The children are no longer here. They've been taken from us by a madman that doesn't deserve to have his name mentioned. His act is one that shame can't validate. It was despicable and without cause. Personally, I don’t care if he was mentally ill or not. He was wrong in doing what he did, and anyone that tries to validate it with psychological reasoning is a fool.
Don’t like that? Sorry, that’s how I feel. We’ve validated these crimes so long that we have provided them a proper pasture in which to thrive. In the world, without lawyers, politicians, and big business widening the gray areas, there is a dividing line that stands clear between right and wrong. The act last week was to the extreme in the “wrong” category.
After the initial shock, I got mad, and am still that way. I’m mad because we look at an inanimate object and blame it for the massacre. I’m mad because the “specialists” have told us for years how to live, and have obviously been completely wrong. I’m mad because the news on television and web attempts to makes this killer a human being in finding “due cause” for his actions. (He gave up being human the second he pulled the trigger.) I’m mad because many people can’t see that the family is important in life, and have left raising children up to television, video games, and computers. And, I’m mad because people can’t see the truth right in front of them, and continue to blame shift instead of change the behavior that had created the tragedies and violence we are experiencing much too often.
I’m mad because some good families have had their lives changed forever. I’m mad because children will not know the joy of finding the one they love and having their own children. I’m mad because life has changed for so many that were not directly involved. And, I’m mad because I have friends that are looking at their children and being reminded that life is not guaranteed, instead of being able to enjoy life as they once did.
Yep, I’m pissed off!
Could I make jokes about this? Of course I could! Will I? No, not this time. I need to get over my fury and wrath first. I need to see people enjoying their families and experiencing life as it was meant to be experienced ... with joy and happiness.
I don’t blame God for this. Oh, some say that it’s a warning of things to come. God destroyed the twin cities of the past because of their sins and beliefs, perhaps he’s giving us a warning.
Sorry, even God has limits in his vengeance. Killing innocent children is not his way.
No, God is watching from above, with children gathered around him, looking down upon mankind and wondering, “Why can the masses not see they are the cause of their misery? They have failed to teach the children and have listened to the false prophets in seeking direction in raising the young. They have become a society of the irresponsible, that seek to blame instead of solve. Greed and power has destroyed the society of love and caring and equality. They have allowed material objects to become the center of attention instead of family joy and togetherness. I see samplings of goodness and care, but I see most forgetting and going about business as normal. When will they learn? When will they awaken?”
So, where do we go from here?
Do we go back to making jokes?
“Congress is being held at gunpoint by gun control advocates to ensure the gun laws are changed.”
“Top named department stores have changed the name of their children’s photography sessions from “photo shoots” to “picture taking opportunities.”
“School officials all over the nation are experimenting with new ways to keep children safe while getting an education. It’s called, “home schooling.”
No, it’s too soon. Nothing is funny, only crude and without class.
It’s like saying, “What did the 33rd floor executive say when he say a jet coming at the World Trade Center? “Damn, I knew I was going to miss my flight!”
Sometimes, it’s always too soon.
In 1955's "The Night Of The Hunter", Lillian Gish stars as the saving grace for two children as their mother was killed and they are being stalked by a vicious killer. As the ending credits grow near, she looks at the camera and says, "You know, when you're little, you have more endurance than God is ever to grant you again. Children are man at his strongest. They abide and they endure."
Our kids will survive this. And, in due time, so will we. Life will go back to normal. Blogs will be about little daily activities and the trials and tribulations of every day life. We will laugh, we will shake our heads in disbelief, and we will finish with cute comments to the authors.
The sun will once again shine brightly.
And angels will smile.
©Copyright RCRUMPLE2012. All Rights Reserved
Beautiful Richard and you aren't alone in being mad. I think it is just a stage in the grieving process, because by last night I started feeling mad and just angry that I was worrying so much and not being able to enjoy my time with my children just as is. I think it will take sometime, but am now trying me very best to do just that. Thanks for sharing Richard and totally agree here with you on this.
ReplyDeleteJanine - Some say it's easier to get over anger than sorrow. I'm going to hold them to prove it. Hang in there. Your kids need you. Many thanks!
DeleteBeing one of those shrinks whom you disparage, I can tell you that empathy is not a bad thing, even when we have empathy for the person who has caused others so much pain. And having empathy for a person does not mean that one must condone their actions. I am not saying that I have a clue about what happened to this young man or why he did what he did. But we must seek to try to understand. Or am I missing your point altogether?
