It saddens me greatly to hear about the shootings in Arizona today. My heart goes out to the people in Arizona and around the country whose loved ones were injured or killed today.
The response on Facebook has been interesting. I have friends who run the gamut from ultra-conservative to extremely liberal, with many who represent positions in between. (Come to think of it, my family is like this too!) In general, my conservative friends, including some who support Tea Parties and anti-immigration laws, have poured out expressions of sympathy and prayer, as have some of my liberal friends. In contrast, several of my liberal friends have posted messages of blame and accusation directed at conservative political leaders.
I would like to call on all my friends and family to remember who perpetrated this terrible crime. Whatever we discover about the shooter's motivations, we need to remember that it was he who pulled the trigger and dramatically altered all those lives. So often we are quick to excuse behavior, lay the blame where we think it might best benefit our causes, instead of requiring people to take responsibilty for their actions. The shooter's political beliefs may have indeed influenced his actions today, but ultimately HE made the decision to do this thing. No one forced or coereced him to do so (at least, not that we know of). It does NO ONE any good to point fingers and spread vitriolic commentary. Please, my friends, consider your words carefully. Don't let this further divide our country. As our President said in his press conference, the American people come together and support each other in the face of tragedy.
1 comment:
I agree Erin! I volunteered with Family Services in WS; and we dealt with a lot of domestic violence cases. I learned a ton about what drives people to violence, but the number one rule was ALWAYS: it is never the victim's fault. There is no questioning whether or not the victim "deserved" how they were treated or hurt. This is such a sad story!
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