Searching for a Response

Newtown, Connecticut.  There are few things that move us to the center as quickly as the death of the innocents.  It begins with those closest to the victims as mother, father, sister and brother.  The circle of concern moves out from that to near neighbor and distant neighbor.  Because of media others of us are instantly present, drawn into the pain and suffering and inexplicable nature of such events.

The wise ones throughout the history of humanity have recognized that such happenings create in us a vacuum.  We who have or think we should have answers for everything, have answers for nothing.  All of the research and explanations of certain patterns of behavior helps not at all.  Understandable outrage over such tragedy leaves us facing the abyss.  To pretend otherwise is simply to pretend.

But all events have a context.  Experiences vary, of course, from individual to individual.  Because of the increasing number of events (Columbine, Aurora, Milwaukee,  Atlanta, Ft. Hood, Phoenix etc.) in a short period of time, at least in the short term, a whole nation is momentarily confronted with questions of identity and meaning.  We want to know more about those who commit these horrendous acts, but even discovering that is part of our own inner quest to have more of a sense of who we are as human beings and as human beings in relationship.

As shocking as Newtown is (images of 6 and years olds being shot multiple times) a school principal in Oakland, California reminds us that literally hundreds of young people are shot and die monthly and annually on our playgrounds and in our neighborhoods across this nation.  These deaths spur us to rhetoric, but not to action.  For the 22 names we hear, there are 2220 that we never hear.  The deaths in our cities becomes so commonplace and so off the radar that there is little expectation nor call for something to be done.

However, as much as we ignore some deaths and pay attention to others, Newtown may provide us with another opportunity to address things we can do something about.   Newtown's image is quintessentially American, a model community of church, school and civic peacefulness.  Perhaps it takes a shattering of that dream place to awaken us to the need there and everywhere for things like sensible regulation of firearms and high quality preventive and treatment of those with mental illness.

As we have seen in the handling of our nation's economy, too often our lawmakers do not seem to understand what is at stake in our communities.   I just don't know how and why many of the people we vote to be our leaders seem so removed from the daily life most of us experience.  Their lack of the sense of urgency is appalling. We wildly celebrate one one senator or representative here of there who actually says something.  Mayor Bloomberg of New York City has sounded a clear call for action and has articulated that action.  He speaks common sense with conviction and it seems like a voice crying in the wilderness.  Where is everyone else?

It's remarkable that only a few speak out. That there is no powerful voice from our leaders to stop the violence and for us to be responsible citizens is disconcerting at best.   I would think that majority of our elected representatives would join Mayor Bloomberg.  If there is no leadership on this challenge, why would we expect any national vision on any aspect of our lives to come from them.  Perhaps, they are momentarily stunned into uncharacteristic silence.  What does this 'silence' teach?

We are loving the movie 'Lincoln' partly because he led the nation in a way that was indecisively decisive. That is he moved ahead with fear and trembling, but his resolve moved the nation by presenting an alternative direction, a larger vision.  Who has done this since Martin Luther King, Jr. and that was 40 years ago!  With President Obama's repeated phrase, 'we are the United States of America', he has the platform to lead us into a new understanding of our national purpose.  It is not clear that he will do that.

He has certainly done what is necessary and appropriate in response to the families, city and nation to create a space for conversation about the future.  And he has done it well.  I do not think that he should have called for policy changes immediately.  Now, however, by appointing Vice President Biden to bring together a commission to produce proposals in a month is a good step forward.

Then there is us, there is me.  We are citizens. There are many existing channels though which we can give our energy and our support to stir action.  Some of these are direct advocacy channels to lawmakers.  Then there are other groups pointed more to rallying the troops, signing up and presenting a mass number of supporters to register more loudly and clearly what needs to be done.

There are groups of parents hearing the call to be more present and useful in their local schools.  There are gatherings that are discussing the violent nature of our culture and steps that can be taken in our families and neighborhoods to teach non-violence as a way of life.

Finally, however, this is not a problem to be solved.  It is a reality to be understood at ever deepening levels.  Utopian wishes and plans help us think differently, but the human condition is such that disagreement, hatred, irrational behavior and senseless violence will not disappear.  Some tragedy cannot be avoided and we learn to move ahead somehow.  On the other hand, there is so much we can do in our own personal relationships.  We can create laws that serve us all better.  We can present the human stories that underscore non-violence.  We can become more aware of the wide-spread mental illness in our country and strengthen our care system.  We can reduce the easy option that people have to obtain firearms.

In short, we can put ourselves on the other side of the fear that leads to both arming ourselves and hiding from the need to build more healthily neighborhoods and communities.  When we do not name and face our fears--of one another, of sickness, of community responsibility--we create a culture that lives in retreat from reality.  We try to avoid any experience of dying.  That direction has no good outcome.  That's the heart of the matter.