Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Shootings in Tennessee church

I read Rod Dreher's BeliefNet post on the Sunday shootings in Knoxville. I also read some of the comments, but I stopped. Couldn't read it any more of them.
This had as much to do with "conservatism" as I do representing Judaism, other than the fact that I was born and raised as one. My disagreement with much (not all, mind you) conservative political practice stems from the failure to preach what once preaches reality that follows the platitudes (I guess the Bush Administration is the perfect example of that).
This killer represents only one group - wacked jobs who think that shooting people when you're down and out is a remedy to all your problems. What he wanted was 'suicide by cop' - the fact that he chose an innocent church that his ex-wife MIGHT have attended had little to do with it.
The fact that he brought his shotgun in a guitar case showed complete premeditation and the fact that children were present showed how little he cared about humanity, including youthful humanity.
These people are the ultimate examples of selfishness and wretched excuses for "God's miracles." They don't care for others, only themselves and seem too willing to go out like John Dillinger or Bonnie adn Clyde instead of doing the right thing - before killing others and THEN killing yourself, try reversing the process. Take the FIRST bullet to the brainpan and then see how far you get with the second part. It just might prevent innocent people from dying, which would be a blessing upon the rest of the world. You'll be gone and we'll be spared.
Sadly, we DO live in a society where he have prostituted such words as "liberal" and "conservative" to the point where they are substituted for logic and reasoning. These terms have been employed in the most vile manner to sell books, sell personalities and promote ones self for profit. We judge by these labels instead of examining, as Dr. King said, the ocntent of one's heart. In the case of Mr. Adkisson, that heart was filled with pure evil.
My wife is a UU, and yes, the church is well known as being open to gays and others that have been "shunned" by more traditional religious denominations. BUT there are many politically conservative members, wild-eyed liberals, people I know to be anti-Semetic and probably are racists. It has within its membership, former Catholics, Mormons, Jews, protestants and atheists.
Its DOCTRINE might be "liberal" whatever the hell THAT means anymore but its politics are scattered all over the place. When people (including staunch conservatives speak of the Founding Fathers with reverance, they speak about many men who were Unitarians and Universalists - the two factions weren't joined until a relatively short period ago).
To attack ANY house of worship is a whiplash on the back of the American fabric - the right to worship in peace and quiet without fear of repressions ... OR SHOTGUNS!
THAT is what people should also be focusing on - not the politics of the matter. This man didn't wear any strange outfits, or speak a foreign language or target a so-called foreign religion. He targeted Americans and he was home grown.
We should be ashamed of ourselves.

1 comment:

Jodie said...

Bravo! I agree. This was an act of hate regardless of the target. If he had focused his anger at government, then it would be terrorism.