Remember Christina Taylor Green

Christina Taylor Green was only nine years old the day she was killed in a random attack.  Jared Lee Loughner awaits trial for her death, the deaths of five others, and the wounding of another fourteen bystanders, including his stated target, United States Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

The bleeding-heart liberals declare that this is proof that we need to ban guns in this country to prevent exactly this type of event.  The radical right-wingers declare that this is proof that we need to arm all citizens of the nation to prevent exactly this type of event.  The evangelicals declare that this is what happens in a society that has abandoned God.  The pessimists declare that this is why mankind will never survive itself.

Not only are none of these views helpful; none of them are correct, and all of them are dangerous 

The hyper-reactionism of many is the type of misguided response that has led to the riots in the aftermath of the Rodney King and Oscar Grant trials, the Salem Witch Trials, the violent radical fundamentalists of many religions, and the rise of fascism.  Regardless of the fear, frustration, or anger felt, it is extremely dangerous to simply react, without clear thought, to an event, real or perceived, and use that as a basis for world changing policies or beliefs.

Calling for a ban of guns simply leaves the only guns in the hands of criminals.  Calling for the death of a killer only leaves blood stains on the hands of many more.  Calling for an increase in laws and enforcement only creates an authoritarian state and further chips away at our civil liberties.  Calling for greater surveillance only removes our freedom. 

We need to take a moment to review the facts.   We need to consider not simply the brief moments of the incident, but to examine his entire story as a whole, as something much greater than the mosaic of a maniac painted by the mass media.

As is standard in America today, the media has been whipped into a frenzy, scrambling over themselves in an attempt to get the facts, the scoop, the ratings, and the news.  Opinions are whirling everywhere and none of them are helping anyone, particularly the victims.

My initial reaction to the news was, sadly, not one of surprise or horror.  Events such as this have become such common media circuses that many, like me, have become jaded and emotionally numbed.  Columbine and “going postal” have entered into our lexicon not because of the atrocities committed, but merely because of the attention given to them.  We have not improved out dialogue in order to prevent, deter, or appropriately deal with these situations, we have merely provided them with infamy and excessive reference, to the point where the importance of them is lost, and with it, pieces of our humanity.

This is not to say that we should ignore or forget situations like this.  We, as citizens of the modern world, need to learn to deal with these things appropriately.  We need to acknowledge these things, and the individuals that perpetrated them, and learn from them, in order to prevent them from happening again.  We need to console those who have suffered and lost, and deal with the guilty in a just and civilized manner.  We need not be participants in lynch mobs, nor idle bystanders.

In the wake of tragic events not caused directly by individuals, such as Hurricane Katrina, the Haitian earthquake, and the Southeast Asian Tsunami, there were many people throughout the world who contributed time, money, labor, thoughts and prayers to the victims of these disasters.  There were many, who through nothing more than simple humility and benevolence offered what they could to help out those who has lost much, if not all.  These people, each in their own small way, helped to show the greatness of man, regardless of fame or fortune, in times of tragedy.  These are people who helped make the world a better place for all of us.

Among the plethora of news articles and reports and video feeds I read about a minister who walked into the hospital where several victims were being treated to offer his sympathy and what comfort he could.  Neither his name nor his faith was revealed, and that is for the best, as neither is important.  His reaction is what is important.  Above personal recognition, and above religious affiliation, he chose to reach out to his fellow man and offer the only thing that many can: humanity in the face of horror.

Jared Loughner may indeed have been mentally troubled, as many are quick to paint him, like James Vance and Raymond Belknap.  He may have been seeking the attention of an individual as John Hinckley Jr. was.  He may have been seeking fame as Mark David Chapman is believed to have.  He may have been acting out a highly misguided revenge plot against a world that he believed had slighted him, as Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold did.

While many will quickly cast blame on music or television, sports or culture, or whatever other morality-destroying vice or fad they desire to vilify, the blame lays not simply on a select few individuals and influences, but on all influences, and the society that creates and promotes them.  The simple fact is that an individual chose of his own volition to commit this heinous act, and a great many people have to suffer the consequences of his decision.  Regardless of the influences that caused his thought process to validate and justify his actions, it is important to recognize them all, and the role in his creation that we all play as actors on this world stage.  We need to create ways to identify and quickly diagnose those who need help.  We need to recognize problems and create solutions before they are exacerbated, rather than merely attacking them with vitriol and verbosity.  We need to improve ourselves in order to improve all of society.

Our history has shown the tremendous ability of mankind to improve not only our quality of life, but our quality as people.  We have advanced technology and science.  We have found ways to use the resources of our planet with amazing efficiency, and have brought ourselves closer to the stars.  However, we have also shown an amazing capacity for atrocity.  We have shown our demons and flaws.  We have not completely evolved above the brutality of nature and the animal kingdom.  From all of this we have learned, and grown greater with the education received.  This is another situation that we must learn and grow from.  Though, tragically, many lives were lost, not all were, and hope was not lost with it.

The survivors have to deal with the physical and mental wounds inflicted upon them and the friends and families of both the deceased and the survivors have to find a way to continue on with fear and loss.  Those of us who were not directly affected need to keep this in our memories.  We need to hope and pray for the health and well-being of Gabrielle Giffords and the other survivors.  We need to carry ourselves with grace and humility.  We need to empathize with our fellow man and remember that we are a worldwide community, for better or worse, and that it’s only through the efforts of all that our world becomes a better place.

Christina Taylor Green was only nine years old the day she was killed by Jared Lee Loughner.  Her future, all of her hopes, and all of her dreams were destroyed that day.  It is our responsibility to remember her.  Let her death at his hands not become another sad footnote in history, but rather become the impetus of change to make a better world for all to come.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.