It's a beautiful day in Kentucky. The Sun has been out and the landscape is lush and green. I managed to successfully organize all of my documentation for work today in a new R package that should make a very smooth process for compiling our required reports. And I got to run around the back yard with the girls and play board games with Julie. It really seems like the perfect day.
But I am sad.
I am sad because I looked at my Facebook feed and saw friend after friend celebrating a woman giving her son a beating when she found him participating in the Baltimore riots.
I suspect this will irritate some of my favorite characters, but why the hell are we celebrating this?
I get that we are tired of riots. I understand the calls for peaceful protests. But the stench of hypocrisy is overwhelming when we condemn violence by those with whom we disagree but celebrate it by those with whom we agree.
There are serious social issues coming to head, and instead of listening to each other, we're looking for self validation. Aren't we just all so wonderful!
So let's set the record straight right now. Violence is wrong. Full stop.
Even when it is justified, it is wrong.
Even when it is necessary, it is wrong.
Even when it is unavoidable, it is wrong.
Violence of all forms invariably harms the bodies, minds, and souls of both the attacked and the attacker. And when we participate in the celebration of violence, we do damage to our own souls.
Please, let's stop this.
