Only an incredibly broken soul can put the value of one human being over another.
I was really hoping I could skip this latest taste of the worst of humanity, but, as the week progressed, it became obvious to me that it would be impossible to do so. To be silent is like saying it's okay. It's not.
Worse than the fact that those brandishing Nazi flags are parading around North America like it's nothing. Worse than the racist and anti-Semitic chants. Worse than the torch-bearing, gun-wielding hatred that permeates from them, carrying the stench of the millions exterminated nearly eighty years ago. Worse than this, worse, is somehow differentiating between a white supremacist barrelling a vehicle through a crowded street with the intent of doing as much harm as possible, and an Isis supremacist barrelling a vehicle through a crowded street with the intent of doing as much harm as possible.
They hide their hate behind different veils, but if you pull the curtain aside, the fear, put forth as anger, is the same. Broken souls.
Something happened to each and every one of these individuals somewhere along the way. They weren't born this way. Not one child is born with the capacity to hate.
Perhaps they watched adults judge each other, heard homophobic and racial slurs. They heard, they watched, they emulated, they amplified.
So, as the week went from bad to worse, I found myself feeling overwhelmed and powerless. What can I do?
I'm not sure that there is any one answer to that question. One thing I do know for sure? One of the very few instances wherein there are absolutely no shades of grey are those involving Nazis, Isis members and their allies.
Some seem to have trouble verbalizing the clarity of right and wrong in this situation, but when it comes to this level of evil, we can't afford to be ambiguous. Any of us. In doing so, we are whispering an invitation to repeat one of the darkest parts of human history.
What to do?
Remain hopeful. I refuse to let the hate make me cynical. I know those that rise to this level of hate are few.
Create joy as much and wherever I can. Make someone smile, give someone a giggle, share the funny.
Stand up. If I find myself in the presence of intolerance or racism, I will no longer bite my tongue to be polite, internalizing the gut twisting, sickening feeling that overtakes me when it happens. The trick will be addressing it with diplomacy, as it's never the goal to escalate an already tense situation.
Do the very best I can to NOT help create any more incredibly broken souls.
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Yes, this past week brought with it a lot of darkness, but it also carried a ton of light.....
We had the honour of having a small part in a beautiful wedding...
We had some grandbaby snuggles....
We had another very busy week at the shop.....
We were booked for a Halloween Karaoke show.....
I was booked for two readings, one in September, one in October.......
Booked a few more trade shows for the Fall.....
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As for the upcoming week......
Working the shop...........
Work on some booth bits for upcoming trade shows.....
Laundry, and other glamour-filled things.....
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Well folks, that about does it for now......
May we allow the hatred to be screamed into the wind, with no one to listen, no one to hear.
May they march until their feet bleed, receiving no credence, left alone to steep in their fear.
May the broken souls find a way to heal, a way to once again feel the joy they knew before.
May they hear their words as they echo back, shards of the syllables cutting to their core.
May they come to understand that in attempting to diminish others, you only succeed in shriveling your own humanity.
May they see that trying to resurrect this evil leads to no good end, may they see it for its hollow import, its insanity.
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Until next time............
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