Statement of solidarity

In the wake of the horrific attack on the LGBT community in Florida , the Sullivan County Human Rights Commission wishes to express our solidarity with all those who were touched by this tragedy.

We must recognize the humanity that we all share. Members of the LGBT, Latino and Muslim communities, have been directly affected by this tragedy and continue to be the targets of hatred.

Those of us who understand and accept our responsibility in creating an accepting and loving community must stand together, work toward broadening our understanding of the beauty and strength of our diversity and make our voices heard.

Together we can all bring healing, hope and understanding to each other during a time of deep mourning.

Sullivan County Human Rights Commissioners

Kathie Aberman

Judy Balaban

Gabriel Bertonazzi

Samuel Encarnacion

Isaac Green Diebboll

Peggy Johansen

Bill Liblick

Donna Schick

Roland Ward

Executive Director Lorraine Lopez

Looking for solutions in all the wrong places

So another shooting in our increasingly violent USA on June 12, 2016. What a tragic day. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the surviving victims in Orlando and their families as well as the families of those who lost loved ones, and also to all the police, fire/EMS and all who were involved.

So the blame game is in progress! It is the NRA’s fault !?, It is Obama’s fault!? It is Congress’s fault!? It is the Muslims fault!? It is the FBI’s fault!? It’s the gun’s fault!?

However true that some blame may be attributed to any of the above mentioned, we still live in a sinful, violent society. It is more sinful and violent than it has to be, because we have removed Jesus from our public life, from our schools and from our government to our own demise. I have read and studied the Bible, and we as a nation are foolish to think that we can repeat what other nations and Israel have done wrong for centuries and reap better or even good results. The answer is receiving grace through faith in Jesus, being forgiven and forgiving others, which brings love, joy and peace both here and now on earth and eternally. That is the closest we can get to Heaven while on Earth. For now while we wait for the second coming here on earth, we still beat our ploughshares into swords (Joel 3:10), but at Jesus’ return we will beat our swords into ploughs (Isaiah 2:4).

I hear the plea of those who think that removing our Constitutional gun rights will stop crime and terror. The fact is terrorists and criminals will use whatever means to accomplish their evil purposes, the average person would then be left in a giant abyss of a”gun-free zone, and we will have to be hopeful that our tax dollars will have been sufficient to supply enough police and military to protect us. Multiple gun laws and checks and balances are already in place and are not yet fully enforced at this time. That would be step one. Removing our right to bear arms would be step one million.

John “JP” Pasquale

Livingston Manor NY