Day 86: Raise a generation of peace warriors
My Dearest Friends,
I am writing to you because I feel overwhelmed. I am sad, angry, disappointed, confused and on the edge of hopelessness. I do not watch or read the news. I stopped doing that awhile ago because I don't think it's helpful. American media is completely out of balance and our society's priorities are very confused. Somehow we've arrived at a place where the dramatic, tragic and in any way negative stories are at the center of our Universe. It's all we seem to be entertained by. We have gone so far in this direction, in a disgusting consumption of superficial and materialistic pleasures, that we can't even remember what's really important until something hits close to home and wakes us up.
I'm tired of hearing of senseless acts of violence from people who have gone completely crazy. I am so sad when I hear of lives lost when there's a natural disaster. I'm so sad when I hear of people going on a shooting spree in movie theaters or colleges. But what pushes me to overwhelming sadness is when I hear about horrible, crazy people who target children. The most innocent of us all.
As I said, I don't watch or read the news. I don't know all the details of the Connecticut tragedy. But I really don't need to. The thought of children dying is enough.
I went through a range of emotions today. I tried to be professional, and consider how I should adapt my job as a social media manager to be sensitive to the events. I was angry. I was confused. I was heart broken, thinking of the victims and their families. I felt scared as I thought of my 9 year old daughter. I felt protective. I wanted to take her out of school and hug her and never let go. For a couple seconds I had decided to never let my daughter out of my sight. I'd home school her. Or quit my job and work at her school. We would start taking self defense classes and talk about what to do if she was ever in a situation where someone had a gun. I'd strap her up with a bullet-proof snowsuit so she walked around like the little brother from A Christmas Story all the time. Oh, I'd make sure she was safe.
I'm not suggesting we shouldn't take precautions (although the bullet-proof snowsuit might be a little too much). I've written before that it's important to maintain a balance between safety and paranoia. I still believe that. But in the midst of tears and over-protective thoughts, I was drawn to a major realization.
Peace. We need more peace.
First, I realized I wanted to start taking Cambria to church every Sunday. Now I have my own ideas about church, especially the church I was raised in. But really, when it comes down to it, all of my disagreements with the logic and details don't outweigh the benefits of being in a loving and peaceful environment. I can handle the details. But I need a powerful force to combat all the freaking negativity this world is dishing out. And my personal spiritual beliefs and philosophies aren't strong enough alone.
Second, getting angry and worked up is not going to solve the crisis we're in. More negativity just adds fuel to the fire. I don't know a lot about the people who are carrying out all these acts of violence. But I would imagine there are not enough examples of strong, peaceful behavior to offset all the negative. Why do we gravitate towards violent movies, games, music and language? [Please note: I am NOT saying all those things are to blame for the tragedies that have occurred, the people who took the action will always be to blame.]
The majority of people will probably be able to handle themselves appropriately despite taking part in violent entertainment. But does it really add value to their lives? I honestly don't know. For me, it doesn't. And for those who consume the violence and make it part of who they are - part of their reality - is it worth it for us to have it if there is even a shred of evidence to suggest it could add to their troubled personalities? That it could in ANY way make them more likely to carry out those actions?
Regardless of what the world and our society decides to do about violent entertainment, we are clearly out of balance and in desperate need of raising a generation of kids who truly know right and wrong. Who believe in the power of kindness, respect and compassion. They're truly our only hope. I can't see a future without the majority of individuals who are morally and ethically strong.
If you want to change the world, fight the negativity with positivity. Raise your children to be good people. To be warriors of peace.
You can smirk or laugh about how corny all this may sound... but consider the alternative. Just take a moment and picture a world where we continue to glorify the wackos who do these terrible things. We promote their behavior and reward it with historical significance. We plaster their faces all over the world so all the other crazies out there see it and know the way to go down in history is not by following down the path of Martin Luther King, Jr. but by doing something horrible and topping the last guy.
