By Jane M. Orient, M.D. –
Two facts about the Orlando massacre stand out: The killer (may his name be forgotten) was an “authorized” gun owner, and the shootings occurred in a “safe” place.
The gun-control lobby was ready with its well-rehearsed script, but this was no lone deranged individual who bought a gun clandestinely at a gun show. He had been vetted by authorities and was licensed as a private security officer. The gun controllers do not advocate disarming their own bodyguards—or the many thousands who are certified, hired, or deputized by government agencies.
Obama bewailed the fact that the killer had targeted a place where people came to find “solidarity and empowerment,” “to speak [our] minds and advocate for [our] civil rights,” and, more importantly, “to dance, sing, and live.” The vision of a “gay bar” as a “safe space” was shattered.
“Safe spaces” are springing up across America, for example on college campuses, for groups who feel victimized—to protect them from “microaggressions,” societal disapproval, or ideas that “trigger” discomfort. Perhaps Pulse was safe in that regard. And patrons were somewhat protected, by Florida law, from a gun carried by a drunken brawler. Places that serve alcohol are fake gun-free zones. Statistically, 30 people in the bar may have had a CCW permit—but all of them were defenseless, by law.
They were not safe from most threats. Not from infectious disease. A gay nightclub is a breeding ground for sexually transmitted disease. Not from fire. It was a crowded place with loud music, many inebriated people, and the main exit blocked. And not from something Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer called “unimaginable.”
The mayor doesn’t have much imagination. Authorities who are supposed to protect us are in deep denial about the really big threats. Orlando was “horrific,” we are repeatedly told. But there are far worse possibilities that have happened in the 20th century, are happening now in places like Syria, and are being planned by the sworn enemies of America, including the soulmates of the Orlando gunman.
And what are our rulers doing? They are trying to indoctrinate kindergartners with the idea that all (or almost all) manifestations of sexuality are equally fine. But as homosexuals have just learned, multiculturalism has priorities. The shooter’s ideology came before gay lives: the radical ideology that not only teaches that gays should be executed, but that lone jihadis have the duty to act as judge, jury, and executioner.
Vigilant authorities subject toddlers to very intrusive screening before letting them board a flight for a family vacation in the Bahamas, if they happen to be on a special “selectee” list. But the Orlando shooter got a pass despite suspicious behavior. He made two trips to Saudi Arabia in recent years—perhaps, it is suggested, to learn how to turn an AR-15 into a fully automatic weapon. He transferred the deed to his house to his brother-in-law and sister for $10. Allegedly, the government willfully deleted or disregarded information that might have linked him to Islamic terror groups and the San Bernardino attack.
Will the authorities investigate and charge likely accomplices? What about officials who may be protecting terrorists, either deliberately or through politically correct policy? And will the federal government continue to import large numbers of migrants from countries that harbor both jihadists and deadly infectious diseases, and then rapidly disperse them to American cities?
Is the Obama Administration creating “safe space” throughout America for those who intend to harm our people?
Recognizing the threat, more Americans are taking steps to protect themselves. Homosexuals are buying guns, and membership in the Pink Pistols is soaring.
And what are our supposed protectors doing? The American Medical Association and Democrat politicians are calling for federal research on “gun violence,” blaming the NRA and Republicans for Orlando. Guns, not imported jihad or tuberculosis, are a “public health crisis.”
More bleeding and broken Americans will be showing up in ERs. But HIPAA, ObamaCare, and now MACRA (the new Medicare “value payment” scheme) have doctors and hospitals mired in compliance, counting “disparities,” and documenting “bullet points” to collect payments. We have more burned-out doctors and shuttered hospitals.
We wouldn’t need them—if the idea of sacrificing American liberty (except for the freedom to promote jihad) kept us safe.
Dr. Jane Orient has been in solo private practice since 1981 and has served as Executive Director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) since 1989. She is currently president of Doctors for Disaster Preparedness.
