Florida Politicians Observe Passover in Shadow of Kansas Shooting

With Passover starting at sunset on Monday, Gov. Rick Scott and some of the leading politicians in Florida offered their thoughts, especially in light of a shooter killing three people at a Jewish center in Overland Park, Kan., over the weekend.

"Ann and I wish all those celebrating Passover a happy and healthy holiday and I look forward to taking part in a traditional Seder with members of our Jewish community this evening, Scott said on Monday. Passover is a time where we can all reflect on the freedom we have in our great state and nation.

However, as we begin celebrating this evening, we will not forget the innocent victims that were killed and hurt in Overland Park, Kan., this weekend when a gunman opened fire outside a Jewish community center and retirement home, Scott added. There is no place for these acts of evil in our society. Ann and I will continue to pray for all those affected by this terrible tragedy. Chag Sameach."

Former Florida Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich, who is running for her partys gubernatorial nomination, used the occasion to speak out against sex slavery.

At sundown tonight, many of us will begin the observance of Passover a remembrance of the Israelites freedom from slavery in ancient Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, Rich noted on Monday. But we celebrate that freedom in the shadow of another form of slavery. Not the slavery of religious persecution the slavery of women and children known as sex trafficking. Let us hope that one day soon we will not only celebrate the freedom of the Israelites, but also the end of all forms of slavery.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), also weighed in on Passover and the shooting in Kansas.

I am absolutely heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred in Overland Park, and my prayers go out to families of the victims of this horrific crime, Wasserman Schultz said. As the mother of three children who attended preschool at a Jewish community center, today's events in Kansas have struck a personal chord in my heart.

As Jewish Americans around the country gather for Passover Seders to recount our own history of slavery and the redemption of freedom, we are harshly reminded of the many forms of hatred and injustice that still exist today, Wasserman Schultz added. And while the exact motives in this incident remain elusive, we know that the taking of innocent life is a reprehensible act for which there is no logical explanation. As these families mourn their loss and Passover begins without their loved ones, in the spirit of the holiday and for the betterment of humanity, let each of us recommit to the fight for a world free of hatred, where righteousness and goodness prevail.