Occasionally on Facebook I will see a political post where someone (person 1) is saying that women are property and homosexuals should be killed. Someone else (person 2) is condemning person 1 for their lack of compassion and their “barbaric” outlook. When Person 1 then identifies himself as a member of Islam, Person 2 starts apologizing and says, “I hope I didn’t offend you.” The cartoon always struck me as ironically humorous. It remains ironic… there is zero humor in it. If you don’t understand why I’m no longer laughing at the irony, or why I’m damn near beating on my keyboard as I type this op-ed piece, turn on the morning news. Turn on the morning news, on a beautiful spring Sunday morning – and see what kind of terroristic act was committed in Orlando.
According to multiple news reports, one Omar Saddiqui Mateen, a 29 year old male with “suggested ties to radical Islam,” entered Pulse – a nightclub that caters to the LGBT community – and killed approximately 50 people (count not yet confirmed) and wounded at least 53 more. Those numbers put this TERRORIST attack near the top for casualties in a criminal event.
Some news reports are quoting U.S. Rep Alan Grayson as having said, “There’s blood everywhere. There’s an enormous amount of evidence to be collected.” The Chief of Police in Orlando is quoted as having said, about the now dead terrorist, “It appears he was organized and well-prepared.” The shooter reportedly had a semi-automatic rifle, a handgun and some kind of unspecified device(s) on his person. Most reports are identifying the unspecified device(s) as improvised explosives (IEDs). Some reports are referring to the act as a “lone wolf attack,” while others are saying it’s an act of “domestic terrorism.” At least one authority is quoted as saying that it’s possible the attack was a hate crime. Well, DUH!
Okay… deep breath in… deep breath out…
First off, I completely understand the value to a politician for being seen on the scene of such a heinous crime. That said, he has zero business there. Politicians don’t investigate crimes or acts of terror and they usually tend to get in the way. Add to that the fact that they tend to twist their words so that what is being heard and understood isn’t an accurate representation of reality. Such folks do NOT need to be anywhere near the scene, nor do they have any business speaking about the crime scene to reporters. That can actually interfere with the accurate processing of the scene and follow on investigations.
Second, I don’t envy the Police Chief. He is now under such a microscope that if his shoes aren’t properly polished, someone in that city will call for his resignation using his imperfectly shined shoes as an indication of his “lack of respect for the dead,” and then they’ll accuse him of being prejudiced toward the LGBT community. That, no doubt, will lead someone to say he should resign because he didn’t provide adequate protection and criminal deterrence at the nightclub. Of course, if he had, he’d have been accused of implying that the LGBT community is more prone to criminal activity. He’s in a no win situation and I hope he comes through it okay.
Third, it’s sad to see “reporters” scrambled to label the dead terrorist. It appears that only one FBI agent, as reported, has had the guts to say that the suspect had ties to Radical Islam; that this was an act of terror. It seems like everyone else wants to call this a “lone wolf attack,” or an act of “domestic terrorism.” It seems pretty obvious to me that since there was only one shooter and he’s dead, that until the investigation turns up partners who participated in the attack and somehow managed to escape afterward, it HAD to be a “lone wolf” attack. He attacked alone. That’s not what they mean though. What they (the MSM reporters) are implying is that we shouldn’t hold this one terrorist as representative of any other Radical Islamist terrorists; that since he acted alone we should examine him in a microcosm of pristine unrelated atmosphere and environment, as if his motivations don’t, in any way, reflect on others who share the same motivation.
Do you have any idea how difficult that sentence was just to construct without risking an inaccurate and potentially offensive implication? Geez… The MSM reporters are working hard to make sure that we don’t connect THIS Radical Islamist terrorist with OTHER Radical Islamist terrorists – all of whom are fairly outspoken about the value of anyone in the LGBT community: zero.
As to it being “domestic terrorism.” It’s “domestic” only in the sense that it occurred on our soil. NBC is reporting that Omar Mateen was born in New York, so that would make him an American citizen and this would qualify as domestic terrorism. However, if the sources of that information are incorrect and it comes out that Mateen was in our country on any kind of visa, then this can no longer be called Domestic Terrorism. At that point it would be a terrorist act committed by a visiting foreigner and would, in my opinion, have to be considered an ACT OF WAR committed by the representative of a foreign organization against American citizens.
Last, there’s all of the talk about this attack being investigated as a “hate crime.” Well, of course it will. It targeted the LGBT community. That said, the fact that it targeted said community shouldn’t be the leading talking or reporting point. Victims are victims. Dead human beings are dead human beings. Murder, in and of itself, is pretty damned hateful. If this was a terrorist attack motivated by Mateen’s religious beliefs, THAT should be the primary talking point. It is of greater concern to our nation overall that a single individual attacked the LGBT community because their mere existence violated his religious principles, as compared to the weight of this “hate crime” against the same community.
Keep in mind that this crime is being reported this morning and is a much bigger story than the two Islamists who attacked and beat a waitress in Round Rock, Texas. Why? Because she dared to serve bacon during Ramadan. That is not a hate crime. That is a criminal attack motivated by religious belief empowered by a complete disregard for the laws of our country. I submit to you that the terrorist attack in Orlando fits the same characterization: a criminal attack motivated by religious belief empowered by a complete disregard for the laws of our country. Add to that fact that Mateen likely felt he was guaranteed his place in paradise by dying in combat against the Orlando police officers, since he was fighting to enforce his religious beliefs/laws, and you get the picture of a complete religious whack-job who, in my opinion, should not be reported as a “domestic terrorist.” He’s a RELIGIOUS ZEALOT who committed heinous crimes based on his religious beliefs – religious beliefs which fueled his hatred for, and in his mind, justified his violent acts against anyone in the LGBT community and anyone who supported or served them.
Welcome to Sunday morning in Orlando, Florida where politically correct speech is going to cloud and direct a criminal investigation that will drag on in the name of not dishonoring or insulting the dead criminal. My prayers go out to all impacted by this horrific event, and include the men and women in law enforcement who have to deal with the after-effects of this event.
Stay safe, brothers and sisters.
