Orlando Tragedy - "Why Does It Bother You So Much?"
Because a nurse I am friends with asked me why it mattered so much to me... I thought I would share this with all of you as well. LGBTQ culture is one of shared experiences. In the same way that nursing culture exists, so does LGBTQ. In the wake of the tragedy in Orlando, I find myself needing an outlet to express the fear and sadness that comes with it. My hope is in doing so, I can help those who do not know or understand the culture, get a small glimpse into it from my perspective.
This past weekend is still something that has struck fear into the core of my community, even though I live on the other side of the country. I'm not going to debate about how it could have been prevented, because hindsight is always 20/20. I'm not going to debate it because there are as many different ideas on how to prevent it as there are people who know about it. What I want to do is expose myself, and explain why something that happened so far away from me could affect me on such a personal level.
No matter what you call it, LGBT(Q,+,A), QUILTBAG, or my personal favorite Alphabet Soup Gang... there is a community out there for those of us who don't quite fit the norm. My favorite comes from the fact that we are all a bit alike, all a little different, and we're all floating in this big huge bowl we call Earth. Also the letters change all the time depending on who you talk to and if I am going to offend someone for using the wrong ones, at least I'm going down in style.
I get a little flack at times from the community, at times, for not getting it, because "you pass... no one knows unless you choose to tell them." See, I'm not what most people think of when they think of the LGBTQ. Mostly because I don't get all twiterpatted when I see someone posed in what someone would consider sexual nature. My response tends more towards "Oh... look at that... "and insert interesting bit of biology about their tattoo, a mole, or the muscle structure. I'm someone who dates for romance and companionship instead of physical attraction. I was married when I was younger. I'm Christian. I can easily come off as heterosexual with no time or too conservative to join the local dating scene. Personally I don't care about someone's gender. I date people for being interesting and kind hearted with similar interests. In the community I'm often referred to as panromantic. I don't usually bother with a label though.
At the same time, I've also been on the receiving end of attacks from people mad at me for not being interested in them. Be it because how dare I not be attracted, or because they think I just haven't met the right person yet, or just because I find comfort being around the others with the same experiences. Many of my first experiences out into the world involved going to the local "gay bar" to sing karaoke with all the other people who just didn't feel like they fit society's expectations for them. Going to a friend's place to support them because someone had threatened them.
Our culture, as a community comes from the places and experiences we have been through. We've had the awkward conversations with medical professionals when they ask if we are sexually active and the follow up is about birth control or pregnancy, and we end up outing ourselves to strangers who are not always understanding. We've been bullied for similar reasons. Been told we don't really exist. That we're going through a phase. Sometimes by the medical community itself. We trade names of providers who are "safe" like most people trade the titles of their favorite books.
It bothers me because... those people who were hurt and died... I have a common thread to them. I cried when I found out what happened. Those people were someone's child, parent, cousin, friend... They remind me of my own monkey sphere of people I know. Even if it hadn't been people I know... I've seen the threats towards LGBTQ and Muslim students at my school. I go to an awesome school in a progressive area. We are great and inclusive and that things like that still happen... is scary. It bothers me that media wants to focus on who did it and how, rather than the bright and brilliant people who are lost to the community.
It's something that should bother everyone. It should bother us all. Today it was the LGBTQ community. It's happening in black communities. It happens in our schools. Even if we have no personal connection to what has happened, it should at the very least bother us, because who is to know what the next target of choice will be. If we can't find a way to be bothered that people died because someone's personally held belief was so strong they felt it was alright to kill someone... even if we disagree with the person's lifestyle, they didn't deserve this. No one does, and that bothers me.
The Orlando shooting bothered me because I was working in the psychiatric emergency room and was on call when the Columbine school shooting occurred. I vividly remember talking to one young girl who was distraught because she was alive. She told me she wanted to call her friends on the phone but could not because she feared they were dead. She kept saying she could have died and wanted so much to do something for them. This girl had intense survivors guilt. The shooting was hard for everyone in the department. Some of the staff had great difficulty. More support was needed as the trauma was so intense and pervasive. There are wounds still healing.
