Orlando

Well said Jason.

Initially, my reaction was white hot anger at both the killer and what appears to be his radicalized Islamist ideology….at least before I was able to look at what was happening with a more sober and objective gaze.

However, despite my capacity for understanding and my efforts at being compassionate…..I’m weary.

I’m so damn weary of indoctrinated drones killing others in the name of their deity, their religion, and the political ideology. The reality of both radicalized individuals’ and Islamist groups’ actions are psychically oppressive even for folks like me who are only indirectly affected by their actions.

I can’t even imagine the emotional states of those who are directly affected either in terms of violence, as in the Orlando shooting, or those who live under the bootheels of these bastards on a day to day basis….like the Yezidi women who are forced into sexual slavery.

The whole reality is appalling, so I understand the frothing rage and indiscriminate fury of those who don’t know that there is more to Islam than ISIL or the Taliban. They’ve never heard of Rumi or the Dervishes, but they’re certainly familiar with Osama bin Laden and Saudi funded Wahabi madrasas.

I’m not condoning it, but I understand it.

What’s increasing the power of the intolerant is the inability of the “tolerant” to simply call a spade a spade. These types avoid honestly recognizing the ties of causality that exist between political Islam and terror the way characters in Harry Potter avoid speaking the name of Voldemort.

I believe displays a deplorable lack of moral courage in the face of abject evil to not speak honestly for fear of what? Losing popularity points in the echo-chamber tribal groups that form so much of social media?

People see this cowardice and consider that maybe the political Right has got a point. Fools they may often be, but at least they seem to have the temerity to speak the truth regarding the danger of Islamism if in regards to little else.

I have friends and a couple co-workers who have implied exactly this.

We have to be able to be honest with one another without calling such honesty hate. We must be able to honestly and fairly criticize ideas, ideologies, cultural practices, and religions without calling one another bigot or racist.

Once we can no longer criticize ideas, we have come to the death of free speech and the open marketplace of ideas.

“if there is a message I have for people its to think further. To engage the people that are on the other side and have a real chat. A civil one. Be a statesman in your own circle. Don’t pass memes, share your own thoughts and listen…I think what I am asking for is for people to give a little more thought to what their positions and how they are going to act upon those positions. Talk to the people that make you uncomfortable. Have a real conversation with those who are willing to be civil.”

indeed, that would have been nice to have had.

Thank you for your considered comments, which are a voice of reason amidst the demagogues. I particularly appreciate this comment: “Be a statesman in your own circle. Don’t pass memes, share your own thoughts and listen.”

I’m a little tired of people posting a picture of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka with some clever comment in response to another person’s honest doubt, or anger, or hurt. Many (but not all) seem to be less than 30 years old, so maybe it’s a different way of thinking.

But, all in all, I hope that (with voices like yours) more people can sustain the energy the feel directly after such an event through to meaningful action.

I have read someone analyzes and there was a point, that terrorist often aim to attack objects or group of people which will create not only terror, but also some kind of social conflict inside country. LGBT, black people, jews and so on – they will chose the group of people which will create not the most “oh poor souls” effect, but will separate the most people in their opinion. I have seen quite a lot of sick bastards tweets “yes, they were right”. So maybe in some other coutry they would have aimed not for LGBT, but for national minorities or something like this.

I feel it is true and in this point – I think it was not realy about LGBT.
The thing is why they chose exactly LGBT and not some other group of people who are disliked by someone. And why there are some bastards saying they are right. And THIS is a lot about LGBT.