I took this photo last week in Antigua, Guatemala. When I spotted this photo op treasure, I abandoned John and darted to a closer spot behind the white-robed moving target, then stopped suddenly when he turned his head back, only to sprint again when he proceeded. This herky-jerky routine went on until I finally got the right shot, all the while I could hear John chuckling behind me.
I loved this photo after I’d captured it. The puffy clouds, the colors. I loved it because it looks so peaceful. But then my joy was tempered by the realization that, for some, the robe might evoke anything but peace, maybe even the complete opposite, like rage or horror. I’d seen a Netflix documentary a few months back about ongoing sexual abuse at an all girls’ Catholic school by priests and I was devastated. I understand that for some, this image of what seems like a peaceful image of a holy man walking down a Central American street on a quiet Sunday morning, might actually horrify by the silent, private juxtaposition.
And this week—another horrifying, beyond devastating, tired topic: Gun violence. Again. Still. I had to whip out this JP Sears clip* more than once today to offset the rampant ALL CAPS social justice warrior-ing going on. People are yelling from their keyboards: DONT TAKE AWAY MY GUNS! TAKE AWAY THEIR GUNS! IT’S MENTAL ILLNESS! IT’S NOT MENTAL ILLNESS! IT’S EVIL! IT’S BULLYING! MORE GUN CONTROL! WHAT ABOUT MY RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS! IT’S VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES! VIDEO GAMES ARE FUN! IT’S THE BREAKDOWN OF THE FAMILY! OTHER COUNTRIES DONT HAVE THIS PROBLEM! IT’S VIOLENCE IN MOVIES! While I appreciate that we are people with passion and strong opinions and I think that means we care (which I love), historically, the passion dies down after a few days post shooting incident, and until the next classroom of children die. Nothing is changing. We get riled up, WE FIRE UP OUR KEYBOARDS AND YELL AND SCREAM! We then block a few “friends” on Facebook, and then we forget until it happens again. And again. Rinse. Repeat.
Why can’t we say “thoughts and prayers and policy and change”? Don’t we need both? Maybe it’s a little of everything. Maybe it’s not all or nothing.
Everyone has an arsenal of impressive statistics to support their argument and to annihilate the enemy’s opposing viewpoint. Everyone goes back to their foxhole, digs in. No minds, no hearts are changed.
There’s nothing funny about murdered school children. I can’t begin to wrap my mind and heart around it. But I like JP’s message as he takes on the persona of the righteous social justice warrior: We are doing no good by name calling and yelling. NONE. If anything, we are making it worse, driving people away rather than toward.
While I’m not a fan of the misleading title, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie wrote a brilliant book of human nature and communication wisdom. If you tend to yell virtually or literally, maybe pick up a copy for yourself. They sell it at car washes and drug stores.
Speak even if your voice shakes. Have your view point, back it up with facts and not just emotion…JUST STOP YELLING! (See what I did there?) People don’t get better at hearing when you scream. Don’t call them an idiot, mock them, or say what they think is pure BS.
Ram Dass said we’re all just walking each other home.
–We all need to walk home. Me, here in my my neighborhood, you in yours. This robed man I stalked on that on that quiet morning last Sunday in Central America.
I have no idea what the answer is to our gun debate. The thought of children dying, parents losing their babies wrecks me.
Personally, I don’t like guns, but I have one. It’s another juxtaposition. Maybe it’s a little jerky-jerky. Maybe it’s a little bit of everything. Not all or nothing.
My gut is that the problem is way bigger and deeper than simply gun control, but the fact is we have a deadly gun problem in our country unlike anywhere else. Our children can’t wait for us to evolve into a kinder, more loving people. We must—somehow—remedy now. It’s way past crazy.
I don’t have any bright ideas. I don’t know what the answer is, but I know what the answer isn’t. It’s not yelling through the internet. It’s not screaming from across the street, refusing to walk each other home.
* https://www.facebook.com/awakenwithjp/videos/1985380678144451/?hc_location=ufi