It's pretty intense. I have several friends through some of my extra curriculars that have PSTD, and survivor's guilt plays into it as well. To think that we have children having to deal with it, especially for something as out there as a mass shooting. I feel bad for my military friends, and wish they could get better treatment and care, but these kids.. they didn't even know what was going to hit them. I think we'll see a lot of these situations as time passes. One of the victims from the North Valley Jewish Community Center recently did an interview with Buzzfeed. She talked about how it affected her long term and it isn't the prettiest picture ever, but she's using it to promote awareness.
It bothers me because the politicians are welcoming an ideology of hate and have been! Any culture or ideology that preaches death and hate has no place here in the USA ! Far too many people died to decrease that type of ideology in this nation and things like that terrorist with those beliefs threaten everyone. I am deeply saddened as everyone there was just enjoying their life and harming no one! Yet we have politicians that support this ideology that is nothing more than people raised to be sociopaths and psychopaths. This was not a creation of one mans issues he was raised to hate he is the type enabled and raised in a belief system of HATE AND BIGOTRY.
The horror is the labels! People were slaughtered just as that ideology commands ! They were slaughtered because they were different . The victims were people full of life some great and some maybe not so great and makes no difference they died because of bigotry in the name of God! The human species is not superior to anyone or anything yet the biggest flaw ever present... In its ultimate expression ... I am right you are wrong so I kill you! Disgusting! These were living beings with likes,dislikes, hopes and dreams and others or no one for them. They deserved to live and not be bothered because some belief system that seeks to force itself and its bigotry upon everyone and until that is addressed this trash will keep happening! The core issue is the human species and its absolute disrespect of life ! If people did not value themselves so much more than other creatures and up to and including each other these things would not grow and spread! It is indeed the core teachings of hate and arrogance a huge flaw in an ideology that the politicians on either side will use to get their agendas to move forward regardless of the loss to you, me or anyone of us.
Mfs1 - what ideology are you referring to, specifically?
If it's Islam, I really have to challenge your generalization. This has nothing to do with being PC. It's about an inaccurate and incomplete stereotype of who is doing what to whom.
Did the shooter use bits and pieces of Islamic religious thought to rationalize his evil? Probably - though the only direct evidence I know of is his statement of allegiance to Muslim terrorist groups. I also have read that he expressed loyalty to groups that actually oppose each other philosophically, so I tend to question his grasp of both his own religion and the politics of Middle Eastern terrorists. This is why I find the stereotype inaccurate.
I also find the reference terribly incomplete because you seem to be ignoring the fact that, over time, at least as many homosexuals have been abused and slaughtered in the name of Jesus as Allah.
They, too, cherrypick bits and pieces of Christian thought to justify themselves. And no, these murders are not just buried in the distant past - there are Christian clergy actively preaching today that Christians greatly please God by killing "the abominations", both here and abroad.
The firebombing of the Upstairs Lounge in 1973 is a case in point. The perpetrator was never caught, so we cannot know how the SOB rationalized the act - but I'm fairly sure there wasn't a Muslim in sight. Given the heavily Christianized culture of the US, it's also a pretty fair bet that s/he would identify as Christian.
32 people were burned alive in that attack. One article I checked reports that churches - Christian churches - refused to bury the victims. The article also reports a popular joke that made the rounds about burying the queers in fruit jars. Sorry, but Muslims do not have a corner on hate.
So, if it's Islamic thought you're naming as an ideology of hate, then the same name has to be applied to Christianity.
It's kind of a chicken or egg question: does the religion cause the hate ... or is the religion being used as political cover for the underlying hate and lust for dominance?
I think it's important and valuable to look at just how foreign terrorists are able to radicalize American citizens here at home, born and raised with all the rights and benefits of being born here. I certainly agree that religiously based terrorism played a big part in the Orlando crime. I do not agree that the religion of Islam caused the murders.
I think that a real root cause analysis would show a perfect storm of homophobia, a dysfunctional and abusive personality, a closet case's psychotic projection of his own self hate and easy access to lethal technology, all of it kicked into overdrive by a misused and poorly understood religion.
All responses, except VerticalHorizion, make valid points. I have very close relatives who are gay. However...I don't know, I live on the west coast....it just didn't resonate with me as much?
