@fractalmstr I don’t see no need for any terrorist to disguise the intention of an attack, they want their intentions and causes to be known.
“LGBTQIAP=lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender AND transsexual (including nonbinary individuals), queer AND questioning, intersex, asexual (including demi and grey), pansexual AND polysexual (and polyamorous, if you consider that to fall under the umbrella. Some do, some don’t.)”
Demi and grey?
What’s the acronym for “excessively attention-seeking”? Or “defining myself solely by my sexual orientation”? This starts to get eye roll worthy. We get it. People are gay. We don’t care. Good for you. Move on.
Now the news is saying the shooter called 911 just before he entered the club pledging his allegiance to ISIS.
I don’t really think that was necessary, PG.
My grandparents and several friends are at LA pride. My stomach is in knots.
Based on the latest news reports, he was an ISIS sympathizer. If government has intel that you have ANY ties, to ISIS, then you should be flagged, and not able to purchase firearms.
This makes me so angry. After the San Bernadino shootings, legislation was put forth, that would prevent individuals on the watchlist from purchasing firearms, and of course it was voted down.
We are so desensitized to these mass shootings, and nothing is changing. We have to hold our elected officials accountable.
I’ve attended gay pride parades myself, Romani, and my D is moving to the area of Chicago called Boystown shortly. I am not the enemy here.
@Pizzagirl forgive me for answering a question.
I just heard that somebody with weapons who was heading to a pride parade in LA was apprehended.
Maybe a discussion of the LBGT and other acronyms deserves its own thread, as it seems to be detracting from the issue at hand here.
I am not gay. None of my immediate family members are gay. But I have colleagues and friends and children of friends who are gay, and I support their opportunity to live and love equally, and in safety. So I will proudly spend my birthday marching with my family and sons’ employers’ float in the SF parade. But I now admit I do not feel safe. I feel a bit frightened. And I imagine that is how many from the LBGT community, no matter what acronym one uses, feels. And not just on gay pride parade day, but every day.
I think he should have been banned from purchasing weapons because of his history of committing domestic abuse.
A history of domestic violence can keep someone from entering the military.
“Appear intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population”
Isnt that the result of every mass shooting? Parents are afraid of mass shooters targeting schools, university campuses - everyone is afraid of mass shooters targeting movie theaters, malls, workplaces, places of worship, etc, etc, etc.
@rosered55 He was not convicted of domestic abuse. You have to be convicted of a crime to prevent you from purchasing a gun legally. Many domestic violence charges are dropped when the abused refuses to press charges.
FWIW, the Preident of the United States just called it an act of terror.
The president has requested all flags be lowered to half staff.
I understand the FBI looked into him, but decided they didn’t have enough evidence to do anything. You can’t take away someone’s rights for that. I don’t think banning people from a certain religion of their rights would get much support (hopefully).
btw ISIS recently warned of attacks in Florida. Related? maybe.
killing homosexuals is compassionate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBlwxqqAprQ
These radical groups have extensive reach and they can spread their message over the internet (AQAP publishes a “magazine” electronically: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspire_(magazine) )and the damage that can be caused by one individual is pretty high.
It is one thing to be fighting foreigners, but it is a whole different game fighting people that hold U.S. (or Canadian/European) citizenship and passports.
Repeating- the news reported that the shooter called 911 just before he entered the club, pledging his allegiance to ISIS. Even if they didn’t authorize or sanction or directly encourage this bloodbath, assuming this report is accurate and they have the recording of the call, the shooter has made it an act of terrorism.
@emilybee:
Someone can shoot up a place simply because they are angry, for example, shooters who go into a prior place of employment and shoot people. They aren’t terrorists, they aren’t trying to influence anyone or make a whole group fear, that kind of action won’t make me fear someone coming to my place of work and shooting me,because his motive was related to where he worked. If the shooter was gay and went to the place and shot people up because he had been thrown out on another occassion, this would be an act of mindless violence, if he went into the place determined to kill gays because he believed they deserved it, it would be a hate crime, if he went in there to kill gays to send a message to other gays or to promote fear that other gays will be next, it would be terrorism, it is the message that matters. I don’t buy the father’s statement at all, if the son was upset because he saw two men kissing he wouldn’t plan out this kind of attack, he chose a nightspot (probably through research) that was a large and popular gay club in a notable tourist resort , planned the attack, got a rental car and went, it wasn’t spur of the moment, and because he chose a target in a well known area, one most people had heard of, it IMO was a message to a whole community, basically I am one of many out to get you.
As far as the father’s statement goes, taking that as fact is dubious. Among other things, it makes me question his attitudes, much as I do the father in the Turner case. When dear old dad said his son got angry about seeing two men kissing on the street, got really angry, out of proportion, did he tell him that kind of anger was wrong, or did he agree with him that it was disgusting this country ‘allows’ two men to kiss on the street, which to me is akin to reading Turner’s father’s response, which seems to be was saying "my son made a mistake’ of having sex, rather than being about the horrible nature of what he did. I am glad the father apologized, but I really have to wonder about someone who could in effect blame the sight of two men kissing for what happened, it was akin to the father of the rapist talking about alcohol and promiscuity when the son raped someone, it is blaming the victims, and his apology rang false to me, it sounded like an excuse.
I’m in several smallish, informal academic circles for various queer studies subfields (queer sts, western queer history, things like that) and my inbox is filling up with requests for members to check in. It never fails to amaze me at how quickly communities come together to make sure all of its members are ok. It helps me see light in times of immense darkness.
Has anyone seen the pictures of lines around the block to donate blood? The cruel irony of course is that the “community” most affected can’t even help with the gift of blood.
An act of terror does not necessarily mean it is a terrorist attack.
Why is that, @romanigypsyeyes ? (About the blood)
@emilybee At what point is it a terrorist attack?