"I believe one needs to have a very high bar when it comes to being offended." What a wealth of wisdom in that single line. Being 'slow to anger' delivers us as individuals, as families with children following their parents lead, as communities and nations, from so much that is destructive.
Watching two boys fighting over some toy as they escalate from words to blows, each by his response provoking the other to greater effort, is so visibly paralleled in the hatred and violence we see today. This person vs. that person, this candidate vs. that candidate, this religion vs. that religion, all deny simple humanity and relegate their opponent to some hated category to be harmed or denigrated. Or killed.
We owe moderates like the graduate student that wrote the article above a debt of gratitude for their tempering of the world in which we all live. Would that we all had such clarity.
Further discussion at the Wall Street Journal:
W
high bar to being offended---If that means that one should stay passive in the face of hate---I think that is not a good idea. Hate needs to be protested---peacefully---As human beings, it is all our responsibility to stand up for respect for human dignity and against hate/intolerance.
ReplyDeletehate/intolerance is not just a "western" problem---it is a human problem and we must all be vigilant against it wherever it occurs...
Well said. Following your thinking, the idea of 'peaceful protest' calls up (for me) memories of crowds in the streets in the 60's and the civil rights upheaval.
DeleteI wonder if there is an equally powerful response for today. How might we, either as individuals or as a nation, actually respond to violence and narrow-minded intolerance?
In the case of our ambassador to Libya being murdered, for example; what might we actually do by way of response?
demonstrations in the street?
petitions to ....?
letters to ....?
self-immolation? (dear Father, I never understood that one.)
What's a good practical, doable response?