Dealing with it all

I have written and rejected several posts over the past few days.  The shooting in Connecticut has been deeply troubling to me, and I wanted to respond soon after, but found myself unable to make a coherent statement.  So I suppose that I should just remind you to pray, or ponder, or meditate on the lives of everyone deeply affected by this event.  In fact, having read this far, I would ask to to pause briefly and collect your thoughts.
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To date, I have put the prospect for peace in a neat package, with the optimistic, yet I feel sound, belief that we are evolving to a peaceful world.  I can rationalize this belief by pointing to the better governance of nations, the growing access to simple human rights, and, assuming that we are good custodians of the planet, better access to resources.  The process is easy to grasp, but hard to bring about.  That's OK, it is good to have a purpose in life.

I had thought a great deal about what happens when we start to get a handle on the horrendous conflagrations, protracted civil wars to attain dignity to the downtrodden, and all manner of large scale conflict.  Although we have a great mountain to move in that regard, there is still work to be done.  Sadly, we cannot build the bigger peace all the while ignoring our own communities and families.  As I have  said before, peacemaking starts at the personal level and wells up from there.  As we advance civilization beyond wars we will not have a truer sense of peace until we can address the community tragedies that mat be as horrific as in Newtown, Connecticut, or the scourge of domestic abuse, or the violence common among the marginalized in our society.

Yet, if we hold to th principles of a larger world peace,and apply them to our communities, we will see less violence on streets, in schools and in families.  To be sure, we will never eliminate the tragedy of mental illness, or the occasional violent consequences; we probably cannot truly eliminate a social stratification scheme that pushes vulnerable people to the margins, and compels them to lash out; we cannot make every home idyllic.  But we can take determined steps to approach peace for everyone.

There is much more wrong with our stewardship of our communities than manifested itself in the Newton killings.  But if I may, I will address some of the things that might be done which will allow us to avoid some similar events in the future:

• Prioritize mental health - The news reports are awash with our broken mental health infrastructure.  This infrastucture must be rebuilt and cared for.  We also need to care more for one another, and reach out to the lonely, the sad, the bullied, and the poor.  Remember, I said it begins with us as individuals.
• Work for gun control - It's no secret that there is a large segment of society that opposes any gun control.  Often, I find the rhetoric and political tactics of those who would reject all limits of gun ownership as distasteful and dishonest.  Reasonable control of devices designed to kill should be the responsibility of any society.
• Be active - Let your elected representatives at all levels of government know that there is a public safety responibility that they bear, and that we are willing to work with them if they will lead us in building communities which apply common sense laws and reach out to those most at risk as victims of violence, including those driven to cause violence through irrational or desparate means.

Peace to you all.  Please accept my Christmas blessings whether you share in my belief or not.  If you remain troubled, as I do, about this tragic killing, know that you will also see great joy again.