We cannot let evil win. They want us to live in fear and chaos, but we cannot let them win.
These sick people just want to watch the world burn, and they succeed by inspiring fear into our hearts. They want us to be afraid to go outside, to concerts, to cafes, to live our lives. If we stop living our lives, they win.
Just know that love is always more powerful than hate. I know it seems that hate is winning right now, and I know that it seems as though we are in a downward spiral, but after every event that happens, love always triumphs.
After the Paris attacks, the whole world stood in solidarity with France. Multiple cities in multiple countries lit up monuments with the French flag. Strangers thousands of miles apart came together in solidarity for those whose lives were lost. People that would never meet stood together in the face of evil.
I encourage if you haven't already, watch this video of a reporter asking a young child about his reaction to the attacks. The child, like many others, believes that his family will have to leave, and that they will have to live in fear. His father reminds him that while those men have guns, we have flowers and we have love, and the flowers and love will protect us. Check that video out below.
After the attack in Orlando, the world came together yet against hatred. I remember a good friend of mine took the attack very hard. He came to my room in tears explaining how the attack really got to him as it was an attack on our community since we both identify as bisexual.
I gave him a hug, and had him sit down on my bed. I told him that there will always be evil people in the world, but they will not win so long as we have love. After the attacks, the world came together for the LGBTQIA community. People all over the country, and even the world, stood once again in solidarity against evil.
We attended a vigil the next day in which many religious leaders and civilians spoke to an impressive crowd. The amount of love and acceptance and freedom that I felt was something that was unparalleled. Not once did anyone speak words of anger or hatred, but rather love, encouragement and positivity. This is how we defeat them. Not with more hatred in violence, but with love and positivity.
If anything, the attack in Orlando did the opposite of incite fear, but rather caused people to come together and accept people of all different sexualities and genders. It's ironic that the attacker's intention was to incite fear and hatred, but the attack caused the exact opposite.
I encourage everyone after the most recent attack in Nice to always remember that love will win. Hug your friends and family, smile at a stranger, remember those whose lives were lost, but do not live in fear and do not encourage hatred. If we live in fear and bred hatred, they win, and we cannot let them win.
