I hate what has been done to the people of Brussels but I choose to respond with compassion and hope. 

I am terribly distressed about the events in Brussels yesterday. I am reposting a blog post I wrote back in April 2015 in response to the Charlie Hebdo attacks. I am again having the discussion with my family about terrorism. I will continue to want love and peace over fear and war.

  
  

The April Blog post 2015:

I was terribly distressed by the events against Charlie Hebdo on the 7th January, 2015. I know I am not alone with the distress I feel. Today I want to put some thoughts about it down . I want to be able to talk to my children about what is happening in the world in a way that is positive and a way that allows me to continue to believe that our world is humane and hopeful.

The US Department of Defense defines Terrorism as the “unlawful use of — or threatened use of force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives”. I believe that the behavior of terrorists is incorrect. I believe that most of us believe that the use of force and violence or threatened use of force or violence is abhorrent and the fear that it engenders is also abhorrent. I also believe that one of the problems with terrorism is many people disagree about the role that governments and societies have played in why this terrorism has come about and what our response as individuals and society and as governments should be.

I do not believe our response should be more violence. 



While considering my thoughts about this problem I found the names of a number of terrorist organizations. There are many – Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Hezbollah and ISIS are a few of the more notorious ones. There a numerous more listed on the Australian government terrorist watch list. 17 people were murdered in Paris in January as a result of some political cartoons. It is also alleged that 2000 people were murdered in Nigeria in January by the organization Boko Haram. I was surprised that the Paris incident caused such an outpouring of public outrage and the murders in Nigeria did not cause such an enormous response.

Regardless of the response I believe that we have as a human race joined together to denounce the use of terrorism.

I have also read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which is available on the United Nations website and the list of human rights on the Amnesty International Website. It is no surprise that neither place states that it is a basic human right to kill others to persue vengeance for your religious persecution. I have had quite a lot of discussion around the kitchen table with my family about the French’s right to persue free speech and publish cartoons that invoke anger and therefore heighten the possibility of violence as in the case of Charlie Hebdo. Personally I would prefer to live in an environment where members of our community care for each other and are compassionate towards those of different races and religions. I would prefer that cartoons such as those that Charlie Hebdo publish are restricted.

I do believe in free speech

I do not agree with the way Charlie Hebdo delivered their message in 2015 but I agree with their right to say it. Some individuals find these political cartoons offensive and some find the black humour an appropriate avenue to highlight issues.

I repeat I do not believe our response to terrorist attacks should be more violence.

 I believe if 10 different people read the same newspaper article, listen to a the same speech, go to the same lecture, participate in the same social media sites each individual will have a different response. Each individual is responsible for their own emotional response. If we do not like what is said that does not give us the right to use violence or even offensive language as a response.
In teaching my children about terrorism I will continue to use this example. I will teach that we each have responsibility for our own emotional response to situations. I will explain that just because we do not like what is said or done it gives no excuse to use violence of any kind as a response. I will continue to believe that “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world” ( as stated in the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). I will continue to believe that we should not ourselves use violence to combat terrorism.
I am terribly terribly saddened by what happened in Brussels yesterday. Again I find myself having to have the discussion about terrorism around our kitchen table. I do not believe that our response to this attack should be more violence. I want to lash out at whoever has done this to our human family but I continue to believe that using violence to respond to terrorism is wrong. I hope we as a human race can choose love and compassion not more hate and violence.

I will continue to believe in the human capacity to show compassion and and to choose love over fear and I will continue to share my belief with my family and encourage them to do the same. 

  

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2 Responses to I hate what has been done to the people of Brussels but I choose to respond with compassion and hope. 

  1. Wm. Allen says:

    I think it is wonderful that you live in a world where you can believe as you do. However, I don’t think you can thank Neville Chamberlain for that world.

    • admin says:

      It is hard to believe what I do and I am often torn and want to encourage bombing these people off the face of the earth. I am so distressed that another human being would perpetrate such terrible evil on another human being. I will continue to believe though that war is not the right path. I feel that the people in these terrorist cells are so disconnected from a loving, peaceful community and I continually wonder why they feel the need to have their connection with people who want to harm the human race. I will continue to work very hard improving loving connections in my community and hope that by spreading this connection our world will at least in some small way become a better place.

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