Ron Wyden: “once again the Senate is grieving for one of our communities that has suffered a tragic school shooting. We are all…”

“once again the Senate is grieving for one of our communities that has suffered a tragic school shooting. We are all profoundly saddened today by the news out of the State of Colorado. For those of us from my home State of Oregon, this feeling is, unfortunately, too familiar. It was just about a year ago that this same form of evil visited Thurston High School in Oregon. And I want to say, first and foremost, to the people of Colorado that Oregon's heart goes out to all of you today. The people of Colorado are in our prayers. If our experience can be any measure of comfort, I would offer the observation that in Colorado, just as it was in Oregon, the parents and students will find that their neighbors can be an incredible resource of support. There is more strength in our communities than we realize. And while nothing--nothing--can ever ease this sort of pain, that strength does possess a tremendous healing power. Mr. President, why are we seeing these tragedies in our country? We feel so good about the very strong economy. We play a preeminent leadership role in the world. There are so many good things in our Nation. But we send our children off to school in the morning and so often we have to worry that they might be gunned down by a classmate. What has produced this horrible evil? I do not come to the floor of the Senate today to say I have the answers, but I know that we are not doing our job in this body if we do not try to find them.”