On Saturday night, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida was the stage for an extreme outburst of hatred. A person armed with a gun and a heart full of hate murdered 50 people and injured 53 more. People lost their lives. These people had friends and family who loved them. These people had dreams, ambitions, and goals. And their lives were taken in one hate-filled moment. With every event like this, people look for something or someone to blame.
The killer supposedly has ties to ISIS, an extremist Islamic organization. Many folks want to blame Muslims for this attack. This is because of a fundamental misunderstanding of the Muslim faith. The word Islam has the same root as the word for "peace". This is not an act that is condoned by the Muslim faith.
Then there are people saying that this act is "Someone doing the Lord's work". I make the assumption that these are so-called Christians saying things like this. Christianity also preaches peace and love, and does not condone acts such as this.
Then you get the gun control debate, and folks wanting to blame access to firearms as the culprit. Unfortunately, guns are a reality and no amount of restrictions could stop something like this from happening so long as guns exist. The weapon is nothing without a wielder, and that is where the true intent lies.
Who is really to blame then? Hate, pure and simple. People with hate in their hearts are the reason for this attack. The person was an American citizen who hated gay people. And this hatred led to him taking the lives of 50 people. There is so much hatred prevalent in society today, as shown by the rampant racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia, and religious extremism.
How do we stop the hate? Accountability. Holding people accountable for their hate, and letting them know that it is not acceptable. Calling people out when they display signs of hatred, such as hostile speech or hostile actions towards other individuals. Standing up for all of humanity, rather than your own personal biases and opinions. Most of all, don't let the hatred of others influence your own views about groups of people. This attack was caused by an individual with hateful intent, not by a religious ideal or by a weapon. No more tolerance for ignorance. Your ignorance does not give you an excuse to hate, and spreading hatred makes you just as evil as the person who committed the act. Most of all, as a friend was quoted as saying, "Mourn the dead, and fight like hell for the living".
The killer supposedly has ties to ISIS, an extremist Islamic organization. Many folks want to blame Muslims for this attack. This is because of a fundamental misunderstanding of the Muslim faith. The word Islam has the same root as the word for "peace". This is not an act that is condoned by the Muslim faith.
Then there are people saying that this act is "Someone doing the Lord's work". I make the assumption that these are so-called Christians saying things like this. Christianity also preaches peace and love, and does not condone acts such as this.
Then you get the gun control debate, and folks wanting to blame access to firearms as the culprit. Unfortunately, guns are a reality and no amount of restrictions could stop something like this from happening so long as guns exist. The weapon is nothing without a wielder, and that is where the true intent lies.
Who is really to blame then? Hate, pure and simple. People with hate in their hearts are the reason for this attack. The person was an American citizen who hated gay people. And this hatred led to him taking the lives of 50 people. There is so much hatred prevalent in society today, as shown by the rampant racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia, and religious extremism.
How do we stop the hate? Accountability. Holding people accountable for their hate, and letting them know that it is not acceptable. Calling people out when they display signs of hatred, such as hostile speech or hostile actions towards other individuals. Standing up for all of humanity, rather than your own personal biases and opinions. Most of all, don't let the hatred of others influence your own views about groups of people. This attack was caused by an individual with hateful intent, not by a religious ideal or by a weapon. No more tolerance for ignorance. Your ignorance does not give you an excuse to hate, and spreading hatred makes you just as evil as the person who committed the act. Most of all, as a friend was quoted as saying, "Mourn the dead, and fight like hell for the living".