Monday, January 10, 2011

Shame


Shame

It is a high pitched squeal that pierces the air of this cold Sunday morning in America. Emanating from the rocky coast of Maine to the thin atmosphere of Arizona, it screams out from televisions and radios, over computer screens, around dinner tables and even, sadly, from more than a few pulpits. It is a sound both familiar and expected, but no less irritating for being so. The unmistakable screeching of brakes, coming from those wishing to distance themselves from the horror of yesterday’s shooting of a Democratic Congresswoman at a public event.

It spews from the one-half term governor of the state of Alaska, who now claims the crosshairs she placed over the congresswoman’s name on the map of the Democrats she “targeted” for removal in 2010 were actually nothing more than “surveyor’s symbols”. (She has yet, to my knowledge, explained away her admonishment to her followers to “Don’t retreat, reload!”. Perhaps that applies to surveyor’s as well?)
It is a sound that pours from those who refer to the individuals with whom they disagree as “evil” or “nazi”, who compare our President with Adolf Hitler and tell their unfortunate listeners that he “hates America”. To the sane amongst us, these words are preposterous, heinous and disgusting to be sure, but we hardly see them as marching orders. To the unbalanced, however, they can be heard at an entirely different decibel.

Here in America, we are taught at an early age that we live in the “greatest country on Earth". (Although, as writer David Sedaris so perceptively says, “no country ever proudly declares... we’re number two!”) With age, hopefully, comes a bit of wisdom and we begin to see that our greatness is not guaranteed merely because of our existence. If we cannot admit our deficiencies and alter them for the good, if we lose our ability to feel shame, history clearly teaches, our greatness will wither and die.

The rules were different when I was growing up. I can only imagine the thunder in my father’s face if anyone dared to ask him for whom he intended to vote. We knew not to go spelunking in the deeply held beliefs of others. Society was a bit more gracious and respectful then and, at the risk of sounding like an old crank, our country was all the better for it. But we now find ourselves in world greatly altered, as well as one infinitely smaller. Change can be threatening for those who lack the propensity, or perhaps, sadly, the capacity, for reasonable thought. But we cannot flourish with our hands over our eyes and our fingers wedged deep in our ears, locked in a room that admits no one save those who think and look and are just like us. If those of us of sound mind, with a love of home and country that walks hand in hand with a heart for good... if we do not stand against the hate and vitriol that is surging through our streets and over our airwaves, exactly where will we find ourselves in the next decade? In the next year?

There is a clear picture that remains in my mind of our senators and congressmen standing shoulder to shoulder on the Capitol steps, some weeping, some with heads bowed low, singing with humility instead of pride the well-known verses of God Bless America. This happened in the wake of September 11th when we were attacked from without. I can now only wonder what their reaction might be after the horror of yesterday’s attack from within.

“Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.”
Benjamin Franklin

41 comments:

  1. You are so very eloquent in your writing. Difficult topic but very well said.

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  2. Yeats was right:

    "The best lack all conviction, while the worst
    Are full of passionate intensity".

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  3. This shocking and despicable news was heard all across Canada too.. You have addressed it so well.

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  4. The gunman is called "unbalanced." By what, I question. How handily we are offered succor for a tragedy perhaps secondary to our own partisanship and discord. Prayers are offered for all. Thank you for addressing this so well - and for the painting.

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  5. Whatever happened to civility? Where has it gone? It makes me want to weep. Thank you for addressing this sad subject matter.

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  6. very sad... it has headlined here in australia as well. one step in the right direction would be to tighten the gun laws. there is no need for guns to be freely available.. :(

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  7. Well written words on such a sad weekend. Thank you.

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  8. Very, very well said Pamela. It is sadly now way past the time to address the vitriol, the downright hatred and the lack of respect shown towards our democratically elected officials up to and including the President. This is a sad day in America.

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  9. Very well stated on this sad and horrific weekend. Thank you for your post.

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  10. Thank you for such a careful and considered post.

    MT

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  11. I can only say 'Hear Hear'
    and wish/hope that your words could be spread far and wide.

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  12. I have been saying for quite some time, that I no longer live in the society I was raised in. In those times, respect, tolerance, fairness, honesty, and ethics were embraced by most of the people we knew. There was trust that our lives would not be in danger every time we left our homes. Were we naive? Probably so. But it was a time that felt honorable and worthy of admiration. Now I have a much harder time accepting the status quo, for the status quo seems to become more and more intolerable. Somewhere along the way, many people have lost their way. They do not understand civility much less controlling one's own behavior and conforming to acceptable standards. Many of them are truly disturbed, but there are those who are perfectly sane, but misguided. Some how those people have reached a point where anything they do feel right and justified because they
    "know" the truth.

