Dear Dartmouth Community,

    We at the Dartmouth College Republicans would like to send our deepest condolences to those affected by the vile massacre that took place on February 14th, 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and want to extend a hand to any of those who may still be reeling in the aftermath of this tragic event. We do not take lightly the seriousness of violence in our beautiful country full of so much potential and are heartbroken for the loss of close friends, family, and fellow countrymen. Each and every American life is valuable and worthy of dignity under the eyes of God and we affirm this belief everyday in our pursuit to protect the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness so dear to our American polity and its founding documents. While we know that evil is a part of our very broken human nature, we vow to stand up against any and every instance in which it manifests itself and know that in the end justice will prevail.

    Our quest for justice and protection of innocent human life in this country will not be without obstacles, and there may be many more tragedies such as those we have so frequently witnessed, but we mustn’t give up the fight for what is good and right. We must not cower in the face of great evil, but rather devote ourselves to the work necessary to deter any future acts of extreme hatred and prejudice. We ask that you will join alongside us in this journey to make our country a better and safer place for ourselves and our posterity. Let us stand as a community with those ailing in Parkland, Florida during this difficult and life changing time.

    For those in our community who are religious, let us pray and mourn the death of those 17 beautiful souls and all those affected. As for the non-religious, we ask that you may reflect on those lives lost and help provide a shoulder to cry on for those who may need it right now. We know that many factors contribute to such despicable acts and therefore we call on our community to be vigilant, to be bold, and to provide the necessary tools for those dealing with volatile emotional states to receive the help they need to prevent any further despicable acts from taking place. We hope and pray that we will not have to endure yet another one of these tragedies and therefore pledge to be a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, and a dear friend who will intervene if and when necessary. If you or anyone you know needs help during this grieving period we ask that you reach out to one of the many resources available to you on this campus or speak with someone you trust and respect.

With Deepest Sympathy,

Dartmouth College Republicans

Dartmouth Grief & Counseling Resources

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~chd/

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~chd/grief_and_loss.html

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~upperde/about/contact.html

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~upperde/advising/