CommentsALPERN AT LARGE--I don't do or relate to "dog whistles" or "false flags". I don't do conspiracy theories or "fake news", but I admit to having more trouble discerning the truth from the fiction.
I also suspect that I am not alone in my troubles and tendencies. But I do support the concept of Choices and Free Will...and hence I blame only one person for the New Zealand slaughter.
Unless you are a heartless bigot, the deaths of a peaceful, praying Muslim population in New Zealand can only be described as a tragedy of the worst sorts, and a travesty to all those who hold human life dear. And what do we do about the "thing", the "monster", and the "beast" who live-streamed it all?
Well, we certainly don't do its bidding.
One need not believe in God or Satan to understand the inherent Good and Evil within us all (and in my short life I've come to define Evil as a "Malignant Narcissism"), but the smell of brimstone emanating from that beast's manifesto (to which I've not read, and won't read, but have learned a bit about from the news reports), is making it hard not to gag.
So, let's make a few things clear--at least for those who want to keep things clear:
1) Donald Trump didn't kill those poor Muslims anymore than Barack Obama killed those poor policemen in Dallas or the victims of San Bernardino. We can disagree with their policies, but neither of them are killers or pro-killing.
2) Neither CNN nor Fox News want people to die, or even to get beat up for either free speech or wearing a "MAGA" hat. We can disagree with their reporting or reporting style, but neither entity has called for violence.
3) That monster in NZ admires China, is an eco-terrorist, and wants nothing more than to pull us apart. If there is a Satan, either physical or metaphysical or metaphorical, that beast is a willing and competent servant...who we can negate and ignore, if we so CHOOSE.
4) Shall we ignore the deaths of Christians in Nigeria any more than persecuted animists and Muslims in Sudan? I hope not!
5) Shall we ignore the challenges of Muslims in Europe (or even in America) who convert to Christianity. I hope not, any more than I hope we'd not ignore the challenges of those who convert to Islam.
6) Shall we play the game of "rooting for a killer to be on the other side to make political points for our side"? I hope not, because another tragedy just occurred in the Dutch city of Utrecht, and the slain are just as dead no matter who did the killing, or why.
7) Shall we choose to oppose Iran because it's Muslim, or because it's our sworn enemy? Shall we ignore the concerns of a spy-war and of potential traitors to Iran? Again, I hope not--we're all in this together.
Whether Barack Obama or Donald Trump said something, didn't say something, did something, or didn't do something has NOTHING to do with what happened in New Zealand: a disgusting individual showed how one person can do great evil if he/she so chooses.
Even the social media who allowed the live-streaming of the slaughter didn't want it to happen--there are by far more movies and photos of loved ones, kitty/puppy/animals, and human interest stories and memes that people want to see.
There is only ONE individual who did great evil in New Zealand. I can only implore anyone reading this to remember that.
Please do NOT do "its" bidding...because dividing us appears to be exactly what "it" wanted.
(CityWatch Columnist, Kenneth S. Alpern, M.D, is a dermatologist who has served in clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside Counties, and is a proud husband and father to two cherished children and a wonderful wife. He is also a Westside Village Zone Director and Board member of the Mar Vista Community Council (MVCC), previously co-chaired its Outreach Committee, and currently is Co-Chair of both its MVCC Transportation/Infrastructure and Planning Committees. He was co-chair of the CD11 Transportation Advisory Committee and chaired the nonprofit Transit Coalition and can be reached at [email protected]. He also co-chairs the grassroots Friends of the Green Line at www.fogl.us. The views expressed in this article are solely those of Dr. Alpern.)
-cw