Vitriol

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.”

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We’ve seen some sad parts of humanity over the course of the last couple of weeks. Of course, there is the tragedy of the shooting in Colorado, where more than a dozen people lost their life and dozens more were injured, including women and children. The suspected killer was a man who is likely suffering from severe mental illness whereby the “conscience” part of the brain is damaged or altogether dead. As awful as it is for the families of the dead and wounded, I can’t imagine what it could be like to be the family of the accused amid such rousing and caustic calls from our society for his death and torture.

As if killing him would bring back the dead or make it OK.

Yet the brutality didn’t end there. On Facebook this week, my newsfeed was replete with comparisons of this young man with others that “could” have been like him. There was the “If [he] were a Muslim, there would be calls to end Islam, ” “If [he] were black, there would be calls for racial profiling, ” and “If [he] were Hispanic, there would be calls for crackdown on illegal immigrants” captions which sprang up all over Facebook. As if the race of the suspect somehow had something to do with how we should treat a particular race of people.

Then there were comparisons between those who died and other groups. Someone professing to be pro-life posted a caption indicating that America kills more than a dozen babies in less than a hour with abortion. While true, such facts and public discourse are hardly appropriate on Facebook and are demeaning to the both the dead and the aborted. The internet is not a forum for you to press your political beliefs at the expense of the suffering, folks, even if your intent is moral good.

Let’s not skip over Chick-fil-A, however. The CEO, a professed Christian man, (Was that really a secret?) had an interview with a Christian organization. Gay marriage was brought up. He said that he didn’t support it.

Now we have calls for boycotting Chick-fil-A springing up all across the country. Once again, Facebook captions on both sides spring up as if from nowhere. Gay organizations are crying “foul," and we already have a “Support Chick-fil-A Day” where we’re all supposed to file in to our nearest Chick-fil-A and buy a sandwhich in their support. Why did we decide to do that? Because Chicago has decided to deny the company business licenses to new Chick-fil-As because of their “intolerant” policies towards gays.

Really, folks? I mean… REALLY??

Let’s get one thing straight… everyone in this country is entitled to their own opinion. Let’s get one other thing straight… simply because someone doesn’t agree with yours is not a just cause for you to attack them, and even if there were an opportunity for you to discuss your opinions with your opponents, using the public forum to bastardize them is in no way appropriate, respectful or decent.

Tolerance works both ways!

The vitriol that we are seeing in this country right now, fanned by Facebook and the media, is disgusting. You can help stop that.

This week’s Gun’s Quotes advice is simple: Be civil. If you are posting this malice, hateful, and callous material on Facebook, stop it. If your conversations can’t be carried without raising your voice, clinching your fist or name-calling, walk away. Leave the civil, obedient, intellectual discussion to those of us who approach problems the respectful way. The pro-life, illegal immigration, pro- and anti-gay marriage issues all got dragged into a beating this week and none of them are better for it.

Even Obama and Romney had the wherewithal to recognize they needed to suspend their campaigns in the midst of the Colorado tragedy, and they’re blood-sucking politicians!

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

Madness and Chaos

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

-Annie Dillard

If someone were to ask how I spend my life, I would response with the title of this week’s Gun’s Quote… Madness and Chaos.

Last week I spent my week with a bunch of teenagers from Holy Trinity in Lenexa. It was their annual summer trip and I was a chaperone. While there, the theme of the conference which was repeated time and time again was, “Be Present.”

It’s the idea that we should be focused on the “now” because it is the only “now” we are going to get.

This summer has been a real reality-check in terms of this idea.

This is the last year of my twenties, an idea that I don’t necessarily relent but one of which I’m well aware. Life is also in the midst of large changes. This summer, virtually all of my best friends, including my roommate, will be married. The ones that aren’t have either strongly considered or are actively discerning their vocation to the Priesthood. Some that I’m used to seeing weekly are moving away. My 10-year high school reunion is this fall.

Of course, none of these things are bad things. As a matter of fact, most are terrific things! I mention them only to give context to this idea: Perhaps the most certain thing in life is that of change.

That’s why I can’t help but busy myself on the people in my life right now. I’m spending lots of money to fly to out-of-town weddings. I’m trying to be more present to roommates. Thank God for online bill pay or else I’d probably be in trouble; I’ve not spent much time going through the mail piling up on my desk. My priorities have shifted to making sure that my schedule is packed with as much quality time with others as possible because reality is that my relationships need attention in the midst of their change. Reality is that I won’t be seeing some people nearly as often after this summer.

Reality is that these relationships are changing.

This is the middle of the summer. It’s all downhill from here. At least for me, this is the one time of the year when people are most able to get away and most willing to get out. I really feel the need to tell you to take advantage of this time. OK, so it’s cheesy, but I don’t care: Tell your family you love them not by words but by spending time with them. Do the same with your friends. Take an active role in their lives and invite them into your own. After all, we only have this moment in which to live. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring and the past is irrelevant. Look at now and live in it, even if it’s hard, even if you have better things to do, and even if it makes your head spin. If you don’t, you will eventually regret it.

You only get THIS moment once. Take care of it.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!