When I woke up at 4 a.m. to my bed shaking beneath me and my phone falling off the side of my mattress, I somehow knew the cause was not in the form of a hurricane, but a much bigger, more powerful storm. When I read the messages, “Let’s all just pray for the best that’s really all we can do,” and “Guys they’re saying she’s in critical condition I’m freaking out”, I simply shut off my phone and rolled over on my side. In my sleepy delirium, I knew my friends were discussing a celebrity, someone who’s fate I could wait a few hours to discover. I never once thought it could have been Christina. A 22-year-old, a bright star on perhaps the most exciting tour of her life… There was no way a life as premature as hers could have somehow ended in a matter of hours.
But when I woke up about two hours later, I realized that maybe my friends were talking about Christina. I checked my messages once more, reading, “Guys they’re saying she’s gone this can’t be real” followed by “I’m so thankful to her for bringing you guys into my life” and “I love you all”. Instead of texting back, I took to Google. And there, in the light of the 6 A.M sunrise, I saw the headline:
“Christina Grimmie Shot and Killed at Orlando Show”
To lose your hero is an accepted fate, one we expect to discover in our late adulthoods. We fall in love with famed artists at age 13. We expect to hear their names on the news at age 50. So when you’ve been following someone for only five years before you hear they’re shot dead at age 22, you’re forced to wonder: Why? Why did this tragedy happen? The answer won’t be found in Christ’s plan; the unknowable. The truth is this: Christina Grimmie was killed as a result of ridiculous gun laws and faulty security measures. And now, after roughly six months since her passing, Grimmie’s family is finally taking action. Here’s why we should support them.
Firstly, it is important to address the obvious contributing factor in Christina’s death: America’s gun laws. To break it down, a study from January of last year shows that approximately 300 millions guns are available to about a third of the country’s population. That means about 106,300,000 American citizens possess guns. With such a number, it is no wonder that so many mass shootings occur yearly. The fact is, America’s relaxed gun laws serve as a vehicle for criminals to obtain a weapon and then, unfortunately, use it. Virtually anyone can obtain a gun legally and, as we see in Grimmie’s case, sneak them into just about anywhere. Thus, easy accessibility to guns allows for sick-minded people to kill without any hassle. Kevin Loibl, Grimmie’s shooter, had not just one, but two guns on hand at the time of the shooting. He even had extra bullets! If it weren’t for the gun laws of America, perhaps Loibl would have never gotten his hands on the weapons at all. Indeed, perhaps Christina’s life could have been spared. Therefore, America’s ridiculous gun laws undoubtedly played a role in Christina Grimmie’s death.
Moreover, perhaps the most obvious answer to the question of why Christina was killed lies in the security system of The Plaza Live, the Orlando venue at which the shooting took place. According to Billboard, Marcus Grimmie, Christina’s brother, claimed that the venue failed to provide “adequate security measures”, merely conducting “superficial bag-checks”. No metal detectors or pat-downs were involved- only simple bag-checks, yet fans wielding closed containers, such as water bottles, were denied entry into the venue. Clearly, there is something wrong with a security system when multiple weapons can get past, but a simple water-bottle cannot. As user ItsDaniellie tweeted, “#IStandWithTheGrimmies because I wasn’t even allowed to walk into that venue with a damn water bottle, yet someone got in armed.” If The Plaza Live had just put a little more effort into their bag-checks, installed a single metal detector or even conducted a simple pat-down, Grimmie’s shooter surely would have been apprehended.
The carelessness of The Plaza Live is self-evident, but the Orlando venue is unfortunately not the only one to neglect the importance of firm security measures. Just hours after Christina’s death, another travesty occurred ten minutes away at PULSE, a gay nightclub. 50 innocent lives were taken that night, but if stronger security measures had been in place, perhaps the killer would not have gotten into the club with a gun in the first place. Moreover, in May of 2016, 4 people were shot inside of New York’s Irving Plaza just hours before rapper T.I’s concert(Heavy.com).With so many shootings having occurred inside of public venues, it is a wonder how the aforementioned venues, along with others, do not already have stricter security measures in place. Instead of a single armed security guard, PULSE should imposed a group of bouncers, alongside metal detectors. Instead of patting down only the general ticket-holders, Irving Plaza should have considered the VIP section, too. Finally, instead of mere superficial bag-checks, The Plaza Live should have conducted pat-downs with the use of metal detectors, as well as appointed armed security guards to oversee Christina Grimmie’s meet and greet. If these measures had been in place, perhaps all three tragedies could have been avoided. This is where Christina’s Law comes into place.
#Christina’sLaw was started by Christina’s best friend and ex-The Voice contestant, Bria Kelly. On the law’s official website, Kelly discusses the blatant preventability of Grimmie’s death, and proposes security measures that should have been in place, including metal detectors and an armed security guard. Kelly proceeds to detail the main point of #ChristinasLaw, stating,
My family and I urge all live performance venues and nightclubs, especially where alcohol is served, to employ these two security measures. Further, we strongly urge lawmakers at the federal and/or state level to enact legislation making these measures mandatory. To honor her memory, we propose calling it “Christina’s Law”. This name is not intended to belittle or minimize the deaths at The Pulse; rather, Christina was simply the first to be senselessly murdered in this two-day span. We will not resolve our country’s gun control issues anytime soon. So instead, these measures can be put into place immediately, at little cost, to help prevent further loss of innocent life.
Put simply, the law inquires state legislatures to require the enactment of strict security measures at live performance venues and nightclubs. Such measures would include armed guards, off-duty police officers, and as previously stated, metal detectors (which only cost about $160). The security measures are completely understandable and affordable, estimated to cost about $500, as Kelly states on the law’s website. Thus, there is no reason public venues and nightclubs should not be enacting such protocol. As we have seen with The Plaza Live, PULSE, and Irving Plaza, these measures are required to protect innocent lives. Furthermore, you can petition your state representatives to enact #ChristinasLaw with the help of Kelly’s website, here.
In addition to #ChristinasLaw, Grimmie’s family is also taking action against the senseless mistakes made by The Plaza Live as well as Grimmie’s concert promoter. As of December 20th, 2016, Grimmie’s family has filed a lawsuit against AEG Live and The Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation, which owns the Orlando venue where Christina was killed (Billboard.com). The lawsuit is based on the careless lack of effort to protect Christina and her fans who attended the show that night. Christina’s family are asking for compensation to pay for Christina’s medical and funeral expenses, physical and emotional trauma, as well as the future support Christina would have contributed to the family had she lived (Christina was the main financial provider for her family).
If Christina Grimmie is remembered solely by the way tragic way she was killed, we are doing her an injustice. Christina was a bright, beautiful, inspirational young woman who had an impact on millions of lives throughout the world. Her main message as an artist was to embrace your identity, your “weirdness” and all. Her one wish was for people to connect with her music and have one of her songs become someone’s favorite song. And with a fanbase as large and strong as Christina’s, it is safe to say plenty of her songs still ring loud in the hearts of many. You can learn more about Christina through her youtube channel, Zeldaxlove64.
Remember to maintain Christina’s legacy and prevent any recurrences of the way she died by petitioning your state legislature for the enactment of #ChristinasLaw. Together, we can prevent another PULSE episode. We can prevent another Irving Plaza incident. We can stop another young, bright star from burning out too soon. But it starts with action- the actions of you.
