Dear Fellow Members of the NYU Community,

Today I am joined with you in sorrow for the victims of the massacre in Orlando, Florida.

It breaks our hearts to see lives ended so violently, suddenly, and senselessly. It angers us to confront once again a scene of defenseless and innocent people slain indiscriminately by a gunman. And it outrages us to think they may have been targeted, in part, because of whom they love.

This evening, our community will gather to mark the tragedy and to make clear our values – respect for human life and dignity, understanding and tolerance – and to show our belief that in the fullness of time, those values, and not brutality, will ultimately prevail. So, let us grieve for those killed and injured (including, among the injured, an NYU student); pray for solace for their loved ones; offer support and strength to the broader communities – the Orlando community, the LGBTQ community, the Latino/a/x community, and all others – frightened and wounded by this attack; be mindful not to impute to an entire religion the acts of a murderer; and carry on with our lives in a way that will contribute to the more peaceful, just, and compassionate world for which we all wish.

Sincerely,

Andrew Hamilton