This tragedy resulted in 50 deaths, including that of the gunman, who claimed allegiance to the Islamic State as one of his last acts. More than 50 other people were injured, some very seriously, in the attack.

The gunman specifically chose to target gay people, but the impact of his actions hits all of us–regardless of religion, race, or sexual orientation. Bigotry and hatred should have no place in our modern society. Yet time after time, we see political candidates and elected officials taking actions and making proclamations that choose to point out the differences among us.

The good news coming from this tragedy is that so many people are coming together to mourn, to reject bigotry, and to show solidarity with those who have lost loved ones. We focus on how those impacted were so similar to us. These men and women were someone’s child,  someone’s parent, someone’s lover, someone’s friend.

It’s important that we don’t lose this spirit as the media attention turns to the next sensational news event. It’s a small, small world and we’re all in this together.