Dear Friends,
I haven’t written since September of 2010. I had nothing I wanted to say. We weren’t traveling, we were busy with the aviation museum in Fort Worth, and the holidays came galloping at me with the usual stress and anxiety.
Now, in light of the tragedy our nation experienced yesterday in Tucson, Arizona, I have something I want to say to everyone. Six human beings are dead—a federal judge and a nine-year-old child among them. Many more are in critical condition in hospitals.
When you pass hateful, vitriolic jokes or opinions to your friends in the form of emails and Facebook or Twitter comments, you are contributing to events like the one yesterday. You may react with: “it’s just a joke—lighten up, lady; but you don’t know everyone who reads that material.
A troubled young man tried to assassinate Gabrielle Giffords, a vibrant, gifted young United States Congresswoman. She successfully walked a line that few politicians can or will: She supported policies on both sides of the political fence. She is a politician who worked hard to stay in touch with her constituency and was admired and respected by Republicans and Democrats alike. This was a truly senseless crime.
There is so much hate, misinformation, and stupidity flying around on the Internet that it is no wonder that something like this hasn’t happened already. Please don’t contribute to it. Thanks to Photoshop, you can't even be sure a photo is real. Please think about what you’re spreading when you prepare to pass along something negative and hateful.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We can all hit the “delete” key—but not everyone does. Sometimes, some troubled person just needs a little nudge to go over the edge and do something like what happened yesterday in Arizona.
There’s plenty good stuff out there to share. While we’re at it, we might share a prayer for the injured and for the grieving friends and families of those unfortunate Americans in Tucson.
All the best to all in 2011,
Donna
I got a couple of emails saying there were unsuccessful attempts to post comments. So I'm checking to try and figure out why.
ReplyDeleteDonna
Thanks again Donna, for saying what most of us are thinking. sorry for those who lost their loved ones and to the sad man who shot them.
ReplyDeleteSandy
Thank you Donna. You articulated it very well, much better than the sheriff in Tucson. He is taking much heat, but this is what I think he meant.
ReplyDeleteThe revelation of the crosshairs on the political map (one right over the Tuscon congressional district) from the website of a certain political group really pushed me over the edge of outrage.
Melissa
Donna, you are so right. Things have gotten out of hand and it has to stop with all of us! Resist the urge to go negative. A person like the man who did this terrible act can be out there just waiting to jump on the chance to do harm, because something urged him on.
ReplyDeleteDonna, well said. How tragic. Hope and prayers for the victims & their families.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see you back with a gentle reminder to stay positive which sometimes isn't so easy.
My Friend....well said. It is hard for me to express the sadness and fear that is in my heart. I wish some of us could be more aware of our surroundings. It is ashame America has come to this...always watching our backs. Lets all love the ones who are around us. GHF
ReplyDeleteVery good blog entry. This crime definitely proves the point that spreading hateful words/email/tweets/etc. can have repercussions. I bet a lot of people wouldn't have even connected it with that event.
ReplyDelete- Rob