On June 12th, I woke up just like I would any other morning. I browsed through social media and started off on Facebook. I had a notification from a friend who works at Disney World in Florida. It said, "Emily checked in as safe in the Orlando Shooting." I then was opened up to the catastrophic and soul-wrenching events that had unfolded that night.
Omar Mateen walked into Pulse, a safe space for the gay community, with assault rifles. He then proceeded to viciously murder 49 people and wound 53. Family members and friends had to wait to find out if their loved ones were safe, in a hospital, or in a coffin. This was the deadliest mass shooting in all of U.S history.
This was a hate crime against the LGBT community. The fact that someone could dare to corrupt a safe place for a community that has already faced such hardship is utterly appalling.
This was also a crime against the Islamic community. It is ridiculous to assume that ISIS is, in any way, representative of Islam. Islam is a very peaceful and loving religion that does not condone ISIS. ISIS is to Islam as Westboro Baptist Church is to Christianity.
Honestly, it is hard to know what to say during times like this. So many people have been hurt and affected by this tragedy. There is no way to go back and fix this but there is a way to prevent it.
According, to the Brady Campaign, 297 people are killed every day due to gun violence.
We need stricter gun regulations. We need to get rid of the notion that, "Guns don't kill people. People kill people" because, frankly, it's a he!l of a lot easier to kill someone with an assault rifle than it is with your bare hands. We need more detailed background checks. A background check consists of only 2 and a half pages of actual paperwork to fill out. The rest is "Notes, Instructions, and Definitions." You can view the document here A basic background check through a government database takes minutes. I've been able to get a background check for classroom work in only 10 minutes. Additionally, there are some states that don't even have a waiting period to get a gun.
We need to be proactive instead of reactive. Schools, churches, LGBT community spots/bars- these need to be safe spaces. How are we to keep these areas safe when all we do react to terrifying mass shootings is by a hashtag for prayers and have a Facebook profile cover picture.
We need to wake up. Why is a senator forced to filibuster for 14 hours and 50 minutes to get people to realize the gravity of this situation only to be rejected by the Senate? We can preach staying safe and loving one another all we want, but who does that help when assault rifles can be purchased so easily?
My heart is heavy. It is heavy for Columbine, Sandy Hook, Charleston, Virgina Tech, Orlando, and so many others.
