We Can Do Better!

Over the weekend a terrible tragedy occurred when an Arizona Congresswoman was critically shot, thirteen others wounded, and six killed as a young man went on a shooting rampage. Evidence seems to suggest that the Congresswoman was the primary target of his attack. I don’t know any more about this situation than you do, but it appears that the culprit was an angry young man with some serious emotional issues.

The weekend is over and it is now time to start the process of blame. That is one of our favorite pastimes – when something terrible happens we need to blame somebody. When a hurricane destroys a major city, blame the President. If your retirement account is not growing like you want, it must be Congress’ fault.

Concerning the shooting in Arizona, blame was quickly attached to several sources. There is the State of Arizona with inadequate gun laws, local law enforcement officials who should have read the warning signs put out by the shooter, a community college that expelled the young man but did not force him to get psychological help, politicians who "targeted" the Congresswoman in campaign ads, even the victim herself who had the audacity to support health care reform.

Given the vitriol that constantly surrounds all of us, I am one of those who thinks it was only a matter of time until a tragedy like this occurred. We are fed a steady stream of slander and hatred toward everyone who dares to think differently or is even willing to ask a tough question. I am amazed that we have anyone who is willing to hold public office.

But, it is not just in the political realm. A few weeks ago at the conclusion of a football game, a player for the Dallas Cowboys was photographed getting an autograph from a player on the other team. Writers, talk show hosts and callers harped for a week about the sorry sight. They were stunned that players could actually be civil to one another after a game. Fans wanted the intensity of the game to carry over into all of life. They want players who are so angry and viscous during the game that it takes several days to calm down.

We have lost the ability to have differing opinions and objectives while being civil and kind at the same time.

Last week, Sharon and I met some friends for dinner and then they came by the house to visit. He is a pastor so naturally the conversation included a few topics about church. We even discussed the issue of homosexuality and how it has been handled by the church. After a few moments, he indicated that he wished he could have a similar conversation with his church but was confident it would never happen.

We were not advocating one particular solution or another, just the opportunity to openly discuss the issue. I suspect that if he ever did get the church to agree to have the conversation, once word got out, they would be quickly labeled and ostracized. Within the prevailing climate of our world, it is not even safe to discuss certain things. It is no longer possible to disagree with someone without anger.

When I was in college I had my first experience of being on a debate team. The issue being debated that year was whether or not there was an energy crisis. This was in the early 70’s when we had the first Arab Oil Embargo and President Nixon asked folks to limit their Christmas lights to preserve energy. Although I had never debated before, I took to it like a cat to a fresh litter box.

We were each assigned a partner and we stayed together for the entire debate season. My partner was also a novice at debate and her biggest asset was her good looks. During the debates, I would present my argument and then while the other team spoke, I prepared notes for her to use when it was her turn. We won a few times, but the judges’ comments were just as likely to note her beauty as they were my brains.

The amazing thing about these organized debates was that we had to be able to argue both sides of the proposition. Prior to beginning, we were told if we would be the "pro" or "con" side. It really did not matter because it was a debate, not an emotional tirade. It forced us to continually evaluate our own arguments. In fact, I became very adept at attacking my own logic, which allowed me to see where my position was vulnerable. To resort to emotion or personal attack resulted in very low scores from the judges.

I wish we could demonstrate similar skills when it comes to political, social, moral, and even athletic arguments that we encounter every day. Make a point, support it with evidence (not emotion) and then listen to the opposition. It is not necessary to agree, but it is essential to be civil if we are to have a civilized society.

In some sense, we are all to blame for what happened in Arizona this past weekend. When we forward hateful, attacking emails, add to the profitable ratings of television and radio blowhards, criticize other Christians who do things differently, and speak before thinking, we are helping to create an environment that might encourage a fringe member of society to think he is doing everyone a favor by firing an automatic weapon into an innocent crowd. We can do better!

 

Comments

[Don Emmitte]

Amen my friend! Certainly many passages that support your call, the one that comes to my mind is Matthew 5:40-42. Enjoyed the read very much. Keep up the good work!

[Terry]

Don, you could include most of the Sermon on the Mount!