The Beatles famously said “all you need is love,” and during these trying times, our country and the city of Orlando needs a whole lot of it. In recent news, devastating tragedies have taken place in Orlando, Fla. Christina Grimmie, a 22-year-old contestant on “The Voice” was shot and killed during a meet and greet after her performance at the Plaza Live theater. She was a talented vocal artist with a promising career on the rise who inspired and touched many fans and fellow artists with her music. The shooter was tackled by Grimmie’s brother, Marcus. "Christina was more than my sister," he wrote on Facebook. "She was a partner in life. A superstar. A goofball. Introverted. And a friend to everyone. Genuinely. But above all...she was my baby sister. She loved the Lord and her family and was always there for me and I honestly don't know what I'll do without her."
Another tragedy struck the following day in Orlando at 2 a.m. at Pulse, a gay nightclub that was hosting Latino night. A gunman, armed with an automatic rifle, opened fire in the club wounding 53 people, taking victims hostage, and killing 50 people. Frightened patrons hid in restrooms and were trapped in the club, updating loved ones and the police of their whereabouts and sending pleas for help via Twitter and text messages. This is being called the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
My heart goes out to the Grimmie family and the loved ones of the Orlando Massacre victims. I cannot imagine the pain that they are going through and how they are coping with their losses. All I can offer them is my love and positive thoughts and prayers. However as for ending gun violence, love is not enough.
After hearing of these tragedies and reading articles and watching clips investigating the details, I was frantically surfing the web to see what could I, a mere 22-year-old college graduate with no job and no real voice in politics, do to eradicate these malicious acts of violence. I came across a Huffington Post article about contacting your elected representatives. It easily lays out ways to find their contact information and includes a template, if you’re not entirely sure of how to compose an email or letter.
The Orlando Massacre is more than an act of terrorism, it is a hate crime.
The civil injustices need to end now. We need to start taking action to fight for what is right to ensure that something so devastating never happens again. In light of these events, the shootings in Aurora, Colo., San Bernadino, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook and too many more, gun control is a hot topic in American politics and something needs to be done. Guns take children away from parents, grandchildren away from grandchildren, and took a baby sister away from a big brother.
Again, quoting The Beatles, “There's nothing you can do that can't be done; nothing you can make that can't be made; no one you can save that can't be saved.” DO find the contact information of your elected representatives. MAKE a statement to send to your representatives stating your concerns, expressing the need for a solution. SAVE others from possibly being the victims of gun violence in the future.