Sending Peace to Paris … (11/14/15)
Last night, over one hundred people were killed by dozens of highly confused & disturbingly violent individuals in a series of “terrorist attacks”. First & foremost, I take this time to send Solace to those who are suffering therefrom — AND I also take this time to extend heartfelt Compassion to the tainted men & women who perpetrated & co-perpetrated these heinous acts … For until we choose to respond differently to rage and evil, rage & evil will continue to rule the day.
My Friends, while it is true that there is NO EXCUSE for violence of any kind towards the meek and the innocent, it is also true that as long as the United States and the rest of the western world (including Israel) continues to act like goons in the Middle East and elsewhere (Stop the drone-bombing … now!!!!), these types of attacks will indeed continue … And seeing as how we are now practically in an American election year, we can expect not only American politicians to disgustingly use this particular tragedy to further their own selfish agendas, but we can also expect such attacks to increase in quantity and severity in the near future.
And why can we do so? Because politicians use fear the keep themselves in power (always have; always will) — and because rage is nothing more than crystallized fear — and because politicians therefore use such attacks to incite the anger of those beneath them in order to justify responding with similar aggressions — and because violence, even if “justified” or “reasonable”, ALWAYS begets nothing more than more violence in return.
Fear is the weapon of the “powerful”, my Friends, and powerful the “powerful” will remain as long as we choose to respond to such atrocities with fear — or anger — or hatred — or violence … We have already tried responding to evil with “justified warfare”, and have only created far more enraged & dangerous terrorists than ever before … We have already tried “preemptive detention” (Guantanamo) and public humiliation (anti-Muslim rhetoric), and have done nothing more thereby than create masses of additional fundamentalists (from all faiths) in our midst … We have already tried “self defense” & “harsh punishment”, and have only served to entrench our current enmities and convict hundreds of the innocent thereby.
My dear Friends, you too will probably be sorely tempted to respond with hatred and rage of your own when you learn of this atrocity and those atrocities similar that are almost sure to follow. You too will reasonably wish to heed the shouts from the lower brain-stems of your “leaders” as they call for violent retribution and resolute isolationism and “an eye for an eye” … PLEASE do not cave to those temptations when they arise … PLEASE have the humility and the wisdom and indeed the Courage to choose differently this time around.
It is never wise and never effective to pour gasoline (anger & violence) upon an open fire (terror & evil). For the only solution to fear is the radical application of its opposite — Love; just as the only solution to violence is the radical application of its opposite as well — Compassion.
Yes, Compassion is the only answer to this tragedy — at least the only answer that will bring Peace back into our lives and Calm back into our hearts. If our leaders were to be as wise (which would first require them to actually give a damn), they would respond with flowers & food instead of bombs and bedlam. Of course, our “leaders” have proven time & time again that they are not wise — and that they are not just — and that they are not Kind … So this response will almost certainly not be forthcoming.
And yet WE CAN do our part to quell the tide of darkness and despair. WE can be a shining light of Peace in this time of war … For each & every one of us can go out into our own communities and openly reach out to those of a different faith with bold words of Love and flagrant deeds of Kindness … Each & every one of us can loudly & clearly refute the calls to violence that we hear from others … Each & every one of us can speak calmly & rationally & Peace-fully with those shouting hysterically for evil to be done to evil.
Compassion is our only hope, my Friends, and until we employ it radically and call for it resolutely, the world will continue to suffer. So please employ it radically today … Thank you.
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