Hatred. It is a word with deep emotions that many people use to describe a multiplicity of things and people. However, as deeply troubling as the word hatred is, the action behind hatred is even more devastating.
America has seen its share of hatred. For centuries, we’ve experienced hate of one form or another. What I’ve come to realize is hate and superiority often go hand-in-hand; when someone hates another individual, it’s usually because they feel superior to that person.
This was the case during slavery, and we’re seeing examples of it in the present with people who think they are better than others or that their views and beliefs are better than another person’s perspective.
People, including the president of the United States, have called the massacre at Pulse — a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida — an act of terrorism. I certainly agree with that, but hate is also a motivating factor.
The gunman, Omar Mateen, has a story with several twists and turns: He was interviewed by the FBI twice, he was known to frequently say disparaging things about African-Americans, he claimed his family was linked to two terror groups, he had profiles on several gay websites and, according to his ex-wife, he could be extremely violent.
Only someone with immense hate in their heart could savagely kill dozens of innocent people; however, as more details of Mateen’s life are revealed, it is difficult to see where his hatred was rooted. Did he hate members of the LGBT community because of his religious beliefs? Was he conflicted about his own sexuality and hated people who freely embraced theirs? Was he bitter because he couldn’t become a police officer, so he acted out? Or was his disdain geared toward America, with his true allegiance going to ISIS?
There’s no way at this time to accurately pinpoint the “why,” as the only thing certain right now is the “what.” What occurred was the slaughter of innocent people, and that incident could have been prevented if people had alerted police of Mateen’s behavior. One such person is his second wife, Noor Zahi Salman, who told investigators she tried to stop her husband from carrying out the attack. Salman admits to being with her husband when he purchased an assault rifle and a holster. She also said she dropped Mateen off at Pulse “at least once” to scope the place out. If Salman sincerely tried to prevent the attack, she should have alerted authorities beforehand.
Indiana has a campaign titled, “If you see something, say something.” The campaign is part of a national initiative by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and several local entities. “If you see something, say something” is a tip line that encourages Hoosiers to call (877) 226-1026 to report any type of suspicious criminal or terrorist activity that they may see or hear. Radio One Indianapolis is also launching the “Keep Indy Safe” campaign. The goal of both campaigns and others like them is to encourage residents to individually contribute to combating crime.
The attack in Orlando could have been prevented if Salman and others had said something, but so can crimes in our local communities. All the drug deals, Black-on-Black homicides and even abuse and harassment instances would drastically reduce if we, as individuals, were more vigilant in fighting crime. We can’t leave this form of activism solely on the shoulders of politicians and high-ranking officials; we have to take a more active approach. Local and federal law enforcement and even media entities have made it easy to report wrongdoings anonymously, so I encourage you to deliberately strive to be a more socially conscious, responsible and committed member of your community and report what you see. Call (877) 226-1026 or 911 to report suspicious or criminal activity.
