The Orlando Nightclub Shooting

The Real Issues Here, not Fear Mongering

My thoughts are with the survivors of the Orlando Pulse shooting, the families and friends of the deceases, and the souls of the murdered. There is nothing that can be said, no comfort that can be given after such a horrific event, and all I can say is that I am so sorry for their losses.

I am once again sickened and horrified by the latest shooting event in the US. This has become an every week thing, if not more often. 2 shootings in 2 days. One was a rising talented youtube singer at a concert shot by a supposed unbalanced fan. The other was the largest mass shooting event in the history of the US resulting in the deaths of 50 people with another 50 or so injured, some still in surgery and in critical condition.

All day yesterday and today all that has been reported on the radio is the connection of the shooter in Orlando to ISIS, Trump's insinuation that Obama is in some way to blame for the shooting, the constant obsession over the ethnicity and religion of the shooter, etc... The internet is full of forums of people talking about how the shooter was an immigrant and we need to close our borders, how our decreased military presence worldwide is why this tragedy happened. People are liking posts about how it's Obama's government that has led us to this point and allowed such a thing to happen, people are retweeting disgusting comments about how the shooter is the hero for killing gay people. This is reminiscent of the shooting that occurred several months ago at a Planned Parenthood, where people were applauding the nutjob who shot up a waiting room, claiming he was a hero saving babies lives. I wrote a blog post about that as well when it occurred, disgusted by the so called "Good Christians" outpouring of hatred against dead people, and how they somehow deserved to die for aborting helpless freaking babies.

Now, instead of focusing on what the real issues here are, the media is completely ignoring the real reasons why this horrible tragedy happened. Homophobia and a lack of gun control. That's the real root of this shooting. I am the first to usually look at religious extremism as a motive, and yes, that may be the reasoning behind the homophobia, but it's the homophobia that resulted in the shooter choosing this particular target. A club that is frequented mainly by the  LGBTQ community and it's allies was the target, and if this is not put down as a hate crime then i'm not sure what the hell the media is doing anymore. It was a hate crime committed by a domestic terrorist. Not an international terrorist working for ISIS, not a muslim immigrant, but a U.S. citizen born in the U.S., raised in the U.S., who didn't like gay people. That is domestic terrorism - the same cause of the Planned Parenthood shooting - and homophobia.

What I want to know is when is enough going to be enough? There have been 998 mass shootings (where 4+ people died) in the 912 days since the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting on December 14th, 2012. In 912 days 1,105 people have been murdered by guns in mass shootings, and another 3,929 people have been physically injured - not even counting the emotional damage from being in this situation, the PTSD that some survivors must have, the impacts on the family members and friends of those killed. In just over 2 years since the first "wake-up-call" shooting we have done nothing to prevent this from happening. We blame it on mental health issues, which undeniably have had a hand in these shootings in some cases. We blame it on immigrants and Islam - which also have played a role in some of the cases. But when have we ever blamed it on christian-based motives and "morals"? When has anything actually changed to make the acquisition of a gun more difficult? When have we had the nerve to call it what it really is: Domestic Terrorism? When have we looked at the perpetrator and said the words that really show the underlying motives? Pro-life, Homophobic, Christian, Islamic, Pro-gun, white supremacist, racist. 

First, people manage to somehow confuse hate crimes with mental illness. Sandy Hook can be attributed to a combination of mental illness and developmental/behavioural issues and was probably not a "hate crime". On the other hand, the shooting at a Charleston Church with a predominantly black congregation can probably be classified as a hate crime brought on by racism and the perpetrator there seemed obsessed with white supremacy. And therein lies the difference. On one hand you have a person with actual mental and psychological deficits, and on the other you have a person with an intense hatred of a specific group of people. Once again, after the Orlando shooting, republicans are calling for more mental health awareness but saying that there is no need for gun control. Because obviously every person who uses a gun inappropriately must have some mental illness. It can't be for any other reason. The mass shooting in Orlando was not a crime committed due to mental illness, rather a crime committed due to homophobia and hatred against the gay community.

