Appalling
Ben Connon, of Rockland, stands on the Damariscotta-Newcastle bridge during a silent vigil for the victims of the shooting in Orlando. With tears streaming down his face, he said, “I lived in south Florida and I knew two of the men who were killed. I am grateful to see how strong the community is here.” (Eleanor Cade Busby photo)
I awoke this morning, Sunday, June 12, to the news on the radio that there had been a terrible mass killing in Orlando’s most popular gay nightclub and resort, named Pulse. The first reports were 20 killed and 42 injured, with many of them rushed bleeding to the hospital in the back of pickup trucks.
After church this morning, the reported toll had risen to 50 dead and 53 more wounded and maimed, with many in critical condition. The gunman had a pistol and an assault rifle and at 2 a.m. traded shots with an off-duty cop, then went into the club and let loose, killing at random.
He then held all in terror of their lives until 5 a.m., when a SWAT team drove through the front wall and into the carnage, engaged him in a sustained gun battle, and killed him dead. Quite a memory for all those involved, I would say.
There is a letter in the gay media from one of the kids who escaped. He tells of hordes crawling under tables and over bleeding bodies to escape out the exits. His telling makes this the worst group attack in our history.
The sheriff in Orlando says it is being treated as a terrorist incident, though others are calling him a lone wolf killer. It is the featured thing on public radio this afternoon.
I understand that in Orlando there have been crowds showing up at hospitals to donate blood to the victims. The surgeons and doctors are overwhelmed with so many desperate cases all at one time. Imagine it! Fifty-three slaughter victims all show up at the emergency room in pickup trucks at 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
I understand they were calling in doctors from miles away, including baby doctors. I think it is inspiring how folks will pull together in times of great need. The city has set up places to meet and hotlines for info. The entire city is angry and upset and pulling together. Gov. Scott has urged folks to pull together and has promised to assist the mayors and local officials. He will meet with families as he can. He has just declared a state of emergency in the county.
The killer, Omar Mateen, has been investigated twice, yet was allowed to have a gun. I know it is probably irrational, but it makes me nervous for all out and open-living gay couples that we are potential targets, especially a big-mouth gay spokesman like me.
I just heard that he called 911 and sang an Islamic anthem into the phone, then hung up and went on the attack. It is impossible to arm yourself against the possibilities of seriously ill people. There are sure to be renewed debates about gun control, you can be certain of that.
As I finish writing this Monday morning, I have already been treated on my phone to photos of a crowd clapping for a guy who announced he was glad they were at least killing “queers” instead of innocent people.
I have lived too long pushing this rock uphill to quit now and I strongly condemn this horrific act of violence toward gay people. Yes folks, the killer belonged and pledged allegiance to that group of fanatics in Iran that throws gay people off tall buildings.
We are thinking of buying a concealable weapon. Never thought I’d say it out loud, let alone write it.
I understand that last evening there were vigils all over the country, memorializing the victims and pledging the solidarity of all Americans. My friend Ellie Busby has shared a photo of the one on the Damariscotta bridge last evening.
The big difference in this event is the fact that with so very many decent, responsible gay folks living happily and openly, everyone now realizes they have gay friends, relatives, and neighbors. This also proves that no one is safe anymore and folks are not happy about it.
I want to share with you a letter from my colleague Bishop Ed N. Cass in Orlando:
“The death count is now 53 with 50 more maimed and wounded, some in critical condition. Cellphones on the bodies rang incessantly as family members tried to reach them … this is in our local Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., not somewhere else in the world.
“These are Americans who have died in a horrific act of hate. Yet, some folks are thanking God for this … I am left heartbroken, shocked, and saddened by the profound lack of humanity in these reactions. I pray for the victims, their families and friends, those who are living yet scarred and scared and their families, for the LGBT community, and for all Americans. May God have mercy, bring comfort, and turn our mourning into joy as we come to realize: we are all one. When one suffers, all suffer.”
A final word: Robin attended his daughter’s graduation Sunday afternoon and couldn’t help but notice that though there were some uniformed officers visible, over a thousand folks crowded into the huge gym and there were no metal detectors. Because of this I wrote a note to the chief of the state police asking him if there were plans to consider screening large crowds in light of what just happened, but haven’t heard back yet.
Let us not live in fear of one another. The world is now too small to live in terror. I think maybe we could use our atrociously expensive military to address terrorism better than is being presently done. Time to harass our senators and representatives.
(Doug Wright lives over Head Tide Hill in Whitefield. He welcomes feedback at douglas.wright22@yahoo.com.)
