Lynn N. Rivers: “today America is defined by emotions, grief, disbelief and rage. Our hearts ache for the victims of the senseless…”

“today America is defined by emotions, grief, disbelief and rage. Our hearts ache for the victims of the senseless violence unleashed on New York City and Washington, D.C. These victims who became targets simply by arriving for work or getting on an airplane touch us deeply. These were ordinary people, doing ordinary things, and yet they found themselves consumed by a maelstrom of evil. Americans of every color, ethnicity, religion and political perspective have joined together to comfort grieving families, to condemn yesterday's barbaric and inexcusable acts, and with a single voice to cry out for justice. But our search for justice must be pursued carefully. We must guard against a rage that turns blind. We must direct our full fury toward the perpetrators of this great evil along with those who give them aid and comfort. But we must act with informed certainty and punish only the guilty, not those who simply look like them or have similar surnames or live near them. Additionally, as we consider legislation to address this crisis, each proposal must be passed before the great lens of our Constitution, the cornerstone of our Republic and our freedoms. Americans will be scarred by the assault that took place just hours ago, but we will go on. Our people, and our democracy, are resilient. While America has many faces, she has but a single soul. We are a free people with a love of liberty and a history of generosity and compassion.”