Pride

On a day when such horrific news comes to us from Orlando, I am resilient in my PRIDE.  I am a proud member of a tribe whose persecution has only begun to be abated and addressed as a basic human right.  A right that allows me to pursue with the same freedoms from fear and harm the essential truths of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  That hate still remains in the hearts of many and that it is fueled by religious dogma and cultural xenophobia is not a surprise to me.  That I live in a nation that refuses to regulate in any meaningful way the purchase of hand guns and weapons of mass destruction does.  I personally don't believe in hell, but I think the murderous perpetrator of this act of terrorism did, so for his sake, may I be mistaken.