What Else Can You Say?

Go ahead and watch the news for a few days. It’s downright awful out there, and it’s only getting worse. What do I mean? Here’s a roundup:

• ISIS has violently driven all Christians out of portions of Iraq, including Mosul. That’s right, every drop of American blood spilled to secure freedom in that town is now, effectively, wasted. It’s like letting Neo-Nazis take over a few cities in Germany or re-establish ghettos for Jews.
• A young man has been murdered in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and the web allegations include that the police chief’s son is partly involved. Of course, he’s not arrested or charged—and how do you know?
• In Texas, some folks say another young man was ramrodded into prison for a sexual assault he didn’t commit. Others say the 4-year-old victim is being re-victimized by public opinion. Meanwhile, it is clear that the evidence was mishandled; not to say it’s not valid, just that it’s hard to verify. Either way, though, a community is divided and the big issue is missed: there is more concern for evidence rules than a 4-year-old sexual assault victim.
• In Central America, things are apparently so bad that many children are being sent to the US Border. As they travel, various thugs and criminals are mixing in and they’re all crossing the border to overwhelm US border security. Naturally, the only voices in the media are claiming that we should either send every one back (or shoot them) or those who think we shouldn’t have a border at all.
• In Israel, terrorists are launching rockets from schoolyards to kill civilians. The result? Military action that attacks…schoolyards. How many civilians will be killed? Far more than combatants.
• Remember the whole “Bring Back Our Girls” things? Guess what has been done, other than a hashtag? Nothing.
• At the back of all this is a world that just seems bent on self-destruction. Really and truly. No one is forcing us all to go down this road, and the few people who truly would violently force us in their direction (ISIS, that guy who suggested “ruthlessly suppressing” people who don’t support his agenda) can be isolated to their own self-destruction. The truth is that we are so self-absorbed as the human race that we would just as soon see the world burn as let our enemies have one square inch. It’s nonsense. But it is the way we behave.

All that to say, often these matters occur and then someone gets on a high horse and complains that “People are being silent about….” and then fill in the issue of the moment. Here’s the deal:

What else would you like most of us to say?

Murder is wrong, and I’m not in favor of it. Sexual abuse, domestic violence, these are wrong, and I’m not in favor of them. Exploitation of children, oppression of workers, suppression of individual liberties that do not infringe on others: all wrong. Assaults on religious liberty, big or small: wrong. Voter suppression and voter fraud: wrong.

Economic injustice? Political injustice? Violence in the streets?

All wrong.

But if you know me, you know that I think that. And you know that one measly little blogger in Arkansas saying anything about it won’t change it. When it comes to these problems, what else can you say?

Not much.

So find something to do.

Education fights poverty, so strengthen it.

Strong people standing for justice affects the weak-minded who force injustice.

Votes matter, and educated voters are more powerful than money if they vote.

Of course, some things you can’t do much about. The government is controlling who can and can’t help at the border—and many who would help are being turned away. I don’t know where to look in Nigeria. I don’t know what to do about Israel.

But I do know that demanding 140 character answers and simplistic politically easy solutions is nonsense. So let’s hold our political leaders accountable to real solutions, not soundbites.

That’ll help.

Beyond that, though, what else can we say? Bad things should not happen, and like most people I’m against evil. I just don’t blog about it directly very often because I’m usually looking for ways to do something, at least about the nearest things I can reach.