Recent weeks.....

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. My optimism, then, does not rest on the absence of evil, but on a glad belief in the preponderance of good and a willing effort always to cooperate with the good, that it may prevail.” ~ Helen Keller


There is always something happening in our world, events that makes us cry, laugh or even leaves us completely indifferent. I guess God made us thus; imagine if we constantly could absorb all the sorrows, the wars, the sadness. I think our hearts would simply burst from the pain. Or even if we could take on all the joys too, there has to be something otherworldly about being constantly happy. As they say, if one has never known sorrow, how can one appreciate joy?

In the last weeks, three stories struck me in the news, the near death experience of Fabrice Muamba, the tragedy of Trayvon Martin and ignominy of the actions of Robert Bales, a much decorated soldier turned villain.

There is a lot that is dark and frightening about the massacre of the Afghan 16 on March 11 by an American soldier who was supposed to be one of their liberators from the oppression and terror of the Taliban. The mental fitness of Robert Bales have been questioned by all and may likely play a major role in his defence, but what frightens me more is the sentiments expressed by some Americans on blogs and internet forums. There is much sympathy for the perpetuator but hardly any care for the victims. I know of course, that the opinion of some online respondents does not speak for an entire country but it worries me none the less. Nobody deserves to be murdered in their bed.

Another aspect of this is the media coverage; we know everything there is to know about Bales but next to nothing of his victims, not their names, their ages, their sexes or their dreams.

Trayvon Martin’s murder and the fact that is murderer is still walking free takes me back to pre civil rights America I have only read about before now. George Zimmerman, hunted Trayvon as you would an animal, he stalked him and shot him down like a dog, this 17 year old man child whose only crime was being black and being on the streets after dark.

Image courtesy of cleveland.com

I think that there is something very jungle like about Florida’s gun laws and the stand your ground legislation; the idea that I could commit murder and my ticket out of being arrested would be that I felt threatened, after all, who would contradict me? Dead men as we well know cannot defend themselves. The law might have been passed in good faith to protect victims but it has become obvious to all that it has only further empowered perpetuators and those who would take the law into their own hands. I hope something good comes out of all these, I hope that the laws are reviewed because that would be the ultimate justice for Trayvon.

The story of Fabrice Muamba countered the weeks of bad news. Here was reason to believe in our collective humanity. I don’t watch much football; however I couldn’t help but take notice when all the social media seemed awashed with ‘Pray for Muamba’ updates. I had to pay attention and the story I found greatly moved me. A young man struck in his prime by a terrible illness and the fight by all concerned to see him well. The prayers, the love, the good wishes, I can’t help but fancy that all of that set him on the path to recovery.