Our hearts of sincere prayer, love and respect go out to all of the families whose children and loved one's were victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary school slayings. We are praying for the community and extended family as well. As a parent of 2 children and as one intimately involved in the public school system trying to make it better for all children, my heart is overwhelmed, but we are in expectation of a blessing of comfort from and out of all the pain.
Last Friday 12/14/2012 morning, a demon possessed man entered a lower grade elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut with the intent on killing as many children and school personnel as he possibly could. Although it was a cowardly act, unfortunately he was successful in taking 26 bright and beautiful lives out of our midst before even more cowardly turning the gun on himself and taking his own life. Authorities are yet searching for answers or the "reason" why a man could do this, especially to children and those otherwise defenseless individuals. In all 20 beautiful children and 6 adults charged with caring for the children lost their lives. It appears that the murderer began by taking his own mother's life before embarking on a killing spree that will always be known as one of the nations worst. Needless to say, countless others and even a whole nation are directly effected by these events.
The "National Conversation"
These events have sparked a new buzz word among media professionals. It is called the "National Conversation" Using this phrase, and an agenda focused on laws and cultural standards, all kinds of individuals and institutions claim to be framing what America should talk about in light of this tragedy.
In the effort to come to an answer that can be understood, some have claimed that:
1- We need tighter gun control laws & screening procedures.
2- We need better funding and services for mental health recipients.
3- We need more and better security at our schools.
I'll add this one...
4- We need more MEN in the school educating our children. (The presence of men itself is good for children and could be a deterrent to illegal activity by itself. It seems that there is currently no national conversation regarding this one, at least as it pertains to this issue.)
It simply seems that what should be talked about in light of what happened is going overlooked by many of those trying to set the agenda and pose a solution to the problem.
I Wonder...Personally, I think the tragedy is among one of the most horrible things I have heard. But I wonder why it took so long for a country to realize that gun crime is intolerable? Why did it take so long for anyone to acknowledge that tragedy can't simply be moved or relocated away from? Evil exists everywhere and has no economic boundaries. Why did it take so long for some to realize that suburbia is just as dangerous of a place place to live, work and go to school as any other place as long as men have evil intents and thoughts in their hearts?
In addition, I wonder why that in spite of the lack of evidence that Adam Lanza suffered mental illness, that there is a move and a push to claim that he performed these evil acts because of a mental or emotional disability? I wonder why persons can't simply say that this man did what he did because EVIL was in his heart?
Well, we know it's difficult for some to equate the concept of evil with being well off or well to do. It seems that we can readily reconcile "evil" and its affects among the poor and disadvantaged, but we look for an alternative to "evil" when it comes from neighborhoods and people who currently appear to be unfamiliar with poverty and socioeconomic disadvantages. It is at those times, that the blame is spread to "other things" such as mental illness, access to guns, and lack of security protocols to make sense of the evil that we witness and readily observe in circumstances such as this.
The Most Difficult Day Of A Presidency
At the ecumenical prayer vigil in which the Methodist Ministers refused to pray invoking the name of "Jesus" and Lutheran Minister claimed that God was "Mother and Father to us all", Connecticut Governor, Dan Malloy introduced President Barack Obama stating that in a conversation with him regarding the events, that the President confessed this tragedy created the most difficult day that he had faced as a President. President Obama in the initial White house address spoke as a father stating his utter frustration with the issue of senseless violence and especially violence against children.
In his address to the community the President delivered the following words:
"First task, care for our children...this is how we shall be judged. If we can't get this right we don't get anything right."..."We can't tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end...surely we can do better than this"
What is known is that guns don't kill people by themselves. People kill people with guns. One can have all the gun regulation in the world and illegal weapons will still be sold. There is no true "safety zone" (zone without guns) in America. Another thing we know is that all the security in the world can only tame an evil heart, not fix it. No matter how much money one has or where one lives, no one is exempt from evil, turmoil or tragedy.
