Say Their Names

I'm not going to even attempt being original today.  In the middle of all the media madness surrounding the tragedy in Orlando I've been thinking more and more about the lives lost and shattered by a few minutes of madness.  Then this morning I read the following post on Facebook from my friend Bruce Reyes-Chow.  Thank you Bruce!

Say their names...

There are many ways that we will respond to the killings in Orlando, the homophobia, the racism, the hatred, the gun violence, the politics, and the pain — but forgetting that each was a created and loved human being is not something that we can ever forget, in this instance of death, or any other. 

Say their names...

Stanley Almodovar III, 23 years old
Amanda Alvear, 25 years old
Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26 years old
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33 years old
Antonio Davon Brown, 29 years old
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 years old
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28 years old
Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25 years old
Luis Daniel Conde, 39 years old
Cory James Connell, 21 years old
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 years old
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 years old
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31 years old
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 years old
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 years old
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22 years old
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 years old
Paul Terrell Henry, 41 years old
Frank Hernandez, 27 years old
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 years old
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40 years old
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 years old
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 years old
Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25 years old
Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 years old
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 years old
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool, 49 years old
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25 years old
Kimberly Morris, 37 years old
Akyra Monet Murray, 18 years old
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20 years old
Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25 years old
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 years old
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 years old
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 years old
Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 years old
Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27 years old
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35 years old
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 years old
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24 years old
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 years old
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 years old
Martin Benitez Torres, 33 years old
Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24 years old
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37 years old
Luis S. Vielma, 22 years old
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50 years old
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 years old
Jerald Arthur Wright, 31 years old

Say their names...

Now the really difficult part. There is one more name - Omar Mateen. As abhorrent as it may be to say it, he too was a created and loved human being, tortured and consumed by fear and hate. However, if we are to begin to grasp our aching need for Oneness in the Eternal Presence we must, as Jesus said, love our enemies.      


For anyone reading who is in the Tampa Bay area there will be an opportunity tonight at 7:00 p.m. to gather and "say their names."    Community Vigil for Orlando Tragedy, Trinity Presbyterian Church, 2001 Rainbow Dr. Clearwater, FL.  7:00 p.m.   All people and all faiths welcome.

If  you can't attend, wherever you are - Say their names!  

Names we taken from the Orlando City Posting

Here is meaningful story done by National Public Radio telling a bit of each person's story