There was injustice in this world long before June 12, 2016, but terror took on a new meaning that night in an Orlando club when dozens of innocent people were senselessly massacred in the worst mass murder in U.S. history. My heart breaks for the victims and their families, but I am mostly angry that our advanced society allowed this to happen. It's not secret that humans have been doing terrible things to one another since the dawn of time, and it honestly just pisses me off. I've discussed these thoughts with many friends and classmates before, and it wasn't until this year that I was told that my emotions and approaches to ending injustice were wrong. A boy told me that I should be more calm about the tragedies that our world faces, and he told me that my anger was wrong. I believe, though, that there is no more appropriate emotion in the face of these crises. I will proudly say that I am angry about the Orlando shooting, and I think that you should be too.
I'm angry that there aren't any safe spaces in our country anymore. Clubs, movie theaters, and even schools can all be a dangerous environment. The shooter in Orlando took a fun, carefree night for hundreds of people and turned it into a nightmare. I want our world and our future generations to know a life without worry, and I'm angry because that's impossible at the moment.
I am angry because people still hate other people for being themselves. The shooter's father reported that the shooter was motivated to attack because he was angered by the sight of two men kissing each other. I'm angry that someone could be so hateful that they used somebody's love as an excuse to murder.
I'm angry because we have to have a debate on gun control. I don't care what side you're on. I wish it didn't have to be an issue. I wish that we lived in a world where guns were only viewed as tools for hunting and target practice. It's extremely idealistic, but I wish that there weren't bad seeds who always spoil something for the rest of us. I'm angry that these villains get to take something that could just be used for sport and pervert it to create a culture of violence.
I'm angry that this shooter was a U.S. citizen. He was promised life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by our wonderful nature, and he took advantage of us. He is a traitor, and there was a time when this was the worst thing a human could be. I'm angry that our country gave this man every privilege we had to offer, and he still hurt us.
Most of all, I'm angry that I have to keep living through these dark scars and gashes that will once mar our history books. I'm angry that we keep making history with our violence and hatred. I want my generation to be known for our kindness, our innovation, and our charity. I do not want us to be defined by these horrendous events.
Finally, I'm angry because people don't want me to be angry. They always want me to simply turn the other cheek. "You can't fight fire with fire." they say. Well, I'm sick of laying down and letting everyone burn our world to the ground. I urge you to be angry. Fight fire with fire, and let that flame inside your heart light the way. Passivity did not win our country's independence. It did not end slavery, it did not get women the right to vote, and it did not legalize gay marriage. If we want a just future for us and future generations, then we need to be angry and allow our pleas for a better tomorrow to be heard. So get pissed off. Get mad. And get motivated to make a change in our world.