On the other hand, my husband used to work at the San Bernardino Regional Center. We felt very affected when we heard the news of that shooting. He had left over 30 years ago, and the office had moved to that new location after he had left. But still, the physical/emotional closeness of it made that shooting affect me more than the Pulse shooting.
It was another horrible American tragedy. I can't understand why any civilian needs a semi automatic rifle that fires 24 shots in 9 seconds?????????????????????
The energy of the fired cartridge advances the next cartridge so you do have to pull the trigger each time you want a cartridge, or bullet to shoot out.
Am I missing anything? I'm sure it's very badly worded but I think that's the idea ?
The energy of the fired cartridge advances the next cartridge so you do have to pull the trigger each time you want a cartridge, or bullet to shoot out.
Am I missing anything? I'm sure it's very badly worded but I think that's the idea ?
Pretty much the idea. So with that in mind you should be able to deduce that the ability of semi-automatic weapon depends on who wilds it, and the avg person can't shoot nearly as fast as what most people think. Also if we were to ban all semi autos 90% of guns would be gone. I just wanted to see if you really understood what you mentioned when said you don't understand why any American needed a semi auto rifle that could shoot (whatever) amount of bullets per minute
Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.
Mfs1 - what ideology are you referring to, specifically?
If it's Islam, I really have to challenge your generalization. This has nothing to do with being PC. It's about an inaccurate and incomplete stereotype of who is doing what to whom.
Did the shooter use bits and pieces of Islamic religious thought to rationalize his evil? Probably - though the only direct evidence I know of is his statement of allegiance to Muslim terrorist groups. I also have read that he expressed loyalty to groups that actually oppose each other philosophically, so I tend to question his grasp of both his own religion and the politics of Middle Eastern terrorists. This is why I find the stereotype inaccurate.
I also find the reference terribly incomplete because you seem to be ignoring the fact that, over time, at least as many homosexuals have been abused and slaughtered in the name of Jesus as Allah.
They, too, cherrypick bits and pieces of Christian thought to justify themselves. And no, these murders are not just buried in the distant past - there are Christian clergy actively preaching today that Christians greatly please God by killing "the abominations", both here and abroad.
The firebombing of the Upstairs Lounge in 1973 is a case in point. The perpetrator was never caught, so we cannot know how the SOB rationalized the act - but I'm fairly sure there wasn't a Muslim in sight. Given the heavily Christianized culture of the US, it's also a pretty fair bet that s/he would identify as Christian.
32 people were burned alive in that attack. One article I checked reports that churches - Christian churches - refused to bury the victims. The article also reports a popular joke that made the rounds about burying the queers in fruit jars. Sorry, but Muslims do not have a corner on hate.
So, if it's Islamic thought you're naming as an ideology of hate, then the same name has to be applied to Christianity.
It's kind of a chicken or egg question: does the religion cause the hate ... or is the religion being used as political cover for the underlying hate and lust for dominance?
I think it's important and valuable to look at just how foreign terrorists are able to radicalize American citizens here at home, born and raised with all the rights and benefits of being born here. I certainly agree that religiously based terrorism played a big part in the Orlando crime. I do not agree that the religion of Islam caused the murders.
I think that a real root cause analysis would show a perfect storm of homophobia, a dysfunctional and abusive personality, a closet case's psychotic projection of his own self hate and easy access to lethal technology, all of it kicked into overdrive by a misused and poorly understood religion.
This post is probably too long. Sorry.
^This!
This is everything I wanted to say but was unable to fully articulate, thank you!!
A little aside, there are a mumber of threads about firearms over in the Breakroom. Those who want to discuss the technology might have a better experience in those threads.
jaycam, RN
1 Article; 459 Posts
It's pretty intense. I have several friends through some of my extra curriculars that have PSTD, and survivor's guilt plays into it as well. To think that we have children having to deal with it, especially for something as out there as a mass shooting. I feel bad for my military friends, and wish they could get better treatment and care, but these kids.. they didn't even know what was going to hit them. I think we'll see a lot of these situations as time passes. One of the victims from the North Valley Jewish Community Center recently did an interview with Buzzfeed. She talked about how it affected her long term and it isn't the prettiest picture ever, but she's using it to promote awareness.