Condemn the tragedy in Orlando, but don’t exploit it to promote political gain. Talking down to groups of people as if you are any better then everybody else or that you care more because of a personal agenda is a shameful act, to say the least. Americans need healing and peace at this time of deep mourning. Maybe we should breath and calm down first. The debates and idea sharing will be there when you get back. The propaganda that obsessively asks us to fear and hate each other will be there too. Know that most people do care, you may not agree with them but most of us can agree that our majority do care. When people die we naturally search for answers and want to blame and hate.
Lewis Arthur is addressing his experience with the knee jerk reactions he has been seeing on social media immediately after the Orlando shootings and he is encouraging all Patriots to a higher standard. He is asking people to support our fellow gay Americans as well as our Muslim Americans. He is calling out the people who are quick to judge, quick to hate, and slow to love. Arthur points out that blaming everything on the media, our Government, our leaders, and even law enforcement is not as effective as making a positive difference. He assures us that there are only a few people confined to messages of hate and asking everyone to be the solution over placing blame.
Lewis Arthur asked the question, “Are you an American or are you a hypocrite?”
What my take away from Lewis Arthur’s perspective is that we don’t need to fear and or hate other groups but we should unite as a group of one, Americans. Most of all, we have nothing to truly fear in each other regardless of our individual race, creed, sex, religion or political preference. Right now in a time of American tragedy we need solitary, not more hate and ignorance to divide us more. Blaming large groups of people is not an intelligent, well informed way to see the world.
Making generalizations concerning any group of people because of the action of an individual is a form of bigotry. Our news broadcasts and leaders use generalizations to encourage our neighbors to get scared and angry while promoting a solution in new polices that appear to be progressively hurting our country more then helping our people. How much have these polices that further promote military involvement in the Middle East or more gun restriction to law abiding American gun owners contributed to these types of unnecessary attacks?
After any highly promoted tragedy any sales pitch that is built on fear and hate is where my true fears lay. Being bombarded with high pressure sales of repressive ideas through fear and hate tactics from all sides at a time of grieving is the enactment of our controversial PATRIOT Act. Regardless of what side of the issues we are on, my thoughts are to speak out against those who use any devastating attacks or tragedies opportunistically to promote a preconceived agenda, especially any agenda of controlling laws concerning the individual. Using fear-mongering and distortion to divide people in order to pass questionable legislation has many places in history. Perhaps there will be a day again where we might take a tip from Lewis Arthur’s playbook, get up from your keyboards without fear to be the solution and not promote more problems.
Blaming large groups of people or weapons on the actions done by an individual, in my opinion, should be shamed at a time of mourning. Seems to me some people on my own social media feed only politicize and personalized a very sad and unfortunate tragedy in our country. Some are blaming the American Muslim community of 3.3 million people as if all American Muslims are responsible of the actions of one mad man of terror who has mass killed. Others are blaming the hate mongers of that gay community while more are using this as an opportunity to hate monger the same community. Then there is another group wishing to regulate gun rights further through fear and hate mongering and guilt tactics. Being yet another shooting in a “Gun Free” zone, a place where you legally have no right to protect yourself with a gun, others are blaming the lack of gun rights. Some are promoting an increase on our war on terror due to the gunman possibly being inspired by ISIS. These are all debates that are important and we all should be having intelligent conversations concerning these and our other most difficult problems without the prejudges and hateful words. These conversations being tainted with fear, hate, prejudge and bigotry from all angles is most concerning to me.
My dream is that for all who do really care, that we treat others more like they themselves wish to be treated and never kill innocence for any reason. The people and groups who exploit the deaths of another for their own gain should be universally shamed regardless of whose side they are on. Be sensitive and caring for this moment, shame on you otherwise. America needs healing, peace, and understanding at this time of deep mourning. We can debate the issues anytime, turn the media feeding frenzy off, move away from the keyboard for a moment and collect your hearts and minds.