In the aftermath of the awful, brutal
massacre in Orlando it was a relief to see how many people responded with
sanity. News outlets sensationalized sickeningly, capitalizing on fear, but
from local LGBT leaders right up to President Obama, and including Bernie
Sanders and Hillary Clinton, who spoke independently of each other but were of
one mind, the call has been to fight against hatred and to remember the power
of love; to continue to work hard for inclusiveness and equality. And these
voices of wisdom speak for LGBT communities around the world.
Donald Trump was the lone voice exploiting
the shock, pain, horror and sorrow for political gain, whipping up fear and
making it all about Muslims and Islam. But for once his voice was drowned out. You can't fight hate and violence with more of the same. You fight it by reaching out to those who feel so isolated and misunderstood. It's the long road and the difficult one but it's the only one that can work, long term.
Below are extracts from Barack Obama's response.
“What
is clear is that he was a person filled with hatred… The shooter targeted
a nightclub where people came together to be with friends, to dance and to
sing, and to live. The place where they were attacked is more than a
nightclub—it is a place of solidarity and empowerment where people have come
together to raise awareness, to speak their minds, and to advocate for their
civil rights.
“So this is a sobering reminder that
attacks on any American—regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or sexual
orientation—is an attack on all of us and on the fundamental values of equality
and dignity that define us as a country. And no act of hate or terror
will ever change who we are or the values that make us Americans.
“Today marks the most deadly shooting in
American history. The shooter was apparently armed with a handgun and a
powerful assault rifle. This massacre is therefore a further reminder of
how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot
people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a
nightclub. And we have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to
be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well.
“In the coming hours and days, we’ll learn
about the victims of this tragedy. Their names. Their faces. Who
they were. The joy that they brought to families and to friends, and the
difference that they made in this world. Say a prayer for them and say a
prayer for their families—that God give them the strength to bear the
unbearable. And that he give us all the strength to be there for them, and
the strength and courage to change. We need to demonstrate that we are
defined more…by the way they lived their lives than by the hate of the man who
took them from us.
“…In the face of hate and violence, we will
love one another. We will not give in to fear or turn against each
other. Instead, we will stand united, as Americans, to protect our people,
and defend our nation, and to take action against those who threaten
us.
May God bless the Americans we lost this
morning. May he comfort their families. May God continue to watch
over this country that we love.”
