Words Fail Me
I could not write another post without addressing the horrific killings in Newtown Connecticut. I would feel negligent and insensitive. Something must be said, but truly, I felt inadequate to the task. How can mere words convey my horror, pain and sorrow. Then yesterday, I read an article in The Onion. Yes, The Onion of all places and they said it perfectly. If swearing offends you, go no further. I feel this is perfect. I then found the antidote to this pain. Looking at the positive people we have in this world. Read further below "10 Amazing People I know– My Reply to Yesterday's School Shootings" from the website www.Obviouslywrong.org.
This is taken from www.theOnion.com December 14th, 2012
Fuck Everything, Nation Reports
Just Fuck It All To Hell
NEWS • News • Dec 14, 2012
"I mean, Christ almighty, how the fuck can this happen?" sources say
WASHINGTON—Following the fatal shooting this morning at a Connecticut elementary school that left at least 27 dead, including 20 small children, sources across the nation shook their heads, stifled a sob in their voices, and reported fuck everything. Just fuck it all to hell.All of it, sources added.“I’m sorry, but fuck it, I can’t handle this—I just can’t handle it anymore,” said Deborah McEllis, who added that “no, no, no, no, no, this isn’t happening, this can’t be real.” “Seriously, what the hell is this? What’s even going on anymore? Why do things like this keep happening?”Continued McEllis, before covering her face with her hands, “Why?”Despairing sources confirmed that the gunman, armed with a semiautomatic assault rifle—a fucking combat rifle,
Jesus
—walked into a classroom full of goddamned
children
where his mother was a teacher and, good God, if this is what the world is becoming, then how about we just pack it in and fucking give up, because this is no way to live.I mean, honestly, all 315 million Americans confirmed.“Well, I suppose we have to try to pick up the pieces and make some sort of sense of this tragedy and—you know what? Fuck it, I can’t do this,” said Connecticut resident Michael Zaleski, his remarks understandable given the circumstances, because, holy shit, what else can one say? “I’m sorry, but I can’t fucking do this. Can you? Can anyone?”Witnesses said the gunman fired at least 100 rounds during his deadly rampage, which, according to children in the school—goddamnit, how? How? Twenty children. Dead. In a fucking school.No. No, no, no.“I just feel so [why does it even matter what this person said when no words can bring 20 dead kids back to life?]” said some person who, just like everyone else, is completely unable to process or handle any of this. “It’s awful. Just too awful to bear.”Americans reported feelings of overwhelming disgust with whatever abhorrent bastard did this and with the world at large for ever allowing it to happen, as well as with politicians, with the NRA, and above all with their own pathetic goddamn selves, sitting in front of a fucking computer instead of doing fucking
anything
to help
anyone
—Christ, as if that were even fucking possible, as if anyone could change what happened, as if the same fucking bullshit isn’t going to keep happening again and again and fucking again before people finally decide it’s time to change the way we live, so what’s the point? What the hell is the goddamned point?“I…” said Tom Miller, 27, after reading an article about the tragedy online. “I just…”“…” he added.At press time…screw it, there’s nothing else to say.
Then I read an antidote to what is so wrong in our world. From the website http://www.obviouslywrong.org
10 Amazing People I Know — My Reply To Yesterday’s School Shootings
Like everyone I know, yesterday was filled with sadness, horror. 27 dead, 20 children.
The only article I read (of dozens) that meant anything to me was Fuck Everything. The Onion nailed it: Why bother? Words can’t describe the tragedy. Why even try?
I’m not going to lobby for gun control or defend gun rights. I don’t want to argue morality or mental disease. There are plenty of people doing those things already.
Late last night, I saw a tweet from my friend Jessica Jackley, one of Kiva’s co-founders:
jessicajackley@jessicajackley
weight of today lodged in my heart, left no rm for sleep. drawn to my babies. finding peace sitting btwn cribs in the dark, a hand on each.
weight of today lodged in my heart, left no rm for sleep. drawn to my babies. finding peace sitting btwn cribs in the dark, a hand on each.
I remember meeting her years ago and realizing, midway through lunch, that I was going to have to invent a new category of people for her: courageously kind. It’s a different kind of kindness — one that requires strength, one that requires courage, one that knows kindness is often taken advantage of but is kind anyways.
And that’s what I want to talk about instead. Yes, there is evil in the world. Yes, there is death — unfair, untimely death. There is apathy, there is greed, there is awfulness. But, there is also goodness in this world. Real goodness.
Yesterday, someone tried to steal that from us.
Well, fuck that. I refuse. There is goodness, I know this. There is kindness, I know this too. There is courage, genuineness, raw messy inner human beauty — all of this I know.
I know this because, over the past five years of building Vittana, I’ve had the genuine honor (pleasure!) of getting to know some of the most amazing people in the world. I don’t think of them as amazing — they’re just my friends. But, they are amazing.
On a day where some guy tried to steal our goodness from us, I’d like you to meet some of them.
Why? Maybe they’ll do for you what they did for me — remind me that there is real goodness in this world.
Jessica Jackley — She inspired the definition of courageously kind. Her TED talk was one of the most courageous talks I have ever seen — you can literally see the love and soul she put into building Kiva. Enough said.
Jose Antonio Vargas — He’s one of the bravest men I know. A Pullitzer Prize-winning journalist, he outed himself as an undocumented immigrant last year so he could fight for immigrants’ rights.
Jim Fruchterman — I love Jim. He’s one of the dorkiest, happiest, smartest people I know. A rocket scientist turned social entrepreneur, he invented OCR good enough to read all printed text in 1982 and then built reading machines for the blind with it. Oh, and he’s also a certified genius.
Rand Fishkin — I want to be Rand when I grow up. Like all founders, he’s gone through heaven and hell, but he’s talked about everything openly — the good, the bad, the awful. He lives and breathes TAGFEE. He’s one of the most genuine, open, courageous tech founders you’ll ever meet.
Charles Best — Spend 15 minutes with Charles and you’ll walk away happier, grounded, energized. A teacher in the Bronx, hefounded DonorsChoose in 2000 to help his fellow teachers afford school supplies. And because he didn’t know that many donors back then, he secretly funded the first dozen projects… on a teacher’s salary.
Alexis Ohanian — He might have founded reddit, hipmunkand breadpig, he might be writing a book that’ll rock your world or be going to the White House Christmas party, and he might also only be 29… but you’d never know that by talking to him — he’s one of the nicest, most genuine, humble guys you’ll ever meet.
Eric Stowe — Eric founded Splash in 2006, working to get kids around the world access to clean water. They’re serving 250,000+ kids a day — it’s truly incredible to see them scale.
Nancy Lublin — Nancy runs DoSomething.org. In less than 12 hours, they found a way to help the victims of yesterday’s shooting.Text HOPE to 38383 to send a prayer to the familiesaffected by yesterday’s shooting. They will be hand-delivered on Monday.
Kristina Anderson — Here’s the thing: Yesterday was the second-worst school shooting in American history. Virginia Tech was the worst.Kristina is a survivor of Virginia Tech. She was shot multiple times, survived, made it through physical therapy, and has nowdedicated her life to fighting for safe schools.
A music teacher, a custodian, a principal — A music teacher who saved 15 kids by hiding them in a closet; a custodianrunning in the halls, yelling “Guys! Get down! Hide!”; a principal who gave her life trying to save her students.
What more can I say? They’re our heroes and angels today.
Who do you know that reminds you there’s still goodness in this world? In the middle of everything else, take a moment to reflect on the goodness, courage and humanity that still exists all around us.
Thank you to http://www.theonion.com and http://www.obviouslywrong.org
You have said it perfectly.
