CRESTVIEW — Several North Okaloosa County residents shared their feelings in the wake of the terrorist shootings in Orlando.
‘HORRIBLE HATE CRIME’
Audrey Milcarek, who has a gay family member, called the attack “a horrible hate crime.”
“If it was a terrorist, it’s even worse,” Milcarek said. “No one has a right to make a decision that is not theirs against anyone else, their orientation, or their beliefs.
“My heart and my family’s go out to those families who lost loved ones in the shooting. Those who allow people to continue to judge others are repeating history, and are truly the moronic beasts of all of the Creator’s creations.”
CONFLICTED OPINION
Crestview High School graduate Michael Spargel, who is gay, said his opinions are conflicted.
“My frustration about the whole thing is it’s being treated like an attack on gays when it was really an attack on the country,” he said. “Yes, gays were targeted, but with the political mindset that this country has right now, if it was an attack on any other group of people, it would be considered a terrorist attack.
“In a lot of ways it’s being a considered a terrorist attack. Even though it might have been stimulated by what he (the shooter) saw, in his mind he wasn’t necessarily attacking gays, he was attacking people because they didn’t believe how be believed.”
LOVING OTHERS
Baker School graduate Dillon Komula — who now lives in the Savannah, Georgia, area — said his thoughts centered on acceptance and love.
“My heart truly goes out to the lost souls in Orlando,” he said. “I think the primary message is not about being gay, but about loving others as human beings sharing the same planet, regardless of who they are, what they believe in, or their orientation.
“This shooting occurred by one man out of hate. Instead of hating, we should be loving each other. Regardless of the victims' sexual orientations, the world lost human beings. Human beings with families that love them, humans with brilliant minds to contribute to the world, and humans who served a purpose on this world were taken from this earth out of hate.
“This is not a particular religion’s belief. The shooter was Muslim, but he was not following the Muslim beliefs. We should not blame all Muslims for the violent, inhumane and purely evil acts of one person — or even multiple people — that believes in Islam. This does nothing except fuel the hatred and divide us as a race.
“The world needs to understand this.”
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 3 North Okaloosans share their thoughts on Orlando terror attack