Perspective
A few folks on my friends page have made the observation of street parties over Bin Laden's death reminding them of the same death celebrations the extremists and their supporters have.
Pretty spot on, really.
"Conflict perpetuation" is a concept that flies right over the head of many people who consider themselves learned individuals, largely due to them considering themselves "in the right". Thing is, life isn't quite so clear cut. We often overlook the misdeeds of those we support in favor of the greater cause, whether or not we're in a position to know what those misdeeds are. When they're brought to light? Often we just assume people are full of it and don't care, because they're "the enemy", so naturally they're going to attach to whatever's convenient.
When you tell yourself that, are you really any different?
Now, don't get me wrong. What people do with friends and family in the privacy of their own homes is something they're entitled to. It's when you start parading that zeal publicly or in front of a camera that it starts to become something different. There's honestly no better way to reinforce this guy being a martyr than to openly parade joy at his death. You're playing by their rules. You're reveling in the glory of a hated enemy's death.
As always "being the better man/woman" is often a thankless exercise, but we have to consider how we appear to those around us, and what impact our actions today are going to have tomorrow. Do we want to openly fap about "justice", or do we want to move beyond conflicts so that we can get more productive things done?
Pretty spot on, really.
"Conflict perpetuation" is a concept that flies right over the head of many people who consider themselves learned individuals, largely due to them considering themselves "in the right". Thing is, life isn't quite so clear cut. We often overlook the misdeeds of those we support in favor of the greater cause, whether or not we're in a position to know what those misdeeds are. When they're brought to light? Often we just assume people are full of it and don't care, because they're "the enemy", so naturally they're going to attach to whatever's convenient.
When you tell yourself that, are you really any different?
Now, don't get me wrong. What people do with friends and family in the privacy of their own homes is something they're entitled to. It's when you start parading that zeal publicly or in front of a camera that it starts to become something different. There's honestly no better way to reinforce this guy being a martyr than to openly parade joy at his death. You're playing by their rules. You're reveling in the glory of a hated enemy's death.
As always "being the better man/woman" is often a thankless exercise, but we have to consider how we appear to those around us, and what impact our actions today are going to have tomorrow. Do we want to openly fap about "justice", or do we want to move beyond conflicts so that we can get more productive things done?