I have to say that I'm getting very frustrated and even somewhat disheartened by all the killing that's going on in the world. Whether it's killing by individuals with assault weapons here in our country or terrorist attacks in other places, it hurts to see so many people willing and able to kill other people for reasons that are simply incomprehensible. If you disagree with someone, then talk to them. If you believe something different, then acknowledge the differences and move on with your life. These are the strategies that human beings have been given; these are the ways that we can use our minds and hearts to deal with our fears and prejudices rather than using violent means to make a point that virtually never is taken in the way it is intended.
The violent people are not having their claims examined in objective ways. They lose that chance when they choose to harm and kill other human beings. They are not eliciting sympathy for any cause, nor are they helping people to understand problems. And because of their misguided attempts to deal with their fears and challenges, other people must live in fear of physical violence, which makes their lives very difficult, indeed. So many people are dying needless and tragic deaths because a relatively few people feel that they have some sort of right to kill others, and there really are no words that can express how awful it is that they do this, and how awful it is for the rest of the world to see the constant killing of innocent people on a regular basis.
A response:
This has been going on forever, as long as human beings have been around. It's extremely sad and completely unfair to virtually everyone, yet no matter how much human beings progress in their knowledge and scientific endeavors, you still do a relatively poor job at teaching young people how to live together in peace, how to deal with fears and insecurities, and especially how to employ effective problem-solving skills in order to accomplish your desired goals without resorting to the lowest form of persuasion: violence and intimidation. The people who are doing the killing are afraid and they're angry, and they are willing to listen to others who are afraid and angry more than they're willing to listen to people who are not.
Even with good upbringings, such people can be "caught" by others at times when they're most vulnerable--when they feel alone, and are afraid that they always will feel that way; when they feel no hope for their future, and they're afraid that lack of hope will last forever; when they see what they perceive as injustice and feel angry about it, and they don't think that other people will do anything at all about that injustice. When you're feeling these things, it's very easy for someone else to convince you that other people are to blame for your problems and the problems of your country, and it's very easy for those people to convince you that a completely appropriate way of responding to these issues is indeed a way that is actually completely inappropriate.
Humans like to go after symptoms rather than diseases, so they declare war on terrorist groups rather than examining the situations that give rise to such groups and then doing something to deal with the problems that people are having. There are too many arguments about how much money to spend on creating more jobs, for example, an act that would bring hope to many more people, and not enough recognition of how that expenditure would actually save time, money, and much heartbreak down the road. You need to create situations that help people to have hope, you need to create inclusive social structures to help young people to have a sense of belonging, and you need to teach people not just about how to deal with their problems in life, but also a deep respect for their fellow human beings and their own fears and hopes and dreams. The violence is real and it will not go away until more people feel connected and hopeful, rather than disenfranchised and hopeless.
And what can you do as an individual who doesn't have any influence at all over the decision-making processes that could help to solve some of these problems? Not much, of course. But your prayers and your positive thoughts will help not just to keep you aware of the problems, but to think about how to avoid such straightforward problems in your own sphere of influence--to see how your own contribution to your own world can keep people there from feeling the things that the violent people feel.
No comments:
Post a Comment