Pulse Mass Shooting (USA)

[Delilah Scythewood]

As of early this morning, this is now the largest mass shooting in US history. At least 50 are dead and 53 injured at a popular gay nightclub in Orlando, just a day after Christina Grimmie was shot and killed after a concert in the same city.

 

Urgent call for blood donations as well. Oneblood is asking all eligible O Negative, O Positive, and AB donors to donate today. You can call 1-888-9DONATE to find a donation center near you.

 

[align=center]More information from the NY Times listed here.[/align]

[Tortles]

At the moment the blood banks seem to be overwhelmed, but will need more donations in the coming days.

[Dat Oni]

No one is safe in this godforsaken nation.

[LiadansWhisper]

I'd like to donate, but I'm severely iron-deficiency anemic at the moment (have to take two iron pills a day).

 

Ugh. ._.

[Tortles]

No worries! There are plenty of people responding, I think they will be quite covered.

[Scaith]

I'd like to donate, but I'm severely iron-deficiency anemic at the moment (have to take two iron pills a day).

 

Ugh.  ._.

Awww, I feel for you. I would as well but I already donate 2x a week for plasma and if I donated blood, I'd have to wait a year again

[Lyriell]

It seems to be getting worse every year x.x

You guys really need to get some gun regulations out of the way.

 

I wish the families all the best to get through these hard times.

[LiadansWhisper]

It seems to be getting worse every year x.x

You guys really need to get some gun regulations out of the way.

 

I wish the families all the best to get through these hard times.

 

Turns out it was a terrorist attack. Gun regs worked real well in Paris.

[Aldotsk]

I am very upset by this. The man was interrogated by FBI twice and yet they didn't look through enough that he would carry very dangerous fire arms. I really doubt anyone would have expected that this tragedy would happen in a city where everyone loves visiting for vacations such as Disney World, Universal Orlando, Sea World etc including myself. This affects me because the security increase will have all tourists and customers on edge and feel uncomfortable, and no one should feel that way I have to go on August and I hope people will feel a bit lightened by it.

 

But no one should deserve to die, no one should lose the ones they love and care about, no one should deserve to be hated because of their preferable standards, and no one should deserve to be affected by these tragedy from the start, at least it should have never happened.

 

No one should kill first of all even if there is hatred of what you don't like.

[Warren Castille]

The FBI investigated him twice, actually, and neither revealed enough information or a strong-enough tie to warrant larger interest. It's not their fault, really; It's not as if people have hidden "I AM A TERRORIST" somewhere in their emails or personal life.

 

The weapons were purchased legally. The worst thing he'd done prior to this was beat his wife, express intolerance for gay people and make some questionable comments around co-workers about suicide bombers. If that's supposed to be enough to hassle someone for being a potential terrorist, well, a huge portion of the country meets two out of three of those qualifications.

 

This is a terrible tragedy, and I am disheartened that it's happened.

[Delilah Scythewood]

As someone who grew up in Florida, lived in the area, and had friends who frequented Pulse but (thankfully) weren't there that evening, there's one thing we've all agreed upon across all boards. Things to keep in mind for the future and especially with this sort of tragedy.

---

 

#dontsayhisname, #dontsharehisstory : Don't talk about the gunman. Don't share his story, possible motives, his history. A lot of people commit mass slaughter like this SPECIFICALLY for the notoriety it gives them after death. Leaving their mark on the world so to speak. Instead? Focus on the victims. On those who suffered either with injury or death and the families they left behind. Talk about them instead and share their story. One of them worked with a friend of mine at the Harry Potter theme park and they closed down the ride he operated in honor of his memory.

 

Don't make this into a political debate : It's barely been 36 hours and already there's so many political stances sprouting up and using this tragedy as some sort of cannon fodder for political gains and reasons. Just...don't. Please, just don't. Right now it's a time to grieve and a time to reflect.

 

Don't let this fuel Islamophobia : People so often forget how putrid Christians, Jews, and other religions are/have been/can be when it comes to their radical sects. Don't use this to point fingers at all of Islam and say that they should stay out of our country. There are plenty of LGBTQ members of the Islamic community and non who had nothing to do with this.

 

Even if you're not in the area and are of sound health, donate blood : This tragedy brought up just how much we need a sound blood supply. One person can go through bags upon bags of blood, not including the 50+ wounded the Orlando and Palmer hospitals went through within the first hours.

 

Just wanted to say as well how wonderful it's been that, through all of the darkness, there's been so many people offering comfort, support, and holding vigils all over our country and beyond. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Warren Castille]

The more I read about this story the more wrung out I feel. Then seeing it used as a game piece in pushing agendas/restrictions/arguments just is more depressing.

 

Hearing about the media on-site having to ignore all of the ringing phones of the deceased as family members tried to find out if their friends and family were safe is probably going to stick with me for a long time.

 

 

I haven't felt this heartsick about an incident that's happened in... ever. It fucking sucks.

[SM Nick]

Even though I am in Miami, that does not diminish the amount of pain and fear I feel right now. I was at an in-game vigil last night and I prayed my heart out for all those in Orlando to be safe...and for those who passed on to be granted by God a safe trip to Heaven.

