Sadly, this incident strikes at three hot-button issues in the USA, all at once - Terrorism, Gays, and Firearms.
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1) Terrorism - So the CIC isn't willing to utter the words "Islamic Terrorism". Who cares. Words, or lack thereof, are cheap. It's better to judge based on actions. We are taking some very effective actions. We are systematically taking out their leadership with Drone strikes. 03/25/16 - Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli. 01/14/16 - Hafiz Saeed Khan. 02/14/16 - Jalal Baleedi. 12/07/15 - Rawand Dilsher Taher & Khalil Ahmad Ali al-Wais. 12/08/15 - Abu Anas. 12/09/15 - Yunis Khalash & Mithaq Najim.
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The list is much longer, and our efforts are being effective. ISIS is struggling to find qualified replacements for their absent leadership. Also, with the help of the Russians, we are systematically destroying their finance system by literally incinerating their money. It's estimated that we have burned up about $1B in the last 8 months by dropping incendiary bombs on their cash storage areas (their "banks").
These attacks are being effective enough that ISIS is searching thru it's personnel and if anyone is found with even a slightest hint of treason, they are killed immediately. It's estimated that ISIS has killed about 500 of it's own people in an attempt to purge informants. What could be better? They're now killing each other! It appears they are getting desperate, kind of like a boxer losing his fight and striking out in any way possible.
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2) Gay issues - Yeah, the Orlando guy targeted a gay club. Is it a hate crime? I don't believe "hate" crimes deserve a special status...but they do by law. All crimes have some component of malice and hate built in. The guy could have targeted blacks, or christians, or football fans. It doesn't make the crime any less or more heinous than doing it in a gay bar. I'm hopeful the LBGT community doesn't make this some special event to ask for special treatment. Everyone should be upset equally regardless of who the victims are.
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3) Firearms - It should be no surprise that mass shootings are a fairly common event in the USA. We are literally a country of wall-to-wall firearms...approx one gun for every American citizen...man, woman, and child. And the gun of choice for mass shootings appears to be assault-style rifles. At one time, there was a ban on these type weapons, but in 2004 Congress decided not to renew the ban (let me guess) after significant lobbying from the NRA. The Orlando guy was apparently able to purchase his weapons at a local gun show without undergoing any background checks. A background check may have flagged that he was under investigation by the FBI a couple years ago and it may (again "may") have prevented the sale. Not sure it would have helped. Because we are awash in firearms, if he couldn't buy one at a show, he probably could have bought a stolen one on the street, or could have stolen one himself (remember, guns are everywhere), or even built one in his garage.
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Blaming this on "gun free zones" isn't a valid argument either. It has been shown that in every mass shooting, the motive was not to "shoot up a gun free zone". In each case the motive was found to be some specific focused objective to make a bold statement by shooting people. Some occurred in gun free zones, some didn't.
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Here's a sobering fact - of 79 mass shootings in the USA since 1982, 63 (80%) were committed with guns purchased legally. Maybe some areas of the legal system need to be tightened up a bit. But it won't happen. After the Sandy Hook massacre, more than 80% of citizens supported tighter background checks and closing gun purchase loopholes. But our ball-less congress bowed to their masters of special interest, and refused to go with the "will of the people". Do you think your vote counts?? FORGET IT!!
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Finally, This Orlando guy tried to show he had some connection to ISIS. It appears he had no direct connection or orders from ISIS to do what he did, but maybe was influenced by them in some way. Appears he was a lone wolf nut job. Very troubling.