However, in light of the President's words and concerns, as they are so indicative of public sentiment, I would like to offer the following scriptural admonition:
Approximately Some 3,000 Years Ago
2 Sam. 12: 5-7 ~ 5-And David's anger
was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD
liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: 6-And
he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he
had no pity. 7-And Nathan said to
David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed
thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
When the Prophet Nathan, to whom the Lord had revealed David's actions, set forth an allegory; in his righteousness indignation David demanded death upon the man who had taken the only lamb that a poor man had. What he didn't know was that the story was about him. HE was the guilty man, the man who had done evil and was now being judged according to what he had done and allowed. It was David that owed restitution for his actions.
In 2012 America: "Thou Art The Man"!
Like Our President we all agree that the murder of the innocent is intolerable. In our righteous indignation we are all incensed at the actions of a depraved soul no matter how those actions came to be. Like David we are filled with sorrow and anger and want something done. The question is what should we do?
First Can We Repent As A Nation For Helping To Create A Culture Of Death Especially For Children In The Womb? Our Laws Make Killing Unwanted Children Legal!
Interestingly none of the news media is presenting a "National Conversation" on this issue at all. However, it is the height and epitome of arrogance to speak about safety of children outside of the womb while all and any excuse is made to kill children inside of the womb.
America destroys the lives of far more than 20 children per day through its abortion policy. The abortion industry, funded to the tune of over a BILLION dollars, has since 1973 been responsible for the majority of the over 50 million baby murders. This is such an issue until the replacement rate, the rate at which children are being born vs. people dying, is at an all time US low. This means that the very system and economic structure of the country, given some time, will experience its most dire circumstance as there will not be enough working citizens to support the nations projected living population.
Certainly, the 20 were precious souls of children will be forever mourned and our hearts go out to their families in every possible way. However, how do we justify that 3,328 American children die every day? Within the Black community alone how can we not be incensed over the fact that 1,450 BABIES per day lose their lives due to the abortion industry in America? (according to Guttmacher 2011)
MEDIA & OFFICIALS: WHERE IS THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION FOR THESE CHILDREN THAT DIE DAILY? Are these children not worth protecting? Can we not do better by them?
Let's take a look at something so that we can fully understand the issue and why this should be of concern...Let's examine the D & X procedure for a moment:
The Most Vile Abortion ~ The D & X or "Partial Birth Abortion"
How Many Of These Procedures Do American Institutions Perform?"Two abortion physicians, one in Ohio and one in California, independently developed variations on the method by extracting the fetus intact. The Ohio physician, Martin Haskell, called his method "dilation and extraction," or D&X. It involved dilating the woman's cervix, then pulling the fetus through it feet first until only the head remained inside. Using scissors or another sharp instrument, the head was then punctured, and the skull compressed, so it, too, could fit through the dilated cervix."
Baby in placental sac. Does he/she deserve their spinal
chord severed?
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights research group that conducts surveys of the nation's abortion doctors, about 15,000 abortions were performed in the year 2000 on women 20 weeks or more along in their pregnancies; the vast majority were between the 20th and 24th week. Of those, only about 2,200 D&X abortions were performed, or about 0.2 percent of the 1.3 million abortions believed to be performed that year.
What is the criteria for the procedure?
"There is currently no statistical information available on why "dilation and extraction" abortions are performed.
In a widely-publicized interview with The New York Times in 1997, Ron Fitzsimmons, executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, estimated that in the majority of cases, the procedure is performed on a healthy mother and healthy fetus that is 20 weeks or more along in development."
This information is a according to a Feb. 2006 NPR report on Partial Birth Abortion
cannot escape being caught in the fray as they have continued the same policies and are snared in their own self righteous indignation.
Moving The Goal Posts
While in Illinois, then Senator Barack Obama voted against a ban on partial birth abortions not just once but twice. This is where it gets tricky, President Obama states that abortion is not an optimal situation, but the woman's right to chose must be protected. It would seem that in his opinion to support abortion is also to support woman's rights.
The problem is that he not only supports a woman's right to chose, he also voted to not provide medical assistance to babies who somehow survived medical procedures designed to kill them. In essence claiming that the mother's right to chose extended from the womb, outside of her body, to an operating table.
