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Thoughts On Orlando

wildone

Entry posted by wildone in Memorial

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Shock, anger, sadness, resentment, and thoughts of revenge.

 

Those are the thoughts and feelings I am personally dealing with this morning waking up to the news of what happened early today in Orlando, Florida.

 

I’m sure there is much more we are all feeling and trying to work our way through right now.

 

As of the last report on CNN, there are 50 dead and 49 injured in a mass shooting at a gay club in Orlando called Pulse. It happened at 2 AM just around closing time. The gunman, who the FBI have reported as having ‘radical Islamic views’, parked his van outside the club, started opening fire with a semi-automatic rifle and handgun in his possession and continued into the club where he took hostages and continued his slaughter. Police SWAT teams swarmed the club 3 hours later and shot the gunman.

 

I’m sure this account will be changed as more information comes forth.

 

All of our thoughts, and if you are religious, prayers go out to everyone affected by this not only there in Orlando, but wherever you are as well.

 

The fact that this now has been the deadliest mass shooting in US history, I can’t help but feel the above emotions on the fact that so many lives have been lost, with the added weight of knowing that the gay community was specifically targeted.

 

We all know that our identity is hated by certain groups of people, but the fact that someone went so far as to target a large group of our community is really troubling to all of us. The idea that terrorism can make us afraid and question how we live our lives; this is the real blow to any community touched by heinous acts of terror. Will I feel safe going to a pride event, will I be okay to go to a bar, and will I be okay openly saying that I’m LGBTQ?

 

The one thing that helps is talking about this. How do you feel? What are your fears? Put them down on paper or share them with us here. Writing this has me looking at the tragedy a bit different. Maybe even a glimmer of hope?

 

If we can learn from the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, we need to show our support, but more importantly our resilience. Go back to the club, go to a Pride event, and don’t let this stop you from being who you were born to be!!

 

Some other thoughts. Yes, religious ideology may play a role in this, but please remember that a small group of radicals or maybe even one lone wolf is responsible for this. Don’t condemn an entire religion or race just because this person may have been associated with a radical sect that isn’t reflective of the entire group. If you are in favour or against gun reform, don’t hate the people who are on the other side of the fence. Go out and join a group you identify with regarding guns. Be it the NRA or the anti-gun lobby, join, and make your voice known. Most importantly, learn from this and talk to your opponents rather than lash out at them.

 

Generally, blogs are open for politics and religion. Due to the tragic nature and the sensitivity of this subject, even though I have touched on religion and politics here, please do not post comments on those subjects, they will be deleted without notice. The Pit is open and ready to have your discussions on those matters. What we would like this blog to really be about is empathy for the victims, your feelings, your fears, your resolve, and your hope.

 

Steve
On Behalf of the GA Site Administrators

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Page Scrawler

So awful...my heart goes out to the friends and families of those who are gone, and especially those who are still in the hospital, fighting to survive.

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bhavi.k

Well said..

I just heard this today,dont have any words to say anything,my love to the families and freinds of victims of this tragic event..

Lots of love to everyone..hate will never win..

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Wicked Witch

So sad and so angry. My emotions are all over the place. Rest in peace to all those lost. I was so shocked to see that earlier the same day Christina Grimmie, a Youtube musician who was a huge influence on me when I was growing up and struggling with my identity, was killed by another shooter in the same city. 

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Kitt
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Steve, you are 100% correct. To change how we behave, what we say,where we go and with whom based on a senseless act of terrorism is allowing the terrorist to win.

 

Graeme, that is how the reporting should be! Yes, Pulse is a "gay club", but that does not mean all the victims were gay. This straight old lady would go to gay clubs with gay friends, back in my clubbing days, just as they came to "straight" clubs with me.

 

This is not just a crime against LGBTQ's. It is a horrific attack on humanity. Someday being gay will be no different than being Italian etc. May we all live to see that day!

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spike382

So much I would love to say about all of this, but where to start. I'm just glad for those friends I have on here, and all you folks that speak to me through your writing. I'm not the most active person in the "gay community" but I definitely feel like I belong among all of you. It's situations like this that unfortunately remind us, no matter how far we've come from how things used to be there's still people out there angered enough by our very existence who want to destroy us.

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RobsWriting

For once in my life, I am mostly lost for words. As a writer, that doesn't come easily to me. Here in the U.K., my friends and I have been deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic event in Orlando and I wish you all much comfort at this difficult time. We have a great community here at G.A., one which I am proud to be a part of. I know that we will help each other through this. Wishing you all love and peace. My thoughts are with you all. Rob.

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Cole Matthews
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I feel like we should do something to honor the victims.  I don't know what and we don't know them personally, but I feel like we should try and think of something special.  When they started the AIDS quilt, it was in remembrance of their lives, not their deaths.  

 

I don't know. 

 

Maybe I'm so worried about them because I can identify so closely with the situation.  I was a bartender at a gay bar.  I feel like they're family because most were gay and some worked there.  Anyway, someone more clever than me should think of something we could do.  Peace to you all.  

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Valkyrie
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I feel like we should do something to honor the victims.  I don't know what and we don't know them personally, but I feel like we should try and think of something special.  When they started the AIDS quilt, it was in remembrance of their lives, not their deaths.  

 

I don't know. 

 

Maybe I'm so worried about them because I can identify so closely with the situation.  I was a bartender at a gay bar.  I feel like they're family because most were gay and some worked there.  Anyway, someone more clever than me should think of something we could do.  Peace to you all.  

I think this is a great idea.  Maybe we could ask GA authors to write 102 (I think that's the number...I apologize if I got it wrong) poems/short prose in honor of each victim?  

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W_L

I think this is a great idea.  Maybe we could ask GA authors to write 102 (I think that's the number...I apologize if I got it wrong) poems/short prose in honor of each victim?  

 

If we can get it published like make it an annual thing sponsored by Advocate or another big LGBT publication, it might be a good thing.

 

We may even be able to ask other non-GA writers to help out, we're a sizable community, I would think we can scrounge 102 writers. I'll be #3 behind you and Cole, if this gets started.

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northie
If we can get it published like make it an annual thing sponsored by Advocate or another big LGBT publication, it might be a good thing.

 

We may even be able to ask other non-GA writers to help out, we're a sizable community, I would think we can scrounge 102 writers. I'll be #3 behind you and Cole, if this gets started.

 

Maybe we should move this idea into a new thread where it will be more visible?

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Lisa

I just ran out of likes.

 

Like WL, I donated that day to GoFundMe. I was horrified when I heard what happened. Then came anger. Then sadness as I watched the news reports. There was a couple who were planning a wedding, and now their families must make funeral arrangements. One of the boy's moms spoke on TV, and it was just heartbreaking.

 

Then the anger comes back when you think of how senseless this attack was. How someone could have so much hatred inside of him that he would walk into a club shooting is beyond my comprehension. I saw the press conference at the hospital where the majority of the victims went. One of the victims spoke and explained what happened. It was terrifying just listening to him.

 

My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims, their families, and the survivors. Even though the survivors made it through, emotionally, I am sure they are suffering.

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