What The Right Gets Wrong About The FRC Shooting
The Difficult Path
by Kyle Leach
We simply need to treat this for what it is. An act of unacceptable
hatred, violence, and domestic terrorism, which has no place in a
civilized society or civilized world. We are trying to build a world of
acceptance, inclusion, and hope, and in doing so we cannot forget that
part of that world will not agree with another part of that world, over
many issues. Disagreements are part of being human.
The important thing to remember is that all life has
inherent worth and that worth means we need to respect and treat each
other with civility, dignity, and integrity. Everyone is worthy of a voice, a second chance, and the ability to make different choices and find new opportunities. It is also important in times like these to remember that that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and we all have the potential to change. Am I talking about myself, the gunman, Perkins, or the FRC? Does it matter? It shouldn't.
It is ironic that a uber-liberal, secular
humanist, GLBT, Wiccan, Atheist, like myself, is more in touch with the principles
Jesus extolled than devotees at the FRC. I have to forgive them, I have
to have empathy for them, and I have to show them compassion and love. I
have try to reduce their suffering and stop future violence against them. They would probably never do the same for me. They will
probably continue to try to marginalize people who are not like them, including myself, but if I expect people to fail, they always will. I have to hope that any person, given the right opportunity, can change.
Does that mean that the FRC can
continue to spew hate, bigotry, and seek to continue to to dis-empower
billions of souls on the planet, without a reaction and counter
measures? Absolutely not! It is my duty to stop them. It is our responsibility to stop those
activities, deconstruct the hate, and empower people, without resorting to violence, hate, fear, and destruction.
Ours is the more difficult path. We have to be the better person here. We have to fight the darkness in ourselves. Look at Perkins, and the FRC, and the gunman to see what happens when we don't. Everyone looses.
