“It was getting closer and louder and louder. We tried to save ourselves and as many people we could to make it out of there” claimed Jake Tapper. Jake is a person filled with compassion, honesty, and emotion; And now he, along with hundreds of others, have been victimized in what is said to be the deadliest mass shooting in the United States and the nation’s worst terrorist attack since 9/11. Late Saturday, June 11, into the following early Sunday morning, partygoers attended the “Latin flavor” special event at Orlando’s “hottest gay bar,” Pulse. Opened in 2004, Pulse has been a favorite of Orlando’s nightlife with their tasteful bar and lounge and live entertainment. It wasn’t until that early Sunday morning that the club’s nightlife would forever change American history.
I have two younger siblings, a brother in fifth grade and a sister in eighth. Their youthful minds have never been exposed to anything scarier than a PG-13 movie, nonetheless something as traumatizing as a deadly mass shooting. I will give them credit in a sense that for their ages, their maturity and ability to empathize continue to astound me. Growing up in such a fast-paced, technology-dependent era, our generation's youth is forced to adapt to a more complex way of living than our parents did. However, their youth and innocence remain unchanged and the most precious value that separates their individualities from ours. With that in mind, how do we explain to them that the hatred and violence we ingrain in them not to feel or express towards others is still highly prevalent in our world?
Our country was built on the idea of being tolerant-free and having healthy debate, meaning it is OK not to agree but also important to accept others opinions. We, as a country, encourage debate as we encourage freedom at every end of the spectrum. Individuals have a right to believe or not believe in whatever they choose to, be who they desire to be and love unconditionally whomever they choose to love. Omar Mateen, the 29-year-old gunman, was allegedly homophobic, giving insight to his morals of attacking this specific nightclub, a brutal attack against a growing community. When I think about how I would go about explaining this to my younger siblings, or any youth for that matter, I am perplexed. My family is a family of compassion and acceptance, two valuable lessons that are vital to interconnected peace between all people. I decided that there is no better way to explain how this tragedy affected our youth than to conduct an interview with the youth themselves. To do this, I put myself and my very own siblings, Anna and Nicholas, into a vulnerable position. Anna is going into eighth grade and has one of the kindest hearts I have ever known. Nicholas, going into fifth grade, has the most beautiful loving spirit that radiates wherever he goes. Their words regarding the Orlando shooting are powerful.
What was your first thought when you heard about the shooting?
Anna: “I first thought about the victim’s families and how they are taking the bad news.”
Nicholas: “The shooting was very scary.”
What emotions did you feel after hearing about it?
Anna: “Well I had mixed emotions. First, I felt sad because of all the people that died. Then I felt scared because I was worried that it would happen around where we live.”
Nicholas: “I felt sad and angry that that a person would kill people.”
Why do you think our world can’t accept others for who they are?
Anna: “People will judge other people on how they look and act. Maybe people don’t like other races or religions because they don’t live or look like us or follow the same religion as us. People might not like that other people are different from us. That might be why our world doesn’t accept other people.”
Nicholas: “The world is cruel.”
What can you and your friends do to help make our world a safer place to live?
Anna: “I would talk to other people and get to know what their lifestyle is like before judging them on how they look or act, basically be more accepting.”
Nicholas: “I would do my best to stand up to bullies.”
If you could say anything to the families of the victims, what would it be?
Anna: “I am sorry for your loss. The whole world is praying for your family and the other families that lost a child that night.”
Nicholas: “I am sorry for your loss.”
Both of these two young children responded with pure grace, decorum, and respectability. When I heard the answers to the thought-provoking questions I asked them, I was taken back by how compassionate and selfless they were, a true testament to their innocence and virtue. Directly hearing how a tragedy affects our generations youth shows the true harm and consequence of such event. The aftermath has instilled fear, sorrow and grief among all people of all ages. As my younger brother said, the world is cruel and there is no concrete way to go about explaining occurrences like the Orlando shooting to youthful minds. What we can do, as their sole protectors is to reinforce the importance of acceptance and compassion. They are the future and it is up to us to demonstrate the crucial need for love and unity between all people.
To read more about the recent findings regarding the Orlando shooting, visit the New York Times.
