Hello there. Those of you that have been visiting here for a while know that the needle tends to skip off the record entirely for me when such tragic events as the mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina occur. My heart goes out to the family, friends and loved ones of the victims. If there is anything that could resemble a light in the midst of such darkness, it would be in the forgiveness and mercy that many of them gave to the racist murderer that changed their lives for ever.
We all loose a bit of humanity in the face of such horror. I am still trying to understand it and apparently I am not the only one. I was both moved and inspired by Jon Stewart’s monologue about the events. If you wish, you can see it here.
And the part one of this post? It is a light-hearted romp through Provence. That might be what you need right now too. If so, you can find it here.
Back to the usual programming next week. Thank you for reading,
Heather
Thank you everyone so much for sharing your thoughts and perspectives here. You gave me much to think about. I hope you don't mind that I didn't respond individually. In this case it was just too overwhelming and I wanted you all to have your space to express your opinions, for them to be enough as they are.
It's heartbreaking, and Jon Stewart's monologue is almost too difficult to watch. One very sad aspect of these terrible events is that in a bid to minimize the racism aspect, mental health (or crazed individual acts) are brought forward to explain the tragedy. And, once again, people with mental health difficulties take the fall for society's failings. Sadness upon sadness. 🙁
I am almost incoherent about this subject, so I really appreciate that you can put your feelings into eloquent words. Strange that this event (AGAIN!?) has coincided with my application for my Canadian passport (Mom was Canadian, and we never realized that that meant her kids were Canadian, too). More and more I am feeling ashamed of my country, of it's people, of it's out of date amendments, of it's racial scar that we will not allow to heal. (paraphrasing Jon Stewart, whose words meant so much to me) And above all, the hate that is allowed to fester because to speak against it would mean that a politician would lose votes. I fear Jon Stewart is right, and nothing will be done.
Leslie made an interesting observation above – 'despair for our country'. My blog post this week is about another country also on the brink of crisis and the feeling of helplessness of ordinary people like us to do anything about it. It has been interesting to look at the US the last couple of months through the eyes of others and what we are seeing is frightening.
We can pray. I can pray.
Thank you, Heather, both for voicing your pain (which I share) and voicing it so eloquently. And for pointing us to Jon Stewart's response, which I find spot on. Yes, Joan and Judith, we are torn apart and we cannot go on like this. Keep raising your voices in any way you can (absent violence). For me, it has become almost impossible to cling to or find hope when we are killing ourselves as a species (with what we have done and continue to do to our environment) and as groups and individuals (with senseless hatred and violence). I despair for our country…I despair for all humanity. Leslie in Oregon
Hi Heather, I, too, appreciated Jon Stewart's candid response to the shootings. We can't go on like this here. We. Just. Can't.
Thank you for stopping to note. We're torn apart.
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I had not heard. I tend to live in a bit of a bubble of my own making. Sometimes it keeps me sane. What a shameful waste of life. I just got back from a work trip to Sofia so I am behind with my blog visits and comments.
Yes, horrific, and I also just read the statements of the family members in court – all stating their pain but also giving forgiveness. I always keep hoping that THIS is the event that is going to spur gun regulation!! But it is another sad day, indeed. (I haven't watched John Stewart's monologue yet – I will).