Have we lost touch with so much, we're down to simply losing our minds?
Okay, here in my neck of the woods, you may have heard, we had a tragedy hit home -- make that, the neighborhood schoolhouse just down the street. Like a freak of nature, some guy swooped in on the unsuspecting innocence of a playground and just started shooting. Thank you, for the heads up, and protecting a couple of Carlsbad's finest from turning out to be nothing more than a couple of arm injuries...it could have been so much worse, as they say.
This morning's Sunday paper featured a front page commendation to the couple of construction workers, who happened to be on a job pouring concrete for remodeling at the school, when they heard screaming and shouting and came running to the rescue; it was entirely -- and I mean that in every sense of the word, through their heroic efforts, that an ungodly situation was brought abruptly to it's knees -- simply by their immediate, without thinking twice, in spite of the madman carrying a 357 magnum, as any good samaritan would do, action, that we can still breathe here. So thank you, Mario Contreras, Steven Kane, and Carlos Partida from RANDALL CONSTRUCTION, thank you, from the bottom of every heart in San Diego and beyond.
Now as for the freakazoid, Brendan Liam O'Rourke (41 years nutty), where do we begin? Now the U-T paper, knew exactly what to say about him, besides quoting the construction guys as having duly noted he sounded like a bonafide nut job; but, the U-T added color, by laying the foundation of controversy through extremism, tagging O'Rourke with the label "Christian", as that was just one of the words found scribbled on the walls of his homestead, an apartment in Oceanside.
Actually, the U-T said it this way, "He also had spray-painted the walls of his apartment 'with nonsensical writings' on it [per Lt. Kelly Cain, Carlsbad Police] ...some of the material indicated he was 'mad at State Farm and AIG'...one wall had the word 'Christian' emblazoned on it, while another had the word 'destroy'."
Okay, so we get it; he is a freaky Christian; where in the olden days this would be considered an oxymoron of character pinnings, topped off with a little heresy perhaps, is now just normal everyday secular fodder and child's play by way of name calling and character assassination.
huh. How did we get here? What is happening to us?
These are trying times; and in trying times our souls are tested; this is a test. Yes, people are desperate, lost and insecure about the future -- and that's before we get hip to the horrific economic forecasts that await us -- I dare say, that innate fear is from just being human (but that could just be me making much ado about nothing...maybe the deterioration of mankind, the loss of a spiritual connection in our daily world, and the overall depravity of living with honor and integrity doesn't bother you as it does me....).
BUT I CAN"T HELP but get unglued when I continue to feel like it's the CHRISTIANS of this world who are the only weird, extremist, heartless, fundamentalist, wacky, freaks walking around with guns and gas cans, wanting to wreak havoc on everyone because "Christians" are "angry"(referring to anti-Tea Party antics of late). Really?
What I would give to label the "Allah Akbar" Radical Islamic Fundamentalist Extremists as being equal and interchangeable to the everyday wayward and onward Christian soldier It must be the fear factor that tones down that kind of rhetoric -- I mean, look what happened to the guy who simply made a cartoon. Any derogatory or disparaging remarks must be subdued to no comment for fear of retaliation -- for real harm being done, just because you questioned the ideology and religion back behind the radical extremism acted upon without care. We would land in some kind of hot water if we connected the terrorizing around the world with an actual religion, no? And yet, mainstream media keeps their mouth shut, political correctness makes them mum.
But noooooooooooo, if you're a Christian, it's open season for taking pot shots, making massive generalizations, almost compounding every offence against the action, as an utter disgrace against Christianity in the micro, in the macro, in the general and in the moment...giving improper emphasis on the wrong thing, and basically sending the message that, there ya go again, you crazy people...you freaky Christians are at it again. (How about you all just put us Christians in a box and blow us up all at once and be done with it next time)
YOU freaks, if you're gonna take the time to connect the dots, you better do it across the board --
- does the reckless action of one Islamic suicide bomber, times square terrorist, airplane underwear bomber, crazy Army doctor, globetrotting hotel destroyer, make a mark against ALL Muslims, all followers of Islam?
- does the horrific action of one Mexican gang banger or drug cartel speak for all Hispanics, legal or not, making every barrio or casa de suburbia guilty without habeas corpus, blanketing every positive with a negative and given no opportunity for proper court appointed free defense?
- does the desperate action of one stupid African-American, whether in the projects, or the south side of Chicago, LA, Atlanta or Detroit, exemplify the greater good of the rest of the African-Americans who live honorably and responsibly with the rest of us everyday?
Who started this utter gut-wrenching garnishment of our respected heritage, and more importantly, just how do they -- all of them -- continue to get away with it? Where is the common sense, allowing for extremism to be found in every segment of the populace -- and without making excuses for it, outright dismiss it for what it really is, a freak occurrence?
But nooooooooooo, we don't get the immediate caveat, the exception to the rule, a show of resistance of the urge to label the freakazoid as just one in the same with the rest of 'em; we don't get that. If you are Islamic and act out, it doesn't count against the whole; if you are Hispanic and murder a farmer, it has nothing to do with every other Hispanic who shares your culture; if you are black and rob a liquor store, it does not mean all the rest of you like to hit up liquor stores, too. But somehow, when that Christian label gets thrown out there...yup, you and that freaky preacher down in Florida, the abortion doctor killer, the marchers on a fallen soldier's funeral (all really god awful things to do), all get locked, stocked and barreled into one sweet slug, aiming at the whole bunch of Christian looney-tune freaks.
Oh God, can you tell I needed to vent?
No, I know, I know. I'm listening.
I'm not going to do anything rash, heaven's to Betsy, God no; it's not like I'm going to retaliate and search out J. Harry Jones, at the U-T, and bust up his cubicle; I know, in my heart of hearts that that wouldn't be very nice or appropriate, and with one wrong move or rash to judgment, I might even be at risk to break a law or two, depending on if I attempt to do harm on someone in the process.
Unlike O'Rourke in every way, I know how to work through disgruntled feelings without acting upon them in horrific ways -- and especially upon women and children; perhaps my Christian upbringing helps me out here -- but even more, I sense it is my conscious effort to connect with my Christian God inside me, on a daily basis, in a humble manner, that keeps me sheltered, sane, and satiated, in order to save me from any attempt to even try to take on the world with my own two hands -- as humane that they may be.
The thing is, the more people try to play God, the more trouble we get into -- no matter which ideology we choose to worship and magnify or stand willing and able to blow people up for, yourself included.
I just can't help but notice, that's all; the sensitivity to a heritage we all grew up with is crumbling all around us.
I'm not saying we must all be Christians. Hardly.
What I am saying, is that we must be diligent in connecting all the dots -- and counter some of that growing natural inclination to connect, through no fault of their own of course, a public hellbent on ruining the Christian label, by making us all sound like freaks doing freaky things, all in the name of our God, and most likely scribbled on our wall in spray-paint in every home.
We must speak softly and carry a big stick (kinda looks like a cross to bear), holding tight to our truths and beliefs and character as we do; we are not the actions of this one man, O'Rourke, or of any other who acts out the demons wreaking havoc inside. Yes, he is a freak -- all on his own, his Christianity has nothing to do with his humanity making Christians look crazy... This is not who we are; and we must stand up to the onslaught of ridicule of reputation that now precedes us and get through this stronger than we were before.
Coming to a close here, I can't help but notice, how tolerance seems to work -- in mysterious ways -- for all of us.
Amen to that, G
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