I have no desire to enter into the political debate, however recent events have forced me to at least address a singular issue that won’t seem to go away. The horrific tragedy in Aurora, Colorado has sparked heated, sometimes incomprehensible, words being thrown back and forth, as if whoever is on the receiving end is as evil a person as James Holmes himself.
I was just lambasted by an individual outside the United States, condemned as a violent sociopath because all Americans are gun-toting folks who shoot first and ask questions, well, never. Even after my attempts to dissuade this person from his beliefs, I was rebuffed.
Humans are a social species. We require contact with others of our own kind. Ah, but what constitutes “our kind”? If you were dropped into the middle of a jungle, you would run toward the first human you saw, no matter the color of the skin, or religious tilt. If, however, you met that same individual in different circumstances, such as a political rally, and you were of opposing camps, you would inevitably distance yourself from him.
We are a simple people. We all see the world as black or white, good or evil. If you’re a climate change denier, all climate change believers are less intelligent, less “good” than yourself and those with whom you agree. Conservatives are somehow “less” than liberals, if that’s what you happen to be. Yet, if you’re both Yankees fans and are at the park, you’re best buddies.
The point of this post is that I hope to see, and be seen, as more than just a part of a group. We must see each other as a people whose tendencies, feelings, hopes and dreams are more the same than they are different. The future of our society, nay, our species, demands it.
this great stage of fools 