Orlando Tragedy - Opinion Piece

Cross Country Checkup on CBC Radio this afternoon, hosted by Asha Tomlinson, posed the question ‘what are your thoughts about the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida’, a tragedy costing 50 people their lives and putting 53 more people in hospital with injuries. The issues raised throughout the two hour call-in show were terrorism, homophobia, and the lack of gun control in the United States. All are valid issues that our society discusses regularly. This most recent tragedy brought them all to the forefront of our daily lives once more.

While I listened to each of the well voiced opinions and observations, one thread seemed to underlie each of the issues. That thread I recognized is the ability and practice to hate what humanity seems to have mastered. There is no legislation that can stop or alter hate that is 

already a part of any individual’s life.

So what can be done? What can I do?

I confess, I am not going to pretend to feel the anger, the devastation or the fear that I heard many voice today. Stepping into those burning feelings on a continuing basis, leaves me unsettled, with the potential for paranoia to creep in. Hate can follow closely behind, clinging and convincing me that hate is necessary - when hate is completely counterproductive. Hate is divisive.

Terrorism is global, unpredictable and frightening
Homophobia, a great danger to the LGBTQ community, is immense, dangerous and frightening.
Lack of gun control is political, bound in generational beliefs and, again, frightening to the children and adults alike.

To be aware of how we treat all people on a daily basis, and then change what needs to be changed, is the beginning of addressing each of these issues. Sounds simplistic? Naive?
Maybe it is. 

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

~ Confucius