News : Paris, Beirut, Baghdad, Humanity…
I put up a Paris selfie yesterday with a simple message of sending love to those in Paris and Beirut. I later removed it because of all the judgmental posts regarding slacktivism, the ignorance of Facebook not recognizing other tragedies and the media selectively covering Paris. Then I’ve thought about it a little more. What’s not being told is just as telling as what is. There are constant wedges trying to divide and segregate us from one another. But why? Governments only addressing France, Facebook only offering the France flag overlay and the media focusing on Paris are all statements that divide us. I also can’t help but observe how these messages align with and feed the industry of war.
We are all disturbed by the news from Paris. I understand Paris is a beloved and familiar space for a lot of people, but it troubled me that Beirut, had received so little attention after the horrific bombings two days earlier. It also troubled me that Baghdad received even less attention after the senseless bombing that took place there last week. Worst of all, I found the understanding of the refugee crisis skewed and simplistic. If you’ve been following the journeys of the people leaving their homes around the world right now, perhaps you’ll understand why the words #SyrianRefugeeCrisis are just as devastating as #PrayForParis. It’s time to pray for humanity. It is time to make all places beloved. It’s time to pray for the world.
It’s too easy to hate. Its too easy to point the finger. It’s time to learn how to love. It’s time to create new messages that unite instead of listening to the messages that divide us. Peace!
Dave
Well said, David.
Thank you for posting this Dave. I wasn’t expecting to see such a compassionate and politically nuanced post – here or anywhere – and really appreciate your speaking on behalf of everyone affected by these tragedies.
Thank you.
The major difference is that Beruit and Bagdhad are societies that foster violence, would you actually take a vacation there?
France is a society that fosters peace, which is why they get targeted. Man up and support them, don’t cave into the whiners.
I agree 100%, countries, religions, ethnic categorizations – they are all separators, not unifiers. I could get behind your logo if it said “Do for Humanity”. The other issue I have with all of these postings is that they put too much emphasis on praying which puts it in other hands. Praying takes away our own accountability. Praying may be active in its context but it is passive in its effect and it suggests it is out of our control. Let’s use active verbiage that puts the responsibility in the hands of those it should be – ours.
The animals that did this horrific act got into Europe and then France by posing as Syrian “refugees”. Until the Muslims start policing their own and start acting like civilized human beings they will ALL be condemned for the actions of the few.
And what’s behind all this tragedy, suffering and malaise? Religion and lust for power. It’s always been that way, and it’s not going to change. Religion begets lust for power, lust for power begets war, war brings suffering. It’s the human condition. And, of course, people gravitate toward Paris because it’s “pretty,” while Beirut and Baghdad get short shrift. Again, the human condition…”ooooh, shiny!”, just like a raccoon. How do you stop it? You can’t. Man has tried such egalitarian efforts as Wilson’s League of Nations, which became the UN, and how well did that work? It helps, and the UN does do much good for many, but the basic problem remains. All you can do is bomb the worst actors into oblivion and try to move on. That’s how we won two world wars. What came of that? Korea, Viet Nam, the Nine Year War, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq…to name a few. It’s here to stay. The question is, how do you manage it?
I so totally agree with you Dave. Thanks for posting your message.
God Be With Them, sending my prays to you
What’s sad is that these tragedies are becoming more commonplace in our conscience ness. The world we live in has begun the downward spiral into a lawless, hateful place where we have lost our humanity toward one another. We are seeing just what fear, and loathing has done in terms of how we speak to each other on social media, how we conduct ourselves in our political discourse. We refuse to understand that if we continue on this path of destruction, we will end up in a world of dispare, and disgust for each other.
Dave:
I wish that it was as easy to solve the worlds problems as you stated in your message. Unfortunately the issues dividing the world are greater than what you have proposed. It’s not just about love or hate. It’s about economics, justice, differences in religious beliefs, historic issues involving war, occupation, mistreatment of citizens, past efforts of colonization and colonialization. All of these things and many more continue to divide the world. We have one organization Isis, whose stated mission is to destroy all governments and people that oppose it. This includes most of the civilized Western world.
