Randy Siegel's Blog - Posts Tagged "randy-siegel-writes"
Yet Another Tragedy
Another tragedy. The nation’s largest mass murder hits the airwaves with non-stop coverage, and the finger pointing begins:
It’s about guns!
No, terrorism. It’s ISIS.
Mental illness—that’s the root cause.
Politics! Look who we’re putting in office. What do you expect?
Hate! It’s about hate.
The list goes on.
And the body count mounts. Innocents die, and America—no, the entire world—is a house divided.
We are disillusioned. We are angry. And we are scared. If we can find the answer, then we can fix it.
Like everyone one else I search for answers. I ask, “What is the root cause?” And why now? America is a different place than the one I knew in my childhood.
It seems to me that it comes down to worth; it always comes down to worth—self worth. Fanaticism, extremism, terrorism—of any kind—feeds off our innate need to belong to something bigger than ourselves and to know that our lives matter.
Gradually we learn about the mass murderers’ lives. In every case, these men and women felt marginalized. They did not feel seen, heard, or understood. The promise of recognition, affirming their worth, and rewards far greater than they are experiencing on this plane was too seductive. Seductive enough to sacrifice their own life. And take the lives of many.
So what is the solution? Oh, if it were that easy. Force won’t do it. Neither will gun control (although, I believe in it). More money to treat mental illness? Again, a good thing to do, but it won’t eliminate the killing.
Our only chance is to change our attitude. We can change the way we interact with the world—and all the people in it. We may not love everyone—but we can respect them. We can agree to disagree, even when their strongly held beliefs are different than ours.
Am I being unrealistic? Too optimistic? Too much like Pollyanna? Perhaps. But what other choice do we have? It’s time for us to stop circling the wagons and open the circle—to recognize that our citizenry to the world trumps our citizenry to one country.
No longer can I sit here and say, “This is too big. There’s nothing I can do.” I can change my attitude toward my neighbor. I can see him and her as my brother and sister. I can retire judgment. I can seek understanding and compassion. I can strive to act out of love, not fear. With this person. Right now. In this moment. Praying that even the smallest of acts will help make our world a better place.
It’s about guns!
No, terrorism. It’s ISIS.
Mental illness—that’s the root cause.
Politics! Look who we’re putting in office. What do you expect?
Hate! It’s about hate.
The list goes on.
And the body count mounts. Innocents die, and America—no, the entire world—is a house divided.
We are disillusioned. We are angry. And we are scared. If we can find the answer, then we can fix it.
Like everyone one else I search for answers. I ask, “What is the root cause?” And why now? America is a different place than the one I knew in my childhood.
It seems to me that it comes down to worth; it always comes down to worth—self worth. Fanaticism, extremism, terrorism—of any kind—feeds off our innate need to belong to something bigger than ourselves and to know that our lives matter.
Gradually we learn about the mass murderers’ lives. In every case, these men and women felt marginalized. They did not feel seen, heard, or understood. The promise of recognition, affirming their worth, and rewards far greater than they are experiencing on this plane was too seductive. Seductive enough to sacrifice their own life. And take the lives of many.
So what is the solution? Oh, if it were that easy. Force won’t do it. Neither will gun control (although, I believe in it). More money to treat mental illness? Again, a good thing to do, but it won’t eliminate the killing.
Our only chance is to change our attitude. We can change the way we interact with the world—and all the people in it. We may not love everyone—but we can respect them. We can agree to disagree, even when their strongly held beliefs are different than ours.
Am I being unrealistic? Too optimistic? Too much like Pollyanna? Perhaps. But what other choice do we have? It’s time for us to stop circling the wagons and open the circle—to recognize that our citizenry to the world trumps our citizenry to one country.
No longer can I sit here and say, “This is too big. There’s nothing I can do.” I can change my attitude toward my neighbor. I can see him and her as my brother and sister. I can retire judgment. I can seek understanding and compassion. I can strive to act out of love, not fear. With this person. Right now. In this moment. Praying that even the smallest of acts will help make our world a better place.
