When Fear Yields to Compassion

I don’t think anyone will disagree that every year millions of guns are acquired by people in an attempt to alleviate their symptoms of fear.  Enacting laws to keep paranoid psychotics from owning automatic weapons seems like an intelligent choice; it certainly minimizes my fear of being assaulted or killed. But it seems, my fear pales in comparison to that felt by people who succumb to fantasies of “THEM” – the great, dark masses of conspiratorial boogie-men exploited with great success by the NRA, Islamic fundamentalists, third world dictators… all political and religious extremists.

The shift in Humankind away from the compulsion to kill one another will only take place when fear yields to compassion.

When inflammatory distortions spewing from the 24 hour “news” stations are seen and rebuked for what they really are: vehicles for selling product.

When political leaders consistently do what’s right rather than what will inflate their own sense of power.

When people’s delusion-based behavior gives way to awareness and faith.

I can hear lots of people saying, “right, when hell freezes over.”
There is a profoundly optimistic voice within me saying, "better get a coat."