Saturday, April 21, 2007

The Week That Was


A sad week indeed. The same week in recent years also brought tragedy and sorrow to the USA. I don't know if there is an explanation for this. Some perverse "anniversary" syndrome by the perpetrators? A common astrological factor ? Both of those?

The dreadful events at Virginia Tech University on April 16th will stay in our minds for a long time.

We also remember the tragedy at Columbine High School when 12 students and a teacher were killed in a shooting on 20 April 1999, and

The Oklahoma City bombing a terrorist attack on April 19 1995 aimed at a US government office complex in downtown Oklahoma City. The attack claimed 168 lives and left over 800 injured.

74 men, women and children died in the inferno at Waco, Texas on April 19, 1993.

And let us not forget - we must never forget - the too many who have died in Iraq this week, and in every week over the past few years.

I'll not attempt to find astrological correlation. There is correlation enough in the devastation wrought upon the lives of so many. Motive, method, and root cause may differ in each case, but results do not. The result was then, and is now, pain and sorrow.

There's a beautiful and peaceful National Memorial in Oklahoma City, for those who died in the bombing. Above one of The Gates of Time (see above): monumental twin gates which frame the moment of destruction, and mark the formal entrances to the Memorial, are these words:

"We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity"


A couple of lines from the lyrics of a song currently sung by Martina McBride are particularly apt just now:

This world's gone crazy and it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today -
BELIEVE IT ANYWAY !!


We have to believe it.

Below are two tiny excerpts from a speech entitled "Spirit and Stardust", made almost five years ago by Dennis Kucinich, a current but oft overlooked presidential candidate:

"When death (not life) becomes inevitable, we are presented with an opportunity for great clarity, for a great awakening, to rescue the human spirit from the arms of Morpheus through love, through compassion and through integrating spiritual vision and active citizenship to restore peace to our world. The moment that one world is about to end, a new world is about to begin. We need to remember where we came from. Because the path home is also the way to the future."

"Violence is not inevitable. War is not inevitable. Nonviolence and peace are inevitable. We can make of this world a gift of peace which will confirm the presence of universal spirit in our lives. We can send into the future the gift which will protect our children from fear, from harm, from destruction."

No comments:

Post a Comment