Second, there is the discussion of the shooter at the Orlando nightclub and how he has connections to ISIS and international terrorism, rather than domestic terrorist and his homophobia. The man's own father says he showed his disgust and hatred of men who liked other men. There has been no link found between the individual and ISIS. ISIS put out a statement congratulating the shooter and saying how wonderful it was that so many had died. ISIS exists to monger fear, to sow distrust, and to turn us against one another to make it easier for them to cause havoc. The media says that this statement shows the terror group "claiming responsibility" - which it does not actually claim - and this just gives more weight to ISIS's campaign to terrify everyone. But, it has nothing to do with the shooting event itself. NOTHING has been found to indicate any connection between the shooter and ISIS other than his religion. As far as the information shows, this was purely a crime against the LGBTQ community and was a hate crime. Discussing connections to international terror groups distracts from the real horror of what happened and diminishes the suffering of those injured, the families and friends of those who have died, and those who survived the traumatic attack.

Third, there is a ridiculous amount of emphasis being put on the fact that this man was a Muslim and followed the religion of Islam. People seem to think that his religion dictated that he must go and kill gay people. This could have easily been a white Christian man, and no one would dare insinuate in that scenario that he would have been following the orders of his god and Jesus by killing gay people, even if he chanted that very thing as he shot people. While the shooter was probably motivated by the belief that his religion taught against homosexuality, it doesn't actually matter what his religion actually was. All of the major world religions teach against homosexuality; Christianity, Islam, Catholicism, even some sects of Judaism and Hinduism. The fact that he was religious and was taught that homosexuality is wrong by his religion is of note because it was a religiously motivated hate-crime but the individual religion is completely unimportant here.

Fourth, hate crimes in this country have been increasing since extremist views about race, religion, and sexual and gender orientation have come to the forefront of our countries politics. Donald Trump is a political figure running for the highest office in the U.S. who is openly homophobic, racist, sexist, and who feeds the rabid masses foaming at the mouth for vindication that their hatred against certain groups of people is justified. He eggs on his supporters to violently assault people that don't agree with him. He promotes the illegal barring of an entire race from entering the U.S. on the basis of "they might be terrorists". And he regularly slanders people based on race, religion, and gender. All of the extremists out there now have someone to rally behind and they are becoming more and more comfortable expressing their views in physically violent ways. With a person like Donald Trump running for President, it's no wonder that we have a racist kid shooting up a black church, a radical pro-lifer shooting up a planned parenthood clinic, and a homophobic man shooting up a LGBTQ community gathering place. 

Fifth, we once again have a discussion on our hands about gun control. All the things that have been pandered about different communities; "good guy with a gun" nonsense, the "guns don't kill people, people kill people" argument, "the liberals are trying to take away our guns" diatribe... What we "liberals" want is for more people with sketchy backgrounds not to be able to get ahold of dangerous weapons that can cause this amount of damage to other humans. We want the system to be improved so that people with histories of narcotic convictions or domestic abuse or mental disturbances that could lead to psychotic breaks or extremist viewpoints about sexual identity, race, religion, women's choice, etc... won't get ahold of deadly weapons. If you are a sane person who has no history of violence or drug related charges and who shows no inclination to violently attack someone because of their race, gender or sexual orientation, religion, or life choices, then by all means go ahead and buy a gun. But something needs to change in the system now, not in 10 years when even more people are dead. 

And Finally, can we please acknowledge the insanity of people CONGRATULATING the shooter on killing people. It doesn't matter if these people were gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, other, or even straight... they were living breathing human beings. For people out there to celebrate their deaths is disgusting and horrifying. Sure, it might be a small group of people out there that feel this way, but the fact that they exist proves that we have a broken society. They wouldn't have this intense hatred if people didn't tell them that it's okay to hate gay people, that it's okay to believe they should "burn in hell" or "die for their sins". If prominent individuals (pastors, priests, ministers, preachers, rabbis, reverends, imams, politicians, government workers, parents, groups like WBC, etc...) did not actively promote homosexuality as evil and abnormal and sinful and wrong, then these extreme viewpoints would not exist and we wouldn't have evil little fuckers making comments like the ones below. Just read them and let it sink in that the things that you might think most important in your world (god, religion, holy texts, preachers, etc..) can cause people to actively celebrate the deaths of 50+ people and congratulate mass murderers.

  

 

 

 

 

The "Rights" of the people...

  So earlier this month I was talking about the ideas of governmental tyranny and how people seem to think that is the reason they need their guns. Now I want to talk about this idea of "the rights of the people" in all of it's many ways, shapes, and forms...

