This quote from Calvin and Hobbes seems to sum up some people’s approach to the world. Why work to learn about someone or something when, like Calvin, your “TV show starts in 20 minutes?”
Earlier today, while perusing my Facebook Feed, I came across this posting:
The person who shared it has posted wing-nuttery before. But this was posted without comment (his TV show must have been just about to start). I found myself wondering why he wanted to share this, so I googled the group in England who are in the video. From what I can tell, they normally protest (a mild word for it) Britain’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although the audio was poor, it seems they are protesting the pope and want Shariah law used against him because they believe he is leading (ideologically and financially) crusades against Islam (and of course popes have). Does my friend think the same? No, based on comments he made on the original poster’s wall, my friend is convinced that Newt knows of what he speaks, and any day now some cleric will chop off his hand or something. Look out guys, Shariah is coming, Shariah is coming!
The whole thing left me sort of disheartened. I just don’t get why people are so afraid. Afraid of Islam, afraid of immigrants, afraid of liberals, public education, atheism, black cats, immunizations, gays. (Okay, so black cats scare me, especially when they attack run from the darkest corner of my shed when all I wanted to do was get the weed whacker out.) Not that I don’t fear things in life, but why let that fear poison me? I have better things to do. Like whack weeds.
A little while later my Facebook Feed brought me this post. It helped tremendously. This quote was especially helpful:
Martin Luther King, Jr. – from Letter from a Birmingham Jail
Was not Jesus an extremist for love — “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.” Was not Amos an extremist for justice — “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ — “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Was not Martin Luther an extremist — “Here I stand; I can do none other so help me God.” Was not John Bunyan an extremist — “I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience.” Was not Abraham Lincoln an extremist — “This nation cannot survive half slave and half free.” Was not Thomas Jefferson an extremist — “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” So the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist will we be. Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice–or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?
It’s awfully hard to decide what kind of extremist to be when you’ve gone for the instantaneous result, and remained ignorant.
