Everyone remembers Pulse Nightclub and the gunman that shot up the gay night spot where 49 people were killed and many others were wounded when someone wanted to create terror where there was once love and fun. Then there is Manchester Arena, where our dear friend, Ariana Grande, took to the stage to perform her special brand of beautiful music, voice and performance. Again, evil followed love, hope and kindness.
It's amazing how often this happens. Where there is love, evil follows. It's odd how often this happens. It also happens the other way too. An evil act occurs and love finds the victims. It's the balancing act between what should be and what is. The struggle between humanity and chaos. Those who would make this world about something less than good.
We all know that the root of terrorism is to create terror. To create fear. To scare someone and terrify them into doing something else. So what's the message in bombing an Ariana Grande crowd? Terrorists often miss the mark when they do these things. Often they target people like Ari who send more of a message of love and tolerance and peace than anyone else, so why her fans? It's because these people effect change. Terror wants people to remain the same, change means leas terror. What Ariana does is create peace and love and has no political or religious agenda when it comes to whomever claims responsibility for this horror act. It is horror too. Don't fool yourself. There is no difference if you kill 42 people at an Ariana Grande concert or you infect and implant 650 gay people over 30 years...it's all to create terror!
The victims of Ari's concert, God Bless them, were treated to beautiful ideas and beautiful music before this horrible act. One thing that these people did have before this happened was the chance to listen to their favorite performer and to see someone that brought them great happiness. That is so fortunate for them. The victims of the crime that we deal with has thirty years of constant daily terror attached to it. They lost their lives in an instant and that is so final. We linger for decades listening to our rapists and their friends humiliate us on a daily and sometimes minute by minute basis, taking every enjoyable experience we have from us. You can't compare. The victims from Ari's concert have family members that lost someone they love instantly and without explanation. It's so sad. The victims in our cases sometimes die of AIDS that Laurie gave them, sometimes go to prison for crimes they don't commit, sometimes they kill themselves and sometimes they lose their entire families...
You simply can't compare victims of terror except for one thing...most of them are innocent bystanders that have nothing to do with the terrorists. They are random. They are unsuspecting. They are worthless to the terrorists excepts in the number of dead. They are only as good as their religious make up, sexual identity, ages and innocence. We are the people that don't count to the terrorists...they need us for money, exposure and headlines.
We matter to people like Ari and myself. There is guilt that follows Ariana and myself, whether we acknowledge it or not. These people came to see her. She knows it. I know that many of the victims of this crime know me and were chosen accordingly. There is a responsibility to the families of the victims. She knows it, so do I. How can you not? You want to talk to each and every parent or brother and sister. The guilt can be overwhelming, but it isn't without understanding something too. Without YOU Ari, there wouldn't have been that happiness that they felt either. You made them happy...they loved you. What happened is NOT your fault, but how you respond to it is your LEGACY. I can't tell Ari how to deal with a situation, but I can say this. I never wanted to look into a parents's face and have to say, "I didn't do everything I could to help". I think you know that feeling now. There are ways to do that too. Do it the way Ariana Grande would. You'll be spectacular at this.
This crime that I deal with centers on the girl that I know to be a psychopath since I was 11 years old. How can I live with myself knowing what I know now and not do something about it? It would not only be illegal, but it would not fit with who I am either. I can't live with myself knowing what I know...I have no choice.
My heart has been broken more times than humanly possible and the words have left me speechless on so many occasions that I don't remember, but when the sun comes up the next day, I still have the responsibility to Christopher and his mom to do what I said I would do. I don't have a choice and neither do you Ariana. You are an American. You are a strong woman. You are peaceful and loving. You are a professional. Most of all you are a human being. What makes us all the same is our need to feel safe, it's your job now to see how that unfolds for you and your fans...and the fans of concert goers for all performers. I know you can handle it.
