Once again, in the Orlando shootings, we see the kind of tragedy that so often follows when even a single person gets mired in bad thought processes. This character that decided to start shooting people more or less at random was steeped in hate and ignorance and lost in his own miserable isolation. And his total lack of empathy for his fellow human beings made it possible for him to see them as his enemy.

I don’t know what went on in his mind, and I don’t know if he was affiliated with ISIS or not, but for whatever reason he had somehow gone way down the path of ignorance and mindlessness. In this particular case, it was intolerance of the gay lifestyle, apparently, that sparked the outrage. In other tragedies it might be intolerance of people of another nationality, or a different skin color, or a different religion, or a different culture, or any number of things.

Intolerance can so easily lead to hatred

The common thread that runs through all this is intolerance. And the only way this kind of horrific event will become a thing of the past is if and when it becomes normal to accept other people for who they are. And of course this is not a new message, not by any stretch of the imagination; religious leaders and great statesmen have been saying it again and again over hundreds, even thousands, of years. “Love one another” is a recurring message that appears in all the major world religions.

And of course it has to be said that stupidity (or perhaps lunacy) played a big part in the Orlando shootings. No normal, sensible person could ever contemplate doing such a thing, just as every sensible person feels outraged and disgusted that it happened. And again, this kind of stupidity isn’t new, it’s been part of the human psyche going back into antiquity. The difference is, nowadays these stupid and hate-filled people have easy access to guns, and to the internet, and yes, they do love to get in the limelight if at all possible, and at any cost (which is one reason you won’t find the shooter’s name or face anywhere in this page).

Gun control is desperately needed

Clearly, it indicates that guns are far too easily available in the United States. Until Americans, in their millions, realise this and demand a change in the laws on gun control, sadly these things are likely to keep happening from time to time. In the days of the old Wild West it was perfectly normal for people to carry guns. America was still a young country, and it was hostile. The early settlers lived in tough times and faced every nightmare imaginable. Carrying a gun in those days, and being able to use it, made sense and was a definite advantage.

But we’re not living in the Wild West anymore. Those days have long gone. Americans live, for the most part, in big cities now. It’s not just different from the Wild West, it’s so far removed from it that it’s like another planet. It’s time for people to put down their guns and come to terms with the fact that having them so readily available is a recipe for disaster. How can it be a good idea that you can walk into a supermarket or a chain store in America and buy a gun, just as long as you have some ID to show? How can that even remotely make any sense?

The shootings at the Pulse club at the weekend were the deadliest in US history, but they weren’t in isolation; even during that same weekend there five others, according to The Guardian.

President Obama has tried repeatedly to get tougher gun control laws passed, but he faces opposition from the well-heeled and powerful NRA. Here’s what he said after the San Bernardino attack in 2015:

Gun deaths in the United States have reached absolutely epidemic proportions. In 2013, the US had 106.4 gun deaths per million people. In 2011, the last year for which numbers are available, the UK endured 146 gun deaths total — or 2.3 gun deaths per million people. To get to UK levels, the US would have to reduce by 98%! See this webpage for a truly shocking visual on the mass shootings and victims in the US in recent years.

But there is hope. Some countries have implemented a mandatory buyback program for guns, and banned their importation. For the full story on this, see this very interesting page. 

Eddie Izzard is a shining example

I’m tremendously encouraged by people like Eddie Izzard, the British comedian. He’s not only a successful comedian and actor, he’s a crossdresser, and he’s not hiding the fact. He’s using his celebrity to show that normal, decent people can be crossdressers, or gay, or bisexual, or anything else. Being a normal, decent person doesn’t exclude you from being part of some other subculture. Eddie wears nail polish and lipstick to award ceremonies, and I applaud that. He’s doing all he can to make it more acceptable.

