Kiwi Horror

 “Hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.” 

―  Maya Angelou

I’m going to wax a little philosophic today reacting to the latest horror rendered yesterday in New Zealand. Terrorists because, make no mistake, that is exactly what they are, killed nearly fifty innocent people yesterday as they gathered to pray to the same God most of us do. The terrorists belong to the same sad imbecilic fraternity that populated the ranks of ISIS. It’s not hard to denounce flagrant acts committed against people for no other reason than their religion such as in New Zealand yesterday. Far more insidious are the smaller acts of hatred and bigotry which we must also condemn: a murmured slur, an offensive slogan spray painted on a wall, the inappropriate belittling joke, as well as physical attacks.

Hate dishonors us all. It is not enough to abstain from speaking or acting in a hateful manner. We have an obligation to speak out against hatred and bigotry.  People often stand idly by while others demonstrate hostility toward a people whose religion or ethnicity differs. Yet it is exactly this indifference, this willingness to let prejudice pass unchallenged, which leads to evil as the hate mongers feel empowered.

“Hatred is the coward's revenge for being intimidated.” ―  George Bernard Shaw

I count as one of the biggest personal failures in my life was not confronting the racist leanings of one of my buddies when I first joined the Army. We became friends shortly after I arrived in Germany and went everywhere together. We went to see Rocky 2 at the movie theater and during the final fight (Rocky beat Apollo) my friend was leaping to his feet and yelling, “Beat that N----r!!”. I tried shrinking into my seat. I never said anything to him about it and in that I failed. I never hung out with him again but that was cowardly on my part. I missed my chance to make a difference. As long as we let those small moments pass without calling attention to the idiocy they represent, the threat to justice everywhere will continue. The world needs more men and women with the personal courage to take a stand against everyday acts of hatred and cruelty.

Getting to know the people you may have personal qualms about is the best medicine to confront these incipient feelings of hatred. The time I spent in the Middle East was most instructive. Following 9/11 I was ready to decapitate any Muslim I ran into. I eventually figured out this is exactly what the pigeon brained idiots who flew the planes into the towers wanted. They wanted to sow their hatred. During my several trips to the region I was required to work with many Muslims and guess what? They’re exactly like us in most respects. They want to love and live their lives. They were some of the finest people I’ve ever met. This doesn’t change my mindset that that the fanatics on both sides of the equation, the extremists that populated ISIS ranks or white supremacists like the New Zealand shooters need to be shot on sight. That is the only solution for that level of stupidity.

“Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and almost always leads to love.”

―  John Steinbeck 

Finally, on a decidedly more mundane level the BRS has ventured back into the pool. As the accompanying photos will attest she attended her first ever swimming lessons this past weekend. If her antics in Panama are any indication she inherited her grandfather’s aquatic genes and will soon be paddling around. In a major upset my Favorite Panamanian weighed in on the beard controversy I wrote about yesterday and directed me to keep it. Against all odds, the beard abides. I think the change of heart came about when she heard the FBR liked it. The beard still faces a tough fight for survival when she returns. I finished a puzzle in two quick sittings but I feel like I cheated. It was a gift from the New Jersey contingent and depicted Civil War battlefields. Since I’ve walked so many of those fields it was probably the easiest big puzzle ever.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues