Ralph Lee Abraham: “I rise, with sadness and a heavy heart today. On Tuesday, Kayla Rolland, a 6-year-old first grader was shot and killed…”

“I rise, with sadness and a heavy heart today. On Tuesday, Kayla Rolland, a 6-year-old first grader was shot and killed by a classmate at Theo J. Buell Elementary School in Mount Morris Township, MI. As Kayla's family mourns their lost, I am certain in my heart that Kayla's spirit is in a better place. It is my hope that in this difficult time Kayla's family will find comfort in one another, in their community, in their faith and in the knowledge that across America their fellow citizens feel their grief. Such a violent death is a great tragedy. But for someone so young, to have her hopes and dreams cut short by gunfire--stretches the limits of our power to understand and to accept. As the father of two daughters, also in the first grade, I can't get out of my mind the pictures of Buell Elementary School, as so many frightened young children facing a terror few of us would want to know firsthand, rushed into the arms of their parents. I thank God each day that my kids return home safe, away from the dangers of this world and from the senseless violence that haunts our communities. But, as our Nation tries to address the questions and issues that surrounded this tragic event, I hope that, for the next few days, we focus on Kayla's family. A family lost a child this week, and that we must not forget. There is a time and a place to address the circumstances surrounding Kayla's death and the public policy issues involved, and I look forward to those discussions.”