Remarks on the Candlelight Vigil for Orlando by Judy Goldsmith, Fond du Lac, WI

We are gathered here tonight to honor the memories of those whose lives were violently taken from them in Orlando last weekend, and to express our love and caring for those who lost loved ones that night and who weep for their loss.  We weep with them.

Hatred invaded a sanctuary of love and joy that night.  It was Latin night at the Pulse nightclub, there was dancing and partying, love and friendship.  If I had been in Orlando that night, I might well have been there.

But Hatred walked in, carrying an assault rifle and a pistol, looking to kill.  It seems that some people cannot stand it that others love differently than they do, in some way that doesn’t fit their narrow definition of love.  So they must stop it, wipe it out. 

I’ve never been able to understand that – I cannot for the life of me figure out why, when there are virtually endless ways for us to hate and hurt each other, why we would try to limit the ways in which people can love each other!  It makes no sense.

Many of our friends in the LGBTQ community are in pain, from grief and fear, feeling now a vulnerability that they were starting to get over – somewhat – because in the last few years there’s been some forward movement in public attitudes, an apparent growing acceptance of their lives and lifestyles.  Legislatures and the Supreme Court have validated their right to equal marriage, and there seemed to be a growing level of comfort with non-traditional relationships.

But then Orlando happens and reminds us that Hatred still stalks the streets.

There is an important thing to remember, though…we are better in some ways.  A friend just today reminded me that in 1969, during the infamous Stonewall Riots in New York City, which launched the gay pride movement, forerunner to the LGBTQ movement of today, police dragged gay patrons out into the streets and beat them.

But in Orlando, last weekend, police went into the Pulse nightclub, and pulled gay patrons out to safety, saving their lives time and time again, while putting themselves in the line of fire.  We thank them, from the bottom of our hearts, for all those they saved that night, and for their bravery.  We are doing better.

I cannot talk about that night without saying something else…when Hatred stalks the streets of our cities and towns, it is well armed.  I love our Constitution, and I know that the Second Amendment says, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

But it doesn’t say you have a right to an assault rifle.  With the guns they had when the Constitution was written, it took some time to kill a person…one shot at a time, reload, another shot.  But an assault rifle is an efficient instrument of mass slaughter – and it should be banned.

It used to be – and it should be again.  If I have one prayer tonight, it is that our members of Congress, who should be committed to work for the common good and our well-being, somehow find in their hearts the integrity and courage, the moral fortitude to stand up the monolithic gun lobby and restore the ban on assault weapons!

One more thing – there is again a troubling spotlight on our Muslim friends and neighbors, those in our community and around the country, because of the religious identify of the Orlando shooter (even though he was born in Queens, New York, and so wouldn’t have been affected by any proposed ban on Muslims coming into this country.

But as we know, Hatred doesn’t abide by logic or reason.  So there is a new vulnerability for our Muslim sisters and brothers, too.  Let us reach out to them and let them know that we stand by them as well. 

In fact, look at all the people who were in Pulse that night – what a remarkable picture of humanity it was!  There were many Latinos – there were Sotomayors and Hernandezes and Candelarios – there were Black people and straight people and white people.  It was a joyous mixture of humanity.

And it is that humanity that we honor tonight…that humanity that we celebrate.  And we commit ourselves here to do everything in our power, on behalf of those brothers and sisters we have lost, to combat hatred and prejudice, and to fight the righteous fight for justice for everyone!