In the case of the Tsarnaev brothers, I'm appalled at how their family problems were drug through the mud. It's one thing to note, as we grapple to understand the suspects, that one was arrested for violence against his girlfriend. It's another thing altogether (and a nasty one) to find headlines like, "The Mother Of The Boston Bombing Suspects Was Arrested For Shoplifting Last Year".
As long as they could get away with it Big Media danced around the fact the brothers were Muslim. I saw blog and Facebook posts suggesting that since the suspects were Muslims that explained everything. Both attitudes are wrong. We are perfectly capable of assimilating facts without making judgments. Why do so many refuse to do so?
In both Big Media and on blogs, some were quick to assume it was the work of "right wing extremists", "the Tea Party". and so forth-- while decrying any who would assume it was Muslims or foreign terrorists. Guess what? Any of those is just as wrong as another.
Today (and every day) you have a choice. You can wait for the facts or jump to unwarranted conclusions based on prejudices or feelings at the moment. You can stir up trouble for people or you can show grace and love and try to help heal people and situations.
Any time you throw a rock into water, you get ripples. But if you put up barriers, you can keep the ripples from spreading. If you leave the water alone, the ripples will dissipate. If you throw more rocks in, it just makes more ripples... and squashes life under the surface.
Don't encourage the mess. Don't dig up dirt on people, or listen to it, much less rejoice in it.
Choose life. Choose love.
