On Orlando.

I’ve wanted to say something for a while. I guess I just couldn’t find the words.

So if for some reason you don’t know yet, the largest mass shooting in the history of the United States took place last weekend – 49 people were killed at a gay bar, and many others injred. Just a couple days before, a singer, Christina Grimme was gunned down while she was meeting fans after a concert. Both events took place in Orlando, Florida.

Please give this a listen - it broke my heart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5XpBOK1vC0

I don’t even know what to say. This whole situation made me feel small. I am only 17, and I live on the other end of the world. I am so detached from this situation, and yet I can’t deny that when I heard the news, I cried. Because I’m human. And that’s what humans do. They bend down and weep when they find out people have been killed in cold blood.

Honestly, there are about a hundred videos reacting to this tragedy and if you would like to take a look, I’ll leave the links below – they're probably filled with more coherent thoughts than mine right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkWaa99mjRA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maIqBhtTxrQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkypKKtjfMU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SRi8BeNWzY

All I know is that I have this platform, and even if only a few of you are out there listening, I feel it’s my duty to at least say something.  Anything.

I wish I could say we should hold on to hope. I wish I could say there are brighter days ahead. I wish I could promise a tomorrow of sunshine and rainbows. But that’s not the reality.

The reality is that there is gun violence all around us. The reality is that we have lost hundreds of good people to bullets. The reality is that there have been 16 mass shootings in the last 8 years in the US alone. The reality is we wake up in the morning, get on our phones, and find a new tragedy hashtag trending. The reality is we hope and pray, tweet, post a status (because honestly, what else can we do?), while families mourn the loss of loved ones who were taken away too quickly. The reality is that even today, in most countries, firearms are easily available for anyone to purchase. The reality is that it really could have been anyone, anywhere else in the world, who stood on the other side of that gun. This is our reality. This is our “new normal.” But I really, really don't want it to be.

This is the list of people who tragically died that day.

Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old

Amanda Alvear, 25 years old

Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 years old

Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33 years old

Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old

Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old

Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28 years old

Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25 years old

Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old

Cory James Connell, 21 years old

Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old

Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old

Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old

Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old

Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old

Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old

Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old

Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old

Frank Hernandez, 27 years old

Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old

Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 years old

Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old

Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old

Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25 years old

Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old

Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old

Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49 years old

Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 years old

Kimberly Morris, 37 years old

Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old

Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old

Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25 years old

Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old

Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old

Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old

Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old

Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27 years old

Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old

Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old

Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24 years old

Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old

Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old

Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old

Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24 years old

Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old

Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old

Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old

Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old

Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old

All of this was done by one person. And it scares the living daylights out of me.

Let us take a moment of silence to honour their memory

I will say that watching the reactions of people, especially members of the LGBT+ community has been so inspiring. This was a direct attack on their community and they are standing up and coming together and celebrating Pride month, with more vigor than ever before. It's them and the many other people who took a stand for what is right that make me believe change is still possible.

It’s very hard to believe right at this moment, but as many bad people as there are in the world, there are more good, honest, brave people who are willing to stand up and fight the good fight, no matter how uphill it is.

If you live in the United States, I hope you call, or tweet your representatives, and really help bring about a change.

("Did My Representative Take Money From NRA?" http://whoismyvoice.com/ 

“An Easy Guide To Contacting Your Elected Representatives About Gun Control”
https://medium.com/@nicolesilverberg/...

Find out where your Senator stands & demand action: http://everytown.org/senate-votes/?so...

Tweet Your Congressperson: http://everytown.org/tweet-at-congres... )

At this point, that’s our only option.

Change.

Stay safe everyone.

(Side note – I know this was a really sad post, and so were my last couple of posts(kinda XD). I really don’t want this blog to be a place to store negative vibes, so I will try to post good and hopeful things more and more frequently. The world is still a good place – I believe that to the core of my being. Change is coming. So relax, smile, and have a beautiful day :) )

 Until next time,

Bianka.