I woke up in the wee hours of the morning today. Why?
When I wake up like that I always wonder what the reason is. I was wide awake, ready to think, read, and write.
It must have been the Buffalo massacre that woke me up. To think of those innocent people simply going about their day's chores at the grocery store only to be met by a violent murderer and their deaths. How horrible is that?
I read a few articles about the massacre. I looked at the photos of the victims and read the descriptions about their good lives. I read about the killer and his family too. How can we make sense out of such a hateful, violent act? What can we do?
After thinking about the situation more, I thought about the fact that dehumanizing, hateful, hurtful acts of any kind have a devastating ripple effect. Not only did the killer end the lives of innocent people, but he also virtually ended his own life, and gravely harmed the lives of many, many others including the loved ones of the victims, his own family, and people throughout the country who are now filled with fear, angst, worry, sadness, and discouragement related to one more hateful, violent act that robbed us of good people and the good lives and impact those people had and would continue to have.
Every word and act has a ripple effect, and as we grow with greater sensitivity and knowledge, we realize that more and more. This calls us to be mindful of the words we use and actions we do. Most, like me, don't want to create a ripple effect that is dehumanizing, hateful, or hurtful. Instead we want to speak and act in ways that do the opposite creating ripple effects that enrich, empower, and better lives.
And, how can we counter the destructive acts--the acts of prejudice, abuse, terror, hate, massacre, and hurt? What can we do?
If we don't act to stop terrorizing acts, we serve to promote such behavior. We must act to stop such crimes against humanity in any way that we can. We can all promote the greater good in these ways:
- Outlaw assault rifles. Begin a registry of gun ownership that includes tests, background checks, licenses, systems to track guns, insurance requirements and more.
- End white supremacy. Outlaw related words, acts, or groups online and in real time.
- Do not support leadership that in any way encourages dehumanizing, hateful, hurtful acts. Donald Trump and his cronies have clearly created a ripple effect of hateful, hurtful, divisive words and actions. To make better, we have to rid our country of such leaders.
- Hold leaders who act lawlessly against the greater good accountable for their criminal behavior--behavior that has a ripple effect of death and destruction.
- Watch your own words and actions. Learn more, and in every way possible, promote a ripple effect of good versus evil.
- Advocate for sensible anti-racist/bigotry laws and policies--laws and policies that rid our nation of systematic racism/prejudice and the hate and horror that brings with it.
- Support public institutions that promote accurate, deep, and transformative education--the kind of education that empowers and enriches lives rather than relegates us to the same-old, same-old hardships, hate, and hurt.
- Find ways to broaden the respect for diversity in your communities, the kind of respect that allows people to live the lives they desire as long as they don't hurt others.
- Dialogue with family members about the good you can do as well as the hate and hurt you must avoid in order to live good lives for yourself and for others.
- Focus your life on building better for self and others rather than hurting one another.
- Increase advocacy and support for public organizations and individuals who are able to work with the problems that exist as most problems can be solved with the right supports.