Some Thoughts about the Pulse Shootings

When I heard about the shootings at the gay dance club in Orlando, I felt sick to my stomach. There is so much violence in the world and it's so horrible. It's taken a few days to even process it all, especially as the stories and pictures of the people killed start rolling onto the internet.

I've also seen several posts that say if you aren't LBQT+, that you have no business commenting on this tragedy. But on the other side, I've seen posts that say that straight, cisgendered people like myself haven't said enough.

I'm about as straight as they come. But I have a lot of LBQT+ friends. I see them as just people, awesome people since they are my friends. I don't understand the hate, and I don't think I ever will. I've had people who have hurt me physically and emotionally over the years, but I don't hate them.

The shooter sounds like he had hatred for himself, along with the people he killed. Mental illness is real. It's something I suffer from. Though I'd be more likely to kill myself rather than take others out with me if I went off my medicine. Thankfully I do have medicine to help me with my brain imbalance.

I'm also a Christian. And it sickens me to see Christian folks, especially pastors, cheering for the deaths of these people. No-one would choose to be out of the norm and live a life knowing that they will be bullied and even killed for they way they were born.

Of course, there has been a lot of talk about guns and gun control. I've never been comfortable with guns, but I can see a use for hunting rifles. Less so for handguns, but I'm totally for a ban of semi-automatic weapons. No-one needs a firearm that can mow down a bunch of people in just a few minutes. But that's just my opinion.

But in the end, this was a tragedy. I grieve for all those who lost loved ones as well as all those who are LBQT+.

This Has To Stop!

It's another day, and sadly it's another mass shooting. This time at least 14 people are dead in California. I'm saddened by more loss of life but I'm also finding myself getting more and more desensitized.

There has been more mass shootings this year than we've had days. Too much violence, too much death, and a lot of these shootings aren't caused by people who seem to be terrorists. But instead lots of white men who have a variety of issues.

I want to be outraged when something like this happens, but it is just happening too much that it just feels like a deadened weight is pulling me down. Something must be done.

While many gun advocates are quick to say that guns don't kill people, but people kill people, the guns sure help up the death count. So yeah, I'm in favor of taking guns, at least the semi-automatic ones, away from people.

I've honestly never been a fan of guns, but being from Michigan, I have no issues with rifles for hunting. But mass shootings, for the most part, aren't caused by rifles or pistols. And other people having guns doesn't seem to be stopping this madness.

As a mom and a wife, and a human being on this planet, I wish there was something I can do. Beyond voting for people who won't make things worse and possibly be able to reign in the bloodshed there isn't much I can do.

My hearts are with the victims and their families tonight.