This is tough. We're 6 months into 2016, and it's proving itself to be one of our toughest years yet. That's not an exaggeration.
Early Sunday morning (June 12, 2016) Omar Manteen opened fire on Pulse, a gay night club in Orlando Florida. He killed 50 innocent people, and injured 53 others. Why? Because they were gay, and if they weren't they were at a gay night club. This was targeted. You have to understand why this doesn't make sense.
An act of hate is what this was. The worst mass shooting in the history of the United States - a massacre is what they are calling it.
We are not safe anywhere. Church, movie theaters, our homes or night clubs. No where.
The fact that we list this current shooting as the "worst" is problematic. Why are we dealing with this at all?
This attack in Orlando confirms for myself that such shootings, regardless of whether they are related to terrorism and hate are not almost a daily part of living in America. That's the scariest part.
No other country struggles with gun violence they way America does. I'm no longer willing to entertain the argument of "guns do not kill people, people kill people." While that is technically true, I'm not feeling technical right now. People are using guns to cause pain and suffering for unjustifiable reasons! That's a fact. In my eyes if you disagree with that, you are part of the problem.
No one needs an Assault Rifle or Machine Gun. Stronger laws governing the sale of any kind of assault weapons are needed. Let's be real. Nobody can justify the need for an assault rifle. As a civilian the need is unrealistic.
Lets be clear: I understand the 2nd Amendment, and I greatly understand people's connection to it, but there is a clear abuse of the right. Regulating gun laws based on the action of abusers makes total sense to me. This is not a singular issue. It hasn't happened only one time. There are 10 documented mass shootings in America. That's 10 too many.
There could have been anyone is that club. Me and you, your momma and your cousin too. But because someone has the right to bear arms, means that we should shrug our shoulders and move on. America, we have a problem. Quite a serious problem, actually, and it needs to be fixed.
To ignore this issue is to be OK with it.
My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible event.