Tragedy
Robert Rouse
April 17, 2007
The death of innocents is never an easy thing to take. Into each generation, a new tragedy befalls us. Sometimes, as with a earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, or tsunamis, it is at the unseen hands of Mother Nature. Sometimes it is a planned tragedy such as Pearl Harbor or the attacks of 9/11. There is the collateral damage of war - men, women and children, who's only "crime" was to live in a war zone.
More often than not, tragedy comes from pain. A person lashes out at the world around them because of transgressions - imagined or not - and ends up taking innocent lives. We have seen it before in high schools, when outsiders like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold strike out at life, or in office buildings over firings or infidelity. Then again, sometimes the stress of the job or life causes human beings to snap - to go "postal".
There never seems to be a rhyme or reason for such tragedy. We are left with an empty feeling that gnaws at our very existence. There but for the Grace of God . . .
Sometimes there are friends or family members who come forward to tell stories about how the signs were there - but they never acted. After all, our friends, our family members would never cross that horrific line. But sometimes they do.
We live in a complicated world. One which sends different signals to the people who reside on this big blue marble. We are told by the great philosophers to love each other, to follow the Golden Rule that is observed by every religion around the world.
The Torah teaches: "When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt"
The New Testament teaches: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
The Koran teaches: "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."
Bhagavad Gita teaches: "This is the sum of duty; do naught unto others what you would not have them do unto you."
Confucius taught: "What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others."
Yet the actions of our leaders set examples of war, false witness, and lake of compassion for those in need. These mixed signals and a fragile and dangerous environment will eventually play on the minds of many individuals.
Some will say we need stronger gun laws, others will say we all need to carry firearms for protection. I say we all need to learn to live with each other. We need to show compassion, we need to show love, we need to set better examples for out fellow man. Until then, should that day ever come to pass, we will have more tragedy - and that in itself is perhaps the greatest tragedy of them all.
More often than not, tragedy comes from pain. A person lashes out at the world around them because of transgressions - imagined or not - and ends up taking innocent lives. We have seen it before in high schools, when outsiders like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold strike out at life, or in office buildings over firings or infidelity. Then again, sometimes the stress of the job or life causes human beings to snap - to go "postal".
There never seems to be a rhyme or reason for such tragedy. We are left with an empty feeling that gnaws at our very existence. There but for the Grace of God . . .
Sometimes there are friends or family members who come forward to tell stories about how the signs were there - but they never acted. After all, our friends, our family members would never cross that horrific line. But sometimes they do.
We live in a complicated world. One which sends different signals to the people who reside on this big blue marble. We are told by the great philosophers to love each other, to follow the Golden Rule that is observed by every religion around the world.
The Torah teaches: "When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt"
The New Testament teaches: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
The Koran teaches: "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."
Bhagavad Gita teaches: "This is the sum of duty; do naught unto others what you would not have them do unto you."
Confucius taught: "What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others."
Yet the actions of our leaders set examples of war, false witness, and lake of compassion for those in need. These mixed signals and a fragile and dangerous environment will eventually play on the minds of many individuals.
Some will say we need stronger gun laws, others will say we all need to carry firearms for protection. I say we all need to learn to live with each other. We need to show compassion, we need to show love, we need to set better examples for out fellow man. Until then, should that day ever come to pass, we will have more tragedy - and that in itself is perhaps the greatest tragedy of them all.
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