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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 13 June 2017
49 victims of Pulse massacre remembered in daylong services

By MIKE SCHNEIDER would be almost 24 hours
TERRANCE HARRIS of solemn remembrances.
Associated Press During a midday service,
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — the Orlando Gay Chorus
Church bells tolled 49 performed Cyndi Lauper’s
times, a giant rainbow “True Colors” and speakers
flag hung from a county talked less about the trag-
government building and edy and more about how
the names of the victims Orlando area residents
of the Pulse nightclub at- came together in the after-
tack were read aloud at math.
various ceremonies Mon- Orange County Mayor Te-
day as people in Orlando resa Jacobs said the city
and beyond remembered will only partly be remem-
the worst mass shooting in bered for the shooting.
modern U.S. history. “That will be a part of the
At 2:02 a.m., survivors, vic- history books, but the true
tims’ families, club employ- legacy of our community is
ees and local officials were going to be in our darkest
gathered for a private ser- hour we responded with
vice at the gay club at the love and compassion and
exact time Omar Mateen unity,” Jacobs said. Community members mourn together during a community gathering at the Pulse night-
club memorial site in Orlando, Fla., Monday, June 12, 2017. A gunman opened fire at
opened fire a year ago At noon, church bells
and pledged allegiance throughout the Orlando the nightclub one year ago in the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history, killing 49
people.
to the Islamic State. He was area rang 49 times. Gov.
eventually killed by police Rick Scott ordered U.S. flags (Loren Elliott/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
after a three-hour standoff around Florida to be flown port. She plans to build a #PulseNightClub shooting. in unity and love.”
on June 12, 2016. at half-staff and a gay- memorial at the site of the #OrlandoUnitedDay.” Outside Pulse, hundreds of
“I realize that gathering pride flag was unveiled at nightclub, which has been Local leaders said Ma- people dropped off flow-
here in this place, at this the Orange County gov- closed since the tragedy. teen’s hateful act caused ers, drawings and cards.
hour, is beyond difficult,” ernment building. “I miss Pulse,” she said. “I an outpouring of love from “It still hurts, it’s still very raw,”
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer Pulse owner Barbara Poma miss everything it stood for.” Orlando and the wider said Erin Anderson, a friend
said. “But I also know that said when people ask her President Donald Trump world. and former co-worker of
the strength you’ve shown what has changed in her tweet out a photo of the “What a terrorist tries to do Pulse victim Xavier Serrano
over the past year will carry life since the tragedy, she victims and said: “We will is divide us,” U.S. Sen. Bill Rosado.Jeannine Williams
you through today and in tells them “everything.” NEVER FORGET the victims Nelson said. “Isn’t it interest- used to live within walking
the future.” But she said she is grateful who lost their lives one year ing it had the opposite ef- distance of Pulse and was
The service began what for the outpouring of sup- ago today in the horrific fect? It brought us together a frequent visitor. q
Virginia honors pair who challenged interracial marriage ban

By ALANNA RICHER we get looks and whispers
Associated Press and my wife gets asked ig-
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — norant questions, it’s still not
When Richard and Mildred as bad as what the Lovings
Loving had the audacity to had to do deal with,” said
marry, Virginia law officers Fritzinger, a contracting of-
jailed them. The state’s ficer with the Department
highest court later agreed of General Services.
it was right to outlaw their Weeks after the Lovings
marriage because he was were married in Washing-
white and she was black. ton, D.C., in 1958, sher-
Now, a half century after iff’s deputies burst into
the Lovings won a land- their Virginia home in the
mark U.S. Supreme Court middle of the night and
ruling that legalized inter- threw them in jail for un-
racial marriage nation- lawful cohabitation.“They
wide, the couple has been were convicted of the
honored with a historical high crime of loving each
marker outside the old Vir- other,” Virginia Gov. Terry
ginia Supreme Court build- McAuliffe said.The couple
ing where they suffered a Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe , right, looks over a historical marker, along with his wife, Dorothy, agreed to leave Virginia for
center, and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, left, that was unveiled commemorating the 50th anni-
legal defeat. versary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down bans on interracial marriage Monday, 25 years in order to avoid a
“We honor their courage June 12, 2017, in Richmond, Va. The new historical marker to commemorate the lawsuit brought one-year jail sentence, but
to stand up for the right to by Richard and Mildred Loving, was dedicated outside the old Virginia Supreme Court, which after several years in Wash-
love unconditionally, their ruled against the Lovings before they ultimately won in the U.S. Supreme Court. ington decided they want-
strength to endure the (AP Photo/Steve Helber) ed to come home. Mildred
struggle against all odds Civil Liberties Union of Vir- interracial marriage law there to recognize the Lov- Loving wrote to then-Attor-
and their tenacity to prove ginia, said Monday during and similar ones in about ings for paving the way ney General Robert F. Ken-
that loving is really what a dedication ceremony. one-third of the states. for his own interracial mar- nedy and was referred to
it’s all about,” Claire Guth- It fell on the 50th anniversa- Matt Fritzinger, a state em- riage. Fritzinger is white and the American Civil Liberties
rie Gastanaga, executive ry of the high court decision ployee who attended the his wife of about 10 years is Union, which took on the
director of the American dismantling Virginia’s anti- dedication, said he was black.“As bad as it is that case. q