Bhutto Assassination

The world has lost a tremendous light in the darkness today. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto has me sick to my stomach. I don't understand violence. For centuries, man has advocated war as a means of achieving a peaceful world, and it baffles me. How can this be effective?



We each have within us so much potential for beauty, truth and light. Whether we're beggars on the street, or cronies of the rich and famous, we're all essentially the same. Muslim or Christian, Atheist or Wiccan -- what unites us is stronger than what divides us. There is no true separation aside from that we create in our own deluded minds. We diminish our worth, our experience of life, love and joy in this world, when we fail to recognize the beauty of the other.

Why does the ego insist on creating class distinctions, racial divides and religious righteousness? Are we better off, living in our isolated cocoons, than we would be if we were truly connected and alive? If we all understood our interconnection, would war, violence, or murder even be possible? What would such a world look like? How would we feel to be free of stress, worry, want and terror?

We all have concerns. These self-involved obsessions cut us off from each other, and we create our own unique realities. I worry that I intimidate people when I look at them. If I don't have my 'blinders' on, separating me from the world around me, I SEE people -- I don't just glance at them. I'm a lightning rod for human emotion, positive and negative, everywhere I go. I've been that way for as long as I can remember; it can make a crowd a tiring and noisy place to be. I see the pain, happiness, and inner turmoil. I see past the facades into souls; that can be scary for both the viewer and the viewed. I've never seen a soul that was evil -- I've seen some that make poor or irrational choices, but these are mostly based on fear. Fear of being hurt, of not having enough, of not surviving, of not achieving, of falling short. Rarely have I see true malice. I don't know if it really exists. There are evil acts, but most are borne of misunderstanding, confusion, pain and self-defense. It's understandable to a degree, but still no excuse for violence.

I'm not sure where this monologue is leading other than to rail against another light, another hope for a more peaceful world, that has been extinguished before its time. Martyrdom may inspire, but what a terrible price to pay.

I imagine a different world. A world where we look at the other and see our selves. A world where love is more powerful and available in every heart than the pain and fear that blocks its light. I imagine this world that way. I imagine it becoming a place we all can call home.

I know this seems to deviate from my usual nature girl blog, but it's really all part of the same ethic. I don't believe conflict is ever the answer. There's enough pain in the world without deliberately creating more. Love is more powerful than hate.