On the recordDecember 17, 2012
I rise this evening to pay tribute to the innocent victims who were tragically struck down in Newtown, Connecticut, and to condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless act of violence that claimed their lives. That so many victims were young children who had their entire lives ahead of them makes the shooting even more heart-wrenching. The children were so young. We saw in each of them our own children, our grandchildren. They really are America's children. Jack Pinto, 6 years old, the same age as my grandson, Robbie. He was a huge New York Giants fan and today was buried in a Giants jersey. And Noah Pozner, who is also 6, whose best friend was his twin sister, Arielle, who was in another class and survived, though I'm sure she felt she lost her other self. These children were truly innocent, mostly knowing in their short lives just joy and little about the brutality in this world until they experienced it firsthand on Friday. What gives us hope is that there was also love and bravery in the actions of the adults, the educators and first responders who acted selflessly and heroically. We will forever remember all of them and pledge that their purity and spirit will be our guiding light to act to protect our children and our community.
