Today on Facebook, I found two pics representing the recent mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse.
First, the faces of the victims.
Second, a peaceful gathering at Dr. Philips in Downtown Orlando.
My heart goes out to the victims and families of the victims.
As the country witnesses police brutality elsewhere, looks like my City Beautiful has problems of its own.
I’ll let CNN tell the story.
Now, some words from the woman who videotaped the incident.
Last, I shall leave with this.
Yesterday, over one hundred people gathered near Downtown Orlando’s Colonial and Magnolia protesting police brutality. This after two grand juries in two separate states refused to indict white cops for what many people perceive as the unnecessary killing of two black men. In Ferguson, Missouri, a grand jury refused to indict Darren Wilson (a white police officer) for fatally shooting an unarmed Michael Brown. In New York City, a grand jury refused to indict Daniel Pantaleo (another white cop) for the choke hold killing of Eric Garner. For the record, before the last incident, the choke hold was banned in New York.
Organize Now’s Stephanie Porta granted this blog permission to use photos of the Orlando protest. Also, I gained photos from my friend Randy Krull.
This blog is still open. If you have pics of the Orlando protest, send to patrickbarne@gmail.com. This blog gives photo credit.
Knocked out at Beth’s Burgers.
Recently, Orlando Sentinel mentioned Downtown Orlando’s image problem. This arrives after recent violence in Downtown Orlando. When a cop’s stray bullet killed a bar patron, Orlando Culture Shock gained an eye witness account.
Yet, here’s the deal. Yours Truly previously mentioned Downtown Orlando’s image problem. After seeing many nasty Facebook posts, I asked people what they hated about Downtown Orlando. The number one complaint? Douche bags! Still, it didn’t occur to me douche bags include cops too. I don’t see how it didn’t. Yet, it happened.
After my blog about Downtown Orlando, check out the following statement. This happened after a friend reposted my blog on Facebook.
Being stabbed by a nightclub patron doesn’t appeal to me. Nor does being shot by a cop’s stray bullet. As for cover prices, many people in this low-wage paying town can’t afford them. Also, the cover prices at some spots aren’t even worth it. So, I prefer joining the Whiny Baby Club. At least there, I won’t get killed and/or ripped off.
Most of the time, this blog focuses on the positive. Yet, there exists times when the ugly needs attention. When the ugly appears, this blog steps up to the batter’s plate. If someone don’t like it, Orlando Culture Shock don’t give a fuck.
The Orlando Sentinel proved what the blog previously mentioned. Downtown Orlando has a shitty image. See, I told you.
Last Tuesday morning, 23 year old Kody Roach caused a disturbance at Vixen, a Downtown Orlando nightclub. After flashing a gun, he was kicked out. Police were called and arrived on the scene.
Officer Eduardo Sanguino fired nine rounds outside the bar. Some bullets hit Kody Roach. Officer Frank Nunez was struck also. One stray bullet hit and killed Maria Fernanda Godinez, a 22 year old bar patron.
The following is an eye witness account by Geoffrey Rivera.
It was a hip hop night at Vixen. The place was pretty packed for a Monday night.
I met up with a couple of friends. As I got there, the guy was in the process of getting kicked out. The bartender hopped over the bar with the bar back. And one of my friends helped push this guy out, not realizing he had a gun on him.
Apparently, he’s been flashing his gun all night to customers. And he flashed it to the bartender and that’s what led to him being thrown out.
The guy was wearing like a regular wife beater shirt. It was a white guy. He definitely looked like a junkie pill head. And was way, way drunk over the limit. And was just being straight belligerent.
The bartender and the bar back kicked him out. And a couple of people helped. They shut the door and called the police. They let the police know he had a gun on him.
At this time, I didn’t even realize he even had a gun until they started talking about it.
The police showed up maybe two or three minutes into it. Apparently, they gunned him down.
I thought the bullet was from him, the guy who got kicked out. The bullet went into the door. The girl who was standing behind me was the one who got shot. And she just dropped.
Everybody ran to the back.
Me and another guy stayed behind. And one of the bar backs or bartenders opened up the back door, which I didn’t even realize there was a back door. Everybody I was there with all ran out through the back door. And me and one of the other guys stayed there.
Police finally kicked in the door.
I helped the guy roll over the body. He apparently was a friend of hers. He was trying to check her pulse. She was pretty much dead. From us, it appeared she was shot in the face.
Then I proceeded to find my friends. I called every single one of them up to see if they were okay. And they were all at a different bar drinking.
That’s real.
photo credit: RW PhotoBug via photopin cc
Orlando Culture Shock 