It’s almost midnight and time to ring in a new year…a year that will be filled with new adventures for all of us. A wedding, new jobs, more kids in college and our last one will be a senior in High School. All of those things will be filled with happiness and undoubtedly new challenges. Yet all are something I’m looking forward to with excitement.
As I think of this last year, there have been a lot of highlights (especially the engagement). But nothing can compare to the range of emotions I’ve felt over this last week. The senseless tragedy on Christmas Eve morning in Webster has never been far from my mind since the moment I woke at 6am that day. There has been a lot of confusion over why something like this could ever happen, as well as a lot of tears. They have come in spurts and have been both sad and happy and proud tears. It’s unbelievable how many lives have been effected by this terrible event, yet so inspiring how people have handled it. Witnessing the amount of firefighters, police, first responders, etc that have come to our town to show respect and help us mourn, means more to our town then can be put into words. The generosity of folks from not only here, but all over the nation has been incredible. The amount of people that came to our town and are posting how our town welcomed them and took care of them makes me so proud to have lived in this community for most of my life. The Facebook page that was put up to coordinate peoples needs and opportunities to help, and also for others to share all of their stories of support and gratitude for the hospitality, was incredible. But most of all, being able to be a part of the amazing outreach for all those that keep us safe on a daily basis, has been humbling.
I didn’t attend the funerals in person as there were many more people that deserved to be sitting in those seats. However, I did watch both of them and they were heart wrenching, yet so beautiful at the same time. There are so many remarkable people in our town, our city and our nation. If there is good to come out of all of the suffering through this tragic event, it is that the outpouring of support, the generosity of strangers, and the acts of kindness can help to restore our faith in the good in our world. I hope that all the goodwill shown and acts of kindness continue. Let all the good we can do shine and maybe it can do something, in some small way, to help stamp out the bad.
To my best of friends that live this life of service every day in your families (you know who you are), know always that I’ll be there for you for anything you need. I have listened in the past to you say how hard it is when your families leave when those whistles and sirens blow. I have understood the best that I could to this point without living it myself. This week brought it all home in the worst of ways. I love you and support you and your families with all my heart. I’m sorry you went through this in the most intimate way this week… ways the rest of us can only say we understand. You are heroes to me, as much as your loved ones that leave for those calls , and I have the utmost respect for you as I do for them.
So here’s to the start of a new year… new memories… while never forgetting the events that shape us. Love to all… Happy New Year!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Reaction to a Tragedy...
I’ve kept fairly silent about the whole tragedy in Connecticut. I didn’t watch TV at all the day it occurred because I knew I couldn’t bear it, especially the way that the news media goes about their reporting. But unfortunately, it’s hard to stay out of the fray when people post the things they do on Facebook and other social media. It’s a shame that in trying to express their sadness and grieving that they don’t even realize how much hate they are spewing at the same time. I’m all for praying for the families, victims, community etc in situations like this, but people are taking it to either the farthest extremes, or simplifying it so much, that that is what’s frightening to me.
Two basic overall themes are prevailing in social media… 1. That we should ban all guns as they are the reason for it or 2. That if only people believed in God these things wouldn’t happen. Both of those sentiments are simply untrue in that simplistic form.
Guns… There are two sides to this argument. One being that it’s our 2nd amendment right to arm ourselves. While that may be the case as written, I don’t believe that either all guns are bad, or that it would be wrong to try to ban some guns. I don’t think we need assault weapons in the hands of normal every day citizens. But I do believe that if some sick person wanted to get one, they could… and they do. There is no quick and easy answer for this. Every person that owns a gun is not apt to use it to commit mass murder any more than the fact that a person who doesn’t own any guns would never commit murder. Nothing is that black and white. There needs to be more behind this then simply banning a weapon. I’m not claiming to know the answer, but I do know for certain the answer will not be that simple. We could beg congress to act and have more restrictions, but that does not mean we’ll see these things stop happening. I wish it did. I’d be the first to fight for the legislation if I thought that was all it would take. But it isn’t. There are other reasons these things happen, other factors that go into it. But to jump on bandwagons with a simple law, won’t deter someone if they really want to commit these types of crimes. Would more restrictions at least help keep weapons out of the hands of people that would commit these crimes, maybe. But we need to be open to more than just one simple law. I wish I knew the answer here, and I’m not claiming to, but knee jerk reactions won’t work. We should be having this conversation over and over again until we can come up with something that is helpful. We should have these conversations at times other than right after these tragedies, but we don’t seem to. However, arguing black and white won’t bring these victims back. I’m all for the argument, but lets do it in the best way possible not just rudeness towards others opinions on social media.
