No Silence for the Orlando Victims

Published in the Mt Horeb Mail, June 2016

So now we have yet another incidence of lethal violence against innocent
people committed by yet another sick man with a big gun. And we even have a
new record: 49 people (and counting) are dead. Dozens more are wounded and
hundreds, or thousands, traumatized and in mourning. The Orlando shooter’s
motives, to say the least, are murky. He professed allegiance to competing
Islamic groups but did all his shooting at a gay night club, so it would seem clear
his hatred of LGBT folks trumped his political ideology. This is looking like a
hate crime; one where the hate was made more virulent—and given a perverse
cover, by the shooter’s misunderstood religion, his misapplied politics and his
own confused sexuality.

We will never know for sure why Omar Mateen walked into the Pulse night
club and opened fire. But will we ever know why this man who spent time on the
FBI’s terror watch list was able to legally buy the guns he used? Will we ever
know why politicians who are sworn to protect the vulnerable in our society can’t
claw their way out of the National Rifle Association’s purse; why they can’t find
the character and the courage to require reasonable background checks—or
better yet, ban assault weapons that simply have no place in civilized society?

And will our community recognize this tragedy for what it is: a crime of
hate against lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender persons, both in Orlando and
here in Mt Horeb; a crime against our own brothers and sisters and children and
friends? Instead of moments of silence we should loudly proclaim our anger and
grief and pain and say, again, enough of this hate and violence. We should, gay
and straight together, affirm the rightness and loveliness of each person;
declaring each to be the product of God’s beautiful Creation; each the object of
God’s deepest affection.

This is not a time for retaliation and fear. It is a time for us to reach deep into
ourselves and high into the heavens for the best of what we can display—
compassion, courage, solidarity; and even forgiveness. It is a time for us to hold
our hurting neighbors close and our legislators accountable.

This is not a time for silence.

Rev. Brad Brookins
Mt Vernon United Church of Christ