While we're all busy arguing socialism/ capitalism/ marxism/ facism, and every other kind of irrelevant name-calling venture (like a bunch of 5 yr. olds)... we have successfully distracted ourselves from the fact that we are already foremost a society of sensationalism... undoubtedly the reason we argue at all.
We've allowed mainstream media, the insatiable desire to be right, and the shameless idolatry of money to construct our perceptions and thus, create our reality. We have planted ourselves in front of the TV and rationalized our our own involvement in thousands of horrific crimes by rhetorically uttering how truly sorry we are for such terrible tragedies....all the while pouring gasoline on the massive firestorm of sensationalist media and the vicious cycle of "news" it spawns .
We can and will continue to debate gun laws. We can and will continue to have political discussions surrounding this issue, but until we turn off the TV, take back our own thoughts, return dignity to innocent victims, and choose to honor them by refusing to entertain ourselves over and over with the final terrifying moments of their lives, we don't have a chance for change. This isn't a super duper, block-busting action movie. This is real life. But they have us on the edge of our seats like we just can't wait to see what happens next.
I, for one, have chosen to start writing my own scenes. I stopped watching mainstream "news" about 8 years ago. I am certainly happier, less fearful, and better informed, but most importantly, I have been able to turn the anger into an act of kindness. The fear has given way to love. And I have found many other resources (largely consisting of authentic interaction with my fellow humans) to receive more accurate information... which renders more awareness in my own life so I can be a more veritable part of the big picture.. If we are obsessed with discussing the problem., how can we expect to find a solution? If we are standing around the water cooler regurgitating the spinster's tale, how can we be having actual productive dialogue about change? If we are more occupied with finding the way out of our own prescribed darkness, how can we be the light?
There is only one thing we need to know about the most recent mass shooting in Oregon, and that is it happened. It happened.....again. The fact that we have come to describe these events with terms such as "most recent" indicates a grossly disproportionate mutation of the status quo. There has been great loss of life. There have been injuries, both physical and otherwise, which will take lifetimes to heal. Families have been pillaged by the villain seeking his fifteen minutes of fame because he knows by now that if the crime is heinous enough, we will make him a household name. After all, few would ever know he existed if his legacy were built upon benevolence. He was taught to strive for this. We told him this was the way to get our attention. We promised we'd make him famous. We sat in front of the TV and gave him reason after reason to go through with it.
Here's what really throws me, and I don't intend to come off insensitive, but we all act like this is some type of shocking event. I am absolutely not shocked. I have sadly come to expect higher death tolls on home soil due to gun violence than other combined acts of terrorism. I have sadly come to realize that until the collective consciousness rises against the outrageous exploits of criminal fantasia in this country, we will continue to be less and less shocked by such catastrophe, yet we will still gather around the TV with our hands over our gasping mouths. And not that i owe anyone an explanation, but just because I'm not shocked doesn't mean I'm not heart broken. I'm also a person who believes we should support more practical and prudent laws regarding assault weapons while protecting my father's right to carry a legally registered gun to ensure the safety of his family or simply to exercise his constitutional freedom. We can be both. We can support the right to bear arms and the need to regulate automatic weapons at the same time. We can expect hardship and lament it at the same time. We can be whomever we want and believe however we choose. BUT not if someone is already doing it for us.
I personally believe there are ways to approach compromise (and yes, I still believe we are capable of losing our power-famished ego in order to work together). BUT if we are all still drinking the Koolaide, we are all still operating by someone else's toxic label-laden, opinion-driven perception of the world we live in, and no matter how hard we try to meet in the middle, we are still a nation divided.
Until we consciously choose something different... until we, at the very least, turn off the TV, walk outside and ask our neighbor how his day was... we will continue to see tragedy after totally preventable tragedy, and pardon my frankness (and run-on sentences), but we don't get to grieve it when we're the guy standing behind the crime scene tape with the empty gas can. I may not be able to sway Congress today, but I can be mindful of who I allow to influence my own ideals. I may not be able to find a cure today for the epidemic of violence, but i can choose healthier options for myself and those i love in the meantime. I really want to find a way to end this blog post on a positive note, but I guess Polly Anna and I just don't see eye to eye here....
We are all only accountable for our part. But our parts are the nuts and bolts of the entire machine. It only takes one faulty wire to bring down a 757....
We are all only accountable for our part. But our parts are the nuts and bolts of the entire machine. It only takes one faulty wire to bring down a 757....
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