Write to the Point
By AL STOVER
Staff Reporter
I’m sure by now everyone has heard about the shooting at the Pulse, a gay nightclub, in Orlando, Fla., where 49 people were shot and killed, and 53 were injured. Many are calling the Pulse shooting the worst terror attack in the United States since Sept. 11, 2001.
At approximately 2 a.m., the gunman Omar Mateen, walked into the Pulse, which had around 300 people inside, and opened fire. During the attack, he called 911 and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Reports say the FBI interviewed Mateen twice and had previously put him on the watch list.
However, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said Mateen may have acted on his own.
Officers were able to kill Mateen during a shootout and rescue some of the hostages that were left inside of the nightclub.
We can speculate the different reasons why the gunman committed this act, but we will never fully know because he’s not alive to tell his side of the story.
No matter how you look at it, this was an act of hatred toward the LGBT community, which is subject to violence, prejudice and ridicule on a daily basis.
What’s scary is this attack did not happen at an event or an embassy where national dignitaries and figures were gathered.
The shooting happened at a nightclub with regular people went to dance, drink and have a good time. When these people left their homes and were on their way to the Pulse, they probably did not think their night out would turn into a nightmare.
The Pulse shooting is a little reminiscent of the 2012 shooting in Aurora Colo., where an armed man went into a movie theater and sat in the audience during a midnight screening of Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” After the movie started playing, the gunman set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms, killing 12 and injuring 70.
In that incident, people went to the theater to watch a movie without knowing that an armed man was seconds away from opening fire on them.
The Pulse shooting has resulted in an increase of police patrols around gay bars in large cities like Cleveland and New York.
The attack is probably going to prevent some people from staying out late and going to nightclubs and bars for a little while.
Sure, there is a chance you could be attacked by someone with a weapon when you’re at a bar or a club. We face life-threatening dangers every morning after we get out of bed.
You can acknowledge that there’s danger in the world, but you don’t have to let fear keep you from living your life and doing the things that you enjoy.
People are proposing different solutions as to how to prevent incidents like the Pulse shooting from happening in the future. Some are asking for stricter gun laws while others believe the fight needs to be taken directly to terrorism.
Many people are angry about the violence that happened in Orlando — and they have good reason to feel that way.
But the problem is you can’t fight this kind of hatred and negativity with anger alone. However, you can combat the hate by turning your anger into sympathy and compassion, and treating all people with the love and respect they deserve.
If you want to help those affected by the Pulse shooting, there are numerous fundraising websites GoFundMe and CrowdRise you can contribute money that will go directly to the victims and their families.
You can also donate blood.
Or you can do something for someone else that makes their day a little bit easier, even if it’s as simple as giving them a compliment.
Instead of putting someone down, lift them up.
There’s already enough negativity and hate in the world. Let’s put some love and positivity back into it.
Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].
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