The Rights of The People

  This is something that I both find very annoying and very important. There are a few major groups of "rights" that I want to go over right now: Bearing arms, staying alive, free speech, making our own choices. 

  Lets go over the Bill of Rights quickly. These are the first 10 amendments added on to the Constitution in 1791:

1.   “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the 

     free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the 

     people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances”

     Pretty much freedom to worship whatever you want, or not to worship as you choose

• The right to assemble
• Freedom of speech and press
• Freedom to protest peacefully 

2.   The right to a regulated militia, i.e. the right to bear arms

3.   Government cannot force you to house an army

4.   The police cannot search or seize your property without a warrant

5.   The right to keep from saying things that might land you in jail

6.   The right to a quick trial with a jury of peers

7.   If being sued or suing someone, you can opt for a trial by jury rather than judge

8.   No excessive bail or cruel & unusual punishments

9.   There are certain rights, not specifically written down, that all people are entitled to and 

      cannot be taken away by the government

10. Any power not given to the federal government is given to the people and the states

The Right to "Bear Arms"

  It is a sad fact that the right to own and use any gun you want is a thing in this country. There are very few regulations, and even less oversight. Now the gun-toting louts that run around screaming how the liberals are trying to "take away their rights" are completely ignoring the loss of life because they are so afraid that their "rights' are being infringed upon. As mentioned in a previous post, the government has at no point EVER said they are going to start taking away guns. What they have said, which seems to fly right over the heads of the screaming rabble is that they want gun "CONTROL". That doesn't mean taking them away, that means oversight and better management. They want background checks before you can buy a gun. They want gun shows to have background checks as well. They don't want a deranged person with a agenda to kill people to inherit his great grandfather's 17 guns, his father's 12 guns, and then go on a killing spree.

  Is it so terribly out of the realm of possibilities to just have a little bit more responsibility in the gun industry? They (and I mean the government) and we (the people) are asking for 3 major things here:

1.   Background checks & management

2.   Fewer people dying

3.   Proper gun safety

Now what do I think that we actually need in gun reform?

1.   Background checks for EVERYBODY who wants to buy a gun

2.   Mandatory gun safety training with every weapon you purchase to be signed off on by an 

      official, including understanding of proper storage safety and when to use a gun on 

      a person.

3.   Regular gun license renewals every 1-5 years that include:

• Checking serial number against license to ensure legal ownership
• Gun check for proper gun parts and firing safety
• Safety training renewal for all licensed weapons
• Proper storage safety training renewal
• Run-through of when it is appropriate to use a gun on another person

4.   And then finally your license for each weapon should be renewed

  This method of periodically checking that gun owners are using their weapons responsibly and safely has been successfully used in other countries. It's not just a pipe-dream that liberals wish for. It is a real possibility. While it would make owning a gun a little more difficult, complicated and irritating, it would probably save lives. 

  Is putting up with an annoying process worth it if it will save innocent people's lives by making sure that the wrong people don't get their hands on dangerous weapons? Isn't it worth it? Or is having a fun and easy hobby really more important than people? 

  Do you really think it okay for your hobby to cost so much in blood? If you had to meet those families that have lost people to gun violence, would you really be willing to look them in the face and tell them that you valued your easy fun over their children, parents, siblings? 

  My question to all gun owners... How can you live with yourselves when you vote against life-saving legislation? Especially when that legislation is really only asking for background checks, because so far that is all that has been proposed? Truly, how in all good conscience can you vote against that legislation when its not going to impact responsible gun owners or result in any changes to your weapons cupboard?

The Right to "Be Alive"

  

  You would think that this one would be a no-brainer. You would think that this is a "basic human right". But to listen to some of the candidates running for office, it is your own fault if you get shot by a gun, because you obviously didn't try hard enough to stay alive. You didn't fight back enough. You should have definitely taken the time to galvanize the room with a great speech about how everyone should rush the attacker. Thank-you Ben Carson. Before you, I was quite sure that a gunman would shoot me down if I even talked or twitched. But now I know that I can have a democratic discussion with the room, take a vote, and then have everyone move away from the desks so they don't get in the way, and then we can rush the guy pointing a gun at us and overpower him with minimal loss of life.

