It's Alright to be Afraid, But We Must be Strong

I have been both shocked and saddened the past few days as I have read about the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States, which took place in the early hours of June 12th at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Coverage has been all over social media. People are suppling facts, as we ll as their opinions. Now I just have a quick piece of advice. Let's put away all of our opinions about homophobia and gun laws, policies and presidents, and religion and hate for a few minutes. Plain and simple, a man was able to enter a club and murder forty-nine people, while also harming and endangering over fifty others. This is simply not right, and it makes me scared to be here, in the United States, on this Earth.

There is no where that is truly safe from the violence of the world. The people that were murdered on that early Sunday morning were just having a fun evening out. They were just dancing and talking to their friends. When they went out that night, they had every intention of coming home, but sadly, they were deprived of that. Just like any other mass shooting, such as Sandy Hook Elementary or Charleston, South Carolina, there is no way anyone could have expected this; there is no way anyone could have prepared for this.

To make matters worse, this is not a high-profile club that is known across the nation, it is just a place that Floridians go to. It makes me scared to go anywhere. Any place at all, especially places that are highly populated are a target. What about amusement parks? What about beaches? What about malls? It's terrifying that a person could look at a someone else and never truly know what their motives are. I realize that this is a morbid thought and shouldn't even be considered, but it is scary. I learned that the shooter at the Orlando nightclub, Omar Mateen, also scouted Disney Springs in Walt Disney World as a possible target. This is a place that I travel to often. Disney World attracts thousands of people daily. Being anywhere in a large crowd has been increasingly nerve-wracking the past few years. I know that it is important to stay positive, but it is truly scary.

I'm not quite sure what needs to be done. I'm not quite sure how to feel safe again, or if that is possible. If anything, I have learned to never take anything for granted. I cannot live in fear because the future is unknown. We must do what we can and what we want. We all need to be careful and stand together. No matter what a person's views, opinions, or theories are, the important thing to remember is that the issue here is that people were killed during another mass shooting. Being involved with the conversation of important political and social issues is wonderful: however, being able to think beyond personal feelings and opinions of homophobia, gun laws, policies, and religion to stand together and remember to be considerate and love is extremely vital. In the end, we are all human beings that need to stand together and stay strong together.

My love truly goes out to the survivors and the family and friends of the victims at this devastating event. There is love, there is support, and one day there will be justice. One day mass shootings will merely be a piece of U.S. history.