Another day, another mass shooting in America. This time aimed at the LGBTQ community. Hundreds of thousands of voices have screamed out in anguish and despair at this tragedy. The loss of 50 lives, and the wounding of 50 more has left us with a sense of insecurity and discomfort. Yet nothing will change. We as a nation will grieve, and news outlets will be flooded with headlines pertaining to this incident, and yet we will move on. We will move on just as we have done before with mass shootings.

Politicians will use this incident as a talking point, many will stand facing large crowds promising that wrongs will be set right, yet nothing will change. We as a country will continue to talk about the strengthening of gun laws, and some within our midst will continue to hold steadfast in their belief in the right to bear arms. As as this conversation occurs, the dead will begin to fade away. Can you name me the 9 that died in Charleston, or the scores of school children that have been killed? Can you name me the lives lost in that movie theater in Aurora? Can you name those slain in Columbine? Even the mentioning of these tragedies causes people to recoil in pain, because nothing has been set right. We can no longer put our faith in law makers to protect us, we can no longer look to our law makers to correct the wrong that has happened. Instead we must DEMAND from them a change.

No longer can we, the people, stand idly by while our countrymen are being slain by brutes. Slain by mad gunmen, slain by those sworn to protect us. We can no longer tolerate indecision and inaction. We know that without action more innocent lives will continue to be lost. We know that without action schools, bars, churches, and movies theaters  will continue to be targeted for acts of malice and destruction. The government has failed us. The police have failed us. Those we elect to lead have failed us. It is now up to the people to decide what to do.

We cannot continue to pray, continue to grieve, and continue to sulk. We must take it upon ourselves to change the status quo. We must act, we must stand together, or more senseless death will continue to occur within our borders.

“Hey you! Out there in the cold, getting lonely getting old, can you feel me?…Hey you! Don’t help them to bury the light. Don’t give in without a fight…Together we stand, divided we fall.”-Pink Floyd

Signed,

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