On June 12th, 2016, at 2:00 a.m., Omar Mateen walked into the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida and began shooting. Once entering the club, around 2:22 a.m., he called 911 and pledged his allegiance to ISIS and also referenced the two Boston Marathon bombers. Around 5 a.m., SWAT team members arrived to dismantle a hostage situation and killed Mateen around 5:53 a.m. Ultimately, 50 people were killed, including Mateen, and another 53 were injured. This attack is now the single deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
In the wake of so much tragedy and senseless violence, the media, the public and our own minds make it easy to place the blame on various groups or singularly on people. And while what Mateen did was calculated, wrong, and homophobic, we all have to learn to forgive what he did that morning in Orlando.
Hating what he did will not bring back Stanley Almodovar III, a 23-year-old pharmacy technician who would have turned 24 later this month. Decrying him as a vicious terrorist will not bring back Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, a 49-year-old two-time cancer survivor who was at the club with her son, who did survive. Asserting that radical Islam is at fault will not bring back Luis Vielma, a 22-year-old Emergency Medical Services student and employee at Universal Studios Orlando.
Mourning the victims is natural, healthy and necessary. But holding hate and contempt is completely optional. It is counterproductive. Being hateful is being like Omar Mateen.
It was the hate in his heart and mind that moved him to shoot innocent people, to purposefully harm the LGBTQ community and to leave a deep wound in the lives of parents, children, families, and friends. That is why I have chosen to forgive Mateen for killing those people in Orlando. I have chosen not to hold hate in my heart for him, his allegiances or his motivations. But, to forgive does not entail forgetting his actions.
We must never forget the lost lives. We must not forget the cold-blooded actions committed inside that nightclub. And, most importantly, not forget that we can still prevent events like these from happening. Hate does not leave room for compassion, respect or change; but our mourning and logic does.
At this point, it really should not be of grave importance whether this was a "hate crime" or "terrorism", whatever those two definitions respectively mean. His heritage and marriages should not be plastered on the cover of magazines and tabloids like a celebrity. We need to understand that terrorism feeds on the gun problem in the U.S.
Terrorists are using readily available guns to harm us, yet we stand strong in our belief that the Second Amendment is there to protect us and scoff at the whisper of new gun laws. In 2011, now-deceased al-Qaeda operative Adam Gadahn released a video telling jihadists to purchase guns and use them:
"In the West, you’ve got a lot at your disposal. Let’s take America for example. America is absolutely awash with easily obtainable firearms. You can go down to a gun show at the local convention center and come away with a fully automatic assault rifle without a background check and most likely without having to show an identification card. So what are you waiting for?"
And the numbers back up this and other statements. According to Carl Bialik, from 2002 to 2014, 85 percent of people killed by terrorists in the U.S. were killed using guns. We constantly blame terrorists, immigrants and even whole religions for bringing violence along with them. But, the truth is, that we are facilitating it either way. That is why we must learn to forgive the people who commit such heinous acts because we honestly have no one to blame but ourselves for allowing this to occur in the first place.
There are many things we as citizens can do to help stop further mass shootings and misuse of firearms in the U.S.
1. Donate blood.
If you are local to the Orlando area, many blood banks are in need of blood and other resources. OneBlood is especially in need of O Negative, O Positive, and AB Plasma donors. Find a OneBlood location here or a Red Cross location here. FYI: There is a constant need for blood since it can only be stored for a limited time before use. So, donate blood regularly and help give people in need the gift of life.
2. Contact your representatives and urge them to take action.
U.S. citizens deserve to have their voice heard and your representatives are there to do just that. We desperately need to improve background checks, the ban on sales to the mentally ill or criminals, closure of the gun show loophole and closure of the online loophole. Follow this useful guide on how to contact your local representatives about gun control.
3. Make a money donation.
Equality Florida, a nonprofit LGBT civil rights organization, has set up a GoFundMe page that will go towards helping victims pay hospital bills and other debts. The original goal was $500,000 but has reached $3,574,593 as of June 14th. The new goal is $5 million. The global nonprofit Planting Peace has also set up a site for donations on CrowdRise that will help cover the funeral and medical cost of the victims.
4. Reach out to those that need help.
Around the world, LGBT groups, communities and whole cities are coming together in vigils and other events to show their support for the victims and their families. One of the best things we can do is to fill the needs of those affected whether that is spiritually or emotionally. Standing in solidarity will show a sign that no matter the amount of violence, no one can destroy the unity and bond we all share.
