On Sunday June 12, 2016 as I sat at the counter going through my typical social media newsfeeds; just about 24 hours after I heard of the terrible tragedy of Christina Grimmie being shot after a concert while signing autographs for fans; I hear of another tragic shooting, one with a much higher death toll. My first thought is this must be related, 24 hours later a shooter shoots up a club, but then I continue reading and realize that while Christina Grimmie’s shooter’s motives were unclear at the time, this new shootings motives were very clear. This individual was motivated by hate.

News outlets have already begun to comment on his suspected ties to Isis and Islamic terrorism, but let’s focus on his true motive and that is hate. Hatred of a people who simply want to exist. The LGBTQ community does not exist to harm anyone. They’re people simply trying to live life and enjoy it, yet at every turn they are met with opposition, whether it’s bathroom laws targeting them and making outlandish accusations about rape and sexual predators or religious county clerks refusing to endorse marriage licenses as directed by a federal statute, to simply being targets of extreme violence.

I will never understand how anyone could perform some of these acts and still call themselves human and I do not just mean those who commit violent acts. I’m referring to Pastor Steven Anderson who not only condones this act of mass murder, but supports it like Kim Davis. These so called religious individuals seem to forget the Lord’s Prayer, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” not that the LGBTQ community has done anything wrong or Luke 6:37 “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven.”

We claim to be a Christian nation and as far as I know Christianity does not preach hate. I was never taught hate in Sunday School, nor do I recall messages of hate being spouted during weekly sermons. I recall many times hearing sermons where tolerance, forgiveness, acceptance, and love were preached.

I guess at the end of the day it boils down to what you pull from the myriad of lessons held within the good book. They say those that look for inspiration can find it anywhere and perhaps that is what we are witnessing with these individuals who are promoting so much hate.

Anyone who in the wake of a tragedy can make comments like “God’s punishing us for gay marriage,” has clearly forgotten many portions of the good book and clearly has some evil in their own heart. The Cherokee have a legend that states there are two wolves at war within man, one good and one evil. When questioned as to which one would win, the response is always the one you feed. Some of this religious zealots appear to be feeding the wrong wolf.

What is the difference between a man who shoots up a gay club and the typical man who disagrees with a homosexual lifestyle? Evil. The man who can take so many lives is evil and has a darkness within them. This man has fed the wrong wolf and no matter what we try to do to counter act these individuals, whether it be banning guns or some other method the problem will still exist. Evil men will still exist; hate will still exist.

The true way to solve this issue is not with any political agenda, but with understanding and accepting the evil that exists. It’s a shame that in this day in age people cannot feel safe going to the movies, to school, to work, riding the train, going to concerts, or going through other various everyday activities without the fear of violence because of their differences.

Now is the time for people to come together to address the wickedness and hate not promote our own agendas. Instead of promoting anti-gun laws or denouncing gay marriage, we should be focused on the true problem and that is the wickedness in man.

It needs to be accepted that people are not programmable robots and will continue to have differing opinions and that we can coexist. There is no need to hate and hurt people just because you disagree with their way of life.

Maybe it’s just the way I view the world, or what I seek when I open the good book. Perhaps I have fed the correct wolf and seek to do as much good in the world as I can.