For John, BLUF: Not every situation calls for massive retaliation. Sometimes a person has lost control and confrontation with a strong personality will create new "facts on the ground".
Here is an interesting take on confronting a gunman on a school yard. It was a "Charter School", but it was South LA. Per The Daily Beast, School Principal Shanley Rhodes confronted a young man pistol whipping one of her students. The man with the gun knocked Principal Rhodes to the ground, but she got up and faced him again, and then he ran away. I don't think the young man with the gun was intent on mass murder, but he did have a gun.
The aftermath of the confrontation is even more interesting than the confrontation itself.
Regards — Cliff
It is much more than just interesting. It is heartwarming and exemplary of what we can do in our contacts with others. God gives us many opportunities to do many things and we really have no earthly idea why or what He intends for us to do. But, an element of goodness in every human being can be found and inspired to act.
ReplyDeleteI would not presume to guess why this guy went straight, but the fact is, he did, and God brought him and her back together again. I think there are many lessons to be gleaned from their encounters, none of which could be considered a panacea.....the answer to all our social ills. There isn't one of those.
We need to stop looking for THE ANSWER, and start dealing with each individual question. People are always going to die unnecessarily and in horrible, untimely ways. There is a purpose behind that, but we'll never know why in this lifetime. But we can learn from those tragedies....I mean LEARN....but we seem only able to make rules and ignore the learning.
And until we regard EVERY ONE as having unique and critical value to the context of our lives...we will continue to marginalize those who aren't "like us" and their hurt and anger will motivate them to revenge. Their message will always be "I hate you because you don't LIKE me."
We have an unlimited capacity for love, but, in the spirit of Cain, we also have an unlimited capacity for hate, degradation, and condemnation.....all generally to make ourselves feel somehow superior to the object of our derision.