In times of tragedy, what do you do? We all have different ways of coping with the horrifying events that happen every day across the globe. We pray to our God, we cry, we call up our loved ones and remind them how much they mean to us. The truth is, there are many things that we could do, but perhaps the most important thing we can do is stand together.
The shootings in Orlando, Florida have left their mark on our nation. People were together in a place that they thought they could be loved and accepted. Each person present at either the Pulse nightclub or the concert of Christina Grimmie was there for a common purpose. They were all out to enjoy music and each other's company. They had no way of knowing that their safe haven would become a violent reign of terror.
People were killed, others were injured, but all of America was robbed. We were robbed of our sense of security as a nation. We've become fearful of what could happen next. We are drowning in an ocean of mixed emotions: fear of the future, hurt from the past and confusion of what to do now. Is it safe to continue our normal lives? I know that this incident happened miles away, but no matter how near or far it may be, we still stand together.
This nation was built on powerful principles and unity. Times have changed, new laws have been created and the world is certainly a different place now, but that doesn't change the fact that we stand strong as a nation.
To everyone out there who has been affected by the tragedies in Orlando, I want you to know that I stand with you. It does not matter if we don't see eye to eye on most issues, if I barely know you or if I never actually meet you. In this time of grief, our differences do not matter. All that matters is that you have support.
This country can not sit down and take this brutality anymore. We have always been known for being a strong country in the past, and it is time for us to stand up once more against the injustices of others that threaten us. This shooting was no laughing matter. If anything, it may have been the first of many. We never know. However, we do know that in a country of freedoms and the power to express how we feel, there has to be something we can do.
We are still "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." We can not let this situation continue to divide us. It should not have had to come to such extreme measures for us to want to come together as a nation, but unfortunately, it did. We need to love and support each other now more than ever. After all, as Alan Jackson once sang, "faith, hope, and love are some good things... but the greatest is love."
So to everyone in Orlando, I send my love and prayers. Praying for this nation is the best thing to do, since this issue is not fully in our hands. Time stops for no man, and all we can do is hope for the best and see what happens next. You never know what may happen, and in a world full of unanswered questions, sometimes the best thing to do is just support those in need and do the best that you can.