God… This one is particularly troubling for me and I’m a strong believer in God. However, when I see people saying that those that don’t have God in their lives are cold hearted killers and more apt to do these things, it maddens me to no end. Anyone that knows me knows how I detest when people lump groups together. For any person to even remotely infer that people that don’t believe in God are likely to do these things is as “unchristian” as you can get. How can they stand in that judgment and make a statement like that. I will say again, that I know a lot of folks that don’t believe in God that are far better people then a lot of the self-proclaimed Christians I know. At least they don’t claim to live one way and then get caught doing the most unchristian things (I’ve seen way too much of that). They are not hypocritical people, not judgmental people and are very very loving and supportive people, with great family values. They simply don’t believe in God. What makes you any better than them. What makes them any worse than anyone else just because they have that lack of that particular belief. NOTHING. So, for someone to sit and say that they are likely to commit a crime like this because they lack that belief is a horrible and extremely unchristian view.
The other side of the God issue that I’m pondering, is Christians thinking that if God wasn’t “removed from our schools” this wouldn’t have happened? How does that actually play out. If you’re a Christian, you should know that God is always with you, so he’s never “removed” from anything or any place. Prayer is allowed in schools, just not forced by law on schools. How can you force that Christian prayer on all students in a country that has freedom of all religions. If you do that and there are other religious kids in class, then you are also saying (by advocating for prayer of your religion in school) that then the Christian kids would also sit thru other students’ religious type of prayer as well. If that’s what the “bring religion back to school means” then I’m ok with that. I’m just not ok with ONE type of religion being there. But I digress. The real issue is that if God were “allowed” in the school this wouldn’t happen. Why is that? If everyone was brought up listening to God in schools from early on, this monster wouldn’t have then come years later and shot at everyone because he had heard how wrong it was in school? I’m pretty sure that there must be cases of monsters coming out of catholic schools where they hear about religion and right from wrong in their schools. Is just hearing about it enough to make people comfortable with the fact that no evil will occur because they have heard the word? Hearing the word and abiding by it are two different things. You can’t make people abide by what they hear. And just hearing it doesn’t put it in their hearts they way it would be if they were true believers and were trying to be Christ like. Christians who are advocating for that and also spouting how cold-hearted all non-believers are, are not acting very Christ like either. The point being, just having mandatory prayer in school would not have stopped this from occurring. That again, is too simplistic and too black and white.
Again, I’m not looking for any arguments here, just stating my feelings on what has been plastered all over social media in very basic terms. I’m not saying that IF those two things were done it wouldn’t have any effect at all. And if either of these ideas even stopped one senseless crime like what has occurred yet again, it could be worth it. I am saying that it would not stop all these crimes (unfortunately). I’m more concerned that when folks react from their gut (as we all do in these situations) that more hate towards folks that would NEVER do these things, seems to be an underlying message and that troubles me. I think we need to be careful HOW we state things. Think before speaking. Maybe even think before hating would be a better sentiment.
With all that said, I still can’t or won’t be glued to a tv to watch coverage of this. I can’t bear it at any time, but especially when it is young children involved. My heart is breaking for everyone involved and even those of us just trying to make any sense of this tragedy. There is no amount of coverage that will bring them back, and I can’t stand to see them even speak of the killer. I can’t stand to hear pundits or experts speak of mental illness like everyone that has one will commit a crime. I can’t stand to hear that anyone without God in their life is likely to do something so hideous. It makes me want to use my angry words and temper and MY God wouldn’t want me to do that, or to show hate while working my way through my emotions during this time.
May those who's lives were touched by this tragedy be able to find peace in whatever way works for them. We will all be holding them in our thoughts and extend to them our deepest sympathies.
Two basic overall themes are prevailing in social media… 1. That we should ban all guns as they are the reason for it or 2. That if only people believed in God these things wouldn’t happen. Both of those sentiments are simply untrue in that simplistic form.
