As nearly every American and millions around the world found out on Sunday morning, there was a shooting at a night club named Pulse in Orlando, Florida very early Sunday morning. Around 2 AM a lone gunman, Omar Mateen, entered Pulse and began shooting at the over 300 people inside. Pulse’s Facebook page quickly posted “Everyone get out of Pulse and keep running.” There are conflicting reports about what time Mateen called 9-1-1, but whether it was before or after he began shooting, he pledged allegiance to ISIS (who have claimed responsibility) and he mentioned the Boston Marathon bombers. By 4 AM, Orlando police began to post updates on their Twitter page, warning people to stay away from the area. Around 5 AM the police used an armored vehicle to break down a door, freeing about 30 hostages. After exchanging gunfire, police shot and killed him at the scene. At 5:53 AM Orlando police announce via Twitter Mateen had been killed. Throughout the morning, through tweets and press conferences, Orlando police began releasing information about the shooting and Mateen. At 1 PM, President Barack Obama held a press conference and spoke about the worst shooting in American history. Celebrities, political leaders and everyday people across the globe began posting on social media their thoughts on the events that happened just hours earlier.
Was this a gay issue? Or a gun issue?
Pulse was known as a gay club, but this is more than just a problem for the LGBTQ+ community. Yes, unfortunately a lot of the LGBTQ+ community is not free to be themselves because it still isn’t safe for them to be out. It’s the 21st century and yet so many people are still hiding who they are in fear of their lives and other’s reactions. While the argument that Pulse and its patrons were targeted due to being associated with the LGBTQ+ community is absolutely valid, is it also important to point out that this is largely a gun violence or even terrorism problem. This shooting could have happened at any venue, but perhaps a gay club was thought to stir more controversy and rage. There was a lot of controversy as homophobic people wrote horrendous posts and comments, saying things about the gunman doing a favor by "getting rid of the gays." The Westboro Baptist Church wrote some of their typical homophobic commentary about the shooting. These postings are absolutely atrocious and false. As a human, no one deserves to be killed because of their sexual orientation or identification. And no one should have to receive the news that their loved one was gunned down.
Guns don't kill. People do.
I agree but it's a lot harder to kill people without a gun. Putting such a dangerous object in the hands or power-hungry and/or mentally unstable person is a recipe for disaster. Guns allow people to be far away from their victims, giving them the upper-hand and avoiding true confrontation. These gunmen were often considered "quiet" by their peers so why do they end up killing dozens? Because they don't truly have to confront anyone if they're shooting from a distance. How many of these gunmen would still be killers if they hadn't been able to get a gun?
How the US government has failed in protecting the public again
Some of the most shocking information related to this event was about Mateen. Mateen had been investigated not once, but twice for possibly being a threat. Despite the FBI investigating Mateen in 2013 and 2014, he was deemed “not a threat” both times. If someone is investigated (multiple times) for being a potential terrorist or threat, maybe they shouldn’t be allowed to buy guns. His ex-wife filed for divorce after he began abusing her during their short marriage. She also said that he was mentally unstable and would hit her over very little things, such as not doing laundry. Mateen was a security officer. A man employed to protect people became the exact person he was supposed to protect people from. Why was man violent, unstable and investigated multiple times by the FBI allowed to buy guns, including an assault rifle??
Why are people even allowed to buy assault rifles at all? What purpose would they serve other to, I don’t know, assault people? These guns are becoming the most popularly used in mass shootings. AR-15 assault rifles were used in the Pulse shooting, Aurora CO movie theater shootings, Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and others. They were created by the United States Army; civilians and military personnel outside of war zones have no reason to need to possess one. A New York Times article quoted a man saying AR-15s are now “fashionable.” Why would a gun ever be fashionable?? Guns are not accessories; they are deadly weapons and should be treated as such. The same article said that AR-15 sales skyrocketed after the Sandy Hook shooting. How many more dangerous people now have the ability to kill?
Why is it that America has mass shootings (defined as four or more deaths) nearly every week but other countries extremely rarely ever seem to have them? What is America doing wrong? Is it our faulty mental health care? Is it a lack of gun laws? A lack of enforcement? What can we do to prevent this from happening over and over? I’m tired of waking up in the morning to the news of another shooting. Both Saturday and Sunday I woke up to news of a shooting, both also stemming from Orlando, FL. What other stories haven’t we heard about because we were so focused on this one?
There is no doubt in my mind that America has a gun problem. No other first world country has the gun violence we do. It’s sickening and disturbing. First schools, then movie theaters, then concerts, now clubs. Where can we go where we aren’t at risk of being murdered by a madman? Was this violent killing enough to start making real changes in America? If it isn’t, what will it take to make America safer? The killing and injuring of over 100 people should be the last straw and we as humans should not allow these mass killings to continue to happen.
For an interesting set of stats and more visit this USA Today production "Behind the Bloodshed: the untold story of America's mass killings."
