What we are witnessing is a culture shaped by emotional reaction, rather than carefully chosen values and principles. We can see that events shape our perceptions; rarely do we acknowledge that our perceptions shape events. There is a general consensus to end violence; yet even the conversation to end violence is riddled with violence.
In a reactionary culture, the root issue is rarely addressed. We seek to eliminate symptoms while masking the cause; we demand further external action from others while demanding less internal responsibility from ourselves.
Violence begins within. Each of us is violent. Violence is the result of insensitivity to the emotional well being of another; it is motivated by a failure to process one’s own emotional pain.
Thus we cannot affect the outcome we seek- in this case, to end violence- merely through an emotional reaction based in fear. Fear is the root cause of violence; it cannot be the solution to it. Fear leads to control. When we cannot control ourselves we seek to control others. Control is an attempt to fight what is. Fighting what is gives strength to it. It feeds what we don’t want.
Rather than fight what is, we ought to first see what is.
From early childhood we are immersed in a culture of glorified violence. Many of us are born into dysfunctional families. We bear the emotional burdens of our parents through transference; this violence is passed down through generations, like a game of hot potato; each carrier of pain- often unconsciously- slinging their own hurt at whomever is closest, and most defenseless: in many cases, the child.
Each of us is that child, carrying that pain. Each of us is that grown-up, trying to deal with the same pain we have been carrying since childhood.
When we become aware of the uncountable instances we have caused another pain, through our words, our looks, our inability to communicate lovingly; it is then and only then we embark on the road to ending violence.
When we can see that inconceivable violence, such as what we have witnessed in Connecticut, is the final and horrific result of barely perceptible violence that begins when we are very young; that the early pains of life, seemingly small as they may be, if not healed, grow to immense power in our life, shaping every thought and action; then the solution to ending violence becomes clear:
Each of us must acknowledge our role in creating violence. In acknowledging our role in creating violence, we accept that we are powerful, and that each of us also carries within the power to end violence.
Essentially, we are the solution we seek. You are the only one who can put an end to violence.
This is not about guns. It is about emotion. Only love can quell destructive emotion.
If you want YOUR world to be free of violence, heal yourself, love yourself, and see yourself in all others. Once you do this, let go of trying to control anyone else’s world.
There is Love. All else is propaganda.