    The thought that these types of events keep occurring frightens me for the future.

    I don't understand what happened to change our society so that it allows hate and anger to exist under the guise of acceptable behavior.

    We should all mourn the loss of more blameless bystanders caught at the wrong place and time. We should all mourn the loss of the standards and honor of a great civilization.

    I know I do.

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  13. Good heavens! What is going on in the world and particularly the US? I had not heard this sad and sorry state of affairs and am devastated to think that there has been yet another political murder. Was it not enough to kill the Kennedys? Must now anyone brave enough to stand up agains the redneck go in fear of his life? That gun toting lady from up north seems to be having too much influence and not enough heart and brain.

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  14. Dear Panela, Thank you for saying what I am thinking and have not the vocabulary to express. I who lived thru WW2 and have been so proud of the men and women of this country who gave their all to think that Sarah Palen could speak the way she does and some believe that incendary speech. What has happened to us. Have we all forgotten respect. love of fellow man, and pride in country? How sad this state of affairs makes me.

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  15. This happened in my childhood home, Tucson Arizona and my heart is sad. Thank you for posting and let's pray..for our country, for each other and for thise families who have lost so much ..

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  16. Well said. This is a terrible time, when each step we take towards protecting full human rights for all is met with hate, fear and acts violence. But, reason,progress,concen for each other's welfare and basic human kindness cannot be stopped. You are a reminder of that. Thank you.

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  17. The right to own and bear arms is guaranteed to Americans in the U.S. Constitution. Guns don't kill people...people do. It's a spiritual problem not a gun problem.

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  18. its shocking news, terrible. Excellent blogpost...

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  19. Another boy that probably didn’t get enought love and attention or was ridiculed. He wanted his 15 minutes of fame and got so much more. We don’t need to go to other countries to find terrorists. they live right here. Why is someone allowed to buy a semi-automatic weapon is still beyond me.

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  20. Thank you Pamela for your eloquent words on this tragedy. We are too sad for words and shocked how again and again gunman and woman of all calibers
    find their ways into schools, public places and the homes of our neighbors.
    I agree and I hope people who spread hatred and intolerance should be exposed and removed from positions where they can spread their poisonous ideas.
    It is a shame indeed!

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  21. You have a way with words Pamela.
    It is yes, unfortunately a different day and age. One must ask, are we sacrificing ourselves and our youth for personal and greed / gain? What will the future have in store for their children? Lost is the way of our grandfathers, speak when spoken too and keep unpleasantness to ones self, seems to be a thing of the past.
    L.

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  22. Thank you so much for speaking out Pamela...You speak so eloquently for many of us...at least for me...those of us who don't have the skills to write exactly what we feel...This is indeed a sad and insane time.

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  23. As for Palin's claim that the cross hairs were supposed to be a surveyor's sight...that is laughable. Nobody can really believe that coming from a moose hunter.

    I do so hope that if any good can come out of this tragedy, that it will be a more temperate kind of political rhetoric. That would be really good and maybe even productive.

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  24. Wow! I am so impressed with your blog. This is a fantastic post! Thank you for putting into words what we're all trying to understand and express.

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  25. Pamela such a sad state, it is shameful. Thank you for the bravery to say it in your specail way.

    xoxo
    Karena
    Art by Karena

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  26. A tremendous essay- I have shared it through various networks with your links- it expresses much of what many are feeling and appeals to our better angels. thank you for putting it so very eloquently. pgt

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  27. Yes, it is a great sadness and a great shame and if the political divide narrows a little as a result, that would be good.

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  28. Thank you Pamela for sharing this-
    I agree with a few of your readers and have to say "Amen" too

    Best
    Tracy

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  29. In Mississippi where I spent my first 36 years, people cheered when both Kennedy's and M.L. King, Jr were killed. I think that what we have now might have less to do with meanness than with the existence of talk radio to hammer it out incessantly and with the fact that every word (especially every stupid word) that anyone says is broadcast everywhere instantly.

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  30. I think if there were more sane people like you around Pamela the world would be a far less fraught place. Everyone is very shocked about the events you relate but they have resonance for all of us. Very well said.

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  31. Oh Pamela, your piece should should be read on all the news stations in the country. Beautifully and brilliantly put. Indeed, it's a very shameful state we find ourselves in. Thank you for having the courage to address this difficult topic.

    H.H

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  32. In response to Debbie Bailey:
    without a gun in his hand the shooter would not have had the guts to kill Christina Green and the other victims.
    Guns do kill people. Obviously!
    So glad most of your followers seem to be able to think clearly!
    Delete this comment of you like.
    I just get riled up by irrationality!

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!