Orlando shootings and the parks

[Cesar R M]

It is s coming out now that this lunatic had frequented Pulse nightclub for at least three years, that he would get falling down drunk saying that he couldn't drink around his family for religious reasons, that he pulled a knife on someone at one point because they made fun of his religion, and that he was on Grindr, a gay hook-up app.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-orlando-nightclub-shooting-20160613-snap-story.html

Draw your own conclusions.

In the meantime, the names and stories of the victims are coming out.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/13/us/orlando-victims-profiles/

This is an insanely tragic moment in American history. I can't even think clearly right now. Unreal. Pic from NYC vigil tonight below:
View attachment 145876

The more info goes out, the more it looks like he was struggling with his own homosexuality and went full closeted denial.
I wonder if he went rampage there just to "punish those who teased him into the gay lifestyle" he seemed to like.

 

[Cesar R M]

You were the one that made mention of being searched twice before going into the parks. So I guess now you are moving the goalpost.

Really? where did I mention that??

 

[BuddyThomas]

The more info goes out, the more it looks like he was struggling with his own homosexuality and went full closeted denial.
I wonder if he went rampage there just to "punish those who teased him into the gay lifestyle" he seemed to like.

Exactly. Coming out now that his parents were very anti-gay and they pounded it into his head day after day that it was wrong, so clearly, he was a self-loathing, closeted tragic soul and unfortunately, he went batsh#t crazy and ended 50 lives. I don't know how this happens in 2016. I thought the world was more enlightened. Apparently I've been living in Fantasyland. And now I wish I could live there indefinitely.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Lin-Manuel Miranda's eloquent acceptance speech for Hamilton on the Tony Awards last night - this says it all:

 

[Matt_Black]

Exactly. Coming out now that his parents were very anti-gay and they pounded it into his head day after day that it was wrong, so clearly, he was a self-loathing, closeted tragic soul and unfortunately, he went batsh#t crazy and ended 50 lives. I don't know how this happens in 2016. I thought the world was more enlightened. Apparently I've been living in Fantasyland. And now I wish I could live there indefinitely.

Just 3 years ago, a man in this country set someone on fire on a subway car because, in his own words, hated gay people (the person in question identified as "agender").

 

[Jason Lives]

I am a white male, former college football player who stands 6'4" and weighs 285 pounds.
People stare at me wherever I go. They react differently to me when I walk by. I get searched more often than most.
And I get watched by police very often who seem to be a bit on their guard when I walk by.
I am also an Army veteran.

I guess I am being profiled for being a big guy.......and I expect that. I know I am big and intimidating.
I know some who do not know me may perceive me as a threat.....and that is just something that I have learned to deal with.

I'm okay with it because I'm proud of my size. It offers me certain advantages that others do not get. However, I cannot fit in the increasingly smaller seats and cars for Disney rides. I could complain that I am discriminated against because of my size.......but I don't.
I can't get clothes in my size at the parks because most smaller people like to buy larger clothes that fit them very loosely so they buy the sizes that I need.
Do I complain and call discrimination? Nope. I just deal with it because I am what I am and I'm proud of who I am.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Just 3 years ago, a man in this country set someone on fire on a subway car because, in his own words, hated gay people (the person in question identified as "agender").

 

[Matt_Black]

Do I complain and call discrimination? Nope. I just deal with it because I am what I am and I'm proud of who I am.

Have you ever been denied a bank loan because of your size?

 

[Matt_Black]

I know, and yet, when you point out things like that and how the Orlando attack is very clearly tied into a long history of violence and persecution in this country, I get accused of politicizing the tragedy.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I know, and yet, when you point out things like that and how the Orlando attack is very clearly tied into a long history of violence and persecution in this country, I get accused of politicizing the tragedy.

Well, I know they don't like to get political on here, and they don't let anything gay be discussed, I think this is a good opportunity for them to make a major exception because this is an insane and incredibly important story and it is especially relevant to this board in that it happened in the area of the parks. I for one could personally have been at that bar, had circumstances been different. I had been talking about a trip, and the friend I would have brought with me would have wanted to go to a local nightclub.

