Non Violence Is A Choice That Starts In Your Heart

The past two weeks have been filled with one tragedy after another.  Human lives taken without any mercy,  are so frightening and gruesome that it makes me think we are certainly in an era of non stop violence all over the globe.

I can never understand how or why another person could kill in cold blood.  How can their heart be so calloused and hard, devoid of all feelings except evil rage to destroy and maim.

Yet hateful words towards yourself or others are a form of violence too, that maim and destroy.  Cruel words are like sharp daggers that once lanced, are plunged into your psyche or into the ears of others.

Worse, they can never be retracted either.   They leave viable dents and traces, as much as a knife leaves a dent and scar.

Mean demeaning statements are heard over and over again inside the head of victims, that for some prove deadly.  Even after an apology, they can be difficult to forget even many years later.

Humiliation that follows can rip a person’s self image into pieces, and not all of us have the strength needed to withstand the onslaught.   Bullied children and teenagers are a dime a dozens on playgrounds, school hallways, social media and the like.

Whereas years ago, the hate filled words were generally contained within a physical site, now they are reproduced by hundreds and thousands across twitter, facebook, instagram, etc.  This magnifies the pain and humiliation to victims.

Many children and teens don’t have a secure enough nor healthy sense of self at such a young age, therefore they are truly wounded  to the core.   Unable to stop the torment, many go on to kill themselves.

Some adults too are unable to withstand such a beating, and likewise will end their lives, like the nurse I wrote about who committed suicide after a public humiliation.

LGBT peo