These are some of my thoughts about Saturday’s horrific shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. There has been a lot of talk about the resurgence of anti-Semitism since this shooting, and it is a valid topic to discuss. I have seen numerous statistics showing that reports of harassment of Jews have increased significantly in recent years (according to the anti-Defamation League reports of anti-Semitic incidents increased 60% from 2016 to 2017, the largest single-year increase on record and the second highest number reported since ADL started tracking incident data in the 1970s). However, this attack was not just an attack on Jews. What this was really was an attack on Compassion. Looking at the reports of statements by the perpetrator before and after (and even during) the shooting, it is clear that what he really hated about Jews the most was that they were giving aid to people that were in need, people that he considered his enemies. He was particularly incensed by the actions of a group called HIAS - the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. HIAS was formed over 130 years ago and was originally focused on helping Jewish refugees but in recent years has expanded its focus to assist needy refugees of all different religions from all over the world, Africa, Central America, the Middle-East, Asia, etc. As a Jew, and as an American, and most of all as a member of the vast, multi-faceted, infuriating, beauty-filled Human Race, I am proud to stand with anyone – no matter what race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or political beliefs – who genuinely believes that Compassion and Love should prevail over Hate and Fear.
Compassion and Love, Not Hate and Fear
- Voronwë the Faithful
- At the intersection of here and now
- Posts: 47409
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
- Contact:
Compassion and Love, Not Hate and Fear
I posted the following on Facebook today, and I wanted to share it here, but I didn't think that any of the Lasto (or Bag End) threads were the proper place, so I thought I would be it here.
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
Re: Compassion and Love, Not Hate and Fear
I have seen a few people saying that they were going to donate to HIAS, and I think that's a terrific idea.
- RoseMorninStar
- Posts: 13528
- Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:07 am
- Location: North Shire
Re: Compassion and Love, Not Hate and Fear
I find these times tragic.
Edited
Last edited by RoseMorninStar on Tue Nov 13, 2018 6:47 am, edited 2 times in total.
My heart is forever in the Shire.
- elengil
- Cat-egorical Herbitual Creativi-Tea
- Posts: 6248
- Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:45 pm
- Location: Between the Mountains and the Sea
Re: Compassion and Love, Not Hate and Fear
This is me, as well, in so many ways.RoseMorninStar wrote:
I find these times tragic.
Last edited by elengil on Tue Nov 13, 2018 1:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The dumbest thing I've ever bought
was a 2020 planner.
"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
was a 2020 planner.
"Does anyone ever think about Denethor, the guy driven to madness by staying up late into the night alone in the dark staring at a flickering device he believed revealed unvarnished truth about the outside word, but which in fact showed mostly manipulated media created by a hostile power committed to portraying nothing but bad news framed in the worst possible way in order to sap hope, courage, and the will to go on? Seems like he's someone we should think about." - Dave_LF
Re: Compassion and Love, Not Hate and Fear
People with "Christian" or "Catholic" in their profiles respond to a picture of an exhausted toddler with "What kind of person would do that to their child?" I'm badly tempted to reply "Literally Mary mother of Jesus" but I locked my Twitter to keep myself from picking up fights.
"What a place! What a situation! What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter."
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
Terry Pratchett, Going Postal
- RoseMorninStar
- Posts: 13528
- Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:07 am
- Location: North Shire
Re: Compassion and Love, Not Hate and Fear
elengil
Edited
Edited
Last edited by RoseMorninStar on Tue Nov 13, 2018 6:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
My heart is forever in the Shire.
- Voronwë the Faithful
- At the intersection of here and now
- Posts: 47409
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:41 am
- Contact:
Re: Compassion and Love, Not Hate and Fear
Please, please, please, please, please do not use this thread as a vehicle to criticize people.
Sent from my LG G6 using Tapatalk
Sent from my LG G6 using Tapatalk
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
- RoseMorninStar
- Posts: 13528
- Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2007 11:07 am
- Location: North Shire
Re: Compassion and Love, Not Hate and Fear
Last edited by RoseMorninStar on Tue Jun 11, 2019 6:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My heart is forever in the Shire.
- Primula Baggins
- Living in hope
- Posts: 40005
- Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:43 am
- Location: Sailing the luminiferous aether
- Contact:
Re: Compassion and Love, Not Hate and Fear
I would just say that there really are—really, still—Christians who practice what their religion preaches. Or try their best to do so.
Many of them do not put "Christian" in their profiles for the reason Frelga made clear. It isn't all of us, but these days we can't escape the stain.
Many of them do not put "Christian" in their profiles for the reason Frelga made clear. It isn't all of us, but these days we can't escape the stain.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King