 

[Matt_Black]

Bongo's released a statement- apparently one of their employees at DS was one of the victims. It's a terrible thing.

I just see so many trying to focus attention on the attacker rather than the victims and why they were targeted, and I think we need to take a hard look at both of those instead of doing either/ or.

 

[Matt_Black]

You have summed up so eloquently what I've felt since yesterday morning. For this first time since coming out, I feel so vulnerable. I know I shouldn't because that gives that p.o.s. what he wanted; and I REFUSE to give him that. But here we are, halfway through 2016, and 49 of our fellow LGBT people were shot dead celebrating who they were. And then I take yet another step back and look at the climate of America in 2016. Look at the anti-hate rhetoric spewed by supposed leaders, supposed liaisons of spiritual tidings, looks at the laws still being passed and it doesn't seem so hard to believe something like this tragedy occurred. Yet, supposedly, all our troubles magically vanished on June 26th, 2015. Give me a break. So you bet your butt we are going to make this into something political, and you know what? Everyone on this board and elsewhere can get the hell over it tbh. I'm tired of being complacent, silent, sick of it all.

I can only sympathize. I truly cannot understand what you're going through. As a WASP heterosexual male, I am at the peak of privilege in this country; I can at least recognize that and try to offer kind words and solace when I can.

 

[BuddyThomas]

I can only sympathize. I truly cannot understand what you're going through. As a WASP heterosexual male, I am at the peak of privilege in this country; I can at least recognize that and try to offer kind words and solace when I can.

Actually, you're one of the good ones. Don't sell yourself short. And thank you.

 

[GrumpyFan]

You make sense but the reality is that if the numbers were released my suspicion is black people are searched more.

This, and every other post like it is just pure BS, and irrelevant to this conversation. First, you can't prove it. Second, I'll tell you that on our most recent trip in May, I was searched almost every time, three times in one day, and I'm an average looking, middle aged white male. Okay, maybe a leetle suspicious looking, but only when I'm wearing my shades.
Seriously, though, can we just drop this discussion altogether? It serves no purpose here.
At a time like this, we should all be thanking the security folks for doing their jobs and working to try and keep everyone safe.

 

[Matt_Black]

Actually, you're one of the good ones. Don't sell yourself short. And thank you.

It's just frustrating, because it seems I was banging my head against a similar wall last year. "What's the big deal with the Confederate flag? People are too sensitive!" You can try to explain that there are people living in this country who have very clear memories of being attacked by men bearing that flag, but it doesn't seem to lead anywhere.

 

[BuddyThomas]

In the meantime, I think we need some light - from the Broadway musical Next to Normal, a song that is sadly appropriate for the occasion:

Light - from Next to Normal

 

[oceanbreeze77]

In the meantime, I think we need some light - from the Broadway musical Next to Normal, a song that is sadly appropriate for the occasion:

Light - from Next to Normal

LOVE this song

 

[Disney.Mike]

I am black male, i got searched at ak and epcot within hours of each other. I also saw a disproportionate number of other black people being searched.

Last time me and the wife went at the end of March this year, it seemed we were both searched multiple times a day. It seemed that about 3/4 of our trips to the parks one of us got searched.

That said, I've been to DisneyWorld probably 20 times and have never seen a large enough presence of African-Americans, Africans, Haitans (anyone that appears "black") to begin to make a judgement of it they are disproportionately targeted... simply because their appears to be so few black families there.

 

[SYRIK2000]

None of that. What they should do is what has been suggested by @WDW1974. Hire the Israelis.

Wasn't there just a mass shooting in Tel Aviv?

 

[Jason Lives]

Have you ever been denied a bank loan because of your size?

No because of my lack of earnings. I guess I was discriminated against because I don't make enough money.
But now that you mention it ....it could have been my size. I wouldn't know because the bank didn't come right out and say it.
So ....DARN IT....I bet they DID deny me a loan because of my size.

Sure, so what if they didn't admit it to me. I should have seen that underlying size discrimination from the beginning.
How dare they. Those Anti-Size banks.