Like many over the past day or so, I’ve been following the terrible story of the shooting in an Orlando nightclub. It is both a tragedy and an atrocity in the highest order. It’s truly unconscionable that a man could see a group of people dancing and having fun, yet feel the kind of hatred and anger that would drive him to commit such an atrocity.
The fact that the targets were LGBT individuals makes this act especially hateful. This is an already-maligned minority who has been the target of hatred and bigotry for years, sometimes from leading presidential candidates. Hatred is bad enough, but when that hatred manifests into carnage on this scale, it is truly horrific.
I think it says a lot about the flaws in the human psyche that we are capable of having such hatred and hostility towards our fellow human being. At the same time, it is important to maintain ascertain perspective. There’s a reason why these terrible atrocities are such huge news stories. They’re rare. They’re very rare. If they happened all the time, then they wouldn’t be news. So those tempted to adopt a more cynical view of mankind should pump the breaks. This madman, whose name I refuse to acknowledge, is an aberration and should be treated as such. His hatred for a vulnerable minority should not overwhelm our love for our fellow human being.
My thoughts and condolences are with the victims and their families. I hope more share in the outpouring of support. I also hope it encourages others to stand against those who preach and encourage hatred.
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