Getting In On The Act
As I said, President Bill Clinton also vetoed bans on this procedure, but just in case you thought that I was suggesting that only men were controlling and driving this issue, we should note that there is plenty of concern and repentance to go around. Michelle Obama has also focused her attention of a woman's right to chose to the exclusion of a child's right to life as well. As a part of a fundraising effort, in her 2004 letter supporting her husband for Illinois Senate, the healthy school lunch, eat and exercise right mom and guru, stated the following regarding the ban on partial birth abortion:
The fact remains, with no provision to protect the health of the mother, this ban on a legitimate medical procedure is clearly unconstitutional and must be overturned.
Once again, according to our leaders, banning this procedure is unconstitutional and therefore the child vicariously in the womb has no rights, not even a right to live. Are they human beings? That is the question. Why are we not outraged over this as we are of a gunman taking their lives a few years after they exited the womb?
What Am I Saying?
First, these issues are not one man's liability, but men and women continue to contribute to them. We cannot have a national talk, or a national conversation simply speaking on after the fact issues. The problem is systemic and must be approached as such.
Are we saying that it is OK to kill children in America as long as a doctor does the killing with the consent of the parents or a parent? Is that what we are suggesting or communicating in this national conversation that we are to have?
Let's begin by correcting a wrong approach to life and living!
America is best served to teach the sanctity and respect of ALL human life from the womb. The unborn deserve to be viewed as valuable as well. They have lives that deserve protection. no they are not in school, they do not run, jump and play at recess or attend dance class, but they LIVE.
Will honoring them in the womb prevent tragedies such as Sandy Hook? Maybe so, and what's more, how shall we be judged if we don't try? When the culture respects life in the womb, it is more easy to understand why life should be respected outside of the womb. Kids, in-vitro or otherwise are not simply expendable parts of our political and social and political system. They are not simply a "choice" upon whom we decide to confer human rights and values to. Or at least they shouldn't be. It is up to the STRONG to protect not abuse the weak and them that have no voice. Isn't that what we are saying about the babies who were murdered?
As Prophet Nathan spoke, IF we will experience righteous indignation of injustice and demand justice in response, let is begin with US as a nation and what we have allowed. Let it begin by America REPENTING, for what it has contributed in nearly every community in the country. Let us START somewhere...and that is with respect, honor and love for ALL human life. This does not exclude the life of the mother...she is due all protections, but her baby and babies are due all the protection possible as well. They are human beings and deserve a chance whether they are age 5, age 7 or unborn.
We can do better than this!
Blessed!
See:
State Policies On Late Term Abortions Guttmacher 12/01/2012
Planned Parenthood Fact Sheet
PP, 4/2011
Some have also begun to talk about the video game aspect of this as well, claiming that video games are responsible for much of the crime and violence that we see.
ReplyDeleteFrom all studies, it seems to be the opposite. Video games seem to desensitize people to crime and violence so much that they do not act when it comes to it. One of the major news services reported that children who had been exposed to violent video games, when confronted with real life situational violence, acted at a much slower rate and pace than children who were not exposed to violent games regularly.
So at a minimum this suggests that video games desensitize a person to violence in general which is a far cry from making a person more violent.
Now, there could have been another indicator that I would have liked to see. They didn't say how those that have been exposed to violent video games responded to violence and violent situations.
This would be an indicator. Are they more violent in their response? They may take longer but are they more forceful or do they seek more peaceful resolutions?
So I think some better studies are in order, but I haven't seen any real indepth ones, which is a shame because violent video games pervade our society.
Another fact is that since 1976 over 300,000 Black men have been killed by other Black men...
ReplyDeleteIn the election there was no "national conversation" about any of that....In fact there is no "national conversation" about anything except how bad the Black community is when these sort of things happen...
We know why there was no "national conversation" when Blacks die by the droves, but we must not miss the opportunity to talk anyway because no matter what, as things get better, they will get better for us also.