June 12, 2016 I woke up to a text message from My BFF Denise
and then jumped on FB only to find that there was a shooting so close to
home. I find that it startled me and
then I started making phone calls, and even though everyone I am close to was
safe I am still waiting on word if anyone I knew had passed from my own friends
having their people passed. I watched
and watched the news listened to the radio and went about my own day with the
chores that needed to be completed to the dinner I was looking forward to. You still couldn’t escape the news and the
tragedy that happened. 49 people dead
and 53 wounded at Pulse Nightclub at 2:02am in the morning on June 12, 2016.
You hear about this happening all over the country and the
world. I thought maybe I was desensitized
because I did shed some tears for the people this affected in the past but you
say to yourself this is what the world has come to and you go on with your
everyday life. But this morning on June
13, 2016 I cannot stop the random tears that come into my eyes and wanting to
express the sorrow I have in my heart and wonder why I got up, dressed and am
now sitting at my desk typing this up.
Everyone in the media is stating “go about your day” – “live your life” –
and so on and so on to show these people that commit these mass killings that
they can’t bring us down. I am trying to
do this today and still feel like I am doing something wrong. My son Patrick Birdsong is gay, I always
encourage him to get out into the world meet people, feel safe and be proud of who
he is. And he tells me, “it’s not safe
still in 2016” and now I am feeling like he is right. Not only are killings being done in the name
of religion but now it’s being done in the name of religion and a choice in
lifestyle. Taking one life is senseless
but taking multiple lives is horrific.
Our news anchors are breaking up when they are reporting the
news, our police officers and all the first responders are breaking up, and the
families of the victims are in tears. So
many funerals for the next couple of weeks, the stupid politician, and the
government are pointing fingers and making it about this and that, when it
should be about the victims and their families.
Hell I am even typing this because it’s about my feelings and I don’t
even know if that is acceptable right now, but feeling I need to put it out
there just to help me see and hear all the sadness in Orlando. “No one is promised tomorrow” and yet I want
to crawl under a blanket and never come out.
I saw one of my friends on FB has lost a friend and the sadness is there
for her. I look at the names of the
fallen victims and see their ages and think, “wow they lost their lives and can’t
be married or have children or grow old”.
The night before I celebrated a friend’s birthday and talked
about finding a club to go to next month to dance and have a girls night out
for that. And it was even discussed that
we are getting older and the clubs are for the young. But we oldies wanted to make an attempt, now
shaking my head, I want to know does anywhere feel safe anymore. I don’t like to be in a restaurant with my
back to the door because of a shooting that happened in Texas, gunman comes in
shooting up a Shoney’s, so many many years ago.
I go to work and think to myself a disgruntled employee could come in
and shot the whole place up. That isn’t
a way to live but it’s the reality of thoughts that come through my head. Now going out and enjoying myself anywhere is
that safe. I can’t stop living because
of this but the thoughts come in my head often.
It is not about me and my feelings – it’s about the victims
and their family and friends and as of now at 8:36am on June 13, 2016 I have
not lost any loved ones and any family as of yet, but not all the names have
been released of the victims. Hell I don’t
even want to say victims, they were loved ones of someone, they were human
beings that graced us with their laugh and smile, and they had dreams and
visions of a future that was tragically taken from them. To all the families waiting on word about their
loved ones, to all their friends may you find your peace and may you remember
the fallen with love and smiles and tears and know that my heart goes out to
you all.
MyLinh McDonald
NOW WE HAVE NAMES AND WE SHOULD HONOR THEM
RIP
NOW WE HAVE NAMES AND WE SHOULD HONOR THEM
RIP
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
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