The following comes from a post in my 2007 archives, published at the time of another tragedy, that at Virginia Tech. I can do no better than repeat these words this morning:
There's a beautiful and peaceful National Memorial in Oklahoma City, to those who died in the 1995 bombing. Above one of The Gates of Time: monumental twin gates which frame the moment of destruction, and mark the formal entrances to the Memorial, are words which I think remain appropriate for all time and all such tragedies:
"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"
These two brief excerpts from a speech entitled "Spirit and Stardust", made in 2002 by Dennis Kucinich always help:
"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."
Twilight, you had this quote beneath your previous post-
ReplyDelete“'Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?' 'Supposing it didn't,' said Pooh. After careful thought Piglet was comforted by this.” A. A. Milne
The man from SkyNews, reporting from Newtown, said that all schoolchildren have a regular 'drill' on what to do if a gunman gets into their school with the intention of killing as many as possible.
Did I hear that right?
If this is so then America is lost. Teaching children that "the tree will fall on them", teaching them that fear and paranoia are normal and correct responses. Just think how they will grow up if this is how they are indoctrinated - to fear others.
Tell me this is not so.
In the meantime this should be spread as far as you can spread it-
http://martinkelly.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-shooter.html
JD ~~ That's one of my favourite sayings, and its message is one I remind myself of often. It still remains at the foot of the current page of posts, by the way.
ReplyDeleteRegarding school drills, JD - I don't have any information, other than that each state has their own regulations about such matters. I guess such things as fire drills are as common here as in the UK, but I haven't heard or read of any drills such as the one Sky news reports.....but then I don't know any school age children/parents here.
I do remember, though, that in our offices (civil service/partly open to public for hearings, in Leeds) during the times of IRA bombings we had specific instructions to carry out if case of bomb threats being received or any suspicious item being found on the premises. That seemed sensible, and in a way similar to the idea of the drills in Sky News reports. Perhaps parents demand that children are advised about possible dangers.....again, I don't know, JD.
Thank you for the link - that's a nice piece of writing with good points made.
I was thinking about all the recent shootings....mass shootings that I've heard about lately. not only in America's schools but in the world in general. Honestly I lost track of even the most recent ones here in the US, they seem to be happening so often.
ReplyDeleteI came across this shocking list....and these are JUST since 96.
Look at how many are in America.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0777958.html
....is America imploding? or maybe it's just me thinking this? JD's comments hit a proverbial nail on it's head I think.
It's easy to rationalize this as a sort of karma, that is if one is so inclined to think in that way. I'm not saying it is.....yet there is a lot of apathy and indifference in this world, and when our young ones are exposed day after day with tragic events that seem to warrant no action.....like drone strikes killing children....gov'ts killing children....
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/chatter/chatter-syrian-government-bombs-playground-say-activists
....people losing there livelihoods ....the list goes on
...not to mention all of the social/economic inadequacies all over the world and at home.....it's no wonder there's a seething rage growing in the most fertile of minds sometimes. I'm talking about young people these days.
Strange also is how common it is that these shooters can even be from a fairly well to do family. It puzzles me.
They are fed what they're fed I guess....and the reactions sure do hurt don't they?
DC ~~ It's hard to make sense of it. I'm still trying (see today's post, when it's up).
ReplyDeleteJennifer Browdy de Hernandez outlines the situation and various elements that have coalesced to bring about these tragedies in her piece "Standing Strong Against the Furies" -
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/12/16-3
"Pandora’s box is wide open, and the Furies have been released in the world.
We may not be able to get them back, but we can continue to insist that they do not represent us."