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Every once in a while I write an article knowing full well that there’s no chance I won’t piss people off. (Who knew I’d have that concern with an article called “Don’t Shoot People”?)
When I was younger, I loved the feeling. I enjoyed knowing that on the other end of computer land someone had smoke coming out of their ears and it was all because of my words.
I’m not that person anymore. The truth is, I want everyone to like me. A lofty and unrealistic goal, to be sure, but it’s definitely what I want nonetheless.
So I get no pleasure out of knowing that I would be shocked if someone isn’t ticked off about what I’m about to say. Might even lose a friend or two. It happened in the past when I wrote about Trump or Covid. And it’s so uncomfortable bracing myself for what’s to come.
But here we go…
Warring Factions and Common Ground
I know the world is split. Uncomfortably so. There are two warring factions that just can’t seem to get along, let alone have a decent and respectable dialogue with one another. And it pains me.
But when all the smoke clears, I feel like we should be able to find common ground. Somewhere. Somehow.
Personally, I have a simple rule that I’d like to run with. Something I think ultimately we should all look at each other, nod in agreement, and say, “Yeah, I can get behind that.”
What’s my rule?
Yup, that’s it.
Golden Rule: Don’t Shoot People
Barring exceptional circumstances, like self-defense or preventing an imminent threat to another’s life: Don’t shoot people.
And yet I woke up several days ago to a reality that both horrified and confused me.
A healthcare CEO was gunned down in the streets. I watched the video. It’s pretty horrifying to watch another human being shot and killed. And what I’ve seen, I can now never unsee.
I never heard of him before that day. I didn’t know his story. I didn’t know about his company, the goods, the bads, or the uglies.
But I felt for him. Yes, he was a husband and father. But I didn’t know that. But everyone’s close with someone, and a man lying dead in the street means there are people out there suffering and grieving. And that’s awful. Barring a murderous dictator who is active in the regular killing of multiple people, it’s hard for me to imagine a scenario in which I’d be joyous finding out someone was randomly gunned down in the street.
But as terrible as I thought the act was, the reactions I saw online were even more horrifying. There was joy. There were jokes. It wasn’t looked at like an act of vengeful and gross aggression. It was depicted as a reasonable or even praiseworthy act of trying to make changes to a broken system that has caused people great harm and distress.
Listen, I am no stranger to the problems of the healthcare system in the States. I hated every bit of it. My last year living in the US I even chose to not have a healthcare plan and get fined for it rather than pay the exorbitant fees.
But I don’t wish harm on anyone. I think it’s wrong to shoot people, and I’d prefer it if didn’t happen. Ever.
Who’s Happy About Murder?
But I’m further disturbed by who the people are celebrating this disgusting act of useless vigilante “justice” that will, in the big picture, accomplish nothing but getting CEOs to seek better, more frequent security.
Who are these people?
Just a matter of weeks ago, they were bragging about representing the party that embraced joy and inclusivity. They were the party for all Americans.
These are the same people that repeatedly say guns are the issue, and call for mass banning of firearms.
And these are the same people who say things like “my body, my choice” and constantly talk about human rights.
Hypocrisy Abounds
One who is joyful does not seek to shoot people. They seek understanding and reconciliation.
Shooting people because they disagree with you or you don’t like what they represent is just about the must non-inclusive thing a person could do. You can’t claim to be representing all Americans one moment then celebrate the death of others with whom you disagree the next.
You can’t shout about the dangers of guns and post endless memes speaking about the horrors they spread across the country, then wake up the next morning cheering for someone who shoots someone in the middle of the street.
Do you support guns or not? Or do you only support the use of guns when they harm those you wish to see harmed?
It was his body, and he would have chosen not to receive three bullets in it.
He was a human, and thus maintained human rights.
The Broken Mentality
I understand your frustration with a broken system, I really do.
And we can play the game in the other direction all day long. I am more than aware of the sick irony of someone claiming “right to life” blowing up abortion clinics and killing their doctors.
No, this isn’t an issue of left or right.
This is an issue of a broken mentality. That broken mentality follows this logical pattern: I’m 100% right and everyone else is 100% wrong. Those who are wrong not only support false ideas; those ideas make them evil. And evil must be eradicated, at all costs. Even if it means supporting concepts I generally don’t agree with. The exception is when evil must be destroyed.
If you can’t see the problem, I don’t know what to say.
If you protested guns the day after the Sandy Hook shooting, but a few weeks ago celebrated the death of a CEO and contributed money to defend the killer, you are either a hypocrite, or you are lost.
Plain and Simple: Don’t Shoot People
Me personally, I’m going to stick with my golden rule: Don’t shoot people.
It’s a beautiful principle in its simplicity.
If we go down a road where we believe murder is one of the best ways to accomplish our goals, only bad can emanate from this.
We shouldn’t celebrate killing people or attempted killing of people.
Great social change can come about non-violently. Can you imagine a world where Martin Luther King would tweet joyously about the murder of a CEO? (A man who was, in fact, killed because someone disagreed with his values… someone who in no way accomplished his goals by doing so.)
Murder is bad. Shooting people is bad. It’s not an issue of right or left or unclearly defined. It accomplishes nothing other than creating angry people in a chaotic society.
Fix the broken health care system. Please. It’s a worthy goal.
But do it the right way. And don’t lose your humanity in the process.
