is that too many parents in these nations worry if their children will come home safe at night.…”