Taylor Swift Posts A Note To The Orlando Victims

It’s been a tough week across the world. But for those personally affected by the horrible tragedy in Orlando, this week has likely been one of the worst. On early Sunday morning, 49 people were brutally murdered and 53 more injured in an attack on Pulse, a popular nightclub in Orlando. In response to the horrific crime, politicians, artists, and other popular figures spoke out in support of the victims and their families. On Friday, Taylor Swift added her condolences with an Instagram post that was both touching and heartfelt. Responding to the fact that many of the victims’ families will be honoring their lost loved ones at funerals and memorials services around the country this weekend, the pop star spoke out on Instagram to pay her respects and offer her condolence.

And, really, the star’s message could not be a more touching one. Instead of engaging in the political conversation that this horrible event has stirred up — a filibuster for stronger gun legislation lasted 15 hours in the Senate in response to the terrible tragedy — Swift focused her message on the thing that mattered most: The incredible lives that were lost that day.

Handwriting each of the victims’ names on a piece of paper addressed to their families, Swift acknowledged each of the fallen in a way that was respectful to them as individuals. By not lumping them together in one number, she gave each of them space to be acknowledged on that page in a way that was incredibly moving. Not only that, but by addressing the note to their families, Swift also recognized the family members themselves, who are undoubtedly suffering the most in the wake of this terrible tragedy. In the caption, she addressed the family members directly, saying, “As you bury your loved ones this week, please know that there are millions of us sending you love and our deepest sympathy in the face of this unthinkable and devastating tragedy."

Honestly, I can’t think of a more fitting tribute to the lives lost in Orlando and their surviving family members than the one that Swift gave. By naming all of them individually and sending such heartfelt condolences to their family, Swift’s response was powerful, lovely, and incredibly moving.