It's OUR future. Our children's future. We get to decide. Peace is the only way.
I am writing to you because I feel overwhelmed. I am sad, angry, disappointed, confused and on the edge of hopelessness. I do not watch or read the news. I stopped doing that awhile ago because I don't think it's helpful. American media is completely out of balance and our society's priorities are very confused. Somehow we've arrived at a place where the dramatic, tragic and in any way negative stories are at the center of our Universe. It's all we seem to be entertained by. We have gone so far in this direction, in a disgusting consumption of superficial and materialistic pleasures, that we can't even remember what's really important until something hits close to home and wakes us up.
I'm tired of hearing of senseless acts of violence from people who have gone completely crazy. I am so sad when I hear of lives lost when there's a natural disaster. I'm so sad when I hear of people going on a shooting spree in movie theaters or colleges. But what pushes me to overwhelming sadness is when I hear about horrible, crazy people who target children. The most innocent of us all.
As I said, I don't watch or read the news. I don't know all the details of the Connecticut tragedy. But I really don't need to. The thought of children dying is enough.
I went through a range of emotions today. I tried to be professional, and consider how I should adapt my job as a social media manager to be sensitive to the events. I was angry. I was confused. I was heart broken, thinking of the victims and their families. I felt scared as I thought of my 9 year old daughter. I felt protective. I wanted to take her out of school and hug her and never let go. For a couple seconds I had decided to never let my daughter out of my sight. I'd home school her. Or quit my job and work at her school. We would start taking self defense classes and talk about what to do if she was ever in a situation where someone had a gun. I'd strap her up with a bullet-proof snowsuit so she walked around like the little brother from A Christmas Story all the time. Oh, I'd make sure she was safe.
I'm not suggesting we shouldn't take precautions (although the bullet-proof snowsuit might be a little too much). I've written before that it's important to maintain a balance between safety and paranoia. I still believe that. But in the midst of tears and over-protective thoughts, I was drawn to a major realization.
Peace. We need more peace.
First, I realized I wanted to start taking Cambria to church every Sunday. Now I have my own ideas about church, especially the church I was raised in. But really, when it comes down to it, all of my disagreements with the logic and details don't outweigh the benefits of being in a loving and peaceful environment. I can handle the details. But I need a powerful force to combat all the freaking negativity this world is dishing out. And my personal spiritual beliefs and philosophies aren't strong enough alone.
Second, getting angry and worked up is not going to solve the crisis we're in. More negativity just adds fuel to the fire. I don't know a lot about the people who are carrying out all these acts of violence. But I would imagine there are not enough examples of strong, peaceful behavior to offset all the negative. Why do we gravitate towards violent movies, games, music and language? [Please note: I am NOT saying all those things are to blame for the tragedies that have occurred, the people who took the action will always be to blame.]
The majority of people will probably be able to handle themselves appropriately despite taking part in violent entertainment. But does it really add value to their lives? I honestly don't know. For me, it doesn't. And for those who consume the violence and make it part of who they are - part of their reality - is it worth it for us to have it if there is even a shred of evidence to suggest it could add to their troubled personalities? That it could in ANY way make them more likely to carry out those actions?
Regardless of what the world and our society decides to do about violent entertainment, we are clearly out of balance and in desperate need of raising a generation of kids who truly know right and wrong. Who believe in the power of kindness, respect and compassion. They're truly our only hope. I can't see a future without the majority of individuals who are morally and ethically strong.
If you want to change the world, fight the negativity with positivity. Raise your children to be good people. To be warriors of peace.
You can smirk or laugh about how corny all this may sound... but consider the alternative. Just take a moment and picture a world where we continue to glorify the wackos who do these terrible things. We promote their behavior and reward it with historical significance. We plaster their faces all over the world so all the other crazies out there see it and know the way to go down in history is not by following down the path of Martin Luther King, Jr. but by doing something horrible and topping the last guy.
It's OUR future. Our children's future. We get to decide. Peace is the only way.
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