Was what happened in Orlando because of mental illness? Yes.
Was it because of homophobia? Yes.
Was it because of Radical Islam? Yes.
Was it a hate crime? Yes.
Was it terrorism? Yes.
Was it because someone who shouldn't have had guns had them? Yes.
It was all of these things. Why are we arguing about which of these things to blame? It's all of these things. Anyone who opens fire in a packed club is mentally ill. Anyone who holds radical Islamic jihadist views is necessarily homophobic, because they believe homosexuals should be punished by death. Anyone who kills a person because of sexual orientation has committed a hate crime. Anyone who kills people because of religious extremism is a terrorist. Anyone who sympathizes with or pledges allegiance to terrorist organizations should not have a gun, especially someone who was investigated by the FBI multiple times for terror ties and beat his now ex-wife. The two most contentious issues here have been over Islam and gun control, but both are missing what should be the biggest issue. I'll get to that in a moment, but first touch on those two issues.
On one hand, you have those who are actually being Islamophobic, saying that we should deport all Muslims, implying that they are all terrorists, and encouraging violence against them. Those people are fucktards. On the other hand, you have people who are genuinely worried about the violent threat posed by Islamic extremists, Radical Islamic terrorists, jihadists, or whatever you want to call them. Maybe they want to halt immigration of Muslims until we figure out what's going on, or maybe not, and maybe they know parts of the Quran that incite violence for Fundamentalists, but these people are not saying that all Muslims are terrorists, nor are they encouraging violence against them. These people are realistic. Let's face it, if people are killing people in the name of any religion or anything in the way we've seen in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on 9/11, or in Boston, Paris, San Bernardino, and Orlando more recently, we should probably take a long, hard look at the beliefs that these people are subscribing to. But then there are the Liberals who go out of their way to point out that Islam is a peaceful religion, that anyone who says anything against it is Islamophobic, that we shouldn't use certain terms like "Islamic extremists" to describe these terrorists, and that we need to make sure Muslims in this country feel safe, especially now, because this rhetoric does not make them feel safe. Yeah, because rhetoric questioning religious beliefs is what should make people feel unsafe, not extremists who want to shoot up or blow up places because they believe the people in them to be infidels or sinners.
And speaking of shooting, shooting is done with a gun. Several of my Liberal friends on social media pointed out that this shooter should not have been able to get a machine gun. He did not have a machine gun. Some of my Conservative friends posted pictures of a few guns and asked which should be banned and why. That's a good point actually. Banning a gun because it looks or sounds scary is not a good reason, although it is an excellent way to make people feel good because then it looks like we're actually doing something to help stop this from happening in the future. But in reality, the terrorists will either use another gun, get a gun illegally, build bombs, or use some other method to carry out their evil plans. So, the Liberal solution that seems to come up the most is the banning of assault rifles. Would that ban have stopped this tragedy or lowered the death count? I doubt it, very highly. And a lot of the Conservatives have said that everyone in that club should have had a gun on them, and that would have stopped this from happening. To be fair, that would have guaranteed that the death toll would have been a lot lower, but it's also a horrible idea. For one, mandating that everyone carry a weapon is ridiculous and irresponsible. For another, people carrying guns into a nightclub where people typically drink alcohol is ill-advised for obvious reasons. It would almost certainly cause more deaths than it would prevent over time.
But how do we stop guns from getting into the hands of people like the killer in Orlando (whose name I refuse to repeat, per my standard procedure)? Hillary actually stumbled on to something when she said that people under investigation by the FBI should not be allowed to purchase guns, but her statement was problematic in a few ways. For one, SHE is under investigation by the FBI, and somehow she's running for President. Go figure. So, at least the reason for investigation needs to be a factor. And the second issue with this? Well, now we've stumbled upon the real problem that we need to solve. The shooter was NOT currently under investigation by the FBI. He had been investigated multiple times, but the FBI had CLOSED those investigations, having found nothing. Whoa.
We need to fix National Security. The FBI, the CIA, Homeland Security, the Secret Service, and other organizations have failed us. Even our President has severely downplayed the threat of ISIS. Look, if the FBI has investigated you multiple times for possible terrorist ties, how do they not know that you beat women, what you're searching for on the internet, and what guns you are buying? No, he should not have been able to get a gun. The FBI should have never closed the investigation, and it may not be a politically correct thing to say, but if someone is suspected (multiple times in this case, even) of being an Islamic terrorist and has a history of violence, then yes, that person should FAIL a background check when he or she goes to buy a gun. Isn't this the reason why we do background checks, which SHOULD be done when people buy guns? Of course, terrorists can still get guns illegally, which is why the FBI must do a better job monitoring potential terrorists. But, as a nation, we're too busy fighting over whether or not a Christian baker should be forced to bake a cake for a gay wedding, and how much he should be fined if he refuses. And we're too busy trying to make everything into a "Safe Space." The world is not a safe space. True safe spaces don't exist. Pulse was a safe space for many, and it became the opposite of that in the most extreme way possible when a terrorist walked in and opened fire. Not with uncomfortable or hateful words. With a gun.
The FBI will never be perfect, but the American people must help stop terrorism and mass shooting before they happen. Often times, there are signs, and people may even know of the evil being planned. There is NO EXCUSE for the shooter's wife, who KNEW about the plot ahead of time and actually drove with him to the club to scout it out for the shooting, not reporting her husband to the authorities. How were reports today saying that the FBI was considering whether or not to charge her? She could have prevented 50 deaths and 50+ serious injuries! She should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, as should anyone else who is found withholding information in this case or any like it. We need to report things that we know, things that seem like they might not be quite right, and domestic violence.
Now, as a Christian, let me say right here that it is appalling to me for any Christians to preach that these homosexuals got what they deserved, that Orlando was God's judgement, that God hates fags, or anything of that nature. There is no way that the people who say this can possibly know that this happened because God was judging. Actually, every single person who ever lived, regardless of sexual orientation, deserves to go to hell for their sins, apart from Jesus. God allows tragedies to happen, and we don't always know why, but we live in a fallen, sinful world, where God has allowed freewill. But it is not acceptable to call out people for specific sins and not others. God loves every single person. In fact, he loves us so much that he sent Jesus here to die for our sins, and if we accept him as Savior, we have eternal life. But Christians are also called to act like Jesus. The Bible says that God is Love. Jesus is God, so if God is Love, then Jesus is Love, and if Jesus is Love, then we are called to Love. And in Love, there is no hate, "And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love..." Shout out to Lin-Manuel. So instead of going to that gay pride parade to tell homosexuals things that are directly opposed to the Bible, like "God hates fags", go there to hug people in the queer community and tell them that God loves them and so do you. Tell your Muslim friends that you love them, and so does God. Hate does not overcome hate. Love does. We need to be vigilant, and we need to be wise, but only love can save us now. To further quote fellow Wesleyan Alum Lin-Manuel Miranda's recent speech, "We lived through times when hate and fear seemed stronger, we rise and fall, and light from dying embers, remembrances that hope and love last longer, and love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside."
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