The Brokenness of American Culture
The way I look at it, the Orlando gunman was solely responsible for his actions. He had his own inner demons and his own murderous intentions.
But if we’re going to use him to paint entire cultures with a broad brush for the purpose of justifying collective punishment, it’s probably more instructive to look at American culture—with its acceptance of deadly violence as a viable solution for every problem, its toxic masculinity that helps ferment rampant homophobia, and its obstinate refusal to do anything to change things—than it is to look at Islam which it doesn’t really seem the American-born gunman was very fervent about.1
Homegrown terror is the product of a long history of colonialism, including state and vigilante violence. It is the product of white supremacy and capitalism, which deforms the spirit and fuels interpersonal violence. We especially hold space for our Latinx family now, knowing that the vast majority of those murdered were Latinx, and many were specifically Puerto Rican. From the forced migration of thousands of young people from the island of Puerto Rico to Orlando, to the deadly forced migration throughout Latin America and the Caribbean — we know this is not the first time in history our families have been mowed down with malice, and we stand with you.[^2]
In Honor of Our Dead: Latinx, Queer, Trans, Muslim, Black — We Will Be Free • 2016 Jun 14 • Black Lives Matter
What is especially bullshit is the idea that terrorism and mass killing in this country is somehow a problem of foreigners invading the U.S. when it really seems like it’s actually intrinsic to American culture.2
Americans — not foreigners — have committed 80 percent of terrorist attacks in the US since 9/11 • 2016 Jun 14 • Sarah Frostenson • Vox
Let’s face it, while a few people are willing to accept there’s intersectionality involved in this shooting, everyone on TV spewing forth on “radical Islam” pretty much uses it to erase that the victims were LGBT people and their allies and that a lot of them were PoCs.
They also use it to preclude any possible discussion about potential measures to try to understand and rein in gun violence.
Obfuscation is the only utility I see in focusing on the tenuous Islamist connection.3