Unlike prior wars, the war waged by Isis is one fought by individuals from many countries whose only goals are to destroy people, property and governments by terrorist means (lone-wolf) attacks. There is no central field of battle and non-combatants are the central target. The only defense is government intelligence that has and will continue to erode our rights to privacy in order to partially provide us safety.
Welcome to the New World Order and perhaps the first preliminary volleys of World War III. God help us all!
sending positive vibes
Well placed words can inform,heal and inspire. Thanks for the call to humanity.It always makes me feel like being a better person when everyday another hideous act of hate happens. Kindness is the only thing of true value in our brief time here .
You could easily say that about a lot of countries in Africa who are killed
Trying to get refuge in Egypt and who receive even less attention, Or how about how the US drags its feet to let in people fleeing South America. Atleast Europe takes in refugees, haven’t seen any of those gulf countries do that. #3abeed.
But alas you are right about one thing, all of humanity is pretty awful.
You are naive. It’s not a matter of us dividing…it’s the ones that do not read your msg. You are preaching to the choir.
Dave, atrocities happen all around the world every day. We only hear about a fraction of them, and sadly only when they affect us or “people like us”. 3rd worlders’ tragedies rarely make our nightly news. Clearly Western Civilization is under a highly intelligent, organized attack on a worldwide front. Not that his is new, just much more intensive…. Sorry that people think a sign of sympathy is reason to attack you.
I don’t know why these people are intent on destroying this world. I think it’s awesome that France threw shade at Donald Trump then began air strokes against ISIS. I don’t want to just blow everything up but these people have got to be stopped. Mes priers a Les gens français.
Perfectly stated…and I agree 100%.
Dave, what a post loved it you are so right the world is in deep trouble and most people could care less all senseless deaths should have attention placed on them wherever they are these bombings and shootings are unfortunately coming more frequent what is the answer I’m afraid in the near future governments are gonna over react and we’ll have a police state Of course love, kindness, caring, concern and respect is desperately what we need but unfortunately there is little people seem to be concerned only with themselves but we must remain strong in the face of evil that they will not win they will not have us they will take us down Dave thanks for the post it shows you are concerned and worried about the state of the world as I am stay strong my friend
Correction they will NOT take us down
Your words are from the heart Dave, and I’m deeply appreciative for you speaking out about these shared human tragedies.
In the words of Marianne Williamson from the other day,
“The question before us now — as seekers, as global citizens, as lovers of the world — is not just what do we need to do, but who do we need to be in order to do it? We have before us a challenge that only the most evolved civilization can meet effectively, calling each of us to fast, to meditate, to pray, to do whatever it is we need to do to ready ourselves, to purify ourselves, and surrender ourselves fully to the task at hand.
Each of us will be assigned our part, how we ourselves can help uplift the energy and prepare the ground, heal broken hearts and work the miracles that will bring down the Light that disperses darkness. And darkness, in time, will be no more.”
Right on, Dave. As horrible as it was, the number murdered in Paris this weekend was about half the number killed by guns in the USA that week. And no comparison to the numbers murdered in Africa and the middle east. People are people no matter where they die.
Nobody knows the future and by all means pray for the best outcome and be the best you can be personally
NO RELIGION IS A RELIGION OF LOVE.
Beliefs (religion, political party, or cultural) that kill or attack admit to protecting vulnerability; start by attacking or killing your own vulnerability.
Beliefs that defend or retaliate admit a threat to their vulnerability; start by retaliating against your own vulnerability.
Every religion attacks every religion. Every religion defends their religion. No different with Politics and Culture. They all are vulnerable. None of them teach love, none of them know love, none of them are love.
As a health care professional, and speaking for Firefighters, Police, Doctors, and all other professionals; it is my duty to report unethical behavior of my peers for proper punishment of a non-professional. Does any government support this act – ask Snowden or Putin. Does religion support this act – No! Does culture support this act – ask Confederates, Skin-Heads, and the countless other extremists, factions, and fundamentalists. Tolerating such behavior within a belief structure is self denigration and admits to vulnerability and a lacking of love.
Everyone wants peace, love, and joy – on their terms! Terms are vulnerable and therefore not love.
You want peace, love, and joy? Abandon your religion. Abandon your politics. Abandon your Culture. Then you will see everyone equal to your self. You won’t do it because the fear of banishment is greater than the fear of vulnerability and hate. And so the cycle spins again.
