The events of the past couple of years keep being repeated.
Madmen, abusing a religion, commit heinous crimes against humanity and the world weeps.
24/7 news bulletins ensure we get blow-by-blow descriptions of every aspect of what happened even if the facts aren't substantiated in time for the bulletin; experts are quickly found to interview even if they have the title 'ex' (insert previously held job title); scholars from universites are asked their 'educated opinion'; eye witnesses are asked some of the dumbest questions (heard one interviewer ask a survivor of last weeks atrocities 'how did you feel when you heard the shooting' (really?????); then when authorities release names and pictures of the aggressors, suddenly the media find family members and neighbours willing to talk about a 'kind, gentle soul' and explain thru tears 'we can't believe he did this. There must be a mistake'
There have been thousands of wiser words written about what's happening than I could imagine writing.
Every time something of this magnitude happens, the world looses a little bit more of it's innocence and humanity.
We said 'never again' after the Holocaust. To what avail?
We said 'lest we forget' after World Wars. To what avail?
We said 'learn from our mistakes'.
We said 'treat others as you would like to be treated'
Human beings don't learn from their history books.
We create more drama, on an ever more devastating scale.
What we do know, is that the minority of people are causing the majority of harm.
That there are so many millions of wonderful, caring, compassionate, intelligent, respectful, happy, respectful people in this world that WE are the ones who will prevail ..... eventually ... tho we fear after too many innocents lives will be taken too soon.
But what I can say is how I feel today.
Sad for my friends whose incredible faith has been tainted.
Concerned for friends who might be in the city where the terror is raged (expats are everywhere, people travel a lot)
Angry that innocent people have been killed.
Scared that no where is safe, yet everywhere is to be enjoyed and appreciated.
Frustrated by ignorant comments on all forms of media made by both educated and foolish folk.
Wary of what will happen if people take things into their own hands at a community level.
Confused how some societies have double standards for who is standing behind the weapon (think of the American school massacres for example)
A comment on social media last night 'Why is everyone on the tube (London's underground train system) looking at each other oddly'
A news report on FB today 'Optus staff harassed because of signage in Arabic'
A news item on the news 'Shopkeeper and family attacked as they closed their shop in a small village in Scotland'
On FB - 'go home' 'speak English' 'You live here. Live our way or go back where you came from'
From US politicians 'We will not take refugees from (insert country'
The more we turn on ourselves, the more 'they' win.
Even if we are not religious, we use the word pray ... we pray for peace, we pray for the families who's loved ones were taken too soon, we pray .............
G came home last night and said that sadly, 3 of his colleagues (he doesn't know them but friends of friends do) were in the theatre in Paris last Friday night. One was killed. Two are in hospital fighting for their lives.
Even tho we don't know them .... they are part of the global family of the company G works for, and it hit home a little bit harder. G has numerous work colleagues who travel for the company; we are living in a community where friends husbands travel overseas weeks; or people are on holidays, city breaks ...... one can't imagine how sitting innocently in a restaurant enjoying a meal, or in a theatre could end in such devastating fashion. And yet it did.
6 degrees of separation and we will all have acquaintances/friends affected by last weekends crimes - heck, any crimes (and of course, the opposite - great news too)
The world is small.
The world is interconnected.
The world is the only one we have.
The world is being ripped apart by a minority group.
The world will survive, but what will it look like after all this has finished?
Like I said, there's many more editorials that make more sense than mine, and are based on facts and experience ..... all I'm saying is, that last night, when G said three of his colleagues were in Paris I was genuinely sad, not rhetorically sad, for the 3 families, we know thru 6 degrees of separation.
Hope your 6 degrees of separation are safe ......... always.
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