To honor the victims of the deadliest mass shooting carried out by an individual in our nation’s history, Asheville people gathered for words of encouragement, an urging toward actions of love, a friendly embrace and a moment of silence. On Monday evening, streams of people filed in on foot, on bikes, and in cars to stand in a mass of hundreds in front of O’Henry’s, a gay bar on Haywood Street. They stood packed tightly together in a semicircle around the front of the establishment, where speakers shared thoughts on how to move forward and how to honor the dead.
In part because many of the victims of the Pulse shooting in Orlando, Florida were Hispanic and/or Latino, the event made a point of being bilingual, and all the speakers were fully translated into Spanish. The speakers, whether faith leaders, entertainers or activists, had broad and various messages with the uniting theme of love. Though it was a somber affair, it was above all human, and there were cheers and laughter along with the tears and heart-wrenching sadness.
Michael-David, president of the Blue Ridge Pride Center, for instance, emphasized the importance of voting for candidates who support the LGBT community. Meanwhile, Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, the presumptive Buncombe County commissioner-elect of District 1 and executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, encouraged everyone to donate to and spread the word about a special victims’ family relief fund. The fundraising has already been astonishingly successful, raising nearly $4 million in the first two days. She also offered her thoughts on personal loss and helping one another through it. She said that everyone who has faced personal tragedy and loss of a loved one can commiserate. And this is the time to be there for one another, she said.
“One of the greatest ways we can resist the violence that sometimes feels like it is sweeping through our world is to stand up and say, ‘I know and I see you, and in the depths of my grief, I know what got me through somehow. And I’m going to offer that hand to you, I am going to offer that word to you. You will never be alone as long as I’m here with you.'”
After a moment of silence and a poignant reading of the names of those killed in the shooting conjured many a tear, Brian Ammons, director of spiritual life at Warren Wilson College gave a parting meditation: “So the time has come for us to leave this place. And as we do, we’ll go knowing that I believe this and I hope that’s enough. You are all the loving children of God. Nobody can take that from you, no matter what. So go out into the world and fill it with your radical love.”
The somber gathering at O’Henry’s included some 300 or so folks sharing grief over the Pulse murders in Orlando over the weekend. Photo by Able Allen
The powerful and emotive speaking of Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara visibly moved the crowd at times. Photo by Able Allen
The large crowd settled in where they could, bleeding int adjacent lots and even across the street. Photo by Able Allen
One of the speakers asked everyone turn and share an embrace with those around them. Photo by Able Allen
Michael-David asks the crowd to get out and vote to encourage change. Photo by Able Allen
Funny that there is no mention of Muslim homophobic murderers or fidelity to the Koran as motivation.
http://bit.ly/1OrKoSz
Another site, another instance of Tim Peck stoking anti-Muslim sentiment.
Wait for it, Mr. Peck. I’m sure some incompetent will come along and start spewing hate. Any second now.
How clever. Instead of commenting on the substance of the argument, progressives focus on personalities and inessentials. That’s never happened before.
You didn’t make an argument. You criticized good people for not uttering the bile that you, in your strange state of grieving, wanted to hear.
And yet you have nothing to counter the argument. You are covering for homophobic hate. How does that feel in your world?
You’re trying to deflect from your very own homophobia, which was on display in these forums just recently. Why such hate?
I see no competent evidence that anyone at the gathering was “covering for homophobic hate,” and considerable evidence that the speakers at the gathering were opposed to it. The gathering, not me, is what the story is about. Did you even attend?
This is the definition of “lost”:
Me: “You are covering for homophobic hate.”
You: “I see no competent evidence that anyone at the gathering was covering for homophobic hate.”
Wow.
When you say “competent evidence” do you mean legally admissible evidence? Why the obtuse terminology?
I’ll take that as a “no, I did not attend.”
Didn’t you get the memo? When Mr. Peck changes the subject, you’re obligated to dance to his tune.
I got the tune. It’s the lyrics that didn’t make sense. Something about a guy named Louie?
I’m just curious why you’re so intent on demonizing Muslims while at the same time trying to appear like you’re not a bigot against the LGBT community. You were demonizing transgendered people just within the past few weeks, right here in these very forums, using vile epithets that got your posts deleted by the moderators.
