Pulse Memorial Engagement Virtual Open House

Deeply disappointed. What a shame this all is.

Deeply disappointed. What a shame this all is.

To the City of Orlando & specifically the Mayor Buddy Dyer:

Your “process” and the exclusion of victims mothers & fathers in your tightly controlled committee (your circle of friends & sycophants) is a disgrace.
E.Hanna

I suggest leaving as is or erecting some kind of monument surrounded by benches so people can sit and think. I don't feel it needs to be enlarged. The site where it happened - is where the monument belongs.

It's first off a shame how long it is taking and how a building where such a tragic event has just been left standing, as was the same night so many innocent people lost their lives.

It is an outright mockery now how the officals are handling this and want to turn it into some morbid tourist attraction. Not giving families of those murdered a voice in how their loved ones should be remembered. I don't understand how you can sleep at night.

There needs to be a memorial built, key word there, memorial for the 49 innocent people who lost their lives. They are the names that should be remembered. They are the names that need to be spoke for, by the family that lost them.

Not government officals, not private organizations, not some person who happened to live in the area.

I know your the city with Disney, but this isn't a theme park. This isn't a plan for some type of celebration. This is a tragedy on American soil and should be treated as other American tragedies should, by remembering the names of every innocent life list.

Their would of been disgust if the 9/11 memorial was handled this way, and there should be disgust such as I feel with how the Pulse tragedy is being handled.

The families of those who were killed should be prioritized by default. Forcing them to apply to a committee is distasteful enough, but to not even accept them is even worse. Do better.

The families of those who were killed should be prioritized by default. Forcing them to apply to a committee is distasteful enough, but to not even accept them is even worse. Do better.

The families of those who were killed should be prioritized by default. Forcing them to apply to a committee is distasteful enough, but to not even accept them is even worse. Do better.

Please let the families lead!

Let them speak! You guys are nuts for not allowing more time since you “request they speak slower for the interpreter.” That’s quite ridiculous. And LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY! It’s not difficult.

These are the 8 families who applied and were rejected by the City. These are the 8 families who were denied the opportunity to lead the memorial to be built for their murdered children and siblings:

1. Michael Santos, brother of Brenda Marquez McCool
2. Carlos Sanfeliz, father of Christopher Sanfeliz
3. Bienvenido Aracena, father of Oscar Aracena
4. Daphne Josaphat, aunt (family representative) of Jason Josaphat
5. Christine Leinonen, mother of Christopher Leinonen
6. Carmen Capo, mother of Luis Omar Ocasio Capo
7. Olga Disla, mother of Anthony Luis Laureano Disla
8. Damaris Benítez Torres, sister of Martin Benitez Torres

Let the Committee vote to give seats to the these families. Otherwise, this whole process is a scam and the families once again have had their power taken away from them.

Without the families, the committee's memorial recommendation will be completely illegitimate.

The City continues to make the wrong choices. Over and over again. City leaders are nowhere to be found. They are hiding behind a small group of advisors, chosen by Mayor Buddy Dyer, who were extremely problematic in and of themselves. Half of them worked at The Center (OUAC/OURS) and could easily know whose applications they were reading, regardless of whether or not Larry removed their names. It was not a "blind" process.

I've responded to over 20 mass shootings and never in my life have I seen something as disgraceful as the City of Orlando. My hometown. It's awful.

We stand with Christine, Olga, Carmen, Daphne, Carlos, Damaris, Bienvenido and Michael! 8 representatives of the 49 who were revictimized with this horrendous process.

This took us back to June 12th, 2016. The abuse these families have endured: forced to apply to a committee and then be rejected! Everyone in this committee should take a stance: it does not serve unity and justice to our families. Let the families lead!!! For the 49!

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing“ - Edmund Burke

We stand with Christine, Olga, Carmen, Daphne, Carlos, Damaris, Bienvenido and Michael! 8 representatives of the 49 who were revictimized with this horrendous process.

This took us back to June 12th, 2016. The abuse these families have endured: forced to apply to a committee and then be rejected! Everyone in this committee should take a stance: it does not serve unity and justice to our families. Let the families lead!!! For the 49!

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing“ - Edmund Burke

I think the families should be the ones to decide how their children who were murdered are remembered. I was heartbroken hearing Christine trying to get everything she wanted to say in 3 minutes. It brought me back to the news unfolding on June 12,2016 seeing her on tv pleading as to where her son Drew was. Her pain is just heartbreaking. Please do the right thing for once and let these families speak for themselves and their loved ones!!!

I think the families should be the ones to decide how their children who were murdered are remembered. I was heartbroken hearing Christine trying to get everything she wanted to say in 3 minutes. It brought me back to the news unfolding on June 12,2016 seeing her on tv pleading as to where her son Drew was. Her pain is just heartbreaking. Please do the right thing for once and let these families speak for themselves and their loved ones!!!

I feel the families should be the ones who should all get together on how they want their children remembered. Not the way this is being done. Heartbreaking hearing Christine. I felt like I was hearing her on the news again the morning of June 12, 2016 when she was pleading to find her son Drew.

I feel the families should be the ones who should all get together on how they want their children remembered. Not the way this is being done. Heartbreaking hearing Christine. I felt like I was hearing her on the news again the morning of June 12, 2016 when she was pleading to find her son Drew.

Under this flawed process, mothers of murdered children had to apply and then be judged on whether they were worthy to serve on a committee for a memorial honoring their dead children.

Then they were rejected.

There is no justification for this. None.

It is wrong, and it is re-victimizing.

After I told Larry Schooler via email that his process was re-victimizing families of the deceased and survivors, he wrote to me: “I know that the families and survivors want to be treated with the highest respect, and I want to treat them with the highest respect. I have attempted to do that since I began this work in April, but if I have made mistakes, it is important that I correct them as best as I can.”

Families of the deceased and survivors have now expressed openly to Schooler directly that they have been re-victimized by his flawed, even sociopathic, process. At best, his inexperience is the cause. At worst, he just is after a paycheck and could care less. Either way, Schooler has personally caused more stress and suffering to the grieving mothers and family members of the deceased.

To be the cause of more stress and suffering to grieving mothers and family members whose loved ones were murdered in a mass shooting is wrong is obscene and morally repugnant.

Schooler said if he made mistakes it is important that he correct them. His words.

And this re-victimization was done in such a sociopathic way. How will Schooler correct this flawed, morally repugnant process that tells grieving mothers and family members that they are unworthy to be on a committee tasked with advising how to memorialize their own dead children and family members?

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