Tragedy in Pittsburgh

[SueD]

I just cannot believe the hate that we seem to be seeing more and more of lately. This is not a political statement - it is a human one. I have tears in my eyes as I watch the Pittsburgh press conference on the massacre at the Jewish temple that happened today. Eleven people gone, 6 injured. It is so sad that I don't even have the words to express my feelings of sorrow for those families of the dead and injured, as well as the police, FBI agents, and other first responders who are dealing with this event.

This of course follows the several home-made bombs sent to public and political figures over the last several days. Kudos to the FBI and others for finding that hate-filled man so quickly. And thankfully, no one was hurt before he was caught. But I imagine there was plenty of fear going around.

Just felt like expressing my sorrow after today's tragedy.

[sfsamm]

The decisive actions taken today by those whom carry a spotlight are why people whom are generally unstable for whatever reason end up going to extreme actions. I won't point a finger in any direction as it wouldn't matter. Every side of every argument, political, racial, discriminatory, religious, moral, etc take your pick... Every side of all of them has someone in a spotlight yelling at decisive extremes and someone unstable enough to take an irrational action.

It's a sad sad time in the world to be human and capable of so much and to see it all spiraling into bickering, fighting and chaos. No one's entirely right or wrong and there's a middle ground most could agree to somewhere... We just have to get back to caring about what really matters rather than only ourselves to see it.

I see a modern version of the 1960-70's coming somewhere down the line... That or a "hard reset" before it's all over. [emoji17]

[Nautilus291]

Such sads events. People should never be the target of violence for any view or belief that they have.

Agreed sfsamm , if you look at the rhetoric of our public figures it pushes for this extreme. They are constantly dehumanizing and demonizing someone who disagrees with them, saying the other side cheated to get where they are, and actually claiming it will take violence to stop the wicked, cheating "other" side from scamming them out of their moral goals... In just this past week President Trump, President Obama, and Hillary Clinton used violent rhetoric in speeches, and I only mentioned the political figures doing it.

But in reality WE are the problem. We push out people in high up positions that try to work together. We watched opinionated shows as long as they agree with our own opinions. We tell ourselves that our views are morally superior to someone elses to make it easier on ourselves to hold those views. Until we start self reflecting the rhetoric of the people who represent us will not change. Sadly people are paying the ultimate price for this.

[mermaidwannabe]

Folks who sincerely believe in their moral convictions can't be scammed out of them by anyone. If they can, they really don't possess the courage of their convictions. That said, we need to start listening to one another instead of closing our minds, ears and hearts to anyone with differing views. It's amazing the valuable things one can learn from others if we would just be willing to grant them a fair hearing and truly listen. We don't have to agree, and if everyone appreciated that we all see our world from different perspectives and have varying philosophies about life and living, we could agree and disagree lovingly and respectfully, and enjoy one another a whole lot more.

I think the problem today is that people feel threatened by those who disagree with them, and become defensive. They feel personally attacked if someone challenges their views. It all boils down to HOW we disagree, and how we treat others with whom we share differences as well as commonality. If we voice our disagreements in a threatening and attacking manner, then naturally those on the receiving end are going to respond accordingly. If we can stay calm and state facts, and express our views in a non-threatening way, we might find others more receptive to hearing us. If they aren't -- if they insist upon remaining closed-minded no matter what -- then it's best to simply walk away and not try to reason with the unreasonable. There will always be folks we simply can't talk to -- so no sense in trying. But we don't have to lash out against them, either. It is what it is, and it's best to move on.

The other thing we need to start doing again is respecting the rights of others, and that includes their property rights. There seems to be a breakdown in conscience today, where people no longer consider the rights of others and don't care if they violate or infringe upon those rights. Too many have stopped caring how they treat others, and about the consequences of their actions toward others.

It all begins in the home. Kids aren't being taught fairness and thoughtfulness, and aren't being taught honesty, perhaps because they aren't being treated that way, themselves. The messages parents send, and the examples they set, can affect and influence their kids for the rest of their lives. Children learn what they live, and that can go a long way in determining how society functions as a whole.

Above all, we need to learn to give and receive love, and not feel silly or guilty about it, or see it as a sign of weakness or being sissified. I, for one, feel that bullying is totally unacceptable, and there should be zero tolerance for bullying. It's NOT a natural part of "growing up". Living in fear of one another is never a natural thing, and shouldn't be part of any human culture.

Where there's injustice, measures must be taken to correct it. Too often, injustices get blown off or ignored as just a part of life being unfair. We don't always have choices, but when we do, we should always choose fairness. So much of life being unfair is the result of people refusing to recognize and correct injustices when they have the ability to do so and can make that choice. It's a matter of caring, and a willingness to address what's important.