'We've decided this is acceptable': The 'normalcy' of mass shootings

It was a tragedythat rocked Americans and members of the LGBT community globally. A mass shooting in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016 at a night club called Pulse ended in49 people dead and 53 wounded, mostly young gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgenderpeople.

Following the tragedy, Cross Country Checkup facilitated a cross-border dialogue between Carly Engstrom, a member of the gay community from Vancouver and Kit Grandon, a concerned citizen from Ames, Iowa.Both callers lamented the United States' seeming acceptance of gun violence, and expressed frustration with the media's framing of the conversation.

Listen to Engstrom and Grandon speak withCheckupguest host Asha Tomlinson:

Cross Country Checkup9:3720160612 - Caller Carly Engstrom and Kit Grandon

Member of Queer community in Vancouver and American from Iowa discuss the mass shooting in Orlando, FL.

On the media coverage of Orlando's mass shooting:

Carly Engstrom: I'm heartsick over this, but I do want to thank Cross Country Checkup for having so many great representatives of the queer community on the show. I've been watching a lot of American news and it's mostly talking about how this man might be connected to ISIS, and they haven't talked about the queer community.

The American media is making this story more about this shooter than about the community and about the people who are suffering. They're more concerned that this might be attached to a terrorist organization than a man who just really hated gay people.

Kit Grandon: Our country has accepted gun violence as normal. It's what we do; we have mass shootings with incredible regularity. I'm really appalled that we work to try to figure out whether the perpetrator is Muslim, and whether they want to claim some connection to a terrorist group. The coverage will go on incessantly in our local news media and national news media in the United States and that's what we will care about, not the victims.

I remember when there was the shooting in California the whole tenor changed when they finally decided this couple was claiming to be affiliated with ISIS. I don't see the difference between that and a teenager shooting in schools or theaters.

CE: I agree with how the conversation changes around shooters. This man who was the shooter was an American man. He was born in America. He is a product of the culture. There's a lot of hate in America. There's a lot of discrimination, whether it's race or against the LGBTQcommunity. Discrimination is part of the culture. My heart goes out to just make a living under that kind of environment

On the differences between queer communities in Canada and the U.S.:

CE: I'm a queer woman and I have a female partner. A gay club is a place for queers to feel like they can be themselves, and that they're safe and surrounded by people who may not necessarily be queer, but are OK with queer.

Everyone is reeling from the shooting in that community. I'm pretty privileged living where I am in Vancouver. It's not perfect here, but I feel safe most of the time. In the States, it's a much different culture. There's a lot of anti-gay legislation put through the government or introduced by the Christian right. I can't imagine what it's like to live in a place where your government is actively working against you. I'm very privileged to live where I do, and my heart goes out to all of those people who are suffering right now.

On preventing mass shootings in the future:

KG: The right wing is absolutely in favour of guns apparently in all circumstances.

Everyone should have one. One of the common arguments seems to have been completely obliterated today in that "if everyone had a gun this wouldn't happen."Well, there was a police person there with a gun and it led to a shootout with more people being shot. It didn't lead to the safety of anyone.

CE: It's tough because the culture is so pervasive in the States. The solution is definitely more legislation surrounding guns. It's a huge help as far asmass shootings. The Orlando shooter was able to get a military grade weapon, and that's legal in Florida. Why would anybody need to own a gun like that?

KG: I don't think there's much that can be done because we've already tried.

As was mentioned, the Christian fundamentalists in this country are adamant that guns should be available. We've tried to limit guns in this country, and apparently we have spoken across all of our legislatures in all of the states and federal Congress. We have decided that we like guns we want to have them as a collective group. We've decided this is acceptable, and I don't see that we will change. That's the culture that we have; that's who we are as a people, and I gather that's who we're going to stay.

Carly Engstrom and Kit Grandon's comments have been edited and condensed. This online segment was prepared by Champagne Choquer.