{"id":1507,"date":"2017-08-14T21:07:39","date_gmt":"2017-08-14T21:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/?p=1507"},"modified":"2021-01-07T18:55:38","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T18:55:38","slug":"death-in-charlottesville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brendans-island.com\/catholic-citizen\/death-in-charlottesville\/","title":{"rendered":"Death in Charlottesville"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

A vehicular homicide case near the intersection of Fourth and Water streets in Charlottesville, Virginia, is international news.<\/p>\n

I regret the loss of life, particularly since the driver apparently intended to harm or kill the victims. I’ll get back to that.<\/p>\n

Heather Heyer had been with several other folks there, protesting something \u2014 or maybe someone \u2014 which or who she felt should be inspiring more outrage.<\/p>\n

During the protest, someone drove a car into another vehicle, and into the protesters. 19 were injured, five critically. Heather Heyer died.<\/p>\n

“…Heather D. Heyer, 32, a Charlottesville resident who police say was crossing the road at the time, died of her injuries after being rushed to the hospital….”
\n(CBS News<\/a> (August 13, 2017))<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A young man who apparently was driving the car has been arrested. He’s been charged with second degree murder. That seems reasonable.<\/p>\n

Two Virginia State Troopers, Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen and trooper Berke M.M. Bates, had been on their way to Carlottesville. They died when their helicopter crashed.<\/p>\n

Oddly enough, almost none of the news has been about Heather Heyer, and not much about the young man who apparently killed her.<\/p>\n

Much of it seems to be about why we should blame some politico or another. Where we’re supposed to focus our anger depends on which news outlet I look at.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Trusting Emotions: Within Reason<\/h4>\n

<\/a>It would be nice if news services would focus more on facts and less on emotion.<\/p>\n

But that’s not going to happen. Not any time soon, judging from what I’ve seen over the last half-century.<\/p>\n

There’s nothing wrong with emotions. Experiencing them is part of being human. But so is using logic. I should think<\/strong> before I act or speak. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1951<\/a>, 1730<\/a>, 1763<\/a>–1767<\/a>)<\/p>\n

I’ve learned that my emotions don’t give good advice. (January 11, 2017<\/a>; October 5, 2016<\/a>)<\/p>\n

However, emotions may show that something requires attention. After that, my job is thinking about how I should respond. Or not respond. (Catechism, 1763<\/a>, 1765<\/a>, 1767<\/a>)<\/p>\n

<\/a>This isn’t 1967<\/h4>\n

<\/a>Quite a few events happened 50 years ago this summer. Some remember it as the Summer of Love<\/a>, others as the long hot summer of 1967<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I remember it as a year when some of us were working or hoping for long-overdue reforms. Others were increasingly frustrated in their efforts to preserve crumbling social conventions.<\/p>\n

I wasn’t the craziest of ‘those crazy kids.’ But I thought we could do better.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

I still do. (May 21, 2017<\/a>; August 11, 2017<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Heather Heyers and others had been protesting a protest held by another outfit.<\/p>\n

She lived in Charlottesville. The fellow who apparently killed her is from Ohio. But nobody, as far as I know, has said that the focus of Heyer’s protest were “outside agitators” whose goal was to “rile up” folks in Charlottesville.<\/p>\n

Maybe we’ve learned a little wisdom since 1967.2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

The folks at the protest which Heather Hayers and others were counter-protesting apparently don’t like what’s been happening in America.<\/p>\n

I’m not overly thrilled, myself, with the status quo. Many of our new social conventions are, I think, very unsatisfactory.<\/p>\n

But I am convinced that the answer is not reviving injustices that we were correcting in the 1960s. My memory is too good to want the ‘good old days’ to return. Ever.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Love: It’s Simple, Not Easy<\/h4>\n

<\/a>The basics are simple. I should love God, love my neighbors, and see everybody as my neighbor. Everybody.<\/strong> (Matthew 5:43<\/a>–44<\/a>, 22:36<\/a>–40<\/a>; Mark 12:28<\/a>–31<\/a>; Luke 6:31<\/a> 10:25<\/a>–27<\/a>, 29<\/a>–37<\/a>; Catechism, 1789<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Valuing human life is also a good idea. All human life, including folks who aren’t considered fit to live, or insufficiently human, by my culture’s standards. (Catechism, 2258<\/a>, 2267<\/a>, 2270<\/a>, 2277<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Like I said, experiencing emotions is part of being human.<\/p>\n

They’re not good or bad by themselves. I’d be concerned if I didn’t feel anger or at least aversion in response to the weekend murder in Charlottesville. (Catechism, 1765<\/a>, 1767<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Murder, deliberately killing another person, is a bad idea. I shouldn’t even cherish anger, hatred, or a desire for vengeance. (Catechism, 2261<\/a>, 2262<\/a>, 2302<\/a>–2303<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Deciding whether an action is good or bad can be important. I’m expected to think about what I do, and the actions of others. But judging persons as “good” or “evil?” I must leave that to God. (Catechism, 1778<\/a>, 1861<\/a>, 2401<\/a>–2449<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Deciding what I should do about emotions, instead of letting them direct me, isn’t easy. Sometimes it’s very hard. But it’s a good idea.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Reasons for Hope<\/h4>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

I think we are nearly 22 years closer to building “the civilization of love” St. John Paul II talked about. (August 11, 2017<\/a>; May 28, 2017<\/a>; May 7, 2017<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Since I also think it will take centuries, maybe millennia, to cobble together a close approximation of his dream \u2014 we are not much closer.<\/p>\n

But we are<\/strong> closer.<\/p>\n

I see reasons for hope in how many folks respond to irresponsible acts of violence. This sort of thing isn’t, apparently, international news:<\/p>\n

“‘Come see who we are’: Community members urge hope after Islamic center blast<\/a>”
\nDoualy Xaykaothao, MPR News (August 7, 2017)<\/p>\n

“…’In Minnesota, we accept one another, we support one another, we respect one another,’ said [Minnesota Governor] Dayton. ‘We live together, we work together, we succeed together. And we’re not going to let one bad person get in the way of all that.’…<\/p>\n

“‘They come Sundays, they come to play soccer in our fields,’ said Omar. ‘Every time you come, day, or night, there is activity going on.’…”<\/p>\n

“Community support builds for Bloomington Islamic center<\/a>”
\nKARE (August 6, 2017)<\/p>\n

“On Sunday evening, members of Pax Christi Catholic Church in Eden Prairie delivered in a basket more than 200 handwritten notes of support to the Dar Al-Farooq Center….”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I’ve talked about love, hope, and why I think cautious optimism makes sense, before:<\/p>\n