Voice of America
15 Aug 2019, 02:05 GMT+10
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - A group of survivors and family members of those killed in a mass shooting at a Florida nightclub have formed an organization to oppose the building of a private museum to honor the victims.
Members of the Community Coalition Against a Pulse Museum said the nightclub should be torn down and the nightclub's owner should not build a private museum. Any memorial should be constructed on public property, and any money raised for the museum should be channeled to survivors, they said.
"Put people first," the group said on its website. "We care more about our survivors than educating tourists."
The nonprofit raising money for a Pulse memorial and museum said it is using as a model those built to commemorate the Oklahoma City bombing and the Sept. 11 attacks.
"We respect the thoughts and opinions of everyone in the community who was affected by this tragic event and are taking them all into consideration on how we move forward," the onePulse Foundation said in a statement.
The foundation hopes to raise more than $40 million to build the memorial and museum. The memorial will be at the nightclub's location and the museum will be several blocks away. The memorial will be free and the museum will charge a small admissions fee, according to the foundation.
The mass shooting at the gay nightclub in Orlando killed 49 patrons and injured dozens more three years ago. Gunman Omar Mateen died in a shootout with police.
At an event commemorating the third anniversary last June, the mother of one of those who died interrupted the ceremony with shouts aimed at onePulse Foundation's CEO, Barbara Poma, who owned the nightclub. After the ceremony, Poma said, "Christine is a grieving mom. Everyone does it differently, and this is a rough week for every mother, every survivor and every first responder."
Christine Leinonen blamed Poma for inadequate security at the nightclub. Leinonen and other family members and survivors have sued Poma and her husband for negligence. Leinonen has started a petition asking the Orlando City Council to stop onePulse Foundation's efforts to build the museum and memorial, saying it's "not a mockery, a place to gawk and line pockets. Not an Amusement Attraction."
Other survivors and family members are backing the proposed memorial and museum and have attended onePulse Foundation events. Scores of people visit the closed nightclub each day to lay flowers or write messages on a fence.
OnePulse Foundation has also attracted some powerful supporters. Its board includes pop singer Lance Bass and former NBA player Jason Collins, as well as the president of Walt Disney World. An advisory board is made up of leaders of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and the Oklahoma City Memorial and Museum.
A 2018 tax return made public this month by the onePulse Foundation showed it had revenue of $1.6 million and that Poma earned a salary of $109,000.
Get a daily dose of Cincinnati Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Cincinnati Sun.
More InformationEVERGLADES, Florida: Over the weekend, a diverse coalition of environmental activists, Native American leaders, and residents gathered...
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
]LONDON, U.K.: A World Health Organization (WHO) expert group investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic released its final...
DOVER, Delaware: California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken legal aim at Fox News, accusing the network of deliberately distorting...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Germany has become the latest country to challenge Chinese AI firm DeepSeek over its data practices, as pressure...
TORONTO, Canada: Harvard University and the University of Toronto have created a backup plan to ensure Harvard graduate students continue...
NEW YORK, New York - Global stock indices closed with divergent performances on Tuesday, as investors weighed corporate earnings, central...
TORONTO, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced late on June 29 that trade negotiations with the U.S. have recommenced...
Vancouver, Canada: A high-stakes legal showdown is brewing in the world of athleisure. Lululemon, the Canadian brand known for its...
LONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stock markets closed firmly in positive territory to start the week Monday, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he was halting trade discussions with Canada due to its decision...