Just a little over two weeks ago, 50 innocent people were killed in one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. That's not a very long time. Yet, the act of violence and hate committed in Orlando is already quickly making its way off the radar.
Our temporary profile pictures in support of Orlando have reset, the media coverage got repetitive and faded, and now we have another big thing to think about: the consequences of #Brexit.
While the U.K.'s decision is bound to impact the U.S., those effects remain to be seen. The effects of the Orlando shooting, an act of hate that occurred on our home soil, were immediate and extreme. The mass shooting at Pulse Night Club still deserves our attention and thought.
50 innocent people were murdered. In a hate crime.
We're all human beings. Regardless of gender, color, creed, or sexuality, we all have a lot more in common that we do that's different. So we all deserve the right to be respected as human beings. Omar Mateen did more than take away Pulse's patrons' rights to be respected as human beings.
He took away their right to be human beings.
And he's not the first to end the lives of innocent human beings. Mass shootings have been a problem in our country for years. Such a problem that, unless these shootings kill a large number of people, occur in an unusual place (which for some reason doesn't include schools and movie theaters!), or target a specific group of people, they aren't breaking news.
Already this year there have been five incidences of gun violence that took the lives of five or more people. Yet only one was reported on. 14 people were murdered in the San Bernadino attacks back in December, but social media didn't explode over that one.
If mass shootings are becoming so common place that a reason beyond just loss of life is needed to make the news, we need to do something.
That something shouldn't be doing away with our second amendment right entirely. So many citizens are so attached to that right at this point, that taking it away would ultimately do more harm than good. The truth is, though, the second amendment was added to keep U.S. citizens safe.
But today, it's playing a role in ending U.S. citizens' lives.
As the Orlando massacre made tragically apparent, people have become targets of gun violence just for having a preference different than what society has historically deemed "the norm."
Less than a year ago people were also gunned down in a Planned Parenthood clinic. The gunman disagreed with Planned Parenthood's stance on the controversial issue of abortion. People died over a difference of opinion.
As human beings, we all deserve safe spaces in which we can be ourselves and feel comfortable expressing what we think and what's important to us. Taking a stance on a controversial topic or going out to meet people you find attractive and celebrating who you are should not make you a target.
It's time the U.S. begin working towards ensuring the safety of all its citizens. The shooting in Orlando is the reason we need change.
The LGBTQ+ community is still fighting for visibility, equal rights, and, most importantly, acceptance. Clearly we still have a long way to go. The Orlando massacre was a violation of human beings' rights. Those to be themselves and do what makes them happy, as well as to safety.
Every one of these violations is important to address. However, as someone recently pointed out to me, ensuring basic needs, like safety, often naturally paves the way for ensuring more abstract needs, like acceptance.
That is why we need to keep the Orlando massacre in mind. It is a call for change on many levels, and we need to heed that call.
By taking action, we can make a change.
My thoughts and prayers are with all the victims of the Orlando tragedy and their families. May you find peace and healing in the love and support of all those around you.
