As the war between Israel and Hamas intensifies, the National Notary Association is watching with the rest of the world as the horrifying developments continue to unfold. We’ve seen youth ambushed and killed at a music festival; innocent motorists gunned down; private homes raided and destroyed; and thousands of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly hunted, targeted, slaughtered, and even savagely beheaded. Hundreds were taken as hostages and threatened to be used as pawns for negotiating strategic advantages by the terrorists.
The NNA and Notaries everywhere have always been neutral, impartial, and just. It is in our DNA. Those ideals of civility, service, and support have empowered us for nearly seven decades to do our part in advancing a better world for people everywhere. We stand for righteousness. We stand for decency. We stand for democracy. We stand for fairness. But despite our strong ideals, we now face yet another situation inflaming conflicts and tensions that divide us, and that run the risk of devolving our communities and our world into chaos.
No matter what you individually believe, or what side you fall on, we recognize your views, opinions, and experiences. But we will not stand silent as genocidal maniacs target, kidnap, and slaughter innocents — horrific events we have not seen on a grand scale since World War II. We condemn these barbaric acts of terror in the strongest way possible. We stand firmly on the side of peace and for a country and its citizens to defend itself. The atrocities must end, and we urge all to join us in denouncing these and all cowardly acts anywhere that rob innocents of precious life.
Milt Valera is Chairman of the National Notary Association. Tom Heymann is President and CEO of the National Notary Association.