I would like to just reflect on the experience I've had in connection to the events of this week. Please read on to hear my frustration, my passion, and my love.
Some of the reactions I've heard to the 3 dead and 178 wounded from the Boston bombings have been, "oh only 3 dead?" or "why is everyone so upset, 32 people died in Afghanistan today." The media that we have created is a society of numbers - no names, no sympathy, empathy, compassion. Yet, a person hears a bomb explode, watches a person cry, feels the blood on the ground, and their life is changed forever from that moment. The people who have died in Afghanistan have names which should be shared, and there statistics should not be as significant. The 3 victims from Monday; 8 year-old Martin Richard, 29 year-old Krystle Campbell, and a Boston University graduate student named Lingzi Lu of China - they should be remembered for their names and their stories. They're not just the 3 fatalities that the bombings caused - they are people, and millions - millions - of people have felt connected to them because of the tragic way in which their lives were taken from them. That is what is beautiful and should be reported on the news.
Anyone who is connected to the internet can see that MSNBC, CNN, and FoxNews (but no surprise there), have all been spreading inaccurate and downright offensive press to the public. A public, who is overall confused, worried and upset at what has unfolded this week.
I have been asking anyone and everyone to pray and think of all those involved in the attacks, and affected by them.
The reason prayer is so powerful is because its a million positive vibes working together which can ultimately change the mood of a nation. Prayer is just positive thoughts with a specific focus. Boston has always been a resilient city full of people who can easily unite simply on the basis of being from the same area, loving the same sports team, or being the same amount of drunk. Positive vibes help that resilience thrive.
Surrounding all of these events have been crazy, and downright ignorant political remarks regarding Muslims, and radicalism. Radicalism, is a disease that has infected religions and cultures all over the world. It is a dramatized, and evil kind of thinking that can easily take a lost child and turn him into a soldier for "god." This is a disease that has infected Christianity, caused corruption within religious institutions, and has created branches of radical groups everywhere from radical anti-abortionists, the Westboro Baptist Church, all the way to Al-Qaeda. Radicalism is a disease because powerful and self-righteous individuals prey on the weak to join their movement. It is a brainwash, and it is a global issue that has affected millions of people and caused countless casualties since before 2001. Radicalism in the Middle East has caused such an uproar of fear and anger in people who do not fully understand it that Islamaphobia is on the rise and Muslims are often targeted as being 'evil' people. Muslims, who I might add, also condemn radicalism and look down upon those who have encouraged the radical view of Islam.
It has been the cause of all terrorist attacks in the past several decades, and unfortunately I live in a generation where the face of those radicalism groups has been painted by media and leaders as a group of angry Muslims. Those people can call themselves Muslims the same way that the father of a cult group can call himself the reincarnate savior. I wish that we lived in a time where we could look at radicalists and hear what they say and think "I hope that someone helps them, and I hope that no one believes they are right." If your belief is in harming others, then your God is not from nirvana, paradise, the kingdom, heaven, etc. All religions (not cults) have one thing in common that I can say for sure - do good, be good.
It is my prayer that all of us who have not been swayed in radicalism, can hope and pray for those who have. A 19 year-old bomber? I pity him through all of the anger and the pain he has caused. I cannot see a 19 year-old murderer as anything other than a victim of his own mind.
I believe that strength of heart and mind is what will bring peace. It is the weak who can be swayed to radicalism, it is the desperate, and the lonely, the people who have no where else to turn. And then on their shoulder they have a person with kind eyes holding out their hands, telling them they care about them, and all of that desperation and loneliness can be blamed on somebody, on a nation, on a city. If all the love in a persons life is felt from one wolf in sheep's clothing, then someone who is in pain will fail to see beyond the sheep.
If anyone is in a relationship of any kind that has caused them to isolate themselves and segregate from others who have shown care for them, then let me just say this - we are not meant to be alone.
To anyone who feels such an immense amount of anger in their lives - radical groups against; LGBT, a race, a culture, a belief, a religion, etc. To those people who feel that an act of hatred is the only way they can find peace... or even to the non-radicals who resort to violence, substance abuse, or simply mistreat themselves or the people in their lives who love them...
Newsflash. Hatred or anger will NEVER bring you peace.
To anyone who feels such an immense amount of anger in their lives - radical groups against; LGBT, a race, a culture, a belief, a religion, etc. To those people who feel that an act of hatred is the only way they can find peace... or even to the non-radicals who resort to violence, substance abuse, or simply mistreat themselves or the people in their lives who love them...
Newsflash. Hatred or anger will NEVER bring you peace.
Thanks for listening.
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