On Saturday, January 8, 2011 Jared Loughner attempted to kill Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. He failed but managed to kill 6 others and wound 14 including Rep. Giffords. This act of non-random violence by a crazed individual has renewed the call for a more civil tone in the ongoing political debate about everything. This appears to be rather complex since no one has laid out a road map for decreasing the vitriol.
In unrelated news Debbie Friedman succumbed to pneumonia Sunday, January 9, 2011. Friedman had an extraordinary voice not only in the literal sense but also in her interpretation and presentation of scriptural and liturgical themes. Her body of work spanned 50+ years. Some of her music has been incorporated into regular worship at many congregations. Her songs will still be sung for generations.
One of Debbie Friedman's earliest compositions was her adaptation of Zechariah 4:6:
"Not by might and not by power, but by spirit alone shall we all live in peace." Imagine that.
Peace achieved via spirit, whether divinely inspired or simply the spirit of community before self. That's the recipe for peace. Too simplistic in a complex world? The best way to attack complicated projects is to break the problems down to simple, basic components and put those pieces together to reach the goal. And the goal is simple: Turn down the heat and increase civility in the political debate. Begin with spirit, it's that simple.
Not by might and not by power but by spirit alone shall we all live in peace.
Showing posts with label Jared Lee Loughner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jared Lee Loughner. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Silence isn't golden.
There was a shooting yesterday in Tucson, AZ. There were shootings in other cities in the world, too. The target in Tucson was Representative Gabrielle Giffords. The shooter killed six and wounded nineteen. The shooting took place at a scheduled public event for Representative Giffords. Speculation is that the shooting was politically motivated. I don't think the victims families care about the shooter's reasons.
In October I posted about thuggery during the last weeks of the 2010 midterm election. I cited cases of intimidation on behalf of Republican candidates and the milquetoast (if any) response of the candidates. To be clear, scare tactics are non-partisan. To further clarify, Sen. Rand Paul, Rep. Eric Cantor or any other politician are not responsible for the shooting in Tucson yesterday. The responsibility for the shooting rest solely with the assassin and any accomplices, no one else. I apologize that the only examples I cite involve Republicans; both sides have quietly benefited from bullying. The incidents I selected were readily available to me.
The Pima County Sheriff expressed his displeasure at the vitriolic tenor of political discourse in this country. I agree with him but the approach is too simplistic. Although violence (as was in this case) is calculated the results of violence are random. 3 senior citizens, a nine year old and a judge are among the collateral damage of yesterday's shooting of Rep. Giffords. Now that it's timely to say something, it's also too late. You can't wait until people are dead to decry violence and it's causes. If you want to lead from the Capitol or the Statehouse, from in front of a camera or at a microphone you need to call this stuff out before the word "victim" is used. Every day violence must condemned. It isn't newsworthy when you talk about it everyday. That's the point.
In October I posted about thuggery during the last weeks of the 2010 midterm election. I cited cases of intimidation on behalf of Republican candidates and the milquetoast (if any) response of the candidates. To be clear, scare tactics are non-partisan. To further clarify, Sen. Rand Paul, Rep. Eric Cantor or any other politician are not responsible for the shooting in Tucson yesterday. The responsibility for the shooting rest solely with the assassin and any accomplices, no one else. I apologize that the only examples I cite involve Republicans; both sides have quietly benefited from bullying. The incidents I selected were readily available to me.
The Pima County Sheriff expressed his displeasure at the vitriolic tenor of political discourse in this country. I agree with him but the approach is too simplistic. Although violence (as was in this case) is calculated the results of violence are random. 3 senior citizens, a nine year old and a judge are among the collateral damage of yesterday's shooting of Rep. Giffords. Now that it's timely to say something, it's also too late. You can't wait until people are dead to decry violence and it's causes. If you want to lead from the Capitol or the Statehouse, from in front of a camera or at a microphone you need to call this stuff out before the word "victim" is used. Every day violence must condemned. It isn't newsworthy when you talk about it everyday. That's the point.
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