I just finished watching the memorial service for the victims of the Tucson shooting and President Obama's speech at the service. I have to say that I was extremely moved and actually got a bit teary during the speech. I know a lot of people will say that it's all political, that Obama is using the tragedy for political gain, blah, blah, blah.... but many of the points that he touched on really resonated with me.
Over the past week there has been a lot of finger pointing about why this happened and where the blame belongs. Is it the fault of Sarah Palin, the tea party movement, or conservative political pundits whose rhetoric sometimes touches on taking action accompanied by violent imagery? Do we need stricter gun control laws? Do we need to arm our congresspeople and random civilians so potential shooters can be taken out before they cause extreme collateral damage? We can go back and forth all day placing the blame, but let's remember that at the center of all of this are six innocent people who died. They died, as Obama pointed out, exercising their First Amendment rights of expression of free speech and to assemble peacefully. In the end, this isn't a Republican or a Democrat issue, it's an American issue -- a human issue. Why were John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, or Mohandas Ghandi assassinated? Why do people do what they do? Who is to blame?
Maybe instead of playing the blame game and wondering why, we instead need to focus on what we can do to make things better? This whole discussion really made me think about Harry Potter. That's right, I said Harry Potter. ** WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ HARRY POTTER AND DO NOT WISH TO KNOW PLOT POINTS, DON'T READ FOR AWHILE... ;) ** Throughout the entire Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling focuses on the power of love and how that power in turn empowers those who embrace it. This theme of conquering love is a common one in literature, but I think it is especially important in Rowling's books. Harry is protected by his mother's love when she is killed by the evil Lord Voldemort, sacrificing herself so that Harry will live. When Voldemort then tries to kill Harry his curse does not work and actually backfires upon Voldemort himself. As the series progresses many people that Harry loves are hurt or killed standing up for what they believe in and protecting the people they care about. In the series' climax, Harry has to face Lord Voldemort again, this time as an adult, and defeats the "Dark Lord". Why? Like his mother, Harry is willing to sacrifice himself to protect his friends and loved ones. This sacrifice, this capacity for love and the humanity of it all is something that Voldemort doesn't understand and it is ultimately his downfall. Just love -- what a concept.
The late 1960's and early 1970's were a turbulent, volatile period in the history of the United States. A seemingly endless war was raging half a world away. People were upset, angry, protesting (sometimes peacefully, sometimes violently), and not even trying to listen to what others had to say. Sound familiar? The music of that era was a huge format for communicating social and political messages. The slightly cheesy but extremely popular song "What the World Needs Now is Love" was written in 1965. Just love, man. Just love.
If you want to go there, almost all major religions acknowledge the power and importance of love. The Bible (the book of my chosen religion) says in 1 Corinthians 8-13:
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. but the greatest of these is love.
In his speech tonight President Obama said the following:
"Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways that our hopes and dreams are bound together.
"If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost. Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point scoring and pettiness that drifts away with the next news cycle.
"And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their deaths help usher in more civility in our public discourse, let’s remember that it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy, it did not, but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation, in a way that would make them proud."
Well said, Mr. President. You know what else I think would help a lot? Just a little bit of love.
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