  The urge to stay alive is an animal instinct that every creature in the world is born with. We fight to live the best life we possibly can, we fight for resources, space, money, our children, our future and theirs, etc... Staying alive is the ultimate goal, and if we can make that cushy enough, even better. When I was little all I thought about when I considered the future was how many cats I would have and what colours they would be. As I grew up I realized I wanted a little more from life. I wanted a nice cottage in the woods away from other people where I would have peace and quiet. When I came to college I thought about what my future career would be. I've always been a little odd when in classrooms and sat in the seat with an optimal way out of the room in case of a fire... rare, I grant you that, but possible. Now, I sit in the seat with optimal access to the doorway, but also with a hidey-hole that I can dive into in case a shooter enters the building.

  I find this concerning. That while I am supposed to be listening to a lecture and absorbing all this information that will be on a test later in the term, I am actually planning what I would do if someone tries to kill me. I jump about a mile when I hear a book drop in the hallway or a shriek outside the window. What if that thump was actually a body hitting the floor? What if that scream outside is someone who just watched their friend die in front of them? What used to be a nice distraction from the monotony of learning puts me on high alert. And why? Because I fear for my life, and the lives of those around me. I fear for my safety. I analyze the room security and plan escape routes because I anticipate, almost expect that I will need that knowledge in the near future. I anticipate that there is a pretty good chance that I am going to die.

  I have a right to stay alive. I have a right to go to school without wondering if I’ll be able to go home at night. People have a right to send their kids to elementary school without waiting by the phone for a call that their toddler was shot through the head. That is a basic human right; to be alive and have a family. And yet it is completely disregarded because of fear the government is going to become tyrannical or take your guns. Your right to a weapon overshadows my right to live and breathe. That is not okay. It is not just, it is not right, and it is pure selfishness.

  How dare those people claim to care about human life? How dare they say, "I'll be praying for them" to the families of the dead? How dare they look me in the face and say that my claim to life is less important than their weapons? How dare they.

The Right to "Freedom of Speech"

  This country gives people the wonderful ability to say whatever the hell they want, and not be arrested for it. You can call the president a terrorist, you can say terrible things about your neighbor, you can even threaten to blow up congress if they pass gay marriage. And NOTHING will happen to you (unless you actually demonstrate that you are capable of domestic terrorism). For the most part, you go on with your day as normal. In many non-democratic countries, insulting the government and its leader is a bit of a no-no, as is threatening to blow them up. In fact, that can get you arrested in some places. But here, that is a no-can-do. It's a delightful way of releasing our inner frustration and feeling like we are big and bad, that we can say such horrible things and threaten such crazy stuff and no one can do a thing about it. 

  So you would think that because you can do those things, when people have something constructive to say they would be allowed to say it. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Not everyone is allowed to openly declare their opinions, especially if that opinion is unpopular with the "majority" of this country’s occupants (i.e. conservatives & christians). 

  I always find it interesting how the minute you contradict a person on their political or religious zealotry, they start telling you off for trying to restrict their "freedom of speech", but then they turn right around and try to silence you for your opinions, beliefs, or ideas. I sometimes get the feeling that the "freedom of speech" amendment is only applicable if you are a God-fearing Christian (and by this I mean you think that Jesus was the Son of God, died for your sins, etc... I don't care about what little sect you are or your specific church's take on one tiny specific sentence in the bible. If you believe Jesus was the son of your god, then you are a damn Christian) or a Conservative Republican in this country. I will later do a section on Christian entitlement and their feelings of oppression and their tale of woe and persecution in the US. But for now, I wanted to touch on the idea that only Christians and Republicans are really "allowed" their freedom of speech rights. 

  They all say they are willing to teach you about their beliefs, and you listen because you are trying so very hard to understand where they are coming from. You are trying very hard not to hate or despise them for believing things that you think are immoral. You want to beat your brain into acceptance that they can be good people when they believe such horrible things hidden under the umbrella term of "family values". You listen and you learn and you care and you try to understand.

  But turn that the other way round and you try to explain your beliefs and you hit a solid wall of resistance to any change. You cannot even make a slight hole in their rigid mind where they will see where you are coming from. They may tell themselves they are trying to see your side, but in reality their brains are just saying "you are wrong, you are wrong, you are wrong" with every word that comes out of your mouth. Listening to you and understanding that you have radically different beliefs is uncomfortable to them. And when they are uncomfortable, they stop listening, put in headphones, ignore that there is anything going on around them because they really don't want to accept that there are people like you in the world.