Guns… There are two sides to this argument. One being that it’s our 2nd amendment right to arm ourselves. While that may be the case as written, I don’t believe that either all guns are bad, or that it would be wrong to try to ban some guns. I don’t think we need assault weapons in the hands of normal every day citizens. But I do believe that if some sick person wanted to get one, they could… and they do. There is no quick and easy answer for this. Every person that owns a gun is not apt to use it to commit mass murder any more than the fact that a person who doesn’t own any guns would never commit murder. Nothing is that black and white. There needs to be more behind this then simply banning a weapon. I’m not claiming to know the answer, but I do know for certain the answer will not be that simple. We could beg congress to act and have more restrictions, but that does not mean we’ll see these things stop happening. I wish it did. I’d be the first to fight for the legislation if I thought that was all it would take. But it isn’t. There are other reasons these things happen, other factors that go into it. But to jump on bandwagons with a simple law, won’t deter someone if they really want to commit these types of crimes. Would more restrictions at least help keep weapons out of the hands of people that would commit these crimes, maybe. But we need to be open to more than just one simple law. I wish I knew the answer here, and I’m not claiming to, but knee jerk reactions won’t work. We should be having this conversation over and over again until we can come up with something that is helpful. We should have these conversations at times other than right after these tragedies, but we don’t seem to. However, arguing black and white won’t bring these victims back. I’m all for the argument, but lets do it in the best way possible not just rudeness towards others opinions on social media.
God… This one is particularly troubling for me and I’m a strong believer in God. However, when I see people saying that those that don’t have God in their lives are cold hearted killers and more apt to do these things, it maddens me to no end. Anyone that knows me knows how I detest when people lump groups together. For any person to even remotely infer that people that don’t believe in God are likely to do these things is as “unchristian” as you can get. How can they stand in that judgment and make a statement like that. I will say again, that I know a lot of folks that don’t believe in God that are far better people then a lot of the self-proclaimed Christians I know. At least they don’t claim to live one way and then get caught doing the most unchristian things (I’ve seen way too much of that). They are not hypocritical people, not judgmental people and are very very loving and supportive people, with great family values. They simply don’t believe in God. What makes you any better than them. What makes them any worse than anyone else just because they have that lack of that particular belief. NOTHING. So, for someone to sit and say that they are likely to commit a crime like this because they lack that belief is a horrible and extremely unchristian view.
The other side of the God issue that I’m pondering, is Christians thinking that if God wasn’t “removed from our schools” this wouldn’t have happened? How does that actually play out. If you’re a Christian, you should know that God is always with you, so he’s never “removed” from anything or any place. Prayer is allowed in schools, just not forced by law on schools. How can you force that Christian prayer on all students in a country that has freedom of all religions. If you do that and there are other religious kids in class, then you are also saying (by advocating for prayer of your religion in school) that then the Christian kids would also sit thru other students’ religious type of prayer as well. If that’s what the “bring religion back to school means” then I’m ok with that. I’m just not ok with ONE type of religion being there. But I digress. The real issue is that if God were “allowed” in the school this wouldn’t happen. Why is that? If everyone was brought up listening to God in schools from early on, this monster wouldn’t have then come years later and shot at everyone because he had heard how wrong it was in school? I’m pretty sure that there must be cases of monsters coming out of catholic schools where they hear about religion and right from wrong in their schools. Is just hearing about it enough to make people comfortable with the fact that no evil will occur because they have heard the word? Hearing the word and abiding by it are two different things. You can’t make people abide by what they hear. And just hearing it doesn’t put it in their hearts they way it would be if they were true believers and were trying to be Christ like. Christians who are advocating for that and also spouting how cold-hearted all non-believers are, are not acting very Christ like either. The point being, just having mandatory prayer in school would not have stopped this from occurring. That again, is too simplistic and too black and white.
Again, I’m not looking for any arguments here, just stating my feelings on what has been plastered all over social media in very basic terms. I’m not saying that IF those two things were done it wouldn’t have any effect at all. And if either of these ideas even stopped one senseless crime like what has occurred yet again, it could be worth it. I am saying that it would not stop all these crimes (unfortunately). I’m more concerned that when folks react from their gut (as we all do in these situations) that more hate towards folks that would NEVER do these things, seems to be an underlying message and that troubles me. I think we need to be careful HOW we state things. Think before speaking. Maybe even think before hating would be a better sentiment.
With all that said, I still can’t or won’t be glued to a tv to watch coverage of this. I can’t bear it at any time, but especially when it is young children involved. My heart is breaking for everyone involved and even those of us just trying to make any sense of this tragedy. There is no amount of coverage that will bring them back, and I can’t stand to see them even speak of the killer. I can’t stand to hear pundits or experts speak of mental illness like everyone that has one will commit a crime. I can’t stand to hear that anyone without God in their life is likely to do something so hideous. It makes me want to use my angry words and temper and MY God wouldn’t want me to do that, or to show hate while working my way through my emotions during this time.
May those who's lives were touched by this tragedy be able to find peace in whatever way works for them. We will all be holding them in our thoughts and extend to them our deepest sympathies.
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