I scroll through Facebook to see the number of opinions that people have about the Orlando shooting, the unfortunate killing of 49 people at a gay club. A club meant to be a place of unity for the like-minded. It represented a place of safety where they could live, laugh, and love. I have seen posts about mourning the loss. I have seen posts about there needing to be a change. And I have seen some of the most hateful posts ever. Posts that express the hate for the gay community and as well as the Muslim community.
America, we are still bleeding.
This last week I have involved myself in conversations with a lot of people with different backgrounds. Our focus was the Orlando shooting and points of view on it. I've discovered that not one of us have the same outlook on the shootings but many had one common response: "I am shocked," "ban the Muslims," "they deserved it," "regulate our guns," and "radical Muslims are to blame." The Orlando shooting doesn't just bring up the issues of gun control but of also LGBTAQ+ rights, immigration policy, homophobia, and Islamophobia. Our news media has done an incredible job at making this as an attack on American soil. Let's be real here, this was an attack that was driven by our very own issues here in America.
We are still racists, we are still homophobic, we are still sexist, we are still afraid of the different, and we are still blaming the rest of the world for all of these problems. To say that the massacre that took place in Orlando is the issue of radical Muslim beliefs is to divert away from our very own issues with the LGBTAQ+ community. It is to take our attention away from the NRA and how their influence over gun policy allows people to easily purchase guns legally. It is to take away our responsibility in being able to democratically participate in our policy making. How can you consider yourself involved in the democratic process if you don't allow yourself to be democratically informed?
We care more about a cute puppy gif then we do about policy and how our political leaders are in charge of how our role in this country will function. We rely so heavily on someone else doing the work for us rather than us researching, informing ourselves, and actively attempting to make a change. I don't want to take away from those that actively do something in their community. Big ups to you all for going out there and attempting to make a change. This is for the rest of us that are comfortable in this abusive, unhealthy, and hate-filled relationship.
Orlando is a reminder that America is still bleeding. How do we expect to come up with a solution for the issues in our country if we aren't well informed? Better question, how can we expect to solve the issues in our country when we're pointing blame at others? By blaming the rest of the world we are not only ignoring our problems here but also dehumanizing the rest of the world. Just because we have accomplished the legalization of gay marriage does not mean we have solved the issue of LGBTAQ+ rights. Just because New York City is known for its progressive policies doesn't mean the rest of the country is going to follow suit. You cannot simply say it's the media's fault because the media itself is just a tool. We need to be able to decipher the information we are receiving, analyze that information, go to other sources, communicate with others about this information, and every single one of us has to prepare our minds for the difference in beliefs. Calling someone a bigot won't make them want to change, but rather fuel their anger towards you. Calling the efforts of an activist worthless will further push them away from expressing their ideas to you.
America is our home and our home is crumbling. Our original foundation needs to be updated for the people of today.