Is it just that you hate Muslims more than you hate the transgendered?
Alright, it’s time for somebody to be the bigger person here and stop this personal back and forth. Thank you
The shooter was born and raised in the USA. Are we sure he got his violent homophobia from the Koran?
Two weeks before Orlando, here’s what happened in the US House of Representatives:
Homosexuals ‘Worthy of Death’ Bible Verse Read Before Key Vote
http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/bible-verse-homosexuals-heard-house-gop-prior-vote
And then afterwards…
Arizona Christian pastor doesn’t think the massacre in an Orlando LGBT nightclub was so bad
http://deadstate.org/arizona-christian-pastor-doesnt-think-the-massacre-in-an-orlando-lgbt-nightclub-was-so-bad/
Psychopaths are psychopaths. Some of them just choose to wrap themselves in the Bible, or the Koran, or whatever is handy, in order to feel that their acts or words or impulses are justified.
Secondary psychopaths try to use a tragedy to advance their own political interests. Yuck.
Islamic Terrorists Are Not Motivated By Hate
After an American Muslim who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State killed 50 people and injured 53 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, President Obama said it was an act of hate. This portrayal has led people across the country to focus on homophobia and gun control instead of exposing the real motivation so we can recognize the actual threat. While any atrocity like this is certainly hateful, we would be remiss to simply leave it at that, because we’d fail to comprehend the complex motivations that set a man like Omar Mateen apart from other mass killers. That failure to comprehend only increases our vulnerability. It is imperative for us to understand that the driving impulse of a man like Mateen is religious in nature. A lot is being said about how he beat his ex-wife and that he made homophobic comments to coworkers, but this behavior is part of his belief system, which allows men to beat their wives, to put homosexuals to death, and to slaughter unbelievers en masse.
http://thefederalist.com/2016/06/15/islamic-terrorists-are-not-motivated-by-hate/#.V2FG5ReAayk.twitter
Islam’s Jihad Against Homosexuals
The Orlando massacre is a hideous reminder to Americans that homophobia is an integral part of Islamic extremism. That isn’t to say that some people of other faiths and ideologies aren’t hostile to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or LGBT, community. Nor is to say that Islamic extremists don’t target other minorities, in addition to engaging in wholly indiscriminate violence. But it is important to establish why a man like Omar Mateen could be motivated to murder 49 people in a gay nightclub, interrupting the slaughter, as law-enforcement officials reported, to dial 911, proclaim his support for Islamic State and then pray to Allah.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/islams-jihad-against-homosexuals-1465859170
And for some opinion on the rational side of the spectrum, see http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/15/opinion/why-do-terrorists-commit-terrorism.html?_r=0, and http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/17/opinion/religions-wicked-neighbor.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fdavid-brooks&action=click&contentCollection=opinion®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection&_r=0.
Mateen was a self loathing homosexual who could not mesh ‘the lifestyle’ with his religion ‘of peace’ …
This happened two days ago, three hours east of here:
“The gays had it coming!” a man shouted and gazed back at the guy who’d called Hillary a bitch. They met eyes, shared a smile, a look of recognition.
American Horror Story
A Donald Trump rally is a homophobic, misogynistic, racist nightmare.
https://newrepublic.com/article/134329/american-horror-story
This is the country that the Orlando shooter grew up in. Meanwhile…
It’s An Honor To Continue Being Valued Over Countless Human Lives
by an AR-15
http://www.theonion.com/blogpost/its-honor-continue-being-valued-over-countless-hum-53094
This happened three days ago, three hours east of here:
“The gays had it coming!” a man shouted and gazed back at the guy who’d called Hillary a b****. They met eyes, shared a smile, a look of recognition.
American Horror Story
A Donald Trump rally is a homophobic, misogynistic, racist nightmare.
https://newrepublic.com/article/134329/american-horror-story
This is the country that the Orlando shooter grew up in. Meanwhile…
It’s An Honor To Continue Being Valued Over Countless Human Lives
by an AR-15
http://www.theonion.com/blogpost/its-honor-continue-being-valued-over-countless-hum-53094
this rabid muslim called for gays to be killed, while he was in Orlando, a couple of weeks before the other rabid muslim killed the gays https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBlwxqqAprQ
bet you did not see that in the liberal news