In just three days, Orlando experienced horror, tragedy, and loss over three separate occurrences. As if each catastrophe was not enough, they followed consecutively and with great pain. Each event took over the news in such horrifying ways; the people of this country were matched with sadness, anger and confusion. How can such terrible things happen in such a short time period all in one area? But they say bad things happen in threes, so with great hope, Orlando may be able to recover and return to normalcy with the memory of the lost lives.
On June 11, 2016, a 22-year-old singer, Christina Grimmie, was shot outside her concert venue while greeting fans in Orlando where she earlier performed. On June 12 at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, a man shot and killed 49 people and injured 50 in a terrorist attack in the name of ISIS. And on June 13, 2016, a 2-year-old boy was taken by an alligator in a Disney resort in a lagoon, where the father attempted to rescue him but was unable to fight the jaws of the gator.
What once used to be the most magical place on earth, Orlando now has a new name for itself, and it's not in a positive light. There is no possibility of these events ever going away; they will forever be in the hearts and minds of not only Floridians, but of the entire country. The Pulse Nightclub shooting was the worst terrorist attack on American land since September 11, 2001. Also, the fact that this event happened with the intention of it being at a gay bar is almost unimaginable. This country has developed in such a way to accept and help the LGBTQ community, so to see that we took 10 steps forward and nearly 11 back is heartbreaking. Christina Grimmie had such a bright future ahead of her and had began to pave her way in the music industry, and just when everything started to look up for her, a man took her life away. She started her career on Youtube, later placed third on "The Voice," and won the iHeartMusic Festival achievement, which allowed her to be the opening act for the concert. Even the young boy and his family were only on vacation and never fathomed that such a thing could happen to them. Even the lifeguards were so unprepared being they never experienced such a crisis.
Although such horrid things took place, it is comforting to know that people have gathered to donate blood, pay respect through vigils, and come together in a desperate time. Not only in Orlando, but across the country people have gathered to honor the lives lost and pay respect through moments of silence and happiness with heavy hearts. Although what happened to the boy was a freak accident, the other events could have been prevented. If there were greater gun control, the man who shot Christina would not have been able to shoot her, considering he would not have been able to obtain such a weapon. The Muslim man who was the culprit admitted to the actions because he wanted America to stop bombing his country, but was able to purchase the gun on American land. Too many people are dying and too many tragedies are happening before our eyes. It's one thing to hear about war on the news, but it's another thing for it to happen in your own backyard. I hope those 49 souls found heaven and those wounded and recovering find peace; not only do they have to recover physically, but mentally. At the end of the day, love is love and we are all people.
