In light of recent events I find rage inadequate to express myself; emotion itself is inadequate, shallow, as is reason. Some solace may yet be found in reason, but I will not find it. The politics of fear finds itself in ascendancy, with the wholly unbalanced seeking self gratification in acts of violence and intimidation, and those that circle our grief feeding themselves like vultures upon it. Already there are those that wish to turn us against each other, brother and sister against brother and sister, those that wish to destroy fraternity, sorority, and solidarity. There will be those that will try to convince us that hate is the solution, that we will save ourselves by devouring ourselves.
In the light of atrocity hate is unacceptable. To allow such feeling, such power, to be attached to, to be cultivated and consumed by those who try to find power and lasting impact, through committing atrocity is to give ground. Give no ground. We may not always succeed in this, but we must strive to. Hate is too close to heart for the disciples of atrocity to hold ground there, they do not belong in that place reserved for scornful lovers and grievances of family. Those disciples do not deserve to be held so close.
When the bell tolls we need not ask for whom, but now rung we must not clamber backwards. We must ring back in defiance! It has been said “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance,” and we would do well to remember that. And the leadership so called for in such dark moments will not be found in strongmen promising safety. Leadership will not be found in those empty promises, for if it be frank and forthright leadership will acknowledge that while we can strive for reasonable protection, freedom will always be fraught with peril. If we wish to be free, if we wish to let freedom ring from the bell that rang for us, we must rise to the challenge to stare, with our brothers and sisters, into the abyss until it blinks first.