An overwhelming amount of information has been circulating around the public sphere since the Orlando gay nightclub shooting on June 12th; the Muslim identity of the shooter, the homophobic undertones of the killings (and its subsequent context in terms of LGBT+ rights), and the shooter's self-identified allegiance to the Islamic State. As the deadliest mass shooting in United States history, many have sent their condolences to the 50 deceased, 53 injured, and their families.
A conversation on mass shootings is long overdue to identify the difficult realities it exposes about American society. However, a few important elements have been underrepresented in the discussion. Many Conservatives, like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, have blatantly ignored the repercussions this shooting has for the LGBT+ community and future gun laws. Instead, Conservatives have hijacked the conversation to spread Islamophobia and hatred toward Muslims. Donald Trump used almost the entirety of his 35-minute long speech in New Hampshire on June 13th to inaccurately discuss "radical Islamic terrorism," with almost no mention of the LGBT+ community and escalating gun violence. Instead, he exploited the tragedy to advance his own xenophobic agenda.
While Conservatives are correct in their labeling of the shooter as a 'terrorist,' they fail to recognize that he is a terrorist because of his actions, and not his religion. They are blinded by their hatred of Muslims, and have used every opportunity granted to them to selfishly denounce Islam. They have failed to recognize the effect this shooting has had on the LGBT+ community, refused to address growing violence against members of the LGBT+ community, and in some instances tried to erase the shooter's homophobic motives. Under Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan on June 15th (three days after the shooting), two separate bill proposals to further protect LGBT+ rights were denied.
I find it ironic how many Republicans are quick to send their blessings to the victims of the shooting and pledge future action against terrorism, but will not act to protect the targeted community. It is more convenient for them to use this tragedy to progress their war on Islam than it is to address real problems, like the homophobic trends in American society. This blatant act of disrespect and lack of remorse cannot go unnoticed.
Another area Conservatives have failed to address when discussing the Orlando shooting is America's growing need for stricter gun reform. Defining a mass shooting as four or more people shot during one incident, there has been a mass shooting five out of every six days since January 1, 2013. We have lived through and seen the consequences of 1,200+ shootings during the past 1,277 days, with no federal action against gun violence. We are the only country in the world to observe this disheartening trend.
Despite this horrifying reality, Conservatives are still unconvinced we have a gun problem. Many are pushing for weaker gun laws to ensure firearms are more accessible to the general public, despite the disastrous effects this mindset has on the frequency of gun-related violence. The number of gun-related deaths per capita in the U.S. in 2012 was 30x greater than that of the United Kingdom. When comparing all murders in the U.S. with similar countries for the same year, 60% in the U.S. involved firearms, compared to only 31% in Canada, 18.2% in Australia, and 10% in the UK.
In short, we have a gun problem.
Activists like Igor Volsky have begun calling Conservatives out for their inaction, linking them back to their extensive financial support from the National Rifle Association. Many have criticized Conservatives for their lack of conversation on gun violence as a result of their close relationship with the NRA, which has consistently urged politicians to vote against strict gun control laws in recent years.
Democrats have been forced to filibuster to even debate the topic of stricter gun reforms in Congress, despite opposition from Republicans. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut lead the demand, claiming, "I live every single day with the memory of Sandy Hook." Murphy added, "I'm going to remain on this floor until we get some signal, some sign that we can come together on these two measures, that we can get a path forward on addressing the epidemic in a meaningful, bipartisan way."
Donald Trump has received the most attention for his Orlando response, earning a counter response from President Obama. Trump's extremist response to "radical Islamic terrorism" (the only problem he found with the Orlando shooting), is to bar Muslims from entering the U.S. and monitor the American-Muslim population already living in the country. Trump's reaction is not only the result of a racist mindset, but is also morally corrupt.
The overarching response from Conservatives to the Orlando shooting is unacceptable. Their efforts to fear monger Americans into supporting Islamophobic ideologies and policies is despicable. Not only have they failed the victims of the shooting, but also the victims of every act of gun violence before this, the LGBT+ community, and the Muslim population.
Republicans cannot undermine the role homophobia played in Orlando, ignore public support for stricter gun reforms, and marginalize an entire religion with dangerous generalizations.