ReplyDeleteAudrey - Empathy is understanding without becoming emotionally involved, and is only different than sympathy in that manner. I believe people like you completely understand the difference, so, please don't take this personally. However, I sincerely feel we have been way too empathetic to those who commit these crimes. In seeking to understand, we have instead sympathized and validated these actions to an extent. The troubled youth on the edge hears the reasoning and says, "Gee, I'm just like him." That only forwards their decision making process in the wrong direction. To the youth, reasons become valid excuses. My plans were to become a criminal psychologist, so forensics and psych were a split major for me. I saw, and still do, many contradictions between this being a science of the individual and a science of the theorists. It is not the science of the individual I have a problem with. Individual treatment and study has much benefit. My gripe is with the "shrink" whose goal is raise his standing in the community by vocalizing possible, not proven, validations of criminal activity on every newscast he can get scheduled to speak. I, also have complaints with so called specialists that tell us how to raise our children, especially those that have never been parents. They operate on a system of theory and experimentation. Yet, open minded and caring parents listen and implement this experimentation. There have been many factors involved in society's changes. Drugs have to go through FDA testing. Yet, there are virtually no controls on the words spoken, or the recommendations given, by television "specialists."
DeleteI have never used the word "shrinks" before in text, and will change it immediately. Yet, I think of several viewed on television over the last few days (working hard to get their names known) and feel it is a word that truly displays what has been seen.
Incredible post. I imagine your one of those people that has that magic power of turning pain and sorrow into anger. Usually I have that gift, but this episode just took me out at the knees. Beautiful post.
ReplyDeleteJulie - I don't know about a magic power, by any means. I went through much during my youth, and by experience, found tears never of much benefit. And, in business, it is taught that the person that gets emotional in a negotiation becomes unable to think straight and loses. Funny now, as I get older, how I tend to be much more sensitive. Many Thanks!
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ReplyDeleteYour words spoke what I'd been thinking over the weekend after hearing the news. My first thoughts were not to ban guns....people will find knives. They were about home schooling, and violence, and innocence lost. You're right though...the world has turned into an ugly place in terms of materialistic things and what's available out there. Yes, there is a lot of good left, but there's still so much that needs work. I often wonder if God will ever think of having a flood to wipe out half the population and start again. Can the world keep going on the way it is? It's scary. Your post was what people need to read. I'm going to share. Thanks for speaking what so many of us have been thinking. I, too - don't have sympathy for anyone who kills children. Sorry, I don't. I never will.
ReplyDeleteMelanie - Really good to see you. I wrote a hub a few days ago that showed the worst mass murderers in recent history didn't use a gun. Jim Jones had his followers drink poisoned Kool Aid. Ted Bundy used clubs and knives. The 911 terrorists used boxcutters and jet planes. Timothy McVeigh used a truck bomb in Oklahoma (does anyone remember the children that died in the daycare there?) Yet, if the man hadn't had the Kool Aid prepared, if the clubs and knives were sitting in a closet, if the jets had not been hijacked, and if the bomb had not been set off, none would have done one thing to harm a person. Man is the most dangerous animal, one that has the ability to reason more than any other creature. Yet, he uses his mind to constantly invent new weapons to kill his own. No other creature does that. The weapons aren't the root of the problem. The root lies in the behavioral paths society has followed. If we don't get back to the basics of family responsibilities, we can expect only to see more of what has occurred. Those who refuse to accept responsibility blame others and inanimate objects. It is sad, indeed. Many Thanks!
DeleteThough I try to be positive and look on the bright side, I tend to be really cynical when it comes to thinking about our society and socities in general. I was an anthropology major and all great civilzations come to an end and I wonder if we're coming to our own end sometimes. "Normal societies" in history had violence to be sure, but what separates ours now is the fact that we can turn on each other in the blink of an eye, the family unit is so disaggregated, and yes, we think our material things will bring us happiness. I think of the Bible (and while I deeply respect this book, I consider myself spiritual and not part of any one religion) and the story of Moses when he was leading the people out of Egypt. They were worshipping false idols after he went back and received the ten commandments. We don't think of the fact we have to have our "things" as worshipping false idols, but that's exactly what it is. They might not be "gold" but the quest to earn more money and have more things is what's valued in our society. The definition of success is the nice car, the big house, the handsome salary and we elevate that as such a virtue. We're surrounded by things but what happened to the love? *sigh* I'm with you on this. I, too, have been profoundly affected by this tragedy - so senseless. But then again, I have no idea if any of this makes sense...it was just a rapid-fire response and really, I just wish we could hold in our hands the idea of supporting each other and advocating health, safety, happiness and love for all. Great post!
ReplyDeleteCyndi - Really good of you to stop in! We believe much the same, for sure. I've never been the model for any religion. In fact, church and I have seldom seen each other. In my experiences, I've found more men teaching what men think than the teachings from the Bible. So, I've kind of gone the same route as you, and really believe there's many that feel the same. Isn't it sad how others either can't, or won't recognize the same needs and practice them? Many Thanks!
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