At PHAG, we generally plan our blog content ahead of time and this week our post was planned to center on today’s release of the highly anticipated animated sequel, Finding Dory.  The planned title:  “Proud to Say We’re Feeling Hunky Dory about Finding Dory!”  But, the tragedy in Orlando hit us hard, and I struggled all week about what I could say to comfort, to unify, to remember such an unnecessary and hateful act.  How could I use PHAGs voice for good at a time when things are so bad?  Of course, Orlando is also synonymous with the magic of Disney, and as I thought of Disney, I was right back where I started… could it be that there are valuable inspirations regarding remembering Orlando, compliments of an animated blue tang fish who suffers from memory loss?  A fish who, by the way, is voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, an OUT talk show host who ends her show each day reminding us to, “Be kind to one another.”  All the signs were there, and so, thanks to the creative inspiration of our friends at Disney, this post was born.

As true lovers of the art of animation, Finding Nemo was one of our favorite Pixar films of all time, and in researching the highly anticipated sequel, we found our PHriends at IMDB saying, “In this sequel, the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish, Dory, reunites with her loved ones and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.”  Suddenly, the murky cloud of media coverage surrounding this tragedy was lifted.  I saw an unspeakable act of hate very clearly, and it’s an act that’s not about Christian or Muslim, it’s not about gay or straight, and it’s certainly not about democrat or republican.  This tragedy is about the loss of 49 of our brothers and sisters– 49 members of our American family.  Period.

Like so many, our hearts have been shattered by this devastating loss, but we realize that the path to healing is UNITY- picking up the shattered pieces and putting our lives back TOGETHER at all costs, no matter the sacrifice.  This is important, for real change requires sacrifice.  In the words of Dory, “When life gets you down do you wanna know what you’ve gotta do?  Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming.   Just keep swimming.”

I know it’s an election year, but I’m disturbed by how much political spin is being placed on this event in lieu of basic human compassion.  I’m not finger-pointing.  I’m not a believer in partisan politics and, frankly, both sides of the aisle, along with the media, share responsibility for this.  But, having this new-found clarity that we are ALL part of the SAME FAMILY opens the door for some real common sense reflection on how remembering Orlando can lead us to take action, collectively, to help protect, and show love for our family (or as we call it here at PHAG, our PHamily).

I’m no political pundit, but I have been a University Professor for 15 years, and in that role, people look to me as a thought leader in the areas of entrepreneurship, strategy, and innovation.  I teach students a lot about looking to unrelated areas of life for inspiration to create solutions to the problems that people face every day.  So, that’s what I will do here.  The issue at hand is the safety and well-being of our American family.  If we look to an unrelated area surrounding health and well-being, what can we learn?

Let’s explore junk food as an example.  If a member of our family has health concerns related to their diet what’s the first thing we do in support of their efforts to improve the situation?  We remove their ease of access to the bad foods!  We join them in solidarity, removing all the cookies, cakes, sugary and fatty foods from our cabinets and our refrigerator.  We don’t get rid of all the food in our homes- just the junk foods that are known to be directly responsible for jeopardizing the health and well-being of our family.  We clearly understand that by making access to those items more challenging, we naturally reduce the negative impact they have on our loved ones.  This is often a first step, and it doesn’t magically solve their health problems, nor is it expected to, but it is an important step that becomes part of a bigger solution.  The point is we still have easy access to plenty of food options for our next meal, but we are willing to sacrifice the need to have the junk food in our homes.  Thankfully, our actions demonstrate that we haven’t become such “junk food junkies” that we are not willing to go the extra mile on behalf of those we love, our family, to benefit the greater good of the household.  We intuitively understand that ACCESS MATTERS!

Why, then, is it so difficult for us to apply this logic to the very real threat that military assault weapons pose to the health and well-being of members of our American family?  What prevents us from joining the victims of Blacksburg, VA; Fort Hood, TX; Tucson, AZ; Aurora, CO; Newtown, CT; Charleston, SC; San Bernardino, CA; and now Orlando, FL; in solidarity?  Sadly, this is just a partial list of very high-profile mass shootings of our American family in recent history.  Why can we not simply agree to remove the ease of access to these weapons of war as tools that enable these mass killings?  I’m not advocating that we get rid of all guns in our homes- just the bad ones that are known to be directly responsible for jeopardizing the health and well-being of so many members of our family.  This would only be a first step, and it wouldn’t be expected to magically solve the epidemic of mass killings in our country, but it is an important step, demonstrating a united front, which is part of a bigger solution.  Weapons protected by our second amendment right to bear arms will still be accessible for hunting, for sport, and if the need should arise, for protecting ourselves and our homes against those filled with hate.  But, as family, we must be willing to sacrifice having deadly assault weapons (like this) in our homes in order to remove easy access to these weapons from the killers.

Is this really such a problem?  Has a segment of our family become such “weapons junkies” that they are not willing to go the extra mile to benefit the greater good?  When I see the heated “debate” over this issue, I’m unable to draw any other conclusion, and in the wake of the tragedy that leaves us remembering Orlando, this deeply saddens me.

Hate is the foundation of so many of the senseless acts of violence seen in our world today.  Having spent the majority of my life in the city where America was born, surrounded by our history, I can say definitively that hate is not part of the foundation of our American family.  We are a nation founded on love and acceptance, not hate and bigotry.  Have we really become so defined by our politics that we are willing to neglect our own humanity?  Are we bound to support ANY political candidate with human DNA simply because they label themselves part of a particular party, with complete disregard for the message they are actually delivering?  I certainly hope not, for when hate is given status, the consequences are devastating- we’ve seen this first-hand.

My fellow Americans of ALL races, ALL religions, ALL sexual orientations/identities, and ALL political affiliations, I echo Dory’s sentiments when she said, “When I look at you, I can feel it.  And I look at you, and I’m home.”  Join me in taking action now!  It’s PRIDE month, so make us proud.  Call your legislators and remind them who we really are- a family.  A family willing to go the extra mile on behalf of those we love, a family who truly cares about the greater good, a family who understands that ACCESS MATTERS, and a family grieving- remembering Orlando.

Now, before we forget, grab some members of your family and head to the theater to see Finding Dory this weekend.  Yes, the film is animated, not reality.  And, yes, the main character remembers almost nothing.  But, it’s both hilarious, and inspirational, and it gave us some important reminders about our PHamily.

Be kind to one another.