Thoughts on the Orlando Massacre.

I could offer my observations and opinions on what happened in Orlando when  a murderer slaughtered fifty human beings at a nightclub and wounded at least fifty-three more in the name of  his twisted take on religion combined with homophobia taken to its worst extreme. But that would all be theoretical, despite the well-intentioned approach. Instead, I thought I'd repost something one of my bosses wrote because it's eloquent, well-written and, most importantly, it's based on the viewpoint of someone who can relate:

"About a month ago I was at Town Hall, as I am quite a bit because of the library, and I struck up a conversation with one of my favorites. I don't really remember how it came up but we started discussing some issues and she told me about her friend and her partner and their children who had basically been bullied out of a local Catholic school. I voiced my concern about being singled out and she asked me if I was really worried about such a thing. Yes! I am! I'm sure I will never hold John's hand in public, I get mad at him when we are in the car and he will put his arm around me when I'm driving. You just never know who's going to be looking. Who will pull up next to you? Is it going to be some nut job with a gun that's disgusted by the fag next to him? What happens if we are out some place and Madgirl is with us? What if she's subjected to harassment? What if something worse?
I saw something so repulsive today on someone's page that was an article about praying away the gay and choosing to live life as a straight person. I'm so utterly disgusted by the notion that anyone has the power to change such a thing. Equally disturbing was the Lieutenant Governor of Texas who tweeted after the news broke that "man reaps what they sow." As if some people partying and not bothering anyone else deserved to be gunned down.

There are days when I hear my good friend's voice in my head, I won't mention him, but he knows who he is.....he said to me "it must have been difficult all those years to be you...I'm sorry." He's a true man of God and I'm so thankful I have him as a friend.

I don't know what the answer is.....if there even is one. I know that posting on FB to pray for a group of people or a city isn't going to do it. I know that making new laws or stricter laws won't do it. There has to be a conscious change, a want to change and a desire to do the hard work to change before anything will happen. Every time something like this happens people say we need to have a conversation and it doesn't happen and then the next tragedy comes and goes and so on. There's always something new to distract us from the truth.....a new Kardashian is born, someone used a certain bathroom or a gorilla divides the nation.

I truly wish for peace and for people to respect one another, I just don't think we have it in us. We ARE choosing not to care about one another and the cycle will continue."