Madrid Horror

Resorting to terror, whether by planting bombs on commuter trains, or dropping them from the sky on civilians, can never be considered reasonable or even sane behaviour. The kind of brutal destruction of innocent life that follows from such attacks most often encourages greater violence.

I firmly believe the use of terror can only come about when someone, overwhelmed by an intense anger and hatred, seeks to form what in the hater's mind is a logical response. They essentially rationalize a truly irrational and visceral drive. They package it, refine it, and then look for ways to express it. But that horrifying rationalization is not limited to "evil" people hiding in mountain caves of some failed state.

One thing that tends to get lost in much of the agonizing over the loss of life in the aftermath of terror, is that the anger and horror that result are universal human emotions. I believe at these times, when the western media focuses intensely on carnage so close to home, we must also recognize those acts of terror perpetrated in our names as members of the western industrial world.

No I am not excusing the horror in Madrid or in any other terrorist massacre. I am pointing out how important it is at times such as these to not merely turn inward and allow grief and anger to grow into hatred. People must take the time to examine the roots of all this violence. Preventing it is clearly not achieved by simply responding with violence. Preventing it is clearly not achieved by chasing after the myth of security through the destruction of our liberty by creating a police state.

We have to be firm in the face of violence, but we do not have to be brutal. Western civilization claims to be founded on principles of liberty, fraternity and egalitarianism. All too often, while leading our comfortable lives, we forget that such principles are not simply rights but responsibilities. Helping others attain those principles in a shape and form that both they and we can agree upon is a solemn duty. It is a process that takes both time and material sacrifice.

Unfortunately, it appears very few of our governments and even our fellow citizens are willing to recognize this need for sacrifice. Consumption dominates our lives. Buying the best brand names becomes the principle by which we live our lives. That attitude has to change before we can ever hope to live in a safer world.