Most of us woke this morning and turned on the television to see the horror which transpired overnight in Orlando, Florida, the shooting at a gay nightclub which has left 50 people dead and another 53 injured.
As you would expect at a moment of national crisis such at this one, politicians from both parties have weighed in on the incident, which now goes down as a very dark page in American history: the most deadly mass shooting ever committed in the United States.
Donald Trump tweeted out this:
Really bad shooting in Orlando. Police investigating possible terrorism. Many people dead and wounded.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2016
His Democratic challenger, Hillary Clinton, also expressed her sorrow via social media:
Woke up to hear the devastating news from FL. As we wait for more information, my thoughts are with those affected by this horrific act. -H
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 12, 2016
Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders made his remarks on “Meet the Press,” and he called the shooting “horrific” and “unthinkable.”
"It's horrific, it's unthinkable," says @BernieSanders on #OrlandoShooting this morning on @MeetThePress. #MTP #Orlando
— NBC News PR (@NBCNewsPR) June 12, 2016
Already, those on the right are attempting to blame President Obama and radical Islam for the actions of one deranged man who hated homosexuals. And yet, he had something in common with those Christian extremists who call for the death of the LGBT community across this nation. There have been numerous attempts to criminalize where a transgender person can use the bathroom, sermons of hellfire and brimstone from Ted Cruz over the same-sex marriage ruling from the Supreme Court, and radical ministers all over America alleging that LGBT rights spell the end of the republic.
Omar Mateen is the monster who committed this crime, but there are plenty of others who call themselves Christians that could just have easily been responsible. There have been howls from the far right in this country to shoot any transgender person seen in the “wrong” public bathroom.
In other words, before anyone dares to cast the first stone at another person or another religion, perhaps they should examine the massive hypocrisy in their own soul.
Image Via YouTube Screengrab