[LiadansWhisper]

The more I read about this story the more wrung out I feel. Then seeing it used as a game piece in pushing agendas/restrictions/arguments just is more depressing.

 

Hearing about the media on-site having to ignore all of the ringing phones of the deceased as family members tried to find out if their friends and family were safe is probably going to stick with me for a long time.

 

 

I haven't felt this heartsick about an incident that's happened in... ever. It fucking sucks.

 

It plays right into certain people's demagoguery, which absolutely sucks.

[Warren Castille]

Yeah, I wish everyone would just shut the fuck up and be sad for a while.

[Aldotsk]

When one person does something terrible, people tend to seek for someone to blame. Which is wrong. 

 

People should be asking "Why can't we be sad and sympathize for each other?" than "Which group of people should we blame?"

 

I saw a text message of the victim who sent to his mother right before he died that he loved her and that he was about to be killed. It really did hit me right to the feels. Kind of reminded me of the story back in Sewol Ferry incident when a kid sent his mom last text message before he died too.

 

I'll probably donate blood, but I'd have to find a closest hospital that's offering this weekend. Won't be able to donate due to work =/

[Oscarlet Oirellain]

I saw a text message of the victim who sent to his mother right before he died that he loved her and that he was about to be killed. It really did hit me right to the feels.

Reading those texts was the most heart breaking thing of all.

[Dat Oni]

I have asthma, so I'm not sure if my blood is viable for donation. That said, it's gonna take a lot more than donating blood to fix this.

[Sylastair]

I have asthma, so I'm not sure if my blood is viable for donation. That said, it's gonna take a lot more than donating blood to fix this.

As long as your asthma isn't bothering you at the time, you can donate blood. Most asthma medicines I know of don't disqualify you to give blood.

[Scaith]

Yeah, I wish everyone would just shut the fuck up and be sad for a while.

Oh, I'm sure this won't sit lightly with congress, and I have to agree with Aldotsk since I live in Seattle, one of the most pro-equality in gay marriage and tourist vacation spots. gods, pride is just in about a week, if that'd happened here, I don't know what congress would do. I do agree that stricter gun control is in order, but it's difficult with being a nation that was born of war and bloodshed to put down their guns and agree with peaceful co-existance. That doesn't even play into religion though, which has so many closed minded people locked in their viewpoints and willing to act on them out of fear.

[111]

I think in this specific case, political polarization is a bigger issue than gun control.

 

The guy (from what I read) was a security contractor, and would likely still have his guns with anything other than an outright ban. 

 

However if he had been told that gay people aren't full of sin... who knows? There are lots of people who quietly or openly refer to us as perverts or degenerates, or no better than pedophiles. Some people hear that, and take action.

 

All I can ask is that you do more than simply not spread bigotry. If you hear someone say it, challenge them. Refuse to associate with them. Don't allow words of hate to be spoken without fighting back. As long as the silent majority stays silent, the culture won't change.

[Scaith]

I have asthma, so I'm not sure if my blood is viable for donation. That said, it's gonna take a lot more than donating blood to fix this.

As long as your asthma isn't bothering you at the time, you can donate blood. Most asthma medicines I know of don't disqualify you to give blood.

agreed, as far as I know, this won't stop you from donating as long as you don't have an episode right in the middle of donating and albuterol shouldn't do anything to your blood

[Scaith]

I think in this specific case, political polarization is a bigger issue than gun control.

 

The guy (from what I read) was a security contractor, and would likely still have his guns with anything other than an outright ban. 

 

However if he had been told that gay people aren't full of sin... who knows? There are lots of people who quietly or openly refer to us as perverts or degenerates, or no better than pedophiles. Some people hear that, and take action.

 

All I can ask is that you do more than simply not spread bigotry. If you hear someone say it, challenge them. Refuse to associate with them. Don't allow words of hate to be spoken without fighting back. As long as the silent majority stays silent, the culture won't change.

:: applauds and nods :: Amen to that, it's our job as supporters of equality to expand everyone's mind on the subject and not ridicule them for their opinion, because that only will shut them down. It's in showing support and acceptance to new ideas that causes positive change for the country and world.

[Sylentmana]

Looks like another day in the good 'ol US of A. I'm rather sickened by the fact that our two prospective future leaders couldn't wait to dance on the graves of the victims in order to advance their own political agendas.

[Kage]

Whenever I read about the victims, it hurts. I couldn't stop the tears when I read about Luis Velma. I couldn't stop when I read about Kimberly "KJ" Morris, who had only recently moved to Orlando in the last three months to help her mother and her grandmother and worked as a bouncer in the Pulse club that was a special place for the QUILTBAG community in the area. It took me a while to stop when I read the text exchanges from Eddie Justice to his mother as he hid terrified in a restroom of one of the few spaces he should be safe in.

 

It terrifies me that one of my worst fears is that any one of the 50 people who died or any one of those injured could be outed by this horrific event in what was should have been their one safe place, their one place of acceptance. The possibility that any of those injured may have been outed from their safe space into what can be a hostile environment... I hope they are able to stay safe through this.