Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Boston in perspective

And today let me just say that the US is not the only country on the planet, nor do we suffer more, better, or more importantly, than any other country. 
People died in Boston. Sad. Tragic.
People will have theories and talk about it, but in the end, it was not the only news of the day.
Elsewhere, there was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Iran that affected neighboring countries as well, Syria probably used chemical weapons on its citizens, bombs exploded in Iraq, and senseless violence and wars continued on six of seven continents. Not sure about Antarctica... I'm thinking it's still too cold for war there.
People everywhere are just living their lives, trying to find happiness and eek out a living on this rock we call home. Idiots everywhere devalue these lives in the mistaken ideology of violent protest and uprising. Dehumanization and depersonalization are rampant. It's all quite psychotic, really. Looking at a person who is not fundamentally different from oneself and being unable to see that is, after all, psychotic. There are no enemies or targets, only other living beings who also just want to be loved, heard, valued, appreciated, and allowed to live their lives.
People have expressed all kinds of sympathy for the people killed and injured in Boston and those affected by the shootings in Newtown and Aurora. Let's expand our reaction and compassion to those affected by the earthquake in Iran, the chemical weapons in the Syrian war, the bombings that continue everyday in Iraq and/or other middle eastern countries, and all the other terrible acts endured by our fellow humans. Let's start there and work outward.

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