A small venting regarding Orlando

This post will have a somewhat political tone to it. Everything I write down here are my own views and no one else's. If you decide to react in this thread, please be respectful to one another and don't attack each other personally.
Or maybe we shouldn't react to each other at all, but just use this thread to pour our hearts out.

I feel the need to write this down, because what happened in Orlando this weekend makes me extremely sad. Not only because a shitload of people pointlessly lost their lives and others are scarred for the rest of theirs, but also because it could have been so easily avoided. I feel sad, because this shit is happening for so fucking long already. I feel sad, because people are completely and utterly unable to keep their own prejudices in check. I feel sad, because people are bend on hating each other for absolutely ridiculous reasons.

There are those that support the American right to carry arms. I feel that if American gun laws would have been more similar to those in Europe, this mass murder would either not have taken place, or not have taken as many and as severe casualties as it did.

I am glad to read though that this act of terrorism has been condemned everywhere and that a shitload of money and blood is being donated.

For now I do not know what else to write. So I will keep it at this.

My heart goes out to the victims and their family and friends and I hope any fleeties residing in the area are safe and sound (let us know something if you're alright, will you?)

You are totally right, Lars. The things happening right now make me very sad too, I even can not sleep. My STO absense (for about half a year now) is also related to these happenings, because of the events on NewYearsEve here in Europe. It was a nightmare for me, it still is, my love, myself, most of my friends and even members of my family had contact with sexual related violence. Mixing all the individual stories together you end up with a story that fits with that of Cologne and the other cities in Europe.

And now Orlando. This is really hard to cope, I am very, very sad, I even can not cry because I am so sad. Yesterday one of our fleeties told me, he knew someone working at the Pulse. This remembered me of working in a german city as organizer and service for public queer parties, so if this happened here it could have been me. It was very hard for me, listening to the interview with the bartender of the pulse, as I could really feel what she was talking about.

I don't know if another gun law would make it better. Europe has stricter laws on the use and getting of weapons, but we weren't able to hinder the guys of Paris doing their bloodshed. I think its even worse than that, and blaming the laws won't stop those evil people to carry out their plans. At this point there are two thoughts coming in my mind:
In my career as Eventmanager I had access to many rich, wealthy and good secured people, including 3 german chancellors and even 2 american presidents. Sometimes there was a security check on me, sometimes not.
While I was young I experimented with drugs (like anybody else), and on one occasion buying stuff from my dealer he offered me a weapon. I dont know why he asked me (perhaps he asked all his clients) and certainly I refused, but the point is, this was more than twenty years ago in a public place in a german city. So I think, its easy to get weapons no matter where you are or what the law is.
Finally I want to point out, that one of the guys shooting at the Bataclan in Paris was one of the securities working there, and he gave the other three shooters access through a backdoor.

I believe there is no safety, only good faith and hope, and love of course. If we stay together, if we cry out loud our demands, and if we always remember that we are humans and we are all the same, than we may be able to break this chain. I am working my whole life on this, and I wont surrender, no matter what.

I'm not OK. I was being a slut at the time of the shooting but an hour before that I was at Pulse. My friends who just got engaged earlier and were celebrating are both dead. There's an inferno in me right now that I'm letting burn because it's all thats keeping me going right now. My hate and rage is addicting and I don't care if I become an addict. The refusal for people to admit this was a hate crime targeting the LGBT community is infuriating. It was ME they were shooting at and it was MY FRIENDS that died. I am not going to play nice any more. This faggot has a gun and this faggot is damn sick and tired of being told to stay calm so you don't do anything stupid. Sometimes being stupid get the job done. Being stupid saved the next generation from the AIDS decimation of the 80's and 90's. Maybe Being Stupid will get the job done now. The Civil Rights Movement had MLK and Malcom X. The Gay Community never had a Malcom X or Black Panther figure to give force behind the worlds of HRC, GLAAD or other LGBT Leaders.

I am so sorry that you lost your friends to this horror. It is insane that people would argue that this is not a hate crime when clearly it is both fueled by hatred of a community and terrorism. Downplaying the hate crime that was committed is part of an agenda of all those American's that are anything but American. Even our President didn't leave out the hate crime in his speech yesterday.

Something evil is in the air and to be honest I am not convinced it's coming from other countries. It's right here at home.

Stay Safe!

Our deepest sorry for you and your loss. Thank you for speaking out. We understand your feeling and your attitude. This was clearly a hate crime, against gays, queers, humans, humanity. It was and is and will never be right. If we can support you pls let us know.

Holy shit, Aikune. I'm so sorry that you lost your friends and almost your own life too. Let that inferno rage, because that really is what's needed to stop this shit from happening again.

I'm so sorry for your loss Aikune, I'm here if you want to chat.

Not to sound glib but I don't want your support, because I don't need it, I'm still going, there's others out there that can't stand on their own right now. Seek them out and help them.

And I just found a good friend of mine lost his son in the shooting. Those are the people that need your help right now.

Here some one else that needs the help


[attachment=3561]13445366_10207973326984234_4389427751662142168_n.jpg[/attachment]

Quote by WhiteOnmyoji

I'm not OK...Being stupid saved the next generation from the AIDS decimation of the 80's and 90's. Maybe Being Stupid will get the job done now. The Civil Rights Movement had MLK and Malcom X. The Gay Community never had a Malcom X or Black Panther figure to give force behind the worlds of HRC, GLAAD or other LGBT Leaders.

I'm with you 100%. My regards for your losses.

What with all of the "moments of silence," I can't help but remember the old ACT UP slogan.

Silence = Death.

It was right then, and it's right now. By all means hold on to that anger. Channel it. Well-behaved, housebroken queers are not what is needed right now.

Instinct just did a write up on my friends that died.

http://instinctmagazine.com/post/young-orlando-couple-hoped-marry-one-day-will-now-have-joint-funeral

Atleast I only have to dry clean one suit... #inappropriateaikuneisalwaysinappropriate

I still haven't processed any of this. I don't think i will for awhile. I have a close friend who lives in downtown Orlando who i've been talking to constantly, she's been sending me pictures of the vigils being held in town. I used to live there myself..it's surreal to say the least.

Eradicating the bullshit ideologies of the world that influence people to do harm to one another is what has to happen. Period. I don't give a fuck about being politically correct about it anymore. This nonsense just has to stop. There is absolutely no rebuttal about 2nd amendment rights or "religious freedom" that can provide any excuse. To echo the President, we have seen this too many times. This time, we were targeted...targeted by a brainwashed, closeted gay man. Nevermind that the dude was already on an FBI watch list and was still able to legally buy a weapon.

I don't know what the answer is, but doing nothing sure as hell ain't it. The first step in solving a problem is recognizing there is one, and you have to be blind as an American to not see that we have a big fucking problem here.

Aikune, my deepest condolences. I share in your rage. It's a raw feeling that I won't shake for some time either.

Ban the AR-15 from Civilian Ownership
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/ban-ar-15-civilian-ownership

If you guys can, sign this. :)

Quote by Eurrsk

Ban the AR-15 from Civilian Ownership
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/ban-ar-15-civilian-ownership

If you guys can, sign this. :)

A friend ofa friend started this, thank you for sharing it.

Quote by Eurrsk

Ban the AR-15 from Civilian Ownership
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/ban-ar-15-civilian-ownership

If you guys can, sign this. :)

For any Europeans who obv can't sign, I'd suggest contacting your MEP about the post-Paris gun control law currently going through the European Parliament. There is a lot of opposition from the hunting lobby that could derail it but hopefully it will outlaw automatic and semi-automatic weapons as well as tighten tracking and decomissioning.

Depressingly, it seems the assassination of our MP yesterday was by a "homemade" gun. This both is a disturbing problem and an argument for the gun lobby to use along the "it won't work" lines.

Quote by Thval

Quote by Eurrsk

Ban the AR-15 from Civilian Ownership
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/ban-ar-15-civilian-ownership

If you guys can, sign this. :)

For any Europeans who obv can't sign, I'd suggest contacting your MEP about the post-Paris gun control law currently going through the European Parliament. There is a lot of opposition from the hunting lobby that could derail it but hopefully it will outlaw automatic and semi-automatic weapons as well as tighten tracking and decomissioning.

Depressingly, it seems the assassination of our MP yesterday was by a "homemade" gun. This both is a disturbing problem and an argument for the gun lobby to use along the "it won't work" lines.

I'm living in the Netherlands and was able to sign it.

Sort of not a great idea. Government petitions are for citizens as they're the ones affected. When the petition hits X figure they'll go through and verify the signatures and if they have to cut out a large chunk of the number because they're not valid then it looks rather bad for the organisers of said petition.

A minor quibble...apparently the weapon wasn't actually an AR, it was a similar model but not exactly the same. Banning this particular gun model wouldn't ban the one that was actually used.