Sherrod Brown
On Sunday, Ohioans woke up to tragic news about the shooting at an Orlando, Florida, nightclub. Connie and I send our deepest sympathies to the families, friends, and communities of all those lost. We are grateful to the first responders whose bravery saved lives, and we continue to keep the law enforcement who are investigating and the medical personnel who are caring for the injured in our thoughts.

We stand with all Ohioans united with the people of Orlando, the LGBT community, Americans of all faiths and the entire country in condemning this heinous act of terror and hate. Sunday’s violence was fueled by hatred — hatred which has no place in America.

Now is the time to unite as Americans behind smart, effective, and aggressive strategies to go after terrorism and keep Americans safe — while also refusing to give in to intimidation and upholding the values that make America the greatest country on earth. It is also past time to finally muster the political courage to say enough is enough and pass commonsense laws to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists and violent criminals.

We want our LGBT friends and neighbors to know that we stand with you in your grief and outrage. You are not alone. We are with you, and we will not tolerate hate.