By Jamie Neben
In a world full of differences, the fact that we are so alike seems hard to believe. We live in different places, have different faces, and speak different languages. We pray to different gods and grow up with different life experiences. Yet, the human condition binds us together and extends from the largest cities to the far corners of the earth. Our emotions and feelings, although very personal, are not unique. We all know the pleasure of joy and the agony of pain. We’ve all been brave in certain situations and afraid in others. We mourn our loved ones with equal grief in the wake of tragedy. We have so much in common that it’s unexplainable why some people try their best to disrupt our lives rather than helping us to develop into a more connected state.
The intentional chaos that mankind creates is a veritable insult to humanity. Everywhere you look, and especially on social media websites, meaningful discourse is interrupted by so-called trolls who spew inflammatory rhetoric for the sole purpose of agitating the other participants. They often use religion and politics as their platforms, knowing those topics cause more division than anything else has in world history. The most troubling aspect of this ugly reality is that the toxic venom doesn’t originate in a vacuum. Our fellow human beings, perhaps some in our own communities, are posting these hateful words. Chances are pretty good that we interact with them without even realizing it as we simply go about our daily business. The most startling realization is that they could be members of our own families.
I understand the notion that we’re all brothers and sisters is not for everybody and that’s fine. I also know that we’re prone to disagree on many issues, and spirited debate is indeed healthy and necessary to make progress as well as to keep the peace. But I am very curious as to why people who are of sound mind, and are often quite intelligent, feel the need to descend into darkness. When did they start believing it was acceptable to abandon civilized conversation simply because they can remain relatively anonymous? Actual random acts of violence that occur away from the computer are exponentially disturbing. No satisfactory answer exists that justifies attacking a stranger who has done nothing to provoke such an act.
Fortunately, there is still evidence of unity, compassion and charity on a large scale. For instance, we are always quick to send aid to natural disaster victims around the globe. We sponsor children so that they will not die of starvation or disease. As a society, we are increasingly recognizing the freedom associated with marriage equality. If we treat each other with dignity and respect regardless of whether we communicate in person or through a computer screen, we bring honor to ourselves. In doing so, we are also using our hearts and minds in the way that they were truly intended, which is to say that we become connected.
I agree with most of your comments, and if pressed, I’d say all of them. I am very bothered by the proliferation of violent acts for no apparent reason. I dislike the attitude of not worrying about “collateral damage” if persons are in the wrong place, whether they be runners or innocent citizens of other nations. We are all in the world together and must learn to work together rather than have our own agendas. And, I certainly dislike the arrogant comments by made by people elected to represent others in their home states, especially when they serve individual purposes and dismiss the work necessary to better our nation. Random acts of violence do get the headlines, but I would like to believe that most of us have more good in us than bad.
As for family members, it’s interesting that I limited one to only “important” news and haven’t seen him since! Most of the things he was sending were anti-government, or devilish posters, or cars, women, liquor oriented or other frivolous comments. I have to say we had some interesting debates during the election season but once that was over, his mind turned to 2nd Amendment issues and signs against the person for whom he voted! Trying to remain positive, I didn’t feel I needed to be subjected to such nonsense.People are able to have their own views, but when they seek to suppress or strangle the thoughts of others, it is violent in its own way. Too many printed materials are now trying to sway others to the radical side of things.
I agree that we need to stay focused on positive uses for government vehicles, weapons, policies and such. It may be too simple to say to “look for the silver linings” but it’s much better than continuing to stand under the darker clouds of our current culture.
Lynne –
Thanks for the excellent comment! While I believe that evil will always be an unfortunate reality, the fertile breeding ground that fosters such thoughts and deeds by encouraging negative speech can hopefully be diminished. But it will take a concerted effort from all of us to say we won’t stand for it anymore and won’t support any entity that gives it a platform.
No doubt the author will remain blissfully oblivious as to how this observation reflects on him.
Perhaps you have some helpful hints as to how decent people are supposed to work with people who despise them.
It doesn’t matter what you’d like to believe, because there are people who are, temporarily or otherwise, enemies of decency; and to pretend otherwise is to become an instrument of the evil which motivates such people.
Yguy –
I’m happy that you found little to criticize about my article this time. It must mean we’re almost on the same page.
I’m not sure what you’re trying to say about creating intentional chaos and the author (yours truly) being blissfully oblivious about how it reflects on him. Are you suggesting that I am contributing to the problem, and if so, why? Moreover, do you believe the hatemongers are the actual voices that should be listened to?
How are we supposed to get along? I don’t have the million dollar answer but that doesn’t mean we should give up. Do you run away from a challenge, or do you dig your heels in and keep trying? I am not sure if you’re a religous person but if you are, there are plenty of analogies from the Bible and other texts to make this point.
I back up the reader’s comment about believing most people are more good than bad. I feel the same way. That doesn’t ignore evil at all or pretend it doesn’t exist. It just means that if you looked at everybody one by one, most of us are good and honest and don’t want to hurt anybody Do you feel otherwise?
Evidently you have somehow formed the impression that I bothered to read more than what I quoted. 😉
I’m pretty sure you and I have been down that road, and I’m not inclined to repeat myself.
If I believed that, I’d be telling people YOU ought to be listened to.
That might be well and good if the desired end were noble, but of course in your case it is not.
Doesn’t matter, because you only propound such a view so as to cast doubt on the ability of commonsensical people to see evil for what it is.
I know you read the full text because, as an intelligent person, you would want to understand the context.
We can disagree about politics and argue about the moral aspects of social issues, and to debate them is fine and healthy. But for the life of me, I don’t know how you could possibly object to a message about peace and love. To do so would promote an isolationist view at best, and opens a doorway to intolerance and bigotry if one is not careful. Am I right?
Obviously I’m more intelligent than you thought, because I understood the context without reading the rest of your drivel.
When it’s clear the messenger is utterly clueless about both, and has no other purpose than to lay fraudulent guilt trips on commonsensical people, objection is a duty to any reasonable person.
Ok, if I am as “utterly clueless” as you say I am, please tell me where I’m wrong, or what I need to change so that I’m no longer objectionable. I hope you don’t dismiss this request by saying that I wouldn’t understand, or if I don’t already know, there is no hope for me. If you truly believe I am laying fraudulent guilt trips on people, or acting in a deceitful manner, I’d at least like to know the specific charges. Otherwise, your disdain is completely without merit.
Pretty sure I’ve already done that numerous times.
I’m sure you’d love it if I repeated myself, but you’d only see it as an opportunity to create confusion by drawing me into an argument about nothing.
Well, that’s the answer I expected even if it’s not the one I wanted.
I feel as though I am repeating myself as well because you keep insisting that I want to create confusion, chaos and who knows what else when just the opposite is true. I want to build bridges between people and reach a point where we can co-exist despite our differences without quite so much hostility. For you to suggest that I support evil either wittingly or not (or that I’m evil myself) would be offensive if it wasn’t so laughable, and it definitely couldn’t be further from the truth.
Your beefs with me might carry more weight if they were not cloaked in ambiguity. I don’t dispute that you know exactly what they are, but if I don’t, I cannot address them. It might turn out that we just have a misunderstanding.
You’re a liar.
I sense we are not getting any closer to finding something we can agree on. And I was so hopeful too.