#humanlifematters

I am not okay...not okay with what happened in Dallas last night as I sat up watching this tragedy unfold. The question on my mind is how, as a society, did we bring ourselves to this place? What is it that we need to change to understand that we means "all"?

I think that it starts with us creating and allowing ourselves to be placed into a box, category or class. Society as it stands now no longer values the life of others. This "all about me" standard has reduced us to many things: power-hungry politicians, power-hungry people in authority, power-driven religious leaders, self-centered concerns, and the lack of the respect of the value of a human life. It does not matter what your color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or financial standing you are. We easily and conveniently create a pretty little box in our mind with each person we meet.  It is comfortable and less threatening when you can think “female” “white” “attractive” “middle-aged” “approachable”, when in fact we know nothing about them at all...we quickly and quietly file it awhile in the deep place where everything and everyone has its proper place and position in our thought process.  Would it then not be the same where we say “male” “black” “large/threatening” “avoid”....so easy to see our own prejudices and precognition when we look objectively at it this way.  When we begin to place and categorize people and accept others placing you in a box we lose site of the fact that we are all human, we all deserve respect, we have to support and love each other. The violence must stop.  One thing is for sure “one bad apple” spoils the WHOLE bunch.  There is a reason why bad apples are not kept with the rest, it taints those around it.  It is why they are culled out....The farmer does not talk to it and say, “no more or now next time”.  He does not defend it or tolerate it, here in lies the problem.  Accountability in the self-centered world is null and void...we no more hold people accountable for their actions than we hold ourselves responsible for labeling and judging everything around us. 

Most Politicians do not look out for the needs of their constituency, Some Pastors and Ministers stand in the pulpit and lift up the Bible for hate, Civic leaders stockpile pitiful bribes for themselves....All while the poor go hungry in the streets, the mentally challenged are not given the attention they deserve and our Nation continues to choose to pull away from Education.  Yes in any of these boxes ONE act of ONE person can seal the deal on making everyone similar to them the same.  The acts of a bad cop reflect on all the rest.  The acts of one Muslim seems to set off a fire that all 1 Billion+ of the rest of them are the same.  One tragedy after another, loss after loss, and like sheep we sit, we think “someone” will do the right thing and deal with it and we deny our own roles in the process of healing and fixing this.  Stop praying for God to deliver us from these things we are the hands of his work.  Get up, demand from those who are leaders and mired in their own self love cesspool to remember what they are there to do.  Serve and Protect and as citizens we are there to respect and give dignity to them as they do their jobs.  NOT while they think of only themselves and forget WHO put them there.  WE did, with elections and with tax dollars.  They are here for us just as we should be there for them.  DO NOT let the actions of one person define the rest of them.  We are terrible and rushing to judgement.  Remember that everyone has a bad day now and again.  We should be there when they needs us, not when it interrupts our “all about me” lifestyles.