On the recordDecember 16, 2014
I wish to offer my heartbroken condolences to the people of Pakistan and to the friends and family, the parents and loved ones, of those murdered yesterday at the Army Public School in Peshawar. As the Pakistan military continues its assault on the Pakistani Taliban in North Waziristan, the terrorist group responded yesterday with an act of murder and barbarity that simply has no parallel, as nine gunmen murdered more than 140 students and teachers who together were simply gathered to ensure a brighter future for their country. This is a crime that simply passes comprehension. As the father of three, I can only imagine in my worst nightmares the reality that those parents are now living. Unfortunately, as a nation, Americans have in our not so distant past also felt the grief that now envelops Pakistan. Two years ago this past weekend, a gunman stormed the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT and murdered 26 of our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters. Two years later we remain in mourning, for the lives taken from us and for the futures that were so quickly extinguished. My prayers are with all Pakistanis who mourn today and with the loved ones of the victims of Newtown who remain in mourning. May we pray for the safety of those who are most precious and sacred to us, and may we remain undeterred in the face of such evil. ____________________