And there’s another thing I love about Eddie – he shows a tremendous level of self-belief and commitment, not to mention a world-class level of determination. He decided to do something athletic to raise money for Comic Relief a few years ago, and he ended up doing 43 marathons in 51 days. An astonishing achievement for anyone, but when you consider Eddie was fast approaching 50 at the time and likes a drink and a smoke, it’s even more surprising.

To add to this, just this year he did another stack of daily marathons, one after the other, and this time in the heat and humidity of South Africa. He wanted to do something special to honour a man he regards as his personal hero, Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for his beliefs. So he decided to do 27 marathons in 27 days. Wow!

27 marathons in 27 days!

How does he manage to do these things? What could possibly give him the strength of purpose to even consider doing something so extreme? Maybe the answer lies in the strength he gets from having ‘come out’ as a crossdresser way back in 1992. Listen to his comment on this:

Quite difficult things!? How about that for an understatement!

So, we have two wildly different people, virtually at opposite ends of the spectrum, you might say, and here’s a few of the ways in which they differ:

The shooter in Orlando was totally intolerant of others, and had no empathy for them.
Eddie is exactly the opposite. He’s completely at ease with people, and he’s happy to let them do what they want, and be what they want.

The shooter was, by all accounts, quite a frequent visitor over the last two or three years to Pulse, the gay club   where he massacred so many people so mercilessly. It’s starting to look very much like he was a closet                 homosexual, probably afraid to admit it, even to himself, and probably brainwashed by religion into believing     homosexuality is a sin, and unnatural.
Eddie is a crossdresser. He is totally at ease with his sexuality (he’s “a transgender guy”, in his words), and he’s not afraid of homosexuality, bisexuality, or any other sexuality. He loves the idea that people should be free to be who they really are, and to do whatever they want.

The shooter was a coward. He used powerful weapons to make himself feel more powerful, and he used them to kill innocent people, thereby making himself feel really powerful.
Eddie is powerful. He knows there is strength in being honest, and in making a commitment and sticking to it, no matter how hard the going gets. He doesn’t feel the need to hide behind weapons of any kind. He uses his skills to help people.

The shooter was unable to express himself properly. That’s probably part of the reason he chose to express himself through mindless violence.
Eddie is a skillful communicator. He uses his skills and his humour to connect with people. Not content to just make fun of some of the oddities of language, he decided, back in the nineties, to do stand-up in other languages. So he started studying French. Eventually, after a poor start, he was able to do a successful set on stage in France, in French. He went on to study Spanish and German too, and did stand-up in those languages. Now that takes commitment! And he’s planning to learn Russian and Arabic next :\

The shooter had nothing to offer anyone, and finally resorted to going on a rampage of violence. It was the ultimate act of petulance from a weak and pathetic character fueled by hatred and unable to express himself in any meaningful way.
Eddie has raised millions for charity, and he’s done it through committing to long, arduous and painful marathons. What he has done would be seen as outstanding even if he were a natural athlete, or a long-time amateur runner, but he’s neither; he simply decides to do something and gets on with doing it. To call that inspiring is a gross understatement.

Two individuals … two paths …

So there we have it – two guys, two different approaches to life … one went all the way down the completely wrong path, and ended up going out in a blaze of … well, not a blaze of glory, that’s for sure,  in a blaze of gunfire, after first committing pointless mass murder, while the other enjoys life, makes the most of himself and his skills, and uses his gifts to better humanity.

Which one do you think is more of a man …
the one carrying the assault rifle …
or the one wearing bright red nail polish?

Let’s just hope that the Eddie Izzards of this world are listened to more and more. Let’s hope there’s more tolerance and more respect shown to anyone who displays any kind of difference, whether it be in sexual orientation, religious beliefs, political ideologies, or whatever.

And let’s all have more of an attitude of live and let live. If we just did that, and nothing else, it would change the world for the better. I know it wouldn’t solve everything, and we’d still have to find a way to deal with the terrorists and lone wolf lunatics like the Orlando shooter, but it would be a tremendous start.