Edward Sotomayor Jr. Stanley Almodovar III. Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo. Juan Ramon Guerrero. Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera. Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz. Luis S. Vielma. Kimberly Morris. Eddie Jamoldroy Justice. Darryl Roman Burt II. Deonka Deidra Drayton. Alejandro Barrios Martinez. Anthony Luis Laureanodisla. Jean Carlos Mendez Perez. Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez. Amanda Alvear. Martin Benitez Torres. Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon. Mercedez Marisol Flores. Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado. Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez. Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez. Oscar A. Aracena-Montero. Enrique L. Rios, Jr. Miguel Angel Honorato. Javier Jorge-Reyes. Joel Rayon Paniagua. Jason Benjamin Josaphat. Cory James Connell. Juan P. Rivera Velazquez. Luis Daniel Conde. Shane Evan Tomlinson. Juan Chevez-Martinez. Jerald Arthur Wright. Leroy Valentin Fernandez. Tevin Eugene Crosby.
May these 34, and the 15 other unnamed innocents killed in today's mass shooting in Orlando, FL, rest in peace. May the 53 others who have been injured in this attack find a way to survive, and recover physically and psychologically.
For an account of what happened today in Orlando, click here (CNN).
If you don't plan on reading anything else I write today, I ask that you do the following things:
Tell someone you love them.
Donate blood, if you can; otherwise, ask someone who can.
Pray or send your thoughts to those injured and the families of the victims.
Remember what Mr. Rodgers said:
People died. Innocent people, who were enjoying themselves in a safe space, were murdered. The reason remains unclear, but the reason is secondary. Our nation lies in a state of shock, a shock that we are horrifyingly becoming acquainted with. It seems inappropriate to introduce some thinking into the feeling - rationality and level-headedness ill-befit a time that begs compassion and sadness. But we have to start thinking. We have to begin thinking about what this means about our society, our views, and our perspective on matters.
Why?
Because politicians have already begun politicizing the Orlando mass murder.
Is President Obama going to finally mention the words radical Islamic terrorism? If he doesn't he should immediately resign in disgrace!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2016
"We need to keep guns like the ones used last night out of the hands of terrorists or other violent criminals." —Hillary on the FL attack
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 12, 2016
“It is a time for action. We need a Commander in Chief who will speak the truth, and who will unleash the full force and fury of the American military to utterly destroy ISIS and its affiliates. We need to pass the Expatriate Terrorist Act, so that known ISIS terrorists cannot use U.S. passports to return to America and wage jihad. We need a President who is serious – who will identify the enemy by name and do everything necessary to defeat it." - Ted Cruz
I have my own political views. I disagree with what a lot of these politicians are saying about yesterday's tragedy, and I agree with several of them. The point is, after a national tragedy, a lot of strong emotions are brought to the fore. Sadness, compassion, and - yes - anger. Anger is the emotion that has the most power to move us to action. Anger has brought a lot of good - revolution, rehabilitation, and reform. Nevertheless, anger has easily become hate, and hate is what has been used by many politicians and social leaders to bring "common people" to accept actions that are unspeakably evil. The totalitarian regimes of the 1940s stand as proof of this: leaders paint an unseen enemy among our "pure folks'" ranks, who make our nation not as great as it could be, or once was. This wasn't just Adolf Hitler: Benito Mussolini often told his people that Italy could be great again, as great as the Roman Empire that once ruled the world. And even the 21st century provides proof that national tragedy leads to sudden action and extraordinary response - just look at former President George W. Bush's approval ratings:
About a month after 9/11, the Patriot Act was passed, opening to resounding acclaim by Americans on its thoroughness. 15 years later, many Americans look at the Act as taking many fundamental freedoms. After the events in Orlando - the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history - we face the same question: how will we respond to this? What will we give up?
But we have the power of retrospection. We have the ability to look back at previous calamities - Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, San Bernardino, the World Trade Center - and see our responses to those. Look at what worked, 5, 10, 15 years later. Look at what didn't work. It's hard to look back when the present is plagued with death and tragedy, but we have to think. We have to look at the past so we can make the appropriate decision in the present, so we can secure our future as a society and as a nation.
There are going to be a lot of people wanting to portray the events in Orlando as "radical Islamic terrorism", "LGBTQ+ hate crime", or "another example of gun violence." I agree with some of these labels. I disagree with others. You may feel the same way.
I'd love to convince you, reader, to see the situation the way I see it. But that's not the purpose of this article. The purpose is, amidst the sorrow, the anger, and the raw emotion that permeates our homes now, to tell you something important. Do not allow a single event immediately alter your well-developed viewpoints. If you believe that the acts of Muslim extremists and terrorist organizations in NO WAY say anything about the mainstream Muslim society's actions and perspectives - do not let the shooting in Orlando change that.
I'm not saying your viewpoints shouldn't change. If you thought that same-sex marriage equality was the final step in ensuring safety and rights for members of the LGBTQ+ community before this shooting, maybe you should think again. But I am saying - hear me out- I am saying that you shouldn't immediately change your opinion. Opinions that are formed in haste will be changed in haste.
Inform yourself. Ask yourself key questions. Make the right choice - the choice that is right for you.
Don't let the voice of your anger, your id, dictate what you choose to believe. Don't let the voices of authorities with agendas dictate what you choose to believe. You are an intelligent, autonomous being who, believe it or not, has the ability to bring about a hell of a lot of good. But that power can be manipulated.
As Americans - as citizens of the world - we have a responsibility to do what is good for our world, for the people of our world. When you go to vote, when you go to post of Facebook and make your voice heard - think about what you're saying, about how others will see that, and the ultimate reaction.
Stay safe, and stay informed.
