Rise Up, Oh Heart, For There is Another Battle to Win

Consider this a PSA, and a pre-emptive apology for my attitude.

It’s not that I don’t care.  I care very much.  I care very much about the lives lost in Orlando, in the country at large, in wherever the newest shade of terrible is coming to the fore.  I care very much about the grief of parents and families and friends for someone who is never coming home.  I care very much about the hate dripping from the lips of people in power.

It’s just that I can’t dredge up shock for it anymore.  I have hit compassion fatigue.  I care, all right.  I could sit down and cry for days if I let myself.  I am not numb to it, I don’t really do numb.  I’m just…unsurprised.  

As I am currently telling Adler, I’m a cynic, yeah, I can admit that I’m actually jaded as shit.  But…these are people.  They aren’t my people, but they could have been, in another life.  They’re someone’s people.  I grieve for them.  But I am not shocked, I am not surprised, it does not alter my usual level of anger.  I am not even disappointed, because that would suggest a higher level of expectation than I am able to muster for humanity.

I am just…sad.

pulse nightclub shooting update

castellation:

rogersbarneses:

aguaman:

• 50 dead
• 53 injured
  
• hotline for identification 407-246-4357
  
• family/friend reunification at hampton inn 43 columbia street
  
• visit oneblood.org for any open donation centers in central florida

And a state of emergency has been declared

If you are unable to donate blood, food and clean water donations are also appreciated! Encourage your friends in the Orlando area to give blood as well

YES, ACTUALLY, THIS IS HELPFUL.

If you, like me, are unable to donate blood–my blood pressure is too low, they won’t let me donate ever because it could send me into distributive shock–look into what else you can do.  Food and water are good fallbacks.

(via windbladess)

weremethyst:

okay wow i’m actually fucking LIVID at the lack of media coverage about the actual anti-lgbt domestic terrorist attack that happened this morning in orlando, florida (less than three hours from my house)

for everyone who hasn’t heard (which is most people) the shooter opened fire at around 2 am in the gay night club, pulse. reportedly over 50 rounds were fired and the man also had an explosive device on him. some people escaped, but there was a confirmed hostage situation. the police literally are not even putting an official death toll on this. they are just saying that there have been “mass casualties” and several people who escaped the scene said that “there were more dead bodies than they’ve ever been able to comprehend around them“. the police are literally calling this an “act of domestic terrorism”.

when this happened in paris, the eyes of the world were on them. everyone had a supportive french flag filter on their photos. there were tributes and memorials all over the world and almost constant news coverage. there was a safety check-in feature on facebook for those in the area.

i have SO many lgbt friends who live in orlando and i have no idea if any of them are safe. i’m seeing that one of my brother’s friends, who i’ve known since i was little and is a local DJ, has made it out unscathed. that’s all i’m hearing.

WHY are we not being treated with the same respect as any other terrorist attack????

PLEASE make sure that this attack against the lgbt community is as loud as the other senseless acts of violence that the media places priority on!!!!

(via windbladess)