While in theory I can only agree with you history will none the less repeat itself as it already had done, and it shell always do. I attribute America’s failue in race relations primarily on Dr. Kings fslling on deaf ears within the majority of the black community. Equally your words will fall on the deaf ears of all off humanity. While in theory, it would be great of we all could get along, but we won’t. Never confuse “can’t” with “won’t”.
While the western world may not be at war with Islam, Islam is at war with the world. Radical Islamic forces justify attacks against the west for the loss of Islamic life throughout the world, yet while Islam for centuries held the Arab cultures together, even now differant sects routinely slaughter each other workout remorse. The so called “religion of peace” is far from peaceful, thier goals are to control the world one piece at a time.
While we see these recent acts of senseless brutality with great sadness, our enemies, and yes that is what they have become, see this with great admiration. As a community of gay men, we are prone to accept and embrace others when they are “differant”, but our world, our ideas and our individuality was attacked at Paris. Paris is just a geographical location, these attacks are attacks on everyone and anyone who fails to hold the same values as our attackers. We have fought a hard struggle to win first tolerance and then acceptance in being gay. And if you think it was a tough fight with bible banging devil dodging Christians, we haven’t seen anything yet. The coming persecutions of gays has the potential t make the holocaust against Jews look tame. We need to wake up and realize that while we aren’t at war, they are.
Pray for humanity?
Isn’t prayer the cause of this whole mess in the first place?
Marko, you said: ” As a community of gay men, we are prone to accept and embrace others when they are “differant” “.
Umm…are you new?
The article is all but good, but if you’re speaking on a gay position… A Queen will suck or bend over for anything as long as it’s attached to a cock. Whether it’s the enemy, race, religion or anything else a Queen doesn’t care as long as it’s a cock. I know alot of you won’t agree and who cares what you think, but the truth is the truth. That’s why we don’t get any respect from mainstream, we’re looked at as perverts, sickos, disease carriers. So as applies to religions, us gay men that want to lead a normal everyday product life, is never looked upon as such by the worlds perception, as in the case of muslims today. And don’t let me get started on that cult, I mean Mormons, what a shame they are radical sicko religion,
The Koran forbids what happened in Paris….just as Christ’s teachings forbid what a lot of Christians do with their own hate mongering.
Religions get twisted to serve personal agendas.
Monks pray for the world several times everyday. The prayers are long. We can use help. Even better, would be following through with what is prayed for with your own actions in daily life.
Some of the venom I’ve seen spewed in gay bars isn’t much different than a bullet. Words can kill…and don’t make the headlines. Look at the suicide rate…particularly among gays.
As Dave wrote, “It’s too easy to hate. Its too easy to point the finger. It’s time to learn how to love. It’s time to create new messages that unite instead of listening to the messages that divide us. Peace!”
It begins where you are at….right now.
Sometimes it is better to remain silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. This is a time when this advise should have been taken Dave. I was saddened by your comments.
BryanBlue: can u explain why?
@Bryanblue, Why are you “saddened” by a post that questions the lack of equal concern and compassion for innocent human lives? Or, are you actually “mad” because you’re being asked to show compassion for non-European/Muslim lives?
Why? Because it is in such poor taste. When anyone is grieving the loss of a loved one they should be treated with empathy and support. Four years ago we lost my 24 y/o nephew in Paris. He was probably murdered. Should I say to his mother it is wrong for her to grieve the loss of one son when 129 families lost loved ones in Paris? Of course not. If you want to address unfair media coverage of such atrocities do not do so by insulting the poor grieving people in France. Please respect them and find another way to call attention to the unfair media coverage.
BryanBlue: read my post again I guess. I just dont understand why people focus only on Paris when 2 days before, Beirut got similar attacks.
I posted a reply to your questions of why. I suppose someone did not like the answer. My response was removed from the blog. As has happened here in the past.
Blog, The point in your post is extremely clear and quite legitimate but in wording it the way you did it is insulting and insensitive to those who are grieving the loss of loved ones in France, and to those of us who are grieving with them.
Due to the simple fact that France is a 1st world western nation, whereas Beruit and Baghdad being in the unstable middle-east sadly see this shit everyday, making it not as “newsworthy”.