[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 112 (Monday, July 25, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S4857]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NORWAY TERRORIST ATTACK

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise to share my deepest sympathies 
for the people of Norway who, as my colleagues know, experienced a 
despicable terrorist act this past Friday, July 22.
  In the Senate, I represent the State of Minnesota. It is a State that 
has the largest number of people of Norwegian heritage outside the 
country of Norway itself.
  The influence of Norwegian culture can be found throughout our State, 
and the bonds between Norway and Minnesota continue to be incredibly 
strong to this day. That is why the shock of Friday's violence hit us 
so close to home.
  This past weekend, I joined Minnesotans and the whole world in 
offering our country's prayers and sympathy to the people of Norway. I 
attended a memorial service at the Mindekirke Norwegian Lutheran 
Memorial Church in Minneapolis, where hundreds of people of Norwegian 
heritage gathered to go to mourn their loss.
  It is especially heartbreaking that a mass murder such as this would 
take place in a country such as Norway. The world knows Norway as a 
country that is both peaceful and peace-seeking.
  After all, Norway is home to the Nobel Peace Prize, and it has 
offered safe haven to refugees and the politically persecuted from all 
around the world. It just doesn't make sense.
  I am a parent. My daughter is the same age as many of the young 
people who were at that camp. She was there with our family at the 
memorial service on Sunday. The kids at this camp were idealistic kids. 
They were teenagers. They were at the camp because of their interest in 
their community and in democracy.
  It is very hard and very painful even to think about such a cold-
blooded attack and the massacre of so many innocent children. It is a 
kind of terrible tragedy that puts all of us to the test. It tests our 
resilience, our trust, and our faith.
  On Saturday morning, I spoke with Ambassador Strommen, Norway's 
Ambassador to the United States. I conveyed the deepest sympathies of 
the people of our State. He assured me that, even though this is a very 
difficult time, Norway is strong, the Norwegian people are strong, and 
they will make it through this time of trouble and sorrow.
  We will stand by them. But we will also stand against the hate that 
inspired this action. We are starting to get a sense, over the last 2 
days, of what motivated this madman. We know now that while most of the 
people attacked were native Norwegians, there were also people from 
other countries, immigrants to Norway, new citizens there.
  We all need to remember that my State was originally settled by 
Norwegians, Swedes, Danes, and Germans, but we also remember there were 
other waves of immigrants who came too, including Slovenians, such as 
my relatives, as well as people from Poland, Russia, and most recently 
in Minnesota the Hmong people have a major presence, as well as people 
from Somalia. We must remember what made our State, our country, and 
Norway such vibrant places for democracy is that openness, that 
freedom, and it is that tolerance.
  I reminded my friends at the Norwegian church on Sunday morning of 
something President Clinton actually said after the Oklahoma City 
bombing, when he spoke at that memorial. He said this:

       Let us let our own children know that we will stand against 
     the forces of fear. When there is talk of hatred, let us 
     stand up and talk against it. When there is talk of violence, 
     let us stand up and talk against it.

  I call on my colleagues to stand true to those words. We will 
continue to confront the forces of fear and hatred with that same 
spirit of faith, tolerance, and good will. Let us continue to stand 
strong in support of our allies and friends in Norway. Today, our 
thoughts and prayers are with them.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. KYL. Mr. President, let me associate myself with the remarks of 
the Senator from Minnesota. My wife and I traveled to Oslo, Norway, a 
few years ago and were deeply touched by the hospitality of the people 
there and the peacefulness of the country. It is almost too much to 
bear to think about what they have gone through as a result of this 
recent tragedy. I appreciate her remarks.

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