Whittier Strong shares his compassion for every person in the wake of the tragic shootings in Orlando.
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Today I grieve.
Today I grieve for the lives lost at Pulse in Orlando.
Today I grieve for every queer person in America who feels less safe now.
Today I grieve for every queer person in America who hasn’t felt safe in a very long time.
Today I grieve for every queer person everywhere who has never been safe, those who have lost a job or a home, family or friends, or even their lives, simply because they exist.
Today I grieve for every Muslim person in America who hasn’t felt safe in a very long time.
Today I grieve for every Muslim in America who will continue to be painted with a broad and ugly brush, who will continue living in a culture that vilifies them, a culture that claims to believe in religious freedom.
Today I grieve for every Muslim queer person stuck hopelessly and painfully in the middle.
Today I grieve for every queer person caught up in any religious system that tells them they shouldn’t or don’t exist.
Today I grieve for every straight person caught up in any religious system that tells them queer people shouldn’t or don’t exist.
Today I grieve for every person caught up in any religious system that tells them that people in any other religious system—or lack thereof—shouldn’t exist.
Today I grieve for every queer person who may now feel called to hate Muslims more.
Today I grieve for every Muslim who may now feel called to hate queer people more.
Today I grieve for every American who may now feel called to hate Muslims more.
Today I grieve for every American who may now feel called to hate queer people more.
Today I grieve for every person who may now feel called to hate Americans more.
Today I grieve for every American because they live in a culture that considers it reasonable and acceptable for its citizenry to live constantly under the threat of violent death.
Today I grieve for those whose imaginations have failed and who cannot conceive of a future any better than what we have now.
Today I grieve for everyone everywhere, for we are all caught up in cycles of hatred and violence.
Today I grieve for those who can’t imagine a better tomorrow.
Today I grieve for those who won’t get a tomorrow.
Today I grieve.
Tomorrow I act.
Because action is in such short supply.
Because our imaginations have failed us to the point that we believe we can’t act.
Tomorrow I act for a better world.
Tomorrow I act because I am so, so tired of grieving, and I will act to create a world where we will grieve less.
But today I grieve.
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Photo: GettyImages