(June 16, 2016) Berlin Mayor Gee Williams read a prepared statement during a council meeting at town hall on Monday, addressing the June 12 mass shooting in Orlando, the largest in U.S. history.
“Our nation has suffered another tragic and meaningless loss of life in the mass shooting last weekend in Orlando, Florida,” he said. “For now at least, there seems to be no immediate end in sight for the potential of more such tragedies.
“For our part – as citizens of Berlin – possibly the most fitting way we can honor these latest victims of hatred and prejudice, is to carry on with our daily lives in a manner that reflects the best within our common humanity.
“As a classically American small town – we should make a renewed commitment to make a good faith effort to practice every day our nation’s bedrock value of mutual respect among all people.
“Let us pledge to ourselves – and to each other – to carry on with solemn remembrance, but also with uncommon resolve, to live up to the promise of tolerance that our nation – especially in these troubling times – still holds out as an example to the rest of the world.”
Williams added that he found the incident “extraordinarily troubling.”
“I think it’s more important than ever that we respect each other and stick together,” he said. “It’s very fortunate that those are important values [in Berlin].”
Councilmember Lisa Hall also weighed in, calling citizens “our own first responders.”
“We all need to pay attention to our surroundings. When you think in a town with Disney World – Orlando – that that kind of thing went down,” she said. “No one ever thinks they’re going to be in that situation because it’s not going to happen to me, and unfortunately it’s happening more and more.”
“Our nation has suffered another tragic and meaningless loss of life in the mass shooting last weekend in Orlando, Florida,” he said. “For now at least, there seems to be no immediate end in sight for the potential of more such tragedies.
“For our part – as citizens of Berlin – possibly the most fitting way we can honor these latest victims of hatred and prejudice, is to carry on with our daily lives in a manner that reflects the best within our common humanity.
“As a classically American small town – we should make a renewed commitment to make a good faith effort to practice every day our nation’s bedrock value of mutual respect among all people.
“Let us pledge to ourselves – and to each other – to carry on with solemn remembrance, but also with uncommon resolve, to live up to the promise of tolerance that our nation – especially in these troubling times – still holds out as an example to the rest of the world.”
Williams added that he found the incident “extraordinarily troubling.”
“I think it’s more important than ever that we respect each other and stick together,” he said. “It’s very fortunate that those are important values [in Berlin].”
Councilmember Lisa Hall also weighed in, calling citizens “our own first responders.”
“We all need to pay attention to our surroundings. When you think in a town with Disney World – Orlando – that that kind of thing went down,” she said. “No one ever thinks they’re going to be in that situation because it’s not going to happen to me, and unfortunately it’s happening more and more.”