Val Demings: “It is time to make the Pulse nightclub a national memorial, and the reason is that what Pulse symbolizes is relevant to…”

“It is time to make the Pulse nightclub a national memorial, and the reason is that what Pulse symbolizes is relevant to all Americans. Let me say this: Orlando does not need Congress in order to honor the 49 victims, nor the 53 who were wounded that night. We have honored them and will continue to do so for as long as their memories live on. But it is still the right thing to do, that Congress take this action today, because, by making Pulse a national memorial, we honor not only the victims, but what they stood for, what they represent, and what our country could be and should be. Pulse is in my district. It was a sanctuary. It was a place where Orlando's LGBTQ residents could find safety and friendship. The people there that night were not in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were exactly where they were supposed to be, among friends and loved ones, taking joy together in what my bishop referred to as a late night fellowship. Isn't that worth celebrating? Isn't that worth protecting for every American? Could there be any right more basic? And that is why we are here: to honor and remember them. We will continue to grieve for those we lost and to help those who survived. We will continue together and remember. We will continue to act on gun violence and civil rights, for the survivors of Pulse have called upon us to honor those we